There is a common phrase that says: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” I know most of us have heard it. The problem is that all too often we take it, along with other so-called “conventional wisdom”, as the truth.

Read that sentence again: “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.”

What evokes your mind, what do you think of, when you contemplate those words?

If you’re like most, you believe, for whatever reason, that after a certain age, you can’t learn anything new. That, after a certain point, an ‘old dog’ can’t do anything about who they are or what they can do to change the course of their life and their direction, level of happiness, or ability to produce the results they would like. to see.

The old dog in the phrase does not have to be ancient in the sense of years though. I have met many people several years my junior who believe that because they have done so many things in a certain way, that, for them at least, any other way is out of the question.

And therein lies the theme of this article. Because it’s belief in so-called ‘truths’ like this that most often prevents powerful people—individuals filled with the potential for greatness—from moving toward the happiness and success they seek.

While there are many that contribute to your overall progress, we’ll focus on the “Commitment” success trait. The dictionary describes commitment as a ‘duty’, ‘promise’, ‘responsibility’ or ‘promise’. And, each of these keywords can be used to focus our intent to free ourselves from these externally imposed and self-imposed limiting beliefs to unleash our own power to be what we choose. Understanding with clarity and focus will allow us to set up our lives in such a way that danger cannot touch us and if it did, it would be dealt with. . . quickly and decisively.

Let’s look at each of these ‘keys’ to engagement, in relation to the concept of Warriorship and our desire to engage the world in a positive and productive way to better understand why we should seize the opportunity (or as a great poet reminded us” seize the day!”) for growth whenever possible.

Have to

Related to the concept of leadership, each of them is a role model in the life of at least one other person. Regardless of whether you are a parent or not, someone is watching how you move, act, talk, and the like. And they are deciding for themselves on these actions. If they like what they see, even if you would call something a bad habit, they can accept that ‘habit’ as a truth to live up to. They want to be “like you”. If we are truly concerned about the fate of others and our influence on their lives in a positive way, it is our duty to be the best ‘example’ we can be. We don’t have to literally be teachers, or have a job title that says “leader,” but we are an example that others are following. The question we must ask ourselves is, “How do I take control of the way I inspire or motivate others?”

promise

This key can be seen as a reflection of the water realm of clarity and truth and the wind realm of achievement through action. When we make a promise, we communicate something, in the form of a truth that others can trust. Like the commitment that two people make to each other when they get married, a promise is the creation of something that creates security and protection for the other. And it is the external focus, ‘other’, that makes a promise an important aspect of commitment and our ability to get the necessary help from others when we need it. The question here is, “what benefit will others (and myself) receive if I succeed in my endeavor?”

Responsibility

This key has to do with our accepted responsibility or obligation to see that something is done. This is the opposite of the “it’s not my job” attitude that the lazy personality often hears and experiences. In order for us to commit to something, we have to see and accept our own responsibility for doing so. In fact, to take this even further, we must accept full responsibility for the failure of something that doesn’t happen. The statement that, “if it’s going to be depends on me” leads me. The question, “what does it say about me, when I take responsibility for my life and my actions?”

Pledge: Related to the fire realm of connection and expression, a pledge is a vow and a means of committing to a goal or cause. Far deeper in meaning and understanding than a pledge, just as ‘loyalty oath’ is a more powerful title than ‘loyalty pledge’, this key comes from the heart. We feel the need to reach the goal so strongly that there is no doubt, hesitation, or fear of failure. We are so totally committed that the promise sounds more like a statement of ‘of course it will happen’ than a desire to appear in the world in some magical way. The feeling provokes the question: “What makes this goal so important that it must be achieved?”

Although the four keys can be found to be synonymous with each other and, for many, indistinguishable from one another, subtle differences in context can mean all the difference between being committed to something and simply saying that we are committed.

So what about you? How committed are you to those things that you say are important? How much do you really want to change your life, to create results that can benefit both you and others, to create the life you have always dreamed of living? How important is your training in Ninja Martial Arts and your successful learning of Mastery skills?

Saying or thinking that you are the ‘old dog’ in the sentence we talked about above simply means that you recognize how limited you have become in your own habitual patterns. But it’s never too late to start creating new habits and patterns of success. In fact, the world depends on you taking action, and now! Because, if there’s one thing the world needs, it’s a more truly successful person, a brighter light, a more honest, respectful, committed person who does exactly what they say they will do because they recognize their purpose and are willing enough, no. brave enough, to break away from those who will settle for mediocrity.

Here is the formula: if you change, you will grow. But to grow, you must commit to taking action: doing exactly what must be done to make the world, even if it’s just your little corner, a better place to live.