There is a common phrase that goes: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” I know most of us have heard it. The problem is that too often we take it, along with other so-called “conventional wisdom,” to be true.
Reread that sentence: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”
What does your mind evoke, what do you think about, when you contemplate those words?
If you’re like most, you believe, for whatever reason, that after a certain age, you can’t learn anything new. That, after a certain point, an ‘old dog’ can’t do anything about who they are or what they can do to change their life’s course and direction, level of happiness, or ability to produce the results they’d like. to see.
The old dog in the phrase does not have to be ancient in the sense of years though. I have met many people several years younger than me who believe that because they have done so many things in a certain way, that, at least for them, any other way is out of the question.
And therein lies the subject of this article. Because it is the belief in so-called ‘truths’ like this that more often than not prevents powerful people – individuals filled with the potential for greatness – from moving forward towards the happiness and success they seek.
While there are many that contribute to your overall progress, we’ll focus on the “engagement” success trait. The dictionary describes the commitment as a ‘duty’, ‘promise’, ‘responsibility’ or ‘promise’. And, each of these keywords can be used to focus our intention on freeing ourselves from these self-imposed and externally-imposed limiting beliefs in order to release our own power to be what we choose. Understanding with clarity and focus will allow us to shape our lives in such a way that danger cannot touch us and, if it did, it would be dealt with. . . quickly and decisively.
Let’s look at each of these ‘keys’ to engagement, in relation to the concept of Warriorship and our desire to engage the world in a positive and productive way to better understand why we should seize the opportunity (or as a great poet reminded us” seize the day!”) for growth whenever possible.
Have to
Related to the concept of leadership, each of them is a role model in the life of at least one other person. Regardless of whether you’re a parent or not, someone is watching how you move, act, talk, and the like. And they are deciding for themselves about these actions. If they like what they see, even if you would call something a bad habit, they can accept that ‘habit’ as a truth that they must live up to. They want to be “just like you”. If we are truly concerned about the fate of others and our influencing their lives in a positive way, it is our duty to be the best ‘example’ that we can be. We don’t have to literally be teachers, or have a job whose official title says “leader,” but we are an example that others are following. The question we need to ask ourselves is, “How do I take control of how I inspire or motivate others?”
promise
This key can be seen as a reflection of the water realm of clarity and truth and the wind realm of achievement through action. When we make a promise, we communicate something, in the form of a truth that others can trust. Like the commitment that two people make to each other when they marry, a promise is the creation of something that creates safety and security for the other. And it is the external, ‘other’ focus that makes a promise an important aspect of commitment and our ability to get the help we need from others when we need it. The question here is, “what benefit will others (and myself) receive if I am successful in my endeavor?”
Responsibility
This key has to do with our responsibility or accepted obligation to see that something is done. This is the opposite of the “it’s not my job” attitude that the lazy personality often hears and lives by. For us to commit to something, we have to see and accept our own responsibility for doing so. In fact, to take this even further, we must accept full responsibility for the failure of something that does not happen. The statement that “whether it’s going to be is up to me” leads me. The question, “what does it say about me, when I take responsibility for my life and my actions?”
Commitment: Related to the fire realm of connection and expression, a commitment is a vow and a means of committing oneself to a goal or cause. Far deeper in meaning and understanding than a promise, just as ‘oath of allegiance’ is a more powerful title than ‘pledge of allegiance’, this key comes from the heart. We feel so strongly the need to reach the goal that there is no doubt, hesitation or fear of failure. We are so fully committed that the promise sounds more like a statement of ‘of course it will happen’ than a wish to somehow magically appear in the world. The sentiment prompts the question, “What makes this goal so important that it must be achieved?”
Although the four keys may be found to be synonymous with one another and, for many, indistinguishable from one another, subtle differences in context can mean all the difference between being committed to something and simply saying that we are committed.
So what about you? How committed are you to those things that you say are important? How much do you really want to change your life, to create results that can benefit both you and others, to create the life you’ve always dreamed of living? How important is your Ninja Martial Arts training and successful learning of Mastery skills?
Saying or thinking that you are the ‘old dog’ in the phrase we talked about earlier simply means that you recognize how limited you have become in your own habitual patterns. But it’s never too late to start creating new habits and patterns of success. In fact, the world depends on you taking action, and now! Because, if there’s one thing the world needs, it’s a more truly successful person, a brighter light, a more honest, respectful, committed person who does exactly what they say they’ll do because they recognize their purpose and are willing enough, no. brave enough, to break with those who will settle for mediocrity.
Here is the formula: if you change, you will grow. But to grow, you must commit to action: to do exactly what needs to be done to make the world, even if it’s just your little corner, a better place to live.