Dream in February - 2020

MMA Belt Tests and 
Promotion Ceremonies

MMA students, mark your calendars!

Belt Tests will be conducted on Tuesday, February 18th during regular class times.
Promotion Ceremonies will take place on Saturday, February 22nd according to the following schedule:
Ages 3-5.5: 10:30-11:15 am
Ages 5.5-7: 11:15 am-12:00 pm
Ages 8-10: 12:00-12:45 pmAges 11-14: 12:45-1:30 pm 
 

Please note  

Dream will be closed Monday, February 17th for Presidents' Day.

Other News and Updates

Earlier this week, we announced some class schedule changes:
Monday Class Addition:     Ages 7-10 BJJ          3:15 pm-4:00 pm

Saturday Class Changes: Ages 3-5.5 MMA     10:30 am-11:15 am
                                           Ages 5.5-7 MMA     11:15 am-12:00 pm
                                           Ages 8-10 MMA      12:00 pm-12:45 pm

Please note that Saturday classes are open level and grouped according to the age groups listed above.
All other class times remain the same.Camp Registration for Spring Break and Summer is now open!

Spring Break will be here before we know it. Sign up for the whole week (Mon. Apr. 13-Fri. Apr. 17) or one-day sessions here.

Our Summer Camp offers six fun weeks of nature- and martial arts-based adventures and activities in July and August. Click here for more details and to sign up.
Camp spots are limited for individualized attention, so sign up today!

We recently hosted a day of service on Martin Luther King, Jr. day. Service to others is a value ingrained in our school and we were grateful that our group was able to support Toni's Kitchen and its Healthy Backpack Program, which provides healthy food to local families with food need. Thank you to all of the students and family members who contributed to our food drive and who volunteered at Toni's Kitchen!

Get to know our Staff!
Joann Olivo joined our team as our Administrative Manager in September 2019. Joann supports our communications, administration, customer service and our work with various charities and nonprofit organizations. You may have seen Joann at one of our events, participated in a drive she coordinated or received an announcement she crafted.
 
Joann holds a Master's Degree in Child Advocacy from Montclair State University and is fluent in Spanish. She believes in the uniqueness and potential of every child and embraces our mission of being a welcoming, inclusive environment to nurture students' individual growth and success.
 
Joann enjoys writing, hiking, baking and having adventures with her family.

Moral of the Month: Patience

“Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.”

― Aristotle

In a world of instant gratification it can be difficult to cultivate patience. The embodiment of patience allows us to overcome obstacles and achieve goals.

Offering children opportunities to learn patience is integral to healthy development and offers them the opportunity to experience happiness and success throughout their lives. Patience is not innate. It is a skill that must be practiced and reinforced regularly.

This month we will talk to students about patience and  the immediate and long term benefits of practicing it. We will reinforce the practice patience in class by waiting for a turn in a game and staying at pace with peers who are new to the Dream community. We will also discuss how patience is integral to the achievement of long-term goals such as earning a black belt in martial  arts, sustaining friendships and excelling in academics to name a few.

If you notice your child demonstrating patience please let us know. We will make sure to recognize them in class.

Put it into practice:

1. Model Patience

The best way to develop patience in our children is to practice patience in our day-to-day lives. I wish there was an easier way! Some examples of this are taking a mindful breath and waiting  patiently while a child struggles to get their shoes on or unbuckle themselves from their seat. We can also model patience by slowing down on the road and waiting peacefully while in line at the grocery store, butcher or airport. Show them what patience looks like!

2. Start small

Challenge your children to wait patiently for things that they request such as snacks and meals or drinks of water. As children grow encourage them to prepare their own snacks or assist in dinner prep. Try not to let children interrupt. If you are in the middle of a conversation ask them to wait until you have finished speaking to ask questions. Remind children that patience is a skill that needs to be consciously practiced by the whole family. Cultivating patience is important for grown-ups too!

3. Acknowledge Patience

Look for opportunities to acknowledge the practice of patience by children and adults in the home. It can also be helpful to call attention to times when you are struggling to remain patient. Patience requires effort and dedication.

Articles about the importance of patience:

8 Ways Practicing Patience Radically Increases Your Capacity for Success

Four Reasons to Cultivate Patience

Dream in January - 2020

Happy New Year!

Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Promotion Ceremonies are this month!
For students who have been training in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu 
Friday, January 24th
6:00-7:00 pm
Be on the lookout for further communications from us!
 

