The Wisdom of Hot Chocolate

The following story has been circulating through the internet; I am certain you have probably seen it or had it forwarded to you. It struck a particular point in my mind given Sigung's recent promotion and my title change. It's a responsibility and honor that we do not take lightly.

We are fortunate to have Grandmaster Lim in our lives and we appreciate the unique and awesome opportunity he has given us. His wisdom and knowledge and example shows us "to serve our students, serve our Ohana, serve our instructors and worry about ourselves last." That is often a tough one - real life creeps in and can be overwhelming. This post is a reminder to us to remember our priorities.

We had an exciting weekend with the Tournament and Luau. It's easy to focus on all the work that went into preparing for the tournament. It's easy to focus on the results and who won or did not win. It's easy to focus on the logistics of all the little required details. The "cup" was beautiful for sure! But, the priority is to remember and enjoy the time we spent together, the stories, the fun...all things that made the hot chocolate so sweet.

As martial artists, the cup is never the same but that adds to the variety of our experiences. One thing is for sure - the hot chocolate is always sweet and enjoyable - whether you realize it or not! For that we will be forever grateful.

Sifu Jennifer Corder

"A group of graduates, well established in their careers, were talking at a reunion and decided to go visit their old university professor, now retired. During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work and lives. Offering his guests hot chocolate, the professor went into the kitchen and returned with a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups - porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor said: "Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. The cup that you're drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate. In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink. What all of you really wanted was hot chocolate, not the cup; but you consciously went for the best cups... And then you began sizing up each others cups.

Now consider this: Life is the hot chocolate; your job, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold and contain life. The cup you have does not define, nor change the quality of life you have. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us. God makes the hot chocolate, man chooses the cups. The happiest people don't have the best of everything. They just make the best of everything that they have. Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly. And enjoy your hot chocolate."
(Original source unknown)

Appreciating the Value of Hard Work on Labor Day

Mike Rowe, host of the television series "Dirty Jobs" is an Eagle Scout. The rank of Eagle Scout is one of the highest achievements in Boy Scouting and often compared to the rank of Black Belt in martial arts. Recently a Scout's father asked Mike to write his son a letter explaining why he should complete his Eagle scout requirements. It's easy to see the parallels of this award to our Black Belt in his reply. We hope you find this letter inspirational and see the value of working hard and reaching your goals, both inside the dojo and out!

Sifu Kelly and Simou Jennifer Corder

"Kelby,

Your Dad asked me to drop you a line and say something inspirational that might persuade you to dig down deep and find the determination to make the rank of Eagle Scout. It's a reasonable request, from a father who obviously wants to see his son succeed. But here’s the thing. The Eagle Award is not really meant for people who need to be dragged across the finish line. It’s meant for a select few, and I have no idea if you have the guts to see it through.

Statistically, I suspect you do not. Only one out of a hundred Scouts make Eagle, so if you fail, there will be lots of other people with whom you can share excuses. Quitting now might disappoint your Dad, but I doubt that he or anyone else will be overly surprised. Anytime 99 out of 100 people do the same thing, it’s not exactly a shock.

I’m not trying to be cute with a bunch of reverse psychology. When I was 15, there was nothing that anyone could have said to me that would have inspired me to do something I didn't want to do, especially a stranger with a TV show. So I’m not going to assume you’re any different, or pretend that I have some influence or insight that you haven’t already heard from a dozen other people who actually know and care about you. I’ll just tell you straight up that doing something extraordinary can be very lonely, and most people simply aren’t cut out for it. Being an Eagle Scout requires you to be different than most everyone around you, and being different is really, really hard. That’s why the award is called “an accomplishment.”

Personally, and for whatever it’s worth, the best decisions I've made in my own life are those decisions that put me on the outside of being cool.

Singing in the Opera, working in home shopping, staring in the school play when the entire football team laughed at me, and especially earning my Eagle, were all choices that required sacrifice, hard work, and delayed gratification. I have no idea if you possess those qualities, or even envy them. But I can tell you for certain, that not getting your Eagle, will be one of the easiest things you’ve ever done.

Whatever you decide to do, Kelby, it's important to remember that the decision is yours. Not your Dad's, not your friends, and not your Scoutmaster's. And you'll own that decision for the rest of your life.

Good Luck,
Mike Rowe"

For more information about Mike Rowe please click HERE.
To learn more about Boy Scouting please click HERE or talk to our resident Eagle Scout, Sibak Nicolas Corder.