Kyokushin and the Pursuit of Happiness

2014 has been quite a year, to say the least. Towards the end I didn’t post as much as I would have liked, but there was a lot going on, and still much to a degree.

Looking back, without a doubt one of the greatest things was my desision to go back into martial arts. But not just any martial art. I decided on Kyokushin Karate, at Contact Kicks MMA. This in of itself was great, but the best part was the instructor, Sensei Steve Fogarasi, who has become a mentor to me. He is deeply philosophical and has made a huge impact on my life. Kyokushin and his teaching has given me tools to build my self-confidence to a whole new level. Not to mention I have a circle of new friends who are just amazing people. Both of which would serve me well later in the year. This was the catalyst for changing my life in 2014!

Kyokushin at Contact Kicks, Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Myself with Sensei Steve Fogarasi

Near the end of the summer my wife left me. Though it caught me off guard completely, I wasn’t totally shocked. The writing was on the wall. But honestly, I wouldn’t have changed it. I learnt so much from the experience. About the things I want, and the things I don’t want it my life. I’ve learned that I want to be surrounded with positivity and I don’t want naysayers in my life.

Right after this I lost my “good enough” job. Events like this can really knock someone down, but I refused to be kept down. I remained incredibly optimistic. After all, we can’t rise and get better without falling. This is the second time I’ve loss such a job. It is my safe failure. It’s lucrative but I don’t care about it, it’s what I know. It is time for me to leap! Losing my wife and job just solidified that sometimes bad things happen in life to make sure our lives get corrected to the right path.

I am super excited about 2015! I have so much planned. The beginning of a new career, a trip to Japan to study with Hajime Kazumi, a trip to England in the summer for the IFK Summer Training, plus continuing my Kyokushin training at Contact Kicks.

I am not sure where this new path is going to lead me in terms of destination, but along the way I want to inspire others to live a life of purpose. My greatest fear is to wake up one morning in my 80s and be filled with regret. I am changing that for me, and want to do the same for others. Don’t take your dreams and ideas to the graveyard. Life is too short to wake up in the morning with regrets. Create the perfect time now! I am saying YES to my life and dreams! I am going to be the hero of my own story.

I will be sharing these experiences here, as well as another site that I will be starting. I’ll keep you posted on that. I want to thank everyone who has followed my blog and have contacted me privately to tell me how I have inspired them on their own journeys. That has really meant the world to me. I sincerely thank all of you, and please keep reading and sharing.

Happy New Year… and here’s to an amazing 2015! Sláinte agus táinte!

OSU !