Motivational Monday: Crazy Wushu Children

You see them at Wushu competitions--the little kids who do flips and can extend their leg up next to their ear and then fall into the splits--and right behind awe, you feel inadequate. These children, who can't be more than seven, are doing things that you could only dream of doing. 

It's easy to say, "Yeah, well, they're kids. They're squishable and fearless. Of course they can do all of those crazy things! If I had started doing Wushu at that age, I would probably be able to do all of those things too."

But, alas, you didn't start training when you were three. Chances are, you don't remember very much of what you did when you were three. And while, indeed, you are probably not as flexible as you were when you were a child and you have at least a decade more life experience than a child, age is not an excuse. (At least, not while your body is still healthy)

The main difference between you and that kid tearing up the mat is not your years. It's your fear. Fear of failure. Fear of looking like a fool. Fear of being judged, of being told that you're not good, of being laughed at. Fear of forgetting the movements. Fear of falling, of tripping, of not getting enough air. You have experiences that tell you to set your expectations low so that if they are exceeded, it will be a pleasant surprise. But when you step on the mat and all you can think about is all the ways things could go wrong and all the ways you must not mess up, you have stifled yourself. 

The mat is your playground--a place to have fun, to fly, to show-off. The impressive Wushu children might not think this consciously, but you can see it in their movements. You can see the energy and the joy as they move across the floor. They are not afraid to go big--were not afraid to try something new at practice and were not afraid to get up after their first failed attempt to try it again. 

Fearless? Naive? Who's to say. But why not try something new? Let go of your fears. Find the joy. And try it like you mean it. Because, yes, you are not that kid, but if that kid can survive learning those movements, why wouldn't you?