“Christmas is not a time nor a season, but a state of mind. To cherish peace and goodwill, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.”
– Calvin Coolidge
Happy Holidays and welcome to the December, 2013, edition of Your Warrior’s Edge News. It’s a shorter edition this month because we are all busy with the holiday season, but I wanted to be sure to send you best wishes at this time of year with a few tid bits to bring some value to your in-box.
ENJOY THE HOLIDAYS
First and foremost, I hope you are enjoying the holiday season with those you love and care about. If for some reason you are not with those you love, I hope you find a way to connect with them.
I believe our holiday times should be wonderful and filled with lasting and enjoyable moments and memories. So remember how a warrior lives, and go with an attitude of knowing that things will be what they will be. You can’t control other people or their actions. If a family member pushes the limits of your patience, ignore that and instead focus on how much you can enjoy the time you have with other family members. If things don’t go perfectly – which they won’t – then enjoy what you can and let the rest slide. You will feel a lot better about life if you can take all things a little easier.
“Our hearts grow tender with childhood memories and love of kindred, and we are better throughout the year for having, in spirit, become a child again at Christmas time.”
– Laura Ingalls Wilder
IN THIS ISSUE
Enjoy The Holidays, In This Issue, Finish Strong And Start Fast, Self-Defense Tip from Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder, New Staying Safe Pages, Your Warrior’s Edge Blog, Striking Thoughts – Bruce Lee’s Wisdom for Daily Living, Hard-Won Wisdom From The School Of Hard Knocks, Black Belt Communicator Tip, Just For Fun – Tough Guy Wisdom, Parting Thoughts – Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
“It’s true, Christmas can feel like a lot of work, particularly for mothers. But when you look back on all the Christmases in your life, you’ll find you’ve created family traditions and lasting memories. Those memories, good and bad, are really what help to keep a family together over the long haul.”
– Caroline Kennedy
FINISH STRONG AND START FAST
“There is no passion to be found playing small – in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living.”
– Nelson Mandela
As 2013 winds down, it’s the perfect time to look back at the year’s goals and finish the year strong. Look at the goals you set, achieved and the ones that maybe got away. (We all have some of those…) Examine them all for lessons learned and knowledge gained.
Also take some time to plan and visualize your goals for 2014 so you can start the year fast. Map out your year and determine what goals you will achieve.
Identify your business, career, and family goals.
Determine your health and fitness goals for the year.
Work on family and relationship goals.
Develop a plan for how they will be achieved.
Where will you go? What will you do? What books will you read? What will you do to make a difference in 2014? What will you look like? How will you feel? Who will you do it with?
Take the time to plan for next year and you’ll be sure to achieve many wonderful things. Create a life plan that positions you for greatness. It’s too important to be left to chance, so get started now.
“Learn from the past, set vivid, detailed goals for the future, and live in the only moment of time over which you have any control: now.”
– Denis Waitley
SELF-DEFENSE TIP
Pay attention to other individuals and behaviors that may constitute a threat. There are a variety of tactics that bad guys might use to get themselves into position to attack you. These include closing, cornering, surprising, pincering, herding, and surrounding.
(Tip from “How To Win A Fight: A Guide To Surviving Violence” by Lawrence Kane and Kris Wilder)
NEW STAYING SAFE PAGES
As a resource for staying safe, I’m continuing to add to my website. The following page has been added to the Staying Safe section since the last newsletter:
The Knockout Game – Defend Yourself
This page and more available at: Staying Safe with Alain Burrese
(Be sure to read the mall safety page and the safe parking rules page if you still have shopping to do.)
Something maybe all of us can do:
“I will honor Christmas in my heart, and try to keep it all the year.”
– Charles Dickens
YOUR WARRIOR’S EDGE BLOG
Recent blog posts you might have missed include:
Book review of “The Ultimate Guide To Reality-Based Self-Defense”
Self-Defense Through People Skills
DVD review of “Kung Fu Body Conditioning 2” with Dr. Yang, Jwing-Ming
Book review of “Journey to the Heart of Aikido” by Linda Holiday
Book review of “Bring It!” by Tony Horton
Book review of “How To Survive The Most Critical 5 Seconds Of Your Life” by Tim Larkin
STRIKING THOUGHTS – BRUCE LEE’S WISDOM FOR DAILY LIVING
It is later than you think! Know yourself!
(From the book “Striking Thoughts” published by Tuttle)
HARD-WON WISDOM FROM THE SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS
The revised and expanded edition of Hard-Won Wisdom is now available in paperback and as a kindle e-book. Learn more and order here:
Hard-Won Wisdom From The School Of Hard Knocks
“Read and learn from this book. It covers a much-over-looked area of the subject of fighting: the middle ground.”
– Marc “Animal” MacYoung, from the Foreword
BLACK BELT COMMUNICATOR TIP
With the recent passing of Nelson Mandela, I thought I’d share a quote from him for this month’s Black Belt Communicator Tip:
“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”
– Nelson Mandela
JUST FOR FUN – TOUGH GUY WISDOM
“Well, I haven’t killed you yet.”
Who said it and from what movie?
Here’s a hint: it’s from my favorite tough guy movie that opens with a Christmas song. I still remember seeing it in the theater at an advance screening and then having to wait a week to see it again when it opened.
Reply to this newsletter with the correct answer and you will receive a code to buy signed Tough Guy Wisdom books for 50% off.
(Also reply if you want the answer.)
“A good conscience is a continual Christmas.”
– Benjamin Franklin
PARTING THOUGHTS – MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR
“Don’t cry because it’s over, smile because it happened.”
– Dr. Seuss
Please share this newsletter, the website, and the facebook page with others that may enjoy and benefit from them. Thanks!
Wishing you all the best on your journey as you live with the Warrior’s Edge. Please let me know how I can help you.
Stay safe this season, and regardless of what you celebrate:
Have a Very Merry Christmas
and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!
See you in 2014,
Alain