Find your Positivity Ratio

Words to WisdomImprove your day with this

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t is normal to have times in your life where you feel unmotivated, defeated and unhappy. Life is about having positive and negative experiences so that we are continually growing and learning. It is impossible to eliminate all unhappiness from your life, however Dr. Barbara Fredrickson from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has found the keys to allowing positivity flourish in your life. In her book, Positivity, she

Continued on page 4

by Paige Chapman

I

Maintaining Motivation:Keeping the path in spite of

distractions

dults and children alike face common challenges in their Aikido training. One such challenge is lack of motivation after the initial first few months of training. A decrease in motivation can happen for many different reasons. As with anything in life that is challenging, Aikido takes time and effort to become proficient.

Almost all students experience times in their lives where the only thing that gets them through the day is knowing that they will be able to train that evening. They can't wait to get on the mat and burn off some stress, excess energy, or even the occasional second slice of cake. However, as adult students, we can easily get distracted by life's responsibilities or find it very difficult to pry ourselves off the couch after a challenging day of work and family.

For the child student, mustering up motivation can be even more challenging due to age, attention span and maturity.

Maintaining MotivationKeeping the path in spite of

distractions. Page 1-2

by Skip Chapman

A

WORDS OF WISDOM

“Once you replace negative thoughts with positive ones, you’ll start having positive results.”

Willie Nelson

“A man is but the product of his

thoughts. What he thinks, he becomes.”

Mahatma Gandhi

“That’s my gift. I let negativity roll off me like water off a duck’s back.

If it’s not positive, I didn’t hear it. If

you can overcome that, fights are

easy.”

George Foreman

It is a parent’s responsibility to establish habits that promote a healthy and active lifestyle.

Whether you are an adult or a child, it is difficult to stop one fun activity, such as playing a video game, to start another equally fun activity, such as Aikido! Luckily there are easy solutions to hurdle this bump in the Aikido road. For the child student, take notice of what activities come prior to aikido class. Is he or she playing Xbox, watching television, or having a play date? No matter how much a child loves aikido, transitioning away from a fun activity such as these will present a problem. To avoid this problem, have the child complete a less pleasurable task, such as homework or cleaning his or her room, immediately before class. By simply changing your schedule of activities, watch how quickly your child will jump at the opportunity to train!

For adult students, it is all about discipline and commitment. In your mind, set aside a certain amount of training days that you will commit to each week. Even if you are exhausted, at the very least go watch class. By keeping a set schedule, you are validating your own worth by taking time for yourself, staying on track by continually training your mind and body, and avoiding falling into the trap of becoming a couch potato. In addition, much like our strategy for children, plan less favorable activities prior to Aikido class. Keep your gi bag in the car and, after folding the wash or cleaning the bathroom, bypass the couch

and head out the door for the dojo. Instead of going home from work and then back out to the dojo, take a walk in a park, go grab a cup of coffee, or read a book at the dojo until class begins. It is very difficult to gather energy at the end of the day once you have settled in at home. By going directly to the dojo, you will eliminate a plethora of excuses that keep you from training!

“A positive thinker sees

the invisible, feels the

intangible, and

achieves the

impossible.”unknown author

Are you a positive person?

Take the test at www.positivityratio.com

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Back to School Party!

Prizes, Pizza, Games & Fun! Everyone leaves

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Bring a Friend for Free Weeks: 8/24-9/5, 9/28-10/3, 10/26-10/31, 11/30-12/5Leadership Meetings: 9/1, 9/18, 10/6, 10/23, 11/3, 11/20, 12/1, 12/11Senshin Meetings: 9/11, 9/26, 10/9, 10/24, 11/13, 11/21, 12/4, 12/12Back to School Party: 9/19Dojo Closed: 9/6 & 9/7, 11/26, 12/25, 12/26, 12/31, 1/1Test Preparation Workshops for Adult Ranks: 9/11, 10/16 See bulletin board for informationKenshusei Meetings: 9/13, 10/23, 11/22, 12/20Adult Social Nights: Immediately following adult class 9/18, 10/16, 11/20, 12/18Kids Testing: 9/23, 9/24, 10/21, 10/22, 11/18, 11/19, 12/16, 12/17Teen Testing: 9/25, 10/23, 11/20, 12/18Open Mat: 9/25, 11/27Iaido: 9/27, 10/18, 11/15, 12/13Adult Evaluations: Held after adult class every first Friday of the month.Adult Testing: 10/25 All applicants MUST complete their paperwork prior to testing. Please see Sempai Ann for details.Parent’s Shopping Night Out! 12/5, 5:00-8:00pm, Holiday Shop, Wrap Presents or simply enjoy an evening out. Let us entertain the kids! See the bulletin board for details. Sign up at the front desk or online in the JSA dojo store to reserve your spot!

Show off your costume at

JSA’s Halloween Party!Date:10/31 Time:1:30-3:00pm

Ages: 4 & up! Cost: FREEPlay games with your dojo friends, win candy, and fill up on snacks before you go off trick or treating!

Don’t miss out! Mark your calendars

for JSA’s Back to School Party!

Date: 9/19Time: 5:00-8:00pm

Ages: 5-10Cost: $10 per person

discusses how to achieve a 3-to-1 ratio of positive to negative emotions, and how creating this ratio will allow individuals to achieve goals that they could not have attained with a negative outlook.

In Aikido training, we have all experienced how negative thoughts can sabotage our practice. Moving in the wrong direction, or taking a bad fall can conjure up what I like to call “stinking thinking” or negative self talk. Instead of allowing ourselves the opportunity to laugh, learn, and love in a nonjudgemental environment, many of us bring preconceived notions that making

mistakes on the mat is not acceptable. In reality, making mistakes is a process that allows us to learn. How we allow those mistakes to shape our thoughts and emotions will determine if we flourish or fail in our practice. If we become down on ourselves, that negativity will create more negativity. Instead, if we allow positive thoughts and emotions to fill our body, positivity will breed more positivity creating a greater ratio of happiness in our lives allowing us to conquer goals that once seemed unattainable.

1. Feeling good is good for you. Find the times in your life where you feel uplifted and make time to incorporate more of those experiences in your life.

2. Negative memories last with us longer than positive memories. So outweigh your negative emotions with multiple positive ones to create a positive you!

3. Increase your appreciation for positive things and people in your life.

4. Focus on what you do have, and not what you do not have.

5. Approach your training with a smile. Enjoy the training and do not focus on your performance as good or bad. Instead, view all practice as a positive learning experience leading you to your ultimate goal in aikido.

To:

Let Positivity Flourish in Your Life Continued...

Jersey Shore AikikaiA Family Martial Art & Fitness Center2257 Bridge AvenuePt. Pleasant, NJ 08742