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One Simple Habit That Will Make You Fearless
How to build mental fortitude.
Before my first match at the Combat Jiu-Jitsu Worlds a few weeks ago, I felt something that I hadn’t felt before a competition in a long time.
I felt…
Fear.
Normally, before I compete I’m very loose. I’m in a great mood — all the stress I have about my life withers away for a bit when it’s time to compete. I feel happy.
Competing is one of my favorite things to do. I know it might sound strange, but I get the same amount of joy and peace from competing in Jiu-Jitsu as I do from writing in my journal, going for a walk, or listening to my favorite music. I’ve competed in grappling so many times and in the last year or so I’ve turned a corner mentally and competing has just become “fun”. I don’t feel much pressure anymore.
But why didn’t that happen at CJJ?
Was it just the slaps? Or is it something deeper?
Let’s talk about it.
It’s not the slaps, it’s what the slaps meant.
In my CJJ reflection article, I wrote about how I was nervous about the slapping.
I was scared even. I’d never done it before. I’m also not an idiot.
