Tony Robbins Quote on Staying Committed to Decisions, But Flexible in Approach

“Stay committed to your decisions, but stay flexible in your approach.”

Tony Robbins

Beyond the Quote (316/365)

This young man was told he wouldn’t be able to attend his Martial Arts tournament because he was exposed to someone who tested positive for COVID-19. He was told he would be quarantining at home for 2 weeks instead. But, rather than miss the tournament altogether, the team who orchestrated the tournament offered him and his family a virtual option instead. The family agreed.

And with the same smile on his face that you see depicted above, he performed his Tae Kwon-Do form, he demonstrated his Kick-Punch combinations, he got to interact with the judges and his fellow competitors, he received his earned awards, and he was given feedback on how he could continue improving. All of this from a problem creatively solved.

And while there’s no question that the problems we’re facing in the world are intense and unrelenting, it doesn’t change the fact that we have to keep showing up for each other. We have to maintain our commitment to our decisions and we have to, just as importantly, stay flexible in how we resolve the problems that challenge our commitments. We have to get creative. We have to learn new skills. We have to stay open-minded. Otherwise, we will break.

We have to continue to prioritize safety first, yes. But, we can’t just forget about experiential learning, social interaction, and problem solving skills. Schools might be closed, but minds still need nurturing. Extracurricular activities might be cancelled, but bodies still need moving. Social interaction might feel like a distant memory from the past, but our need to socially interact is still ever present.

And while cursing COVID might feel like the only response to the ugly situation that we’re in, arguing with reality won’t improve the situation. Having people step up to confront the unrelenting will. Having people present creative solutions and come up with alternatives and options for families in increasingly tough situations will. Taking the energy required to curse and investing it into creative thinking and problem solving will.

We want our kids to be great problem solvers, yeah? After all, problem solving skills are universally important and highly relevant in all areas of life. They’re relevant for all career paths. They’re important for maintaining all types of relationships. Heck, they’re what keep us moving forward in our own personal lives! Well, what better way to teach them these skills than by modeling them ourselves?

How does the expression go? What you do speaks so loudly I can’t hear what you say? And yet, here so many of us are, swimming in a sea of ever growing problems doing what? Cursing and complaining? What higher purpose does that serve? What is that teaching the next generation to do? How can we better model the behavior that we hope to see them one day adopt?

The way needs to be led by us. We have to stay grounded and present with what’s happening around us. We have to think of ways we can contribute to the larger collective. And we have to come up with more creative solutions than cursing.

I do not want to undermine the intensity or complexity of what’s happening. I get it. There’s nothing “normal” about our world right now. The only way to define this “new normal” that we’re living in is that there is no way to define it! Every day is a new day with mysterious new challenges that are constantly updating and changing.

But, how is this different than the future that we’ve always been unable to see or predict? While the challenges are certainly more intense and scary than what we might be used to facing, fundamentally speaking, this is how life always has been and always will be—isn’t it so? Life is problem solving. Tomorrow will forever be a mystery and we should never expect comfort or normalcy in that unknown.

So, how should we proceed? We must learn to find comfort in ourselves. We must learn to find comfort in our abilities. We must learn to find comfort in our rituals, routines, and habits. We must learn to trust that with each obstacle we successfully overcome, our character will continue to strengthen and our ability to solve will only continue to improve.

We must keep ourselves ready for whatever is to come at us next. For our families. For ourselves. And for our next generation of kids who are no different than the little boy pictured above. Quarantined, confused, and at one of the most developmentally pivotal points in his life. They’re counting on us. Let’s stop counting on everyone else and start counting more on ourselves to get done what we know needs to get done. As always, it starts and ends, with us.

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