Heart of a Servant
As a Taekwondo Instructor, I frequently have a talk with my black belts about "what it means to be a black belt".
We talk about how important it is for them to be living examples of the concepts of Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control and Indomitable Spirit. I remind them that, whether they want to be or not, they are and will always be leaders, because someone is always going to be watching them. I remind them that as Black Belts, we constantly lead "by example". People may not know our names, may not even care who we are, but as soon as they know that we're Black Belts, their mental image of what a "black belt" is will instantly be affected by what they see us do, what they hear us say, and how they see us interact with the people around us.
I sum this up to my Black Belt students by reminding them that the "heart of a Black Belt is the Heart of a Servant."
This "heart of a servant" attitude is sometimes hard to instill in people. In today's society, life is "all about me".
Sure, it's easy for us to look around us and complain. Gas prices are too high. Food prices are too high. Taxes...gosh, don't even get me started. :)
But rarely do we see people get up off the bench, step into the game, and try to make a difference.
I have a name for people like that. I call them "whiners". Whiners are the ones sitting on the sidelines, fussing. They're the ones that can find fault with just about anything and everything. But rarely, if ever, do they come up with alternatives. Rarely do they come up with a plan to do it differently.
Why is that?
I submit that it is because they have not learned that basic concept that I teach my Black Belts. They need to have the "heart of a servant".
It's easy to sit on the sidelines and take pot-shots. It doesn't take any investment of self. It doesn't take any real thought or energy.
As an International Referee for Taekwondo, there have been many, many times when I've been sitting on one of the corners in the ring, scoring handsets in my hands, working my tail off to do the best job I can at properly scoring a match, and some loud-mouthed wannabe in the stands is yelling at the referee team about how near-sighted we are, or how we obviously don't know the rules, or how our mothers didn't know our fathers, etc.
I always get a chuckle when some of those self-same individuals are given the opportunity to try to learn how to be referees, or learn how to score a match, or sometimes, even have the subtleties of the rules explained to them. Then, they tend to lose a lot of their bluster. They fuss loudly from the sidelines, but when given the opportunity to "make a difference", all their energy and bluster fades away.
I encourage my Black Belts to make a difference in their daily lives. No, we're obviously not going to get everyone on the face of the planet to come to our Taekwondo classes, so we can teach them about Courtesy and Integrity, and the rest of the 5 Tenets, but we can continue to have an impact on our world on a daily basis by remembering that we do lead by example, and we do have an obligation to live with the "heart of a servant".
If we see something that is wrong and it needs to be fixed, it is up to us to come up with a possible solution, and then do what we can to see that solution implemented.
Life is not a spectator sport. Those that have the ability to make a difference also have the obligation to make a difference. We simply are not permitted the luxury of sitting on the sidelines and being a part of the crowd.
When I told some of my friends and family that I was going to run for the Iowa House, a fair number of them looked at me like I was a few fries short of a Happy Meal.
When I told my Black Belts that I was going to run for the Iowa House, they may have thought I was crazy, but they also knew that I was living what I teach, and they all accept and understand that. They understand that I am still trying to teach them (and anyone else who will watch and learn the lesson) that "the heart of a Black Belt is the Heart of a Servant".
It is my desire to be a servant of the people in House District 68, and of the citizens of the State of Iowa.
My name is Larry Voorhees, and I am running for the Iowa House of Representatives.
--Larry Voorhees
We talk about how important it is for them to be living examples of the concepts of Courtesy, Integrity, Perseverance, Self-Control and Indomitable Spirit. I remind them that, whether they want to be or not, they are and will always be leaders, because someone is always going to be watching them. I remind them that as Black Belts, we constantly lead "by example". People may not know our names, may not even care who we are, but as soon as they know that we're Black Belts, their mental image of what a "black belt" is will instantly be affected by what they see us do, what they hear us say, and how they see us interact with the people around us.
I sum this up to my Black Belt students by reminding them that the "heart of a Black Belt is the Heart of a Servant."
This "heart of a servant" attitude is sometimes hard to instill in people. In today's society, life is "all about me".
Sure, it's easy for us to look around us and complain. Gas prices are too high. Food prices are too high. Taxes...gosh, don't even get me started. :)
But rarely do we see people get up off the bench, step into the game, and try to make a difference.
I have a name for people like that. I call them "whiners". Whiners are the ones sitting on the sidelines, fussing. They're the ones that can find fault with just about anything and everything. But rarely, if ever, do they come up with alternatives. Rarely do they come up with a plan to do it differently.
Why is that?
I submit that it is because they have not learned that basic concept that I teach my Black Belts. They need to have the "heart of a servant".
It's easy to sit on the sidelines and take pot-shots. It doesn't take any investment of self. It doesn't take any real thought or energy.
As an International Referee for Taekwondo, there have been many, many times when I've been sitting on one of the corners in the ring, scoring handsets in my hands, working my tail off to do the best job I can at properly scoring a match, and some loud-mouthed wannabe in the stands is yelling at the referee team about how near-sighted we are, or how we obviously don't know the rules, or how our mothers didn't know our fathers, etc.
I always get a chuckle when some of those self-same individuals are given the opportunity to try to learn how to be referees, or learn how to score a match, or sometimes, even have the subtleties of the rules explained to them. Then, they tend to lose a lot of their bluster. They fuss loudly from the sidelines, but when given the opportunity to "make a difference", all their energy and bluster fades away.
I encourage my Black Belts to make a difference in their daily lives. No, we're obviously not going to get everyone on the face of the planet to come to our Taekwondo classes, so we can teach them about Courtesy and Integrity, and the rest of the 5 Tenets, but we can continue to have an impact on our world on a daily basis by remembering that we do lead by example, and we do have an obligation to live with the "heart of a servant".
If we see something that is wrong and it needs to be fixed, it is up to us to come up with a possible solution, and then do what we can to see that solution implemented.
Life is not a spectator sport. Those that have the ability to make a difference also have the obligation to make a difference. We simply are not permitted the luxury of sitting on the sidelines and being a part of the crowd.
When I told some of my friends and family that I was going to run for the Iowa House, a fair number of them looked at me like I was a few fries short of a Happy Meal.
When I told my Black Belts that I was going to run for the Iowa House, they may have thought I was crazy, but they also knew that I was living what I teach, and they all accept and understand that. They understand that I am still trying to teach them (and anyone else who will watch and learn the lesson) that "the heart of a Black Belt is the Heart of a Servant".
It is my desire to be a servant of the people in House District 68, and of the citizens of the State of Iowa.
My name is Larry Voorhees, and I am running for the Iowa House of Representatives.
--Larry Voorhees
Comments
I don't really have anything to say except thank you for sharing this message. It definitely touched me.
God bless.