Please note  
 Dream will be closed Monday, January 20th in observance of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day. 
We'll be announcing our Spring Break and Summer Camp offerings soon! 
Look out for separate announcements from us in the coming weeks! 

Other News and Updates

Adults, fitness classes are here at Dream! Introducing Fighter's Shape Fitness, fun general fitness classes using a combination of training modalities like Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, Yoga, Judo and Animal Flow to achieve strength, flexibility, and sustained speed, balance & explosiveness. These fun classes vary and are modified to help each individual achieve his or her goals. Suitable for different fitness levels.

Join one class or enjoy the whole series! Available Tuesday and Thursday mornings 9:30-10:30 am from January 7th – February 13th. Sign up here!

Have a friend who'd love to try martial arts? Spread the fun and invite them to class as your free guest during our upcoming Buddy Week (Monday – Saturday, January 13th-January 18th). Buddies train for free all week! Share this official invite link with your friends before they come to train!

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr., we are organizing a group of Dream students to volunteer at Toni's Kitchen, an impactful food ministry in Montclair, on Monday, January 20th at 10:00 am for a special day of service. For more details and to sign up, click here!

Spots are extremely limited, so if you're not able to attend, there's another great way to contribute. We'll be collecting food items to bring to Toni's Kitchen. So the next time you're at the supermarket, you can add one of the items on our list of needed foods below and bring it to Dream by Saturday, January 18th. We'll have a collection bin ready!

Peanut butter*
Pasta sauce*
Pasta
Canned fruits/vegetables
Tuna
Oatmeal/Healthy Cereal
Rice
Beans
Snack bars
Raisins
*No glass jars please

Moral of the Month: Respect

The new year brings with it the morals we will focus on over the next six months; many thanks to our Junior Leaders for selecting them:January: Respect
February: Patience
March: Safety
April: Community
May: Creativity
June: Wisdom

“Respect is appreciation of the separateness of the other person, of the ways in which he or she is unique.”

—Annie Gottlieb

Respect is a fundamental part of martial arts training. We often tell our students that a dojo cannot function without mutual respect between all parties. To treat someone with respect means to treat him or her as we would want to be treated. We show respect to others by acting in ways that demonstrate we care about their feelings and well-being.Recognizing and accepting others’ opinions, preferences and beliefs, even if they are different from our own, is one of many ways to foster respect while also allowing people to feel valued and included. In respect we find humility and empathy as we consider others’ values and contributions.

 “Respect yourself and others will respect you.”

—Confucius

Besides respecting other people and places, we will also talk to students about self-respect. Self-respect is essentially having pride and confidence in yourself and behaving with honor and dignity. It is not contingent on success or failure but rather a perception of your own self in relation to your fundamental humanity. We cannot buy self-respect or obtain it from other people; we have to build it in ourselves by making choices that prioritize our care and growth.

“Self-respect leads to self-discipline. When you have both firmly under your belt, that's real power.”

—Clint Eastwood

Self-respect also entails standing up for yourself when someone is disrespecting you or treating you poorly. Removing someone from your life who doesn’t respect you can be a hugely important demonstration of self-respect. So are practicing self-care and setting healthy boundaries. Building upon self-respect will simultaneously help students with their self-esteem and worth and allow them to feel capable of tackling life’s challenges.

Dream in December - 2019

SEASON'S GREETINGS

Join us for a merry time at our Holiday Brunch!
Saturday, December 21st, 2019
11:30 am-1:30 pm

Regular classes will be held
Food and refreshments will be available in our adjacent East studio, so come enjoy!

Please note

Dream will be closed Tuesday, December 24th, 2019-Tuesday, January 1st, 2020.

Other News and Updates

We'll be taking part in Verona's 23rd annual Fair in the Square on Saturday, December 7th, 2019 from 12:00 to 4:00 pm. Tell your friends, and stop by and say hello!

We are cleaning up for the new year! Please visit the lost and found in our lobby closet area by Saturday, December 21st to recover any of your forgotten items and take them home with you. We will be collecting and donating our unclaimed lost and found items for the end of the year.

Help us spread some love and winter warmth through our coat drive with Jersey Cares! There's still time to donate your gently used winter coats* for men, women, children, and infants in need throughout New Jersey. Drop them off in our collection box by Saturday, December 7th, and spread the word, too!

*No winter accessories—just coats, please.

