The Bellwether, April 1, 2023

You've got to have heart How To Bu i l d Your Pe r s ona l Toughne s s Ac c ount…

can developing heart/strength/mental toughness in the same way. think of Every time you make a decision that overrides how you feel in the moment, you’ve just made a deposit into your self- belief and self-trust account. Every time you do something that's uncomfortable or that you don't feel like doing, you’ve made a deposit in those accounts. And every time you deposit into your self-belief and self- trust accounts, you’re developing the ability to handle hardships. You are forging the character that's necessary to undergo uncomfortable situations and circumstances. You are developing the strength that you need when life smacks you in the face with something that you don't think you can handle. What is the result of doing this consistently? Because you have invested and put so many deposits into your account you will now have the dividends to be able to navigate through any challenging situation more effectively. Don’t overthink it! Simply make the decision and commit to start making deposits into your self-belief and self-trust accounts today! Contributed By: Kathryn Bruce BESS, BSc (Hons), PhD Martial Arts Instructor & Exercise Scientist at Challenge Martial Arts & Fitness Centre, Melbourne, Australia 4th Degree Black Belt in Ryukyu Kempo karate & Purple Belt in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu

How many times have you heard people say things like “You have to be brave,” “You need to be strong (mentally and/or physically),” and “You have to have heart to go for the things that you want in order to be successful”? What do these kinds of statements actually mean and how do we develop the skills necessary to overcome the limits that they impose on us? What needs to be developed is more self- belief and self-trust, which will lead to the self-confidence that you can overcome any challenge that comes your way. People don’t realize that they can do what needs to be done and are unaware they have everything they need within them to improve their lives. We have been conditioned to look for answers outside of ourselves to solve our problems. The truth is, there is a wellspring of strength and power within each of us that is virtually untapped. We just need to learn how to access it. To start accessing it is actually quite simple. When people refer to having ‘heart’, ‘courage’ or ‘strength’, what they are referring to is developing the ability to overcome and do something that we don’t feel like doing. Developing heart, mental toughness and strength is the key to

overcoming the fear, pain and discomfort necessary for you to succeed in whatever endeavor you choose to do. Over the past 22 years as a martial artist and teacher I have noted this is a critical factor for success in all areas of life. You can begin developing this right now, it doesn’t have to be complicated or too hard. Start with one small action you can commit to doing and follow through on it, no matter what. Start with making that phone call when you are scared to, getting up in the morning when you say you will, anything that you commit yourself to...just do it and you are starting the journey. Once your self-trust is established by taking small steps, you will be able to build more challenging commitments. It is essential, if you give your word to follow through regardless of how you feel or how tired you are or what's going on around you. Your word means something as a Bellwether. Your word means something as a person. Think of it like a deposit into your personal heart/strength/mental toughness account. We all know how to make deposits with money. Each time you deposit money into your bank account, the account grows. You

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