True Confidence Creed

Years ago, I met a living legend in the martial arts community. Master Jun Rhee is not only one of the world's greatest martial artists, but he also built one of the most successful businesses in martial arts. I admire Master Rhee most of all as one of the world's greatest living philosophers. The first time I heard him talk, he gave us his student creed that we could use in our own schools. The creed highlights 3 basic steps that lead to greater self-confidence. The creed starts like this: To build true confidence through knowledge in the mind, honesty in the heart, and strength in the body. Knowledge in the mind speaks to training and preparation. You can't always control the outcome, but you can always control how hard you prepare. Honesty in the heart speaks to behavior and character. How can you feel confident when you're lying or trying to hide something, either from others or from yourself? Strength in the body speaks to health. You just don't feel confident when you're sick or weak. You don't have to be a fitness model or an Olympic athlete, but taking care of yourself should not be optional. It should be a priority. Notice that Master Rhee's creed says nothing about self-esteem. This isn't about holding yourself in esteem. It's about increasing your confidence in your ability to perform effectively. And that's our definition of power: your ability or capacity to act or perform effectively. There's the turn. Powerful people generally feel better about themselves. Weak people don't. Self-esteem is just feeling good about yourself. True confidence is knowing that you're doing everything you can to be your absolute best. Self-esteem comes and goes. True confidence is always within your reach.

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