Moral of the Month: Love

What costs nothing but is worth everything, weighs nothing but lasts a lifetime, and is something that one person can't own but two can share? Love.

It is one of the most fundamental needs in us all. We are hard-wired for love, so much so that when we do, our happiness and health levels are enhanced, and if we live without it, especially early in life, we are forever impacted. Love, then, benefits not just the recipient but also the person who delivers it.

“If you want to change the world, go home and love your family.”

—Mother Teresa

Love makes us feel valued and deserving. When we are loved, we are empowered. We can flourish into happy, well-adjusted individuals, and be better equipped to navigate life, even during difficult times. The love we are given as children provides us connection and affirmation and teaches us how to love ourselves, and that love branches out to our families and our communities.

Love is also a great motivator. Self-love prompts us to take care of ourselves and become the person we were meant to be. It motivates us to care for and protect our families, which is part of the martial skills.

“We learn martial arts not so we can hurt those in front of us but to protect those whom we love standing behind us.”

—Neil Farber

Love constantly inspires us to action, not just for ourselves but for those we love. In 2003, while climber Aron Ralston was in a Utah slot canyon, an 800-pound boulder fell and crushed his right hand. After days of trying to shift the rock using ropes and a tool, Ralston ran out of water and saw only one last option. He amputated his own arm to survive. Reflecting on his experience, Ralston later recounted, “It was the relationships in my life that carried me through; all those loving connections with my family and my friends." Love inspires and sustains us.

If we are fortunate enough to experience love in any of its many forms, we should cherish, celebrate, and express it each day, through countless acts of love.

Dream in November - 2019

We are gearing up for

MMA Belt Tests and Promotion Ceremonies!

Dreamers, mark your calendars!
Belt Tests will be conducted on Tuesday, November 12th during regular class times.
Promotion Ceremonies will take place on Saturday, November 16th according to the following schedule:
Ages 4-6: 10:30-11:30 am
Ages 7-10: 12:00-12:45 pm
Ages 11-14: 12:45-1:30 pm

  Please note: 
Dream will be closed Wednesday, November 27-Friday, November 29, 2019. Enjoy the Thanksgiving break!

 Other News and Updates

November Mini Camp spots still available!
School's out Thursday, November 7th and Friday, November 8th for the Teachers Convention. Sign up for both days or one day! Kids will learn martial arts and nature skills through adventure and play during our special Mini Camp.
Sign up here!

Our 2nd Annual Family Fun & Gratitude Ceremony is on Saturday, November 30th.
Students and their families are all invited on the mats to play and attend a very special ceremony revolving around gratitude. Please join us for this fun and cherished event.
Ceremony times are as follows:
Ages 4-6: 10:30-11:30 am
Ages 7-14: 11:30 am-12:30 pm

 
We want to extend a HUGE thank you to the families who contributed costumes and costume items for our Halloween Costume Drive! We brought our collected items to the Jersey Cares office in Livingston, where they distributed them to children in New Jersey in time for some Halloween fun and trick-or-treating!

Moral of the Month: Gratitude

 We can only be said to be alive when our hearts are conscious of our treasures.

—Thornton Wilder

To be grateful is to choose to focus our attention and energy on what we appreciate. Gratitude is selfless; it instills a sense of interconnectedness and good will and is the catalyst for feelings of joy and reciprocity. A grateful heart also possesses healthy amounts of many other values, like humility, awareness, kindness and respect, for example.  It is no wonder why Cicero deemed gratitude “not only the greatest of the virtues, but the parent of all others.”

Gratitude benefits our emotional, social and physical wellness. A study conducted out of the University of California, Davis, revealed that fostering gratitude can increase happiness, self-esteem and empathy levels, while other studies have shown that kids who practice grateful thinking have more positive attitudes toward school and family. Additionally, appreciating the contributions of our friends and family fosters stronger, more positive relationships.

Gratitude also highlights the fact that many of the things we own and the opportunities we have come from someone other than ourselves, leading us to understand how interdependent we all are, which may make us more inclined to treat others with respect. Gratitude has also been linked to healthier heart health and better sleep.  

“Gratitude is the completion of thankfulness.”

—Henri Frederic Amiel

Gratitude goes beyond good manners and there is a lot that parents can do to cultivate this foundational virtue within their children.  

• Gratitude jar: At the end of each week, each family member writes down one thing that they appreciated, and then place the note in a large jar. This gets them to stop and notice life’s daily gifts. After a year of commemorating these notes of gratitude, the family can get together, empty the jar and read all the things everyone was grateful for. This makes for nice discussions about what we think and feel about the things we receive.
  

