"Never confuse having a career with having a life."

Above is a photo of RTMS / CMS Master Instructor Rick Tew jumping at the Grand Canyon. What he calls a physical demonstration of the "Calculated Risk."

How would you like to wake up each day to a unique and exciting experience?

DREAMS CAN BE CREATED!
A while ago I learned and memorized a number of phrases that simplified this journey called "life," some of these phrases or quotes follow - with my added interpretations of course -Rick Tew

MAKE YOUR VOCATION YOUR VACATION
There are many questions in life and none is more complicated than the one that requires us to answer the most compelling adult challenge; what will I do?  To me, the quote “make your vacation your vocation” is the answer. I have made and designed my life around these kind of quotes.

If you can find a way to make your party your priority, you will indeed have a LIFE YOU LOVE.  Do I have a vocation that is my vacation? Well if a photo says 1000 words here is a mouthful:

I have been living my childhood dream for more than 20 years now.  Can you do the same? YES!

Why should your job be related to what you love to do? Is it because they take some of the guess work out of choosing destiny? Or is it because they were set down by others who seemed to have discovered what all of us are searching for - happiness? In my case - both of these reasons ring true. To me, I hear something like that and I want to say, "YES!" If any of what I am about to share interests you, then you might want to take charge, take control and take the challenge!  

Many of the things I hear (the rules, the boring strategies) make me just want to say , "NO!" Society claims that you must give in to some boring plan in order to succeed. You must spend countless hours in some form of box (usually called a school) and then graduate to an even smaller box (usually called an office) all the while doing something for someone else - yet believing you are doing it for yourself. I have summed it up, but that is the basic strategy. Now I believe that there is a balance between boxing and business and I myself spend a good amount of time behind a computer (I love the computer so it is easy for me to do) but it isn't the foundation of what keeps me alive to thrive.

Craig Heading (Australia) "The martial arts - Ninja training is really good and you learn many different things. Training varies so much and over different locations so you never get bored."

MR. TEW SAYS, "NO." 
Say, "No" to all the negative responses you will get when you discuss a dream or a strategy that follows a different path other than that set down by a conditioned society. Yes, it is true that when you leave the beaten down road of broken footsteps there will be challenges. Yes, it is true that there will be risks following a different path. And yes, it is still true that you will discover yourself. Say, "No" to the chains that limit your abilities and say, "Yes" to the freedom that allows you to soar.

The only thing you will discover with the traditional pattern, is that you are within walls and you live by fear. But, will true happiness ever arrive? Will you always be saying, "someday I'll..." Today is the day and every decision you make in this moment is going to have a direct effect on the direction you are headed. When you go to work is everyone there focused on helping you get the most out of your life? Do you really feel like a team of people focused on the same objectives that combine business with personal achievement? This isn't usually the case. This is why it is so important for you to take control.

THE KEY TO SUCCESS IS MASSIVE FAILURE
I know the above sentence sounds really contradictory - but as ironic as it is, it is very true. Think about learning to walk - you must stumble and fall. How about learning to speak? You must first goo goo and ga. The same is true with learning any new sport, activity or character trait. So why should it be any different with success in life? Are you the kind of person who expects to just get up and start walking and then give up when you fall? Or are you the kind of person who expects to just get up and start walking and then get up again when you fall? This is an important question. When exactly would you give up? You wouldn't - you would keep trying until you learned to walk, run, fly or kick. Well, why is this any different with life challenges and finding yourself. Yes, you will fail and you will have mountains to climb. But, you will climb them and you will succeed as long as you keep climbing.

It is proven that we are happiest when we are achieving and accomplishing goals. We feel good knowing that we took on the challenge and faced down our fears. This is a powerful tool, but it doesn't just arrive after years of devotion to a company. It comes from your efforts and if you don't feel that you are in YOUR place, you won't ever arrive at that happy state of mind.

RIDE THE RAINBOW
To most, happiness is a quest. But you cannot chase happiness. You are either happy or you aren't. There is no "I will be happy when..." That is the trick. You must learn to happily achieve.

I call this Riding the Rainbow . Most people are after that pot of gold at the end of their journey. The reward for a job well done. But few actually see the rainbow during life when their focus is on the gold. Few make the quest itself their glory. You may have heard, "half the fun is getting there." Well more than half the fun is getting there. In fact, it is all about getting there. What I mean by this, is that the steps on the path (the doing), towards your quest - this is what it is all about. Depending on your lifestyle, you are either riding the rainbow or crawling through the sewers hoping for some light. I prefer to ride the rainbow and you can too. How? You simply decide that the journey is "life" and that is what you are doing each moment of the day. Living is a present thing - not a future  goal.  Wake  up,  the  dream  is  now.  You  might be surprised to learn that when people succeed in any given area - be it achieving fame, power, or financial abundance they often reminisce about the good old days.

