The 7 Virtues of Bushido Part 6. MAKOTO (Honesty and Sincerity)

When warriors say they will perform an action, it is as good as done. Nothing will stop them from completing what they say they will do. They do not have to “give their word.” They do not have to “promise.”

• Dictionary definition of Honest: Not lying, cheating, stealing, or taking unfair advantage; honorable; truthful; trustworthy.

• Dictionary definition of Sincere: Not feigned or affected; true. Presenting no false appearance; not hypocritical; honest.

I love the first part of this quote! When warriors say they will perform an action, it is as good as done. Nothing will stop them from completing what they say they will do. Let’s talk about the mechanics of honesty in your training.

The first part about being honest is knowing yourself, learning what you need. When you first start training you can’t know this, of course, but experience will teach you. Even after nearly 18 years of training, I recently discovered I need regular interaction with and feedback from my betters to learn best and keep motivated. I had to overcome my pride to admit that I am not my own best judge, and I need others’ help to improve. I also learned that I was trying to do too much, so I was feeling overwhelmed and even resentful. I had to get real and face some real limitations of time and energy. This process doesn’t stop with a rank! There’s always more to uncover and explore.

Second, there is the factor of: what do you want? I want to keep training and growing, but I no longer have anything to prove to anyone but myself. Others will want to go the distance, do multiple black belt levels. Either of these, or anything in between, your job on the mat is to learn what you want and what consistent actions will take you there.

And then third: To make progress, you must embrace the actions you know will work for you to the extent that you can. If your schedule doesn’t allow you to train three days a week, what will it support? Two? One? And are you willing to do the next thing to get you where you want to go? It’s really that simple, and that complicated.

What are you willing to do to take yourself to your next level?