The other day, I was flipping through a few TV channels and came upon an infomercial about the latest diet “solution”.

The infomercial claimed that their product would cause excess pounds to “melt off of you”, with absolutely no effort on your part.

As I sat there, shocked by these outlandish claims, I recalled the following story:

Seeking Success

There was a young man who left his village determined to find his way in life. After traveling many miles, he came to a fork in the road where he encountered the elderly sage of a neighboring village. “Tell me old man, which road leads to success?”

The old man did not say a word, but pointed down one of the roads. The young man took heed and eagerly headed down the road. But no sooner had he departed, that he returned bruised and somewhat weary.

“Maybe I misunderstood you, sir,” said the young man. “I am seeking SUCCESS.”

The old man nodded his head and pointed down the same road as before.

Again, the young man set off on his journey only to return, this time more battered than before. “I asked the way to SUCCESS, you old fool! But that road is full of steep hills and jagged rocks that are impossible to climb. Look, I am all bruised and scarred. You don’t know the path to success.”

But the wise old man just sat there and continued to nod his head and point toward the road. “Success IS that way,” he said. “It’s just BEYOND the hills, and the bruises and the pain.”

You just have to keep on moving.

No Shortcuts

You see, no matter what success you strive for, there is no magic pill to get you there. There is no shortcut towards your end goal.

You can only rely on two things: the ability to educate yourself about the subject you are trying to tackle, and the hard work you must put in to overcome it.

If we want good grades, what do we have to do? That’s right: study, do homework and pay attention in school!

If we want to enjoy the privileges our parents have given us, what do we have to do? You got it: keep up with our chores, clean up after ourselves, and help mom and dad around the house.

And what about receiving a Black Belt? Once again, there are no shortcuts. You have to attend class, work hard in class, and practice every chance you get.

This is possibly the most valuable lesson a student learns on the road to Black Belt. In order to earn a black belt, you must BECOME a Black Belt first. The road to success is mental, emotional, and physical, but with the right attitude and a willingness to work hard for what you want, you can do it!

Remember team, as Vince Lombardi once said, “The price of success is hard work, dedication to the job at hand, and the determination that whether we win or lose, we have applied the best of ourselves to the task at hand.”