Decisions, Sacrifice, and Pursuing Your Passion

It's been almost a year since I decided to leave my previous job and recently decided to teach Filipino martial arts full time. Up to that point, I was constantly in battle with myself. Questions kept popping up within me: Could I do it? Could I succeed? What if I don't succeed? Or, more importantly...what if I DO succeed? Looking back on myself a year ago and seeing where I am now, I must say that it was the best decision I've ever made. Bayani Warrior is still growing, and I am not exactly where I want to be just yet...but I am way better now spiritually, mentally, and financially than I was a year ago. It may be just a recently growing group but I hope and pray it gets bigger in years to come.

Now, I must be honest in saying that it's not an easy path I have chosen. While I enjoy truly being my own boss, and doing what I love, we need to remember that this is a truly challenging undertaking. Bayani Warrior will only grow if I work 110 percent, every moment, of every day. I have to constantly train, recruit, and maintain a steady client base. Every hour, I am writing, researching, working on my website, and making promotional videos for our You Tube channel. Also, since I am self-employed, I honestly do not have that much of a social life since I don't have any co-workers to hang out with after work. However, despite all these challenges, I need to make it clear that everything I have done in this past year has been based on solid decision making. When I set out to pursue this, I did not simply state preferences on how I'd "like" to be or how I'd "like" things to turn out. I decided to take a stand in my life and pursue this. In fact, the etymology of the word "decision" literally translates to "cut off from" or "to sever from". In that respect, I had to sever any and all doubts and hindrances that would prevent me from giving my all towards this goal. I had to sacrifice the stability of a "normal" job as well as a more vibrant social life to pursue this.

Bayani Warrior, for me, is not a job...it's not me pursuing a hobby and doing a job that is fun for me. Rather, it is my lifestyle. Bayani Warrior, for me, is my full-time job, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Everything I do, from how I eat, dress, speak, think, and even the way I park my car in a parking lot....it all stems from my training and how it affects my lifestyle. The same goes for who I speak to and associate with.

A lot of people may think, "That sounds very restrictive. What kind of life is that?" For me, a restrictive life would be a life in which one is not pursuing what makes them truly and ultimately fulfilled as a human being. My whole life, I've seen people who simply float through the river of life without any passion or desire to realize their full potential. However, I have also come across people in my life who, against all odds, fought against the river and carved out a fulfilling destiny for themselves.

The fact is that I am doing exactly what I feel God has put me on this planet to do. It's not just teaching Filipino martial arts. Anyone can teach cool fighting moves. Rather, it's helping people improve themselves spiritually, emotionally, and physically through Filipino warrior training. I am using Filipino warrior arts as a rallying point for all those people in the world who WANT more out of life. I am using this art to aid those who want to be able to live a more focused lifestyle. It is not an easy path, but it is a path I am more than happy to pursue.