What is a black belt?

What is a black belt?
What black belt qualities do I possess? Strengths
What black belt qualities do I lack? Weaknesses
A black belt is someone who is true to themselves, they set a high standard for themselves and they do not compromise it. They work hard and expect nothing less than mastery from themselves and those that they surround themselves with. They accept their weaknesses and work towards improving on them and they build on their strengths. They set an example for others to follow by their constant drive towards mastery in all that they take on.
I set very high standards for myself and I will not compromise them. I work very hard and I am constantly striving for mastery in all that I endeavor. I believe that I set an example for others by not giving up on any of my goals.
I have a difficult time accepting my weaknesses and working towards improving them. I prefer to work on things that I know that will improve and ignore the others (the ones that I think will never get better no matter what I do). What I do to counter this is I work on things that I don’t like as much first during a workout and I force myself to work on the things that I am not sure will ever improve.
Being a martial artist is a journey with no real end, earning a black belt is just part of that journey.
Robyn Kichko
March 2011