• Where did it come from: Explore together the origin of some object or amenity that might normally be taken for granted (like an apple, or air conditioning). Children may develop a new appreciation once they discover the number of places/people involved or the multitude of things that had to happen to bring these things to their lives.
  

• Rose, thorn, bud: This activity involves looking back on the day and recounting something we appreciated (rose), something that went wrong or was unpleasant (thorn), and something that we look forward to (bud). This incorporates nicely into a bedtime routine and promotes bonding and memory recall.
  

• The silver-lining mindset: Setbacks happen all the time but making a habit out of finding the good within the bad will show children that they have it better than they might imagine even when facing difficulties. So, if their game gets rained out, a parent can respond by noting that the family has a warm house to go to, or that maybe there will be a rainbow to spot afterward.

There are so many things to appreciate in our world and practicing gratitude regularly enhances our lives. We are extremely grateful for our dedicated students and our wonderful Dream community!

Dream in October - 2019

It's October! And that means...

Buddy Week!

Save the Dates! October 21st-26th, 2019
Students, bring a pal to class and spread the fun at Dream! Buddies train for free all week!
Share this official invite link with your friends before they come to train!

Please note
Dream will be closed
Monday, October 14, 2019
and Thursday, October 31, 2019 (Halloween).

Other News and Updates

Dream is expanding its offerings! Gary T. McCabe is offering adult classes and workshops in Qigong and other modalities. Learn more about Gary here: www.relaxrenew.com or via email at garymccabe@verizon.net

Qigong Classes
Wednesdays, 7:15-8:30 pm, starting October 9!
Build and balance your vital energy while releasing stress and tension. Simple and enjoyable mindful movements. Meditation and breath work included.
No experience needed—all levels welcome.
$20/class

Experiential Workshop
Sunday, October 20th, 1-3 pm
MindBody explorations. Like getting an owner's manual to your Mind and Body, you will leave with key practical skills and an understanding of how to use your energy and intent for self-healing, martial arts, and life.
$35/person

We'll be attending the Forest Street Festival on Saturday, October 19th, and debuting our Dream demo team from 11:30 am-1:30 pm. Tell your friends, and feel free to stop by and say hello!

Dream is supporting the Montclair Ambulance Unit (MAU) for their 4th annual Fall Fest and Duck Derby in Edgmont Park Saturday, October 19th. Come root our rubber ducks on as they swim across Edgmont Park pond. There will be music, food and fun, and all proceeds from the Duck Derby will benefit the MAU!

Halloween Costume Drive! We're collecting Halloween costumes and other items at Dream. Please see our collection box for more details or to drop off a new or gently used costume item for children in New Jersey!

Moral of the Month: Consistency

“We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.”

–Aristotle

If diligence is the virtue of earnestness and persistence, then consistency is its silent and steadfast sibling. This is because consistency involves routine efforts that excel us towards achieving our goals. It is the committed adherence to the same principles or practices over time that brings us success.

Consistency is quiet and unpretentious. After all, following small, productive steps day after day may, on the surface, seem inconsequential or tedious. But it is this modest, yet faithful practice that makes consistency overlooked as the essential value that it is and enables it to outperform more romanticized attributes, like luck and talent, to bring true progress.

“If you are persistent, you will get it. If you are consistent, you will keep it.”

–Anonymous

Consistency pushes us to be in the present while propelling us, little by little, toward our future, and improved self. A consistent individual is one who is said to also be reliable, trustworthy, focused, successful and/or disciplined. These are the traits we aspire to have for ourselves and our youth.

At home, parents can see what consistency brings into their children’s lives. From bedtime routines and cleanup rituals to unwavering curfews or technology rules, consistency in parenting removes uncertainties. The trust they have in knowing what is expected brings children the safety and confidence needed to make better choices in their lives. They will learn, internalize and repeat good habits over time.

Dream in September - 2019

Welcome back Dreamers!  

Tuesday September 3 we begin our new fall schedule, CLICK HERE FOR FALL SCHEDULE

Moral of the Month: Diligence  

“Dreams don’t work unless you do.” –Anonymous

If we look back on our own accomplishments, we may likely find that the ones we are most proud of were hard earned. Perhaps they took months or years to achieve or required sums of energy or willpower we never knew we possessed. Indeed, the fruits of our labors commonly take extensive amounts of time and effort and care. And to get to the point where we can enjoy them requires, among other things, diligence.

