This blog has moved

This blog is now located at http://bbeliso.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://bbeliso.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Blog

When I first started writing this blog, I was advised if I blogged regularly it would drive more traffic to our website. I quickly realized I couldn't do this just for the sake of more hits at my site. I could only blog when inspiration needs to be realized. I may not blog daily, weekly or even monthly. I do promise that when I do blog, it will be from a heart that is fully present and filled with the truth life deserves. So if you choose, stay tuned...

I Surrender

My ten month son Brayden is sleeping in his crib for the first time tonight. As I laid him in this foreign space, he cried with a familiar sense of abandonment that I recalled when I was only a month older than him in a foster home. I lie on the floor next to his crib and wedge my hand through the bars of the crib to comfort him with an extended hand. He wrapped both of his tiny hands in mine and even touched me with his foot for reassurance. I sang two of the made up lullabies that I’ve sung to him since the first day he was announced into this world. I repeated the verses over and over until his cries soon faded into a slumber that signaled his sleep. The deal was sealed when I felt his grip loosen in mine. Overwhelming tears filled my eyes and I sobbed from my soul. I surrendered to the truth that my baby is growing into a little boy. I surrendered to the vulnerability that surrendering to God’s will is all that I can attempt to do. I surrender to love and all its joy, beauty and sorrow. I surrender to the loss of a sister who died way too soon. I surrender to a father who rejects me. I surrender to a mother who has been absent most of my life and now lives with a paralyzed left arm from a stroke that is the result of fifty years of two packs a day smoking. And I, with all my heart and conviction, surrender to the gratitude that wakes me each day to get up and be my very best. Not just for my son, my wife and myself; but to the love and mercy I believe God blesses all of us with. I surrender to the belief that surrendering completely is the freedom that holds true peace. A peace of acceptance, tolerance and forgiveness for myself, that frees me to live life in love not fear. I surrender to all my fears and give them up to God with total faith that every little thing will be alright. I hear my son crying, I must surrender to my need to be a father and tend to him. I surrender…

Happy Anniversary One Martial Arts

Nine years, can you believe it?! A moment to stop and reflect. As a person and martial artist, I have been challenged to be fluid. Each passing year presents the opportunity to grow and become a better person. I reflect, seeing my victories, as well as my setbacks. Life is about progress not perfection. Sometimes, I had to be at my worst, to understand God’s path for me and the infinite compassion he offers me. Humbly, I embrace my purpose to educate and motivate those who desire higher learning through discipline. I welcome parents’ desire to offer their children every opportunity, like the martial arts, to have the best life possible.

I am amazed by the quality people I have had the privilege to know and get to know. Next to listening to a 4 year olds opinion on discipline, you are my favorite people.

I have learned so much in the past year. Always be a student and never a master. I believe mistakes are lessons waiting to be learned. Always be mindful, insanity is making the same mistakes over and over, expecting different results. Continue to make new mistakes everyday.

I have no idea what endless possibilities the future holds. I am grateful my eyes are wide open and I am definitely awake. I am forever committed to improving upon what we do, to better serve our students, members and parents needs.

In honor of our 9th Anniversary, I thank God for allowing me to do what I do. I would like to thank my wife Kim, son Brayden, staff, friends and extended family. You humble me. To all our parents, I offer you my respect and gratitude. To the students and members, you are One Martial Arts. I pray we walk this path together for many years to come.

Respectfully,

Professor Brannon Beliso

Gratitude

I often write about Gratitude. It is a key philosophy of many eastern spiritual practices. Every morning when I wake, I begin in reflection. I reflect on how grateful I am to be alive with a new day. I thank God for all the blessings that are my life. From this mindset, everything I experience in each and every moment of that day, I appreciate completely. I practice taking nothing for granted. I am grateful everyone I am honored to share life with me. I am grateful for every challenge life offers me. Gratitude allows me to be fully present. The only thing that truly is real is the moment I am living. Be it a conversation with a parent, praising a student, my daily phone call to my sister, kissing my wife or looking into Brayden’s eyes, I am fully present. I always say, “The present is called the present because it is a gift.” I believe yesterday does not exist and tomorrow is but a dream. The present is all that truly matters. It allows me to see the truth of that moment. It offers me the opportunity to see and experience everything for the first time. Every time I see a sunset, I embrace it as the first and only sunset I have ever seen. This is also the great joy of having a child. I am reminded, through all of Brayden’s first time experiences just how amazing life is. The other day he discovered his hand. He was both curious and in awe. It made me hold out my hand and appreciate the gift I often pay no mind to. I mindfully bent each finger and smiled at my new discovery. It was like renewing a friendship with a long lost friend.
So I write about gratitude. I encourage everyone to breath, being mindful of their breath and to be present in the moment. Practice an “Attitude of gratitude. Take nothing for granted. Is your cup half or half empty? I believe, “My cup runneth over.” Always be grateful for each and every day you are offered. Be present and grateful in the moment. It will greatly improve the quality of your life.

