Finding Your Outlet

When the world feels like it is falling down on you, and when all the emotions are boiling and coming up to the surface....one of the best ways of dealing with the problem is to find a way to express those feelings and emotions in a focused and productive way. There are many ways to deal with one's problems, and after these past three years or so of going through many of life's experiences, I have realized how important it is to not only face the problem head-on, but also to dedicate time towards a specific outlet to better focus my emotions and energy. Now, an outlet is not the same as an addiction. In this case, an addiction being anything that one may take part in to distract themselves from their problems.

In my humble opinion, if people placed the same time and energy they put into avoiding their problems into bettering their lives, then this world would be a far better place.

The difference between an outlet and an addiction is that an outlet enables one to put their energy into something positive that can better improve their situation in the long term, whereas an addiction is often negative and may only bring temporary relief from the problem.

I have found that discovering an outlet not only enables one to be able to deal with the problem before them, but often leads to the individual finding something that they can truly be passionate about that can turn their life completely around for the better. We can never underestimate the power passion can hold in our lives. Passion can truly allow a person to change their course of action and give them something to live for. It can rise people out of their problems and enable them to live truly productive lives toward something greater.

In addition, an outlet can enable one to find simple joy in their daily lives. Back in college, no matter how stressful grades, school, papers, and final exams were, I knew that my daily Kali training session would be one of the highlights of my day. This sense of positive thinking and focus helped me look at my problems differently and gave me the chance to take a step back from my problems and then face them once more. Having a productive outlet gave me the strength to keep going no matter what faced me.

Finding your outlet could be as simple as doing something you never thought you would do or enjoy doing. Go out there and try something you've always wanted to do but for some reason, you felt you didn't have the time for it or just kept making excuses why you couldn't do it. Finding your outlet can also be as simple as finding that one hobby or activity you truly enjoy but never delved into it as deeply as you wanted to. Before, FMA was simply a favorite hobby of mine...I was good at swinging weapons and loved the cultural side of it. Then it eventually became my overriding passion. Now, it is becoming my career and a lifestyle for me, and it's a vehicle that I am using to not only better my life, but the lives of the people I train.

I firmly believe that an outlet can truly better one's situation. Find your outlet, and you will find the path to a productive life. While we cannot control what problems we may be facing, we CAN control the way we approach those problems.