Jabez Parsons - Acton, Maine - USA "Most of my Mind Body Spirit learning took place when I began reading Rick Tew’s articles on his web site. I have learned mental conditioning and mind-body anchoring techniques that I have been using since. I learned to be in total control of my emotions whether I wanted to be happy or depressed. Many of my spiritual qualities were strengthened during CMS as my mind and body were being conditioned."

If you are too focused only on getting ahead you may arrive at your destination with a feeling of emptiness and dissatisfaction. Work hard with the understanding that NOW is the most important time of your life.

LIVE OR BE LIVED
I believe in a three L strategy that simplifies this understanding. Learn from the past, Look to the future but, always and forever Live in the now.  If you are not living in the now, then you will only be lived. Life is not something you just want to get through. Success is not judged by your job or your career. Success is judged by your life and only you can produce a verdict. Look in the mirror - that is who you answer to each and every day. You can kid yourself and try to look successful by playing the game of society. But you will always know whether or not you gave up on your dreams. This is your life to take chances with. Do you drive a Ferrari because you went after your dream or because you want to impress people around you? 

I know, I know... some day, everything will be perfect and then you can change your life. Well, this is rarely the case. Things will never be perfect. You have to decide and then take action. Once you have made the decision, the hardest part will be sticking to your dreams and the journey - to keep riding the rainbow.

Stick to the task till it sticks to you
Beginners are many but enders are few
Honor, power, place and praise
Always comes to the one who stays

This of course only works when you stay on your path and keep after your goals.  You will not succeed if you do not learn to see life the way a child sees learning to walk. You will fall down. Just make sure that when you fall, you are falling in the right direction. The key is to change strategies, but not the goal. Just change the paths you take to get there.

Keep doing what you've done and keep getting what you've got.

WORK WHILE YOU WHISTLE 
Now I have changed the famous quote "whistle while you work" so that it makes more sense. It used to say, smile even though you are doing something you don't enjoy. Now it basically says that, you should do something you enjoy or as part of my "Freedom" strategy - doing something you want to do. It comes down to when you say, "I can't believe I am getting paid to do this" or "I would do this for free." This is how you discover if you are on the right path.

How many psychologists does it take to change a light bulb? Only one, but the light bulb has to want to change.

Would you quit your job if you won the lottery? If so, then you are in the wrong line of work. You need a lifestyle - not a place to be from 9-5. Then again, who am I to tell you what you need. You will have to discover this for yourself. I'm just here to help you make the decision and then give you a way to make it happen. One thing I learned in my journeys is that you cannot change anyone's mind unless they want to change. People are not manipulated unless they want to be manipulated. To me, it is simply going towards a certain direction. But you will discover that the minute you start heading in a new direction - the rest of society (those that are not going the same way), will have problems with your new quest.  Remember, we have been told year after year how to live our lives. By our parents, our friends, our teachers, the media and the government. After being led around by a leash for all those years it isn't that easy to change. But, the day will come when you realize you would rather fly - this requires that you leave your nest or find a way out of the cage.

Take the challenge
Every goal is a risk and if it isn't a risk - then it probably isn't worth striving for. The higher your risk, the greater your glory. Still, this doesn't mean you should try jumping across the Grand Canyon. One thing that goes hand in hand with risk is calculation. This is the only kind of math I don't find utterly dull. It is called "taking the calculated risk." This means that you need to have a plan, experience and education to back up your challenge. The calculation must demonstrate that your quest is possible and that you have the means and or tools to do it.

I realize that talk is cheap and so many of us are stuck because we really don't have enough options. Well, this attitude is simply another option.

Ross Kottmyer - Virginia - USA “There's more to this experience than just martial arts. An equal part of the program helping you to see the areas in which your attitudes are negative or thoughts are inflexible or closed. Be ready for having these things subtly brought to light. For those unprepared, it can be unnerving. For those willing to grow and change, it's encouraging.” "

 

ADVENTURE
If there was one word I could use to describe what we are all about, it would have to be "Adventure." But then again, this all depends on how you define adventure and what feelings you attach to it. For me, it means not doing the same exact thing every month of the year. Adventure is your key for balance. What is balance? It is your guide to being happy in your lifestyle. Balance requires two factors:

1. Security
2. Surprise

These are two total opposites. And these opposites attract balance. 

Security is knowing that you have the necessities - food, shelter and clothing. It is also knowing and feeling that you are working for yourself and providing for your future. You feel a sense of stability and your actions give you a feeling of investment. Security is being able to rely on certain things in your life, to know that tomorrow will offer some consistency.

Surprise is not knowing what tomorrow will bring. It isn't blindness or taking the plunge - it is more about new territory and variety. Surprise allows for so many factors that you need in your life. Do you want to eat the same thing day after day?  Do you want to wear the same shirt week after week? Do you want to do the same task month after month? What you want is to have variety, year after year.

Combine security with surprise and you have the ingredients for a successful lifestyle.

Yesterday is a canceled check, tomorrow is a promissory note, today is the only cash you've got. Don't wait for your boat to sail in. Get out and make your dreams a reality - experience the world with your own eyes. Meet new people that will enhance your life. Create dreams and meet your challenges. Join a team of hard working energetic people just like yourself and build a life style you can be proud of.  Use your mind, body and spirit.