Respectfully,

Professor Beliso

Hope Not fear

President Obama campaigned passionately with the message, “Hope not fear.” I believe more than ever this is a message we should choose to live by. Having hope in one’s life promotes a positive mindset. It says, “My cup is half full instead of half empty. Hope looks for the faintest light in the darkness. It’s the silver lining in a dark cloud. Hope says, “It can’t rain all the time.” It challenges us to believe when there is nothing to believe in. Hope encourages us to dream big and live life to the fullest. Fear perpetuates a negative mindset. It says, “My cup is not half empty, I have no cup.” Fear says, “Give up, you don’t have a chance.” It says, “You don’t deserve the best.” Fear leaves us hopeless and diminishes the quality of our lives. The important thing is to remember you always have a choice. You could choose to live with hope. You could choose to live in fear. The power of choice is yours. You are not responsible for many things that happen in life such as the state of the economy. You do have the power how you choose to perceive it. Hope is the solution President Obama offers us. I choose to wake up everyday with a hopeful heart. I am hopeful our nation will recover. I am hopeful the war in Iraq will end one day and our troops will come home. I am hopeful we will heal the earth and our children will have a world to live in the future. I am hopeful all of life’s current challenges will bring people closer together. I am hopeful we will reevaluate our priorities and become mindful of what is most important in our lives. For me, what is most important, first and foremost is God. Everyday I wake up and am grateful to God for every breathe of life I am given. It is important I recognize how blessed I am to have my family. It is important I take nothing for granted. It is important I appreciate everyone I am privileged to share life with. It is very important I am hopeful no matter how challenging life can be. So I humbly reiterate President Obama’s message of “Hope not fear.” Always choose hope and as Bob Marley once sang, “Every little thing is going to be alright.”

Leap of Faith

As I climbed to ten thousand feet in a rickety Cessna, I sat amongst three experienced skydivers and a well seasoned pilot. The energy they projected was that of a deep respect and knowingness for what I was about to experience. The one skydiver who had this look of bliss and serenity had jumped two hundred and sixty times in the past six months. I looked deeply into his gaze that past out the window and embraced the morning blue sky. The Zen that filled his eyes became my breath as I closed my eyes and meditated. There was no fear in the cockpit, only humility and joy for the honor of being able to dance with the heavens. As we reached our height destination, the paper thin side hatch opened. I looked out and witnessed God’s country like never before. As I stepped out onto the wing, everything slowed and the sound of my breath gave way to the power of the wind calling. “Ready, set, go” chanted my tandem instructor and I took a “Leap of faith” that sent me hurling toward the earth at one hundred and twenty miles an hour. The incredible rush of speed magnified the knowingness I had seen in the eyes of those skydivers in that cockpit and now felt deep in my heart. I was humbled and stripped of all complacency I may of ever felt. There is absolutely no ego as you fly through the sky without the benefit of the perfectly good airplane you just jumped out of. I felt God’s love in the knowing that today I was not going to die but live like I have never lived before. I flew amongst the heavens and kissed angels. Then the parachute opened raising me up to another level of consciousness. Silence filled the sky as we floated softly toward the green fields below. I had never seen this great and beautiful world from this vantage point and in this way. How could any of us ever believe we are so much more significant than mother earth? To be so selfish on our own paths that we hurt her again and again for convenience, progress and profit. As she reached for us with arms stretched out, I told my tandem instructor, “There is no ego up here.” I didn’t feel small, I felt at one with every element that encompassed me. I was filled with the deepest sense of gratitude. Each breath I took was timeless. I was truly present with the gift of flying that I had been blessed with. I love my wife for giving me this as my birthday gift. I had always wanted to skydive but had put the notion aside since marrying and becoming a father again. With her encouragement, I was able to take this “Leap of Faith.” I humbly thank all of you for allowing me to share this moment and my life with you. - Professor Beliso

It's Been Awhile

So much has happened since my last blog. I had a son, who is now five months old. I jumped out of a plane and watched my school grow to six hundred students. I opened a new business and weathered a challenging economy. Gratitude is my choice to live by and the law of attraction holds much truth. I am back and promise to do my best to blog. What a word blog. I will do my best to offer you my insights and thoughts on life as I experience and see it. Thank you for your patience. God loves you, never forget that. Brannon

