Focussed Intent

Real or not real? Are you pretending or are you actually doing? This is a concept that I put forth to my martial arts students on a weekly basis.

Real protection involves practicing with a focussed intent. You see, when you simulate an attack you need to create as much energy that the real attack would have in a self-defense situation. If you do not, then you are not really practicing, but posing. All too often this is the case in many martial arts studios in the world today. Not all, but many. Real practice requires real energy.

You can even make the same claim when it comes to your insurance protection planning. Is it real or not. Is it a real plan that will protect you, your family &/or business in the event of life's tragic twists and turns or is it just a product that you bought; a product without an overall purpose or plan? Protection planning involves a product but is not the product alone. A real plan involves asking some very serious questions about the reality of life.

Questions such as:

(1) If you died today, what would happen to your family, your business? What happens to your retirement plan, your college funding, your future?
(2) If the key-person in your company were to be disabled tomorrow, how will that affect your company's performance? How will you train a replacement?
(3) If your business partner suddenly dies, are you prepared to have his/her spouse as a partner?

A real plan will examine these questions and come up with answers. It will create a base plan with contingencies for the "what ifs" of life. In other words, just as in the martial arts, real planning requires real energy.

So, ask yourself, "am I really doing or am I posing? Do I have focussed intent?" Only through real focus can one hope to achieve real results. This is how I help my students as well as my clients. Again, it is all about "Shugo."

David L. Holzer
Insurance Advisor & Martial Arts Guide