Thirty Years

Thirty Years
A fellow went to a Karate Sensei and said, “If I work very hard, how soon can I be a Black Belt?”
The Karate Sensei looked him up and down and said, “Maybe ten years.”
The fellow said, “No, No, please listen, I mean if I come to class twice as much and practice twice as hard, really work at it, how long—”
The Karate Sensei cut him off. “I’m sorry. I misjudged. Twenty years.”
”Wait!” What! Said the young man, “You don’t seem to understand! I’m—”
“Thirty years,” said the Sensei.
The student was dumbfounded. “Sensei, I don’t understand! Each time I say I will increase my efforts; you say I will take even longer. Why?”
Said the Sensei, Your focus is wrong, focus on the process. “A journey of 10,000 steps, starts beneath one’s own feet, your goal is simple the general direction you plan to walk”  “When one eye is fixed on the goal, you have only one eye on your path.”
Focus on each step, the effort, your attitude,  not the reward at the end of it. You must be willing to give yourself time. You are accustom to having everything come easily to you, but this is not the way of life or of the martial arts. Learn to actively work toward goals without setting a limit on how long you will work. Remove your arbitrary deadlines from your mind.