I trust this blog finds you well. This installment is the the 4th part of a series. It is based on a philosophy used at Thomas Clifford’s Martial Arts known as; be, do, have, and give. CONTRIBUTION – You cannot give what you do not have. However, when you are in a peak state of emotional well-being, you have abundance, and you are compelled to share it. Your wealth, beyond the measurement of material of financial success, is your emotional state, or how you feel. If you do not feel good, your other wealth is of little consolation. Think of your identity. Is it a “spirit” that you are happy with? Does the person you have decided to “be” represent the kind of attitude, behavior, and character that you admire and appreciate? Again, your capacity to give is in direct proportion to what you have. What you have is the result of what you do. Everything you do is consistent with who you really decided to be. Would like to learn the “secret” to accurately evaluating how other people perceive your identity? My mentor, John Cokinos, taught me this many years ago. He said, “The strength of your relationships is a direct result of how the people in your life feel about themselves when you are in their presence.” I highly recommend that you give that sentence a great deal of consideration. Follow it up by contemplating this sentence. Your health and wealth are most accurately defined by how you sincerely feel about yourself, when you are alone. Your value as a friend and family member will be virtually immeasurable if you can master the art of be, do, have, and give. I believe that it is the highest art of humankind. At Thomas Clifford’s Martial Arts we know that training is merely a method to assist you in cultivating your spirit, mind, body, emotions, and capacity to contribute. I look forward to seeing you in class. Respectfully, Thomas Clifford
