"Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish."

Have you ever watched Steve Jobs's (CEO of Apple) Stanford Commencement Speech? If not, I encourage you to take 15 minutes to listen to a speech that will motivate and inspire you. (Everytime I listen to this, I have to get up and do something.)



So what do you think? Good advice? I enjoy it and think that what was said applies to a lot of things in life. The reason I wanted to share the clip with you is twofold: (1) to give you some inspiration to go after what you want in your life, and in connection with this blog, (2) to emphasize how "staying hungry" and "staying foolish" is not only a great philosophy in life, but it is an excellent mindset to have when training.

Have you ever noticed that people who start training for the first time seem to always be excited about training? They always have questions and always want to learn more. They're hungry for knowledge. In addition, these beginners make a ton of mistakes. They try crazy moves and make things up as they go. They're foolish. But, I really envy them. They have a feeling of wonder and curiosity that reminds me of a growing child--they have the energy and will to keep making mistakes and to keep learning. When someone adopts this way of thinking, their knowledge and experience develop the quickest. However, somewhere along the line, people become complacent and lose the fire inside. They also feel that they can't make mistakes.

Do you have members in your gym or school who seem to always think they know everything? How about members who get easily discouraged when they aren't performing or improving? These people are everywhere. I notice it when I teach or train. When I teach, there will always be one or two "know it alls." They never ask questions, try the technique a few times, and then think they've got it. When it comes to sparring time, they can never pull it off with someone at their level or better. Other times, I have witnessed people simply quit training because they were having a slump. They got discouraged and decided to move on to a different sport.

For both these types of people, their learning stops or slows down, and they get surpassed by people who want "it" more. I know it's easier to say than actually do, but when you train, train with a purpose and do so to learn something. You should always learn something from each training session. If you aren't, you're just going through the motions and have to reevaluate things. Be a student-for-life. You can learn something from everyone, even training partners who are beginners. Once you think you know enough, the hunger will slowly go away and someone is going to knock you out or tap you out when it counts.

For years when I needed to motivate myself, while training, I would picture my opponent also training. He was training just as hard and smart as I was. He wasn't taking any short cuts. He was putting in the time and making sacrifices. That was all it took to make me "hungry" and keep pushing. There was simply no way in hell I was going to let my opponent beat me. My mind was set.

When you train, leave your pride, ego, whatever you want to call it, at home. Yes, there are times you will want to be at your best and you won't want to make mistakes. However, if you're training to learn, recognize that great progress comes from learning from your mistakes--experiment, be creative, have fun with trying out different techniques or strategies. Don't be afraid of getting hit or tapped. You learn so much from making mistakes and it's important not to get discouraged.

The best fighters are people who understand the concept of "staying hungry" and "staying foolish." The most successful business executives (e.g. Steve Jobs) know this, too. In fact, I dare say that anyone who is at the top of their field believes in the concept. So when you train, I urge you to never settle for mediocrity. You'll make many mistakes, but stay the course and you'll reach your goals.

Tags: motivation, inspiration, mixed martial arts