"Music is the silence between the notes"

I don't remember where I heard that phrase. However, it had a profound effect on how I view things. The phrase made me stop in my tracks and think about what does that sentence exactly mean? How does it apply to other aspects of my life?

Where I work, people concentrate on the end result. We call it the bottom line. The bottom line is the only thing that matters. Everyone rejoices when we achieve it. Everyone becomes concerned when we fall short of it. In fact, everyone drives to meeting the goal so hard, that we don't pay attention to what is going on around us during this drive. If the bottom line was a song, we would just focus on the end of the song. Nothing else within the song would be as important, as long as the end was played correctly.

Last week in class, I taught the rear naked choke. It was important that my students understood that the "choke" or end result (bottom line) is not the sole thing to focus on. To achieve success with the technique, you have to pay attention to all the little things that contribute to a successful completion of the technique. Only focusing on the end result will produce a shortsightedness in your growth in your martial arts development. To get better and continue growing, you have to pay attention to the silence between the notes.

It's September and I look forward to new students coming to class. It's a time to start to do something for yourself.