DO I NEED A CAREER IN THE MARTIAL ARTS / NINJITSU OR OUTDOOR ADVENTURE?

Making the perfect career is up to you.

I believe that being a CMS / Martial Science / Ninjitsu instructor is the Dream Job or Career. But it doesn't mean that it is limited to Martial Artists or that you can't achieve it unless you do exactly what I do. I sleep less than 8 hours a day but don't expect others to copy me in order to get what they want out of life. The dream I am talking about is based on having what I believe to be the main ingredients for a happy successful lifestyle:

• Security
• Surprise
• Freedom

WHAT WILL YOU DO?
This is the power question and it could change your life for the good or for the bad. Will you be a doctor or will you sell French fries, perhaps a door to door salesperson? What will you choose as your path or as your career? In my belief I feel that this is absolutely the wrong approach. I don't feel confident that we can create a success in our lives by simply choosing a career based on monetary values and rewards. You need to learn to separate hopes and dreams. There are plenty of doctors who are miserable and plenty of shake makers who can't stop laughing. So your career has little to do with your happiness but everything to do with your security. As we all know, when the laughing stops the bills are still there - so it is very important that we make sure our career handles all of the important areas of success.

Still, it is important to find something that is exciting and powerful and I believe that it is your roller coaster ride towards a nice relaxing day at the island.

What if I do want a career in the Martial Arts, Outdoor Adventure and world of Personal Development?

The martial art industry is not exactly the best business to get involved with unless you yourself are the next Jackie Chan. So reality hits you big time right there. Going it alone is a risky challenge and very few people make the cut. Less than 1 % of success is in the entertainment field. So your goals for being a rock star (although admirable) are not very realistic. This doesn't mean that you can't think big, it just means that before you hit it big you might want to make sure you have all your bases covered along the way. My point is to find people of like mind and create a network for your success.

When you join an existing network you don't have to spend the countless hours and thousands of dollars to get it recognized. You simply have to learn the skills and teach them to others. Very much like any other career. The only difference is what makes ALL the difference. Does this mean you can be a Martial Arts / Ninjitsu instructor?

Anything is possible, but we don't promise anything other than the most well-rounded martial arts training on planet in the most equally impressive locations. It is up to you to make your dreams a reality. If you want to teach martial arts for a living or be an instructor in the Martial Science, then of course we are going to support that win-win situation. 

Josiah Lewis - Chattanooga, Tennessee - USA “Go for it! Don't let anyone hold you back from doing what you want to do with your life! Attending CMS is the adventure of a lifetime, so if you think you have what it takes -- just do it! You'll be happy you did.”

We talked about freedom and very few jobs offer freedom of choice. Not many people have the freedom to do what they want each day. They drive a BMW and make $100,000 a year only to realize they don't own any of their time. They are slaves to the system. I don't have anything against nice cars or lots of money (I’ve had my share of sports cars and 5 bedroom houses), but I believe that your success is dependent upon your freedom - time is not money. Time is far more valuable than money.  You can’t buy more time, once it is gone, it is gone FOREVER.  Make the most of your time.

The one with the most time - has the most value; the most personal success.

The spice of life must be built into your career choice. Your actual job should be an adventure or what you consider to be a vacation.  Your career can be full of surprise and enough changes to keep things exciting.  
 
So how does one get themselves into such a position? Good question, if you want to live free then you will have to first sacrifice your free time. It is an investment in your Life bank. It takes about 7 years of study and spending to become a lawyer or doctor - in many cases it takes more. And you get to spend this time in a box staying at a bunch of books.  Or you could take our strategy into consideration:

To be a martial arts instructor you can get started in less than 2 years and very often less than 6 months if you take our Teach Martial Arts for a Living Program.  And where is your study room?  In Thailand in the mountains and or the islands.  How perfect.  And what if being a martial arts instructor or outdoor adventure guide isn’t your passion?  Then you get an amazing vacation, learn a new skill, improve your character attributes and can use everything you learned in a new field or career.

All at a fraction of what it would cost to become a lawyer. But your rewards can be much greater - especially if you value freedom and adventure.

Realistically it might take you 1-3 years to be a skilled martial artists and with more training a successful martial arts instructor. The good thing is that you get to Ride the Rainbow along the way. This means that the first few years will be just as fun and exciting. Also, it isn't about punches and kicks - it is an adventure life. And as I mentioned earlier, we do have a program to get you started teaching right away.

The purpose of this information is to let students know that with hard work and training there are many options in life. If you focus on your freedom you very well just might get it. This information is not limited to martial artist. The concepts are key for anyone looking to turn their vocation into their vacation.

Sensei Tew's Definition of Success based on his concepts of freedom supported by positive beliefs and goodwill towards man are as follows:

Do what you want, when you want, where you want, why you want and with whom you want.

The question you have to ask yourself is how bad do you want it?