karate kid was a popular series of movies. in the initial movies, mr. mygagi, a martial arts teacher or sensei, takes a troubled youth, daniel, under his wings and teaches him the fundamentals of karate.
as part of this training process, his student daniel grows in many ways as he learns about work-ethic and the fundamentals of the martial art. he develops confidence.
in one of my most inspiring in any movie, daniel is in a karate tournament and is getting physically and emotionally destroyed by his opponents. the scene starts as daniel is rolling on the mat both in pain and emotional upset.
the dialogue goes as follows:
mr. kesuke miyagi:
daniel-san! daniel-san!
daniel larusso:
mr. Miyagi, it’s over! it’s over, forget about it!
mr. kesuke miyagi:
no… no!
daniel larusso:
i’m afraid! let’s get out of here, i wanna go home!
mr. kesuke miyagi:
cannot, must not! it’s ok lose to opponent! must not lose to fear!
daniel larusso:
but i’m afraid! i’m afraid of him! what am I supposed to do it?
mr. kesuke miyagi:
oy-oy… oy-oy… oy! you stay focused. daniel-san, you best karate still inside you! now time let out! quotes.net
for the video of this scene, click here.
this scene is all about us. life is hard. the world can be difficult, cruel, and unrewarding. our emotions can get to us. they can stop us from taking care of our life. they can lead us to substance abuse. they can cause us to give up on jobs, careers, and relationships. they can cause us to act contrary to our long-held moral beliefs.
what should we do?
focus
when we are agitated to this heightened state, we must take the words of the great sensei. focus. in our life, we have learned about how to live a moral life from the ten commandments and the bible. when times are bad, before rash decisions and actions are taken, it is time to focus and reflect upon what we know. we need to focus on our moral roots. our roots are stronger than our fears.
when times are bad, if you are a believer, you should “thank god” for being here. in doing so, you will remember that, in this world, you are never alone. you have the master of the universe who put you here and who wishes that you be fruitful in your life. in other words, you are part of his plan. do not forget that god is your moral sensei he asks us to focus on the words in the torah before acting.
as mr. miyagi implied, it is ok to lose to others. it is not ok to lose to yourself.
when times are tough, always remember to “focus!” this is what is needed to put goodness and direction in your life.
be well!
The Ten Commandments Project 