From the Latin term diligere, meaning “to take delight in, to value highly,” diligence truly does embody a sense of earnestness in one’s endeavors. Whether spending many a sleepless night pursuing an advanced degree, taking great pains to learn a new skill, or tirelessly training for a black belt, diligence enables us to meet our goals, and to appreciate the many and challenging steps along the way.

A virtue in its own right, diligence is the application of careful and persistent effort. It is about giving your all and knowing that the outcome will reflect your efforts. In many aspects, it is its own reward. In diligence, there is patience, improvement, accomplishment and pride in a job well done. There is no wonder it is so valued.

“I do the very best I know how – the very best I can; and I mean to keep on doing so until the end.”

—Abraham Lincoln

So how do we foster this essential trait in ourselves and others? For individuals, setting goals and prioritizing actions that support those goals can help to maintain focus and keep things in perspective. Check in with yourself and celebrate milestones.

Parents and caregivers need look no further than the literary world for cultivating diligence. Classic tales like The Three Little Pigs, The Tortoise and the Hare, or The Ant and the Grasshopper help to solidify diligence for young ones. Children can compare the quick, careless construction of the first two pigs’ houses, for example, with the third pig’s lengthier, more thoughtful build, or point out the differences between the lazy, frivolous rabbit and the determined tortoise who plodded on to finish first. They can also elect who, between the industrious ant and the laid-back, short-sighted grasshopper, they would rather be. Discussion can go in so many directions.

Diligence shows itself in everyday life, as well, and parents can shine a light on it by talking about their own challenges and accomplishments, helping children to set goals, praising hard work and determination, and pointing out the positive consequences of their efforts.

“Hard work spotlights the character of people; some turn up their sleeves, some turn up their noses, and some don’t turn up at all.”

—Samuel Ewing

Our students practice diligence each day they train on the mats, and with each new stripe or color belt they earn. They exhibit excellence with their hard work, and that is something we celebrate and encourage.

Dream in August - 2019

We hope everyone is having a wonderful summer! We have several important announcements. Please see below and keep enjoying these long beautiful days!  Ossss….

1. PLEASE NOTE! DREAM IS GOING ON SUMMER BREAK The school will be closed August 26-September 2.

2. The Fall Schedule will begin on Tuesday, September 3. (Please see below)

3. The Next MMA belt test is Thursday August 8 during regularly scheduled class times. MMA belt promotion ceremonies will take place Thursday August 15 during regularly scheduled class times. There is no charge for class belt tests. If your child cannot attend the class belt test on August 8 please schedule a make-up test for Saturday August 10. Please note there is a $40/test fee for make-up tests. NO EXCEPTIONS.

4. There will be a BJJ Belt Promotion Ceremony on Thursday August 15. There is no test for BJJ. BJJ promotion ceremony schedule is as follows:  

BJJ Ages 6-10 6PM-7PM 

BJJ Ages 11-14 5PM-6PM

5. BACK TO SCHOOL SALE ON COLORED T-Shirts ONLY $12.99!

Moral of the month: Kindness

The importance of kindness at first glance seems self-evident. What higher purpose can any of us achieve than giving kindness to those in need of it?

I still remember the boy who lived behind me when we moved to a new town, Andrew. Soon after we moved in, he hopped the fence and introduced himself. Before my first day at the new school I was very nervous and scared and I sobbed in the backseat of my parents’ car for a while. When I walked towards the front door where the kids were congregating, Andrew stepped out of the crowd and introduced me to everybody and told them that he was my friend and protector. That kindness is rooted in my heart. I can still recall the feeling of relief and safety that Andrew gave me that day.

One act of kindness can completely alter the trajectory of a person’s life.

It is not only the receiver of kindness who benefits from it. Studies show that being kind to others is good for you. It lowers stress and helps you sleep better at night. Also, those who observe kindness can be uplifted. Like a rock sending out ripples on the surface of still water, the good feelings that kindness produce can spread far and wide.

Any change we want to make in this world begins with kindness.

Dream in July - 2019

Summer is here and the time is right to keep training and learning. Below are some things that you should be aware of for the next two months.

