Wisdom for the New Year from National Karate and Martial Arts

I was recently asked to give wisdom to pass on to the younger generations. I know there are many who are wiser, but I thought I would share my list with you. Here are 10 things that I have learned over the years…

Life is not perfect, so don’t expect it to be. God will allow many difficult trials to grow your faith and perseverance. Learn from your mistakes and let your trials make you stronger.
Material possessions are not more important than relationships. If your kids scratch your new car, don’t choose love for the car over love for the child.
Work hard at seeing the glass as “half full” rather than “half empty”. Adopting a positive outlook not only makes your life better but also lifts up those around you.
Take better care of yourself. Eat right and exercise. The people who love you need you. Stay healthy for them.
Be quick to forgive. Hanging on to unforgiveness leads to bitterness and poisons your soul. Unforgiveness is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die. If someone has wronged you, they will have to face God about it, and that is way worse than anything you can do to them. Forgive, leave it with God and let your soul be free.
Start each day with counting your blessings. No matter how bad things are, we all have many things to be thankful for.
Search for people you can bless. Buy some groceries for the family that lost their job. Buy a coffee for the old guy wearing a war vet cap and thank him for his service to our country. Encourage the single mom who is feeling discouraged. You might find that your heart will be blessed more than the people you help!
Studies show that people are happier when they are plugged into a good community of friends. So find a good community of people who will positively build you up. Avoid pessimists and people who tear you down.
Apologize when you realize you are wrong. Saying you’re sorry brings you closer to the ones you love. And saying sorry to the people you don’t love at least makes you the “bigger person”.
Be careful what you watch and listen to. When you fill your mind with garbage, your heart will be filled with garbage and you will find yourself in a dark place. Fill your mind with good things and think about what is good and honorable.

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