Focus on the Present

Since starting Jiu Jitsu all of life’s little problems just seem easier. Most of them don’t even seem like a big deal. I use to make the smallest problem into a big problem and overthink things. Always thought nothing went my way, I had the worst luck, I played the victim a lot. It’s not like all of those things just stopped happening. I just manage them and navigate around them better. 

When you spend an hour of your day fighting for your life, literally trying not to get choked or a limb broken, everything else seems like a walk in the park. Doing Jiu Jitsu forces you to think about situations differently. You can't sit there and think Oh why me, this is terrible, I'm getting smothered, poor me. You're forced to find a way out and survive. The longer you train Jiu Jitsu the better you get at being able to remain calm and find a way into a better situation. Even if it doesn't completely solve the problem, just small adjustments to make the position better will help a lot. When you're getting smashed in someone's side control and having a hard time breathing something as small as adjusting your arm positions to create a small amount of space can make a world of difference. After that initial adjustment you can breath a bit easier and you work on the next small adjustment, then the next until you can mount some offense or you just survive until the round ends. 

I take this principal into my life daily. I no longer over complicate and over think every life problem. I no longer dwell on every bad thing in life. I focus more on the present and what I can change about my current situation instead of running all the "what ifs" through my head. What can I adjust right now that'll make things just a little different, a little better, and go from there. This has made such an impact on my overall happiness and wellbeing. If it wasn't for learning this lesson on the mat I'd still be a poor victim of "bad luck", constantly unhappy and "stuck in a rut". Now I'm living for today, enjoying my family and grateful for the life I've built. 

“I don’t live in either my past or my future. I’m interested only in the present. If you can concentrate always on the present, you’ll be a happy man." ― Paulo Coelho, The Alchemist