1. Summer Schedule:

a. We will be closed:

i. Thursday July 4 – Saturday July 6. We reopen Monday July 8.

ii. Monday August 26-Monday September 2. We reopen Monday September 3.

b. MMA: Mixed Martial Arts schedule remains the same for the summer.

c. Brazilian Jiu-jitsu

i. We are suspending the Mon. & Wed. 3:15PM class for 7-10 year-olds.

ii. For the months of July and August BJJ classes on Monday and Friday are No Gi. This means that students will not need their gi top (jackets) they can wear their Gi pants or Dream shorts and a t-shirt. The t-shirt should be one they wouldn’t mind if it got accidentally ripped or stretched. They should not wear their Dream t-shirts.

2. We have hired a General Manager! You will probably see Brittany Rankins behind the front desk, please introduce yourself and make her feel welcome. We are very pleased to have Brittany working for Dream, she will be responsible for billing and account questions among other duties.

3. NEXT MMA BELT TEST: Thursday August 8. MMA BELT PROMOTION CEREMONIES Thursday August 15.

4. Colored T-shirts in youth sizes are on sale during the months of July and August for $12.99!

July, we begin the second half of the calendar year with new morals of the dojo. Each moral will provide us with a theme for the month.

1. (July) Respect

2. (August) Kindness

3. (September) Diligence

4. (October) Consistency

5. (November) Gratitude

6. (December) Love

Dream in June -2019

Next MMA belt test is Thursday, June 6 during regularly scheduled class times. MMA belt promotion ceremonies will take place Saturday, June 8.

 There is no charge for class belt tests. If your child cannot attend the class belt test on June 6, please schedule a private pre-test for TODAY Saturday, June 1. Please note there is a $40 fee for private tests.

 The theme for the month of June is Awareness, one of the foundational morals for all of our character development lessons.

• How can we be kind if we are not aware that someone is in need of kindness?

• How can we be grateful if we don’t bring awareness to the things that deserve our gratitude?

• How can we be courageous if we don’t first confront the fact that we feel fear and bring our awareness to the sensations of fear in our bodies?

Our mindfulness practice is our greatest tool for boosting our present moment awareness. In the domain of personal safety, where things unfold quickly and seconds are often the difference between life and death, how we direct our attention is paramount. By being aware, we can detect potentially dangerous situations and avoid them before they are a threat to our safety. Mindfulness can also put us more in touch with our thoughts and feelings so that we are better able to deal with stressful situations.

There are many ways we can work our awareness muscle. The first is simply to notice… sounds, smells, sights… when you step outside notice and point out bird song, the direction from which the wind is blowing or anything happening in your environment.

Play is the best way to get your child’s attention and help them work on their observational/awareness skills. To play, when you go into a business, make note of a few things about your environment: the number of workers behind the counter, the clothing and age of the person sitting next to you, how many entry/exits there are, etc. When you leave and get into the car to head home, ask your kids questions like “How many workers were behind the counter?” “Was the person sitting next to us a teenager or a grown up?” “What color was his/her shirt?” “How many exits were there?”

Besides keeping us safe, mindfulness/awareness has been proven to boost creativity and empathy and reduce stress.

Dream in May - 2019

Hello Dreamers!

We will be closed Saturday, May 25 and Monday, May 27 for Memorial Day Weekend.

Next MMA belt test is Thursday, June 6 during regularly scheduled class times. MMA belt promotion ceremonies will take place Saturday, June 8.

There is no charge for class belt tests. If your child cannot attend the class belt test on June 6 please schedule a private pre-test for Saturday, June 1. Please note there is a $40 fee for private tests.

Moral of the Month: Contentment

Contentment is one of the most difficult morals to embody because it forces us to swim against the tide of some of our society’s most powerful cultural and economic forces. We are bombarded with messages that what we have, who we are and what we do are insufficient. If only we did this or bought that THAN we would be happy.  Contentment requires vigilance and diligence to establish but its importance cannot be understated. Contentment with what we have and who we are, brings peace of mind and decreased stress.

A harvest of peace is produced from a seed of contentment.

—Proverb

When we talk about contentment with our students we will distinguish between contentment and complacency. Just because we are content does not mean we don’t strive to improve, grow and achieve goals. The martial way is all about moving towards our highest potential. As we work towards our goals we have to accept where we are NOW. We must walk this fine line of striving for greatness and being content with our current state. Contentment comes from a deep satisfaction within ourselves.

 I’ve often said that I wished people could realize all their dreams of wealth and fame so they could see that it’s not where you’ll find your sense of completion.

—Jim Carrey