I see you, I see how hard you’re trying while quietly convincing yourself it’s never quite good enough.  I see the way you hold your breath waiting to be “found out”, as if your accomplishments are accidents, and your struggles are proof of some fundamental lack.  But there’s what your fear won’t tell you:  this ache of inadequacy? It’s the growing pain of someone becoming more than they ever imagined.

We all carry an inner voice that sorts, labels, and measures.  It tells us what is “good” or “bad”, “right” or “wrong”, “worthy” or “unworthy.”  This is the discriminating mind, a survival tool honed over millennia to keep us safe.  But in our modern lives, this mental habit often does more harm than good.  It builds walls in our relationships, stifles curiosity, and isolates us in social spaces. 

There comes a moment when you realize the loudest voice holding you back has always been your own.  That critical whisper in your head that says “you’re not ready” or “who do you think you are?” – it doesn’t speak truth, it speaks fear.  And fear, while trying to protect you, often keeps you from becoming who you’re meant to be.

A Bonsai tree is best shaped when it's young.Both good and bad habits are formed at the beginning so strict requirements is a must for beginners.

Life doesn't have answers. Life only gives out experiences. What we do with those experiences is totally up to us: use them to grow spiritually or use them to be dragged down. In the end, it is what we have learned from our experiences and what we have done with that information that causes a transformation.

As a student of Taijiquan, you are probably familiar with the Ten Essences, or guiding principles, of this martial art. You may be less familiar with Taijiquan's five levels of attainment, or skill levels. You cannot successfully practice the Ten Essences without knowledge of the five skill levels, or without understanding the level that you have reached. Knowing what the skill levels are helps to guide your training. Below, I describe the five levels with the hope that you w