Positive Attitude

A smile and positive attitude go a long way. I believe if you smile, you will feel better, make more friends and the hard things will be easier. A great mentor of mine, Master Dave Kovar of Satori Academy of Martial Arts once quoted, “Attitude is contagious, who has caught yours today?” I instill this philosophy in my staff and instructors. I believe if you practice a positive attitude you will attract positive people into your life. A positive attitude will inspire your students and staff. It will make your martial arts business a great place to come to. On the downside, a bad attitude can greatly compromise your martial arts business. We’ve all been served by someone who has a bad attitude. It is the one thing we are guaranteed to remember long after leaving that establishment and the number one reason why we will never return. Have you ever woken up in a bad mood for no reason at all? You are not responsible for that. You are responsible if you choose to stay in that bad mood throughout the day. Master Kovar proposes the question to instructors to ask ourselves and students, “How are you doing today?” He says a great response would be, “Feeling good and getting better.” When I wake up in a bad mood, I look in the mirror through gritted teeth and say that mantra. Even if I don’t truly feel it, I know if I “Fake it until I make it”, eventually I will feel better and my mood is transcended to a more positive state. I practice having a positive attitude with devotion because I know it is the most important key to being a great martial arts instructor, school owner and an even better person.

Surround Yourself with Quality People

Make it a priority to develop and nurture quality relationships. From your employees, to your mentors and friends, spend your time with quality people. Define what that means to you. I suggest that include people who are goal oriented, compassionate, unselfish, confident, community oriented, spiritually grounded and devoted to their family. They should exemplify all the qualities you admire in a person and aspire to be. They should inspire you to greatness. They should be people that offer constructive suggestions but never criticize you. They should be one of your greatest reasons to love and do what you do.

Having Goals

It is important to have goals. They build your self-worth and help you grow your life and business. Remember being a white belt in the martial arts and dreaming of one day earning your black belt? Dreams and goals are often synonymous. To achieve goals, you must be able to visualize them. If you can visualize it, you can achieve it. Write down your goals. Divide them into three lists; “A”, “B” and “C”. The “A” list are daily activities such as teaching quality classes, training, eating healthy, picking your kids up at school and getting enough sleep. The “B” list are tasks that must be accomplished in four to six weeks and requiring planning and preparation such as a monthly belt testing, a demonstration at a local mall or making a dinner reservation at the best restaurant to celebrate your anniversary with your wife . The “C” list is your wish list filled with all the things you dream about such as a vacation around the world or a new home or going sky diving. This is my favorite list because it allows me to use my imagination where the sky is the limit. To be successful with all your lists you must follow through. Talk is cheap. Walk your talk. Ever find yourself saying, “One day I’ll do this” or “I should of have done that?” Stop making excuses and take responsibility for all your actions and choices. Eliminate the words “I can’t” and “But” from your vocabulary. These words only set you up for failure. Remember to write down those lists and follow through. Review them on a weekly basis. Whatever goals you did not achieve this week get transferred to next’s week list. Do this until all your goals are achieved and I promise you a more fulfilling life.

Balance

Balance. It is defined by nurturing your mind, body and spirit equally. If I take care of my mind and spirit but abuse my body, by not training and having poor eating habits, I will be imbalanced. If I properly nourish my body and grow my mind by learning but have no spirituality then I am imbalanced. All three must be fed equally to create balance. Feed your mind by learning every day. Feed your body by eating healthy, training and managing your stress. Invest in your spirit by finding your own spiritual path. Create balance by spending alone time every day. Share quality time with your family and friends. Take vacations every year. Humbly accept your limitations. Recognize you cannot do it alone. Always be grateful. Accept life on life's terms

Sustained Passion

Sustained Passion: “To sustain passion on a daily basis is the art of a true master.” It is easy to be great for one day, a challenge to be great for a week but very difficult to be great consistently. Sustained passion is the first key to constant growth in your martial arts business. It is also vital to maintaining a quality life. The foundation of sustained passion is focus and discipline. My definition of focus means to “Pay attention”. Look with your eyes, listen with your ears, think about the best choice to make, and take the right action. All four must be fully engaged to be focused. The second is discipline; simply defined as, “To always do your best”. It does not matter if you are tired or in a bad mood, you must always do your best. Discipline takes great skill on a daily basis. Focus and discipline are life skills that must be mastered to sustain passion.