“You have it in you.”
According to Cambridge Dictionary: It is an encouraging idiom meaning you possess the talent, inner strength, or capacity to succeed.
Maybe, that’s all well and good. Potential and $5.75 gets me a Café Latte at Starbucks.
Whatever greatness or untapped potential I have in me makes no difference, unless I do the work. Unless, I work on myself, not on others. Whatever greatness inside me, doesn’t come out, doesn’t materialize, unless I pull it from in me. Just train. The late Kobe Bryant said, “I have a problem with people, who expect to be great, but don’t put in the work.”
You can push someone to be great or pull and inspire greatness from them. Still, they have to draw their greatness from themselves. It’s on them. We all have “it” inside us. We’re the only ones, who can do something about “it”.
I’ve trained in Aikido for over 35 years, for over half my life. Aikido is the way, the path. In Japanese, do means “the way”. I’ve had great Sensei’s, the late Mizukami Sensei and Ishibashi Sensei, on the path. I’m Godan (5th degree black belt). In Aikido, I can’t make someone do anything. That’s not only about the bigger stronger man coming to punch my head off. That’s about life.
As Sensei, I can’t make anyone do anything. I certainly can’t make anyone great. That’s all on them. They put their heads down. They put in the work. They do their reps. I guide them on the path as they find their way.
The late Mizukami Sensei and Ishibashi Sensei guided me on the path. They created the space for me to fail, succeed, and grow from both. They spoke loud when I was a blockhead, because they saw in me what I didn’t yet see. Unless I see what’s inside me and pull it out from myself, that makes no difference. Just train.
Making Shodan (1st degree black belt) was one of the happiest days of my life.
I said, “Thank you, Sensei!”
Mizukami Sensei smiled. He said, “I didn’t do anything. You did it!”
The late Mizukami Sensei was the Humblest Man on Planet Earth, who I knew. I don’t make Shodan, much less Godan without Sensei. Since then, I profoundly got what Sensei said. Although Sensei taught me the best that he could, I did the work. I got up when I fell down, when I failed. I got yelled at, because it was my time. Mizukami Sensei was the most important man in my life. Sensei was the father I needed to become the man I wanted to be, to be a good man.
I learned to be Sensei from Mizukami Sensei. He was my GOAT. Over the years, I’ve had the honor and privilege to teach students, who earned their black belts. They said, “Thank you, Sensei.” I said, “You did it.” Like the late Mizukami Sensei, that wasn’t false modesty or deflection. They got their black belts, earned their accomplishments, because they put in the work. They practiced over, and over, and over again. They came to train when they didn’t want to. They pulled out what was in themselves. I had nothing to do with that. Also like Mizukami Sensei, I got their profound acknowledgment and sincere gratitude.
I can’t make someone do anything. I can’t make anyone be great. That’s all on them. That’s all on you. We all have “it” in us. We’re the only ones, who can do something about “it”. Just train.
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