CONGRATULATIONS TO Mr. BEN ON HIS PROMOTION TO 2nd DEGREE BLACK BELT AND THE TITLE OF SENSEI (INSTRUCTOR)!
SENSEI BEN HAS BEEN WITH US FOR 11 YEARS. AND FOR 11 YEARS HE’S BEEN WORKING HARD TOWARDS HIS MARTIAL ARTS GOALS! WE ALL SET GOALS IN LIFE. SOME ARE LONG TERM AND SOME ARE SHORT TERM. SOMETIMES WE STRUGGLE TO REACH THEM BUT THE IMPORTANT THING IS NOT GIVING UP ON THEM. GIVING UP OR QUITTING IS EASY. SETTLING FOR “GOOD ENOUGH” IS EASY. WHEN WE CONVINCE OUR SELF’S THAT “GOOD ENOUGH” IS OK THEN WERE CHEATING OURSELVES AND MORE IMPORTANT WERE CHEATING EVERYONE AROUND US. BEN HAS NEVER BEEN ABOUT GOOD ENOUGH.
THIS AUGUST BEN HEADS OFF TO COLLEGE. WHEN I TOLD BEN HE WOULD BE EVALUATED AND TESTING FOR HIS 2ND DEGREE BLACK BELT HE AND I BOTH KNEW THAT HE WOULD ALSO BE GOING THRU ALL THE THINGS ONE DOES FOR HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION. FINALS, PROMOS, GRADUATION PARTIES ETC. AND THAT DOESN’T EVEN INCLUDE WHAT HE’S HAD TO DO FOR COLLEGE. ALL THOSE THINGS ALONE WERE PLENTY OF WORK.
BUT THAT DIDN’T STOP BEN. HE FOUND A WAY TO DO ALL THOSE THINGS AND STILL TEST FOR HIS 2ND DEGREE BLACK BELT. HE FOUND A WAY BECAUSE BEN IS NOT A QUITTER! THAT’S WHY WHATEVER BEN DOES IN LIFE HE WILL ALWAYS BE A WINNER AND A SUCCESS
ALONG THE WAY HIS POSITIVE OUTLOOK, DETERMINATION, DEDICATION, COMMITMENT AND DESIRE TO LEARN HAS HAD A POSITIVE IMPACT ON SO MANY PEOPLE, INCLUDING HIS STUDENTS HE TEACHES ON SATURDAY. HE REFUSES TO SETTLE FOR GOOD ENOUGH BECAUSE IN HIS EYES HE ALWAYS SEES ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT! WEATHER HE’S TEACHING A CLASS OR WORKING WITH SOMEONE ONE ON ONE YOU CAN SEE THE POSITIVE EFFECT HE’S HAVING ON THE FACES OF THE PEOPLE HE’S WORKING WITH.
CONGRATULATION TO SENSEI BEN. WE ARE ALL VERY PROUD OF HIM AND ALL HIS ACCOMPLISHMENTS. IT HAS BEEN A PLEASURE TEACHING AND LEARNING FROM SENSEI BEN AND WE LOOK FORWARD TO THE NEXT CHAPTER IN HIS LIFE AND HIS VISITS!