When I Grow Up I Want to be a NINJA!

I don't take martial arts. I never have. Sure, I've yelled out a "hiyaaa" and kicked in the air before, but I've had no formal training. Unless you count watching Chuck Norris and Bruce Lee movies. If that is formal training, I would obviously be considered a black belt.

Martial arts are really popular. Lots of people are involved with them for the fitness benefits or self defense training. I know a few people who do it, and it looks like my son may start doing it soon.

In my understanding, the culmination of training that anyone can attain to be is to be a Ninja. Sure, I may not know much about the arts, but as far as I can figure out, if you're a Ninja, you're a real bad mamma jamma. Smoke screens, throwing stars, all of it. You're a force to be reckoned with.

Here's the deal though- much like the Sasquatch or the Loch Ness monster, I think the Ninja lives in relative obscurity because no one has ever seen one. That is part of thier mystique and intrigue though. You fear that which you cannot see.

Interesting story from Seattle. Apparently there are Ninjas among us. You can read the story here. A Ninja was impaled on a fence he was trying to get over while involved in some sort of Ninja like mission.

I don't think this guy was an actual Ninja. Call me crazy, but I think he was probably some guy who had a little too much of grandpas cough medicine and was trying to be a Ninja, not actually in the act of performing Ninja duties.

On some level, I bet that guy wishes he was a Ninja. Halloween is over, he's not roaming around in split toed shoes and samurai sword on his back unless he actually wants to be Ninja. People who don't want to be Ninjas sit at home and watch Kung Fu movies and talk about Ninjas, they don't go out and dress up like them.

Here's the nugget- haven't we all at some time wished that we were someone different or that we possessed some special skill that no one else had? Haven't you ever day-dreamed as you were in your car and thought "what would it be like to be a_____". Of course, we all have. The difference is that most of us never go past the thought phase. We just let it sit in our minds. We don't act on it or do anything about it.

I'm a bit impressed by this guy. Why? Because he actually was willing to put himself out there to try to become what he wanted to become. He didn't sit around and talk about being a Ninja. He went out and tried to be a Ninja. It may have involved some alcohol and some poor decisions, but you have to applaud the guy for his efforts how ever misdirected or odd.

Who do you want to be? What part of your life are you holding back because of fear of failure or the ridicule of your peers?

Be willing to step out of your personal comfort zone today and make steps and improvements to become that which you believe God is calling you to become. It may not be a Ninja, but maybe it is someone that you know is inside of you, that just hasn't came out yet.

Blessings
matt