MONDAY MINDSET: YOU DON’T NEED A SEATBELT…

WEEK OF 5.13.24

 

…Until you do.

As combat sports athletes, we walk a razor’s edge each day as we balance intensity and productivity with risk mitigation.

Gloves, shinpads, floor mats, pads, rules, etiquette, no bare feet off the mats (wink wink)– these are all active filters that progressively peel risk away from the very real and very dangerous activities in which we engage.

Sure, you could probably get away with smaller gloves in sparring without anyone getting hurt.  In fact, you probably don’t even need large, 16oz gloves for sparring on a regular basis.  You just need them in that one, irregular instance where a little bit of extra padding is the difference between a broken jaw and a sore one.

We probably don’t need to be so strict about keeping our feet clean and not cross contaminating the mats – until, that is, the one day that something contagious takes a free ride to the mats on your partner’s feet.

And the list goes on, and on, and on.

The point is, you don’t always need to wear your figurative seat belts on the daily drives of your life.  If you’re fortunate, you may never actually need to wear a seatbelt, ever.  

But life can change in an instant.  The smallest actions can have massive consequences.  You must build and maintain layers of defense and redundancy against anything that can derail you from your goals, whether that be injury, addiction, or just plain laziness.

And let’s be clear: no matter what your immediate goals are, the ultimate goal is to live a healthy and fulfilling life.  This trumps winning any championship belt, earning any rank, or being tougher than anyone else. 

When you have the opportunity to buckle a seatbelt, buckle it.  You never know what life is going to throw at you – but if you can stay prepared, and stay ahead of the game, you can make it through some of the worst things untouched.  And, if you’re resourceful, you will often come through a stronger and wiser person.