Up or Down Krav Maga
by Moshe Katz
CEO
Israeli Krav International

Panama City, Panama, February 28, 2015

Saturday night, 

Gene Simmons, also known as Chaim Wietz, an inspiration in many ways.

He chose to be a success, and while others whined and complained he build an empire out of largely forgettable songs. He jumped at opportunities before others, he looked for new avenues; comic books, lunch boxes, whatever worked.

Up or Down, we choose our own path.

In my younger days I was much more of a rock n' roller than I am today. Krav Maga takes up all my time these days. But I still have my favorites and still love the music of my younger days.

Thus, staying at the Hard Rock Hotel in Panama was a quite a thrill. The lobby always had rock music playing. Even at breakfast I could hear the songs of Bob Dylan, aka Robert Zimmerman, playing loudly as I sipped my coffee.

You might say it is a dream hotel for any rock fan. The walls are lined with photos of rock stars, autographed guitars, outfits, and other memorabilia. 

Quotes from Jimi Hendrix, the Beatles, John Lennon and lesser artists  (all are lesser than the Beatles) lined the walls, even the elevators had rock quotes on them.

Baby You Can Drive My Car - A classic by the Beatles

There were two quotes in my elevator, "Love in an elevator", not much I can write about that, and another by a band I never heard, UB40, must be a new band. "Up or down, it is time to decide".

It is clear why this was chosen for the elevator. I am not familiar with the song or its message but it did hit me. Yes, this is true.

Many people go through life angry. They are jealous of others. Why did others get all the breaks, why did others get all the opportunities!?

But what they do not realize is that others made their own breaks, and others took advantage of opportunities that they themselves missed.

At a certain point in our lives we must do as UB40 says...up or down, it is time to choose.

But how do we choose?

One way we choose is by picking stupid fights. One way we choose is by burning bridges that could have led to great success.

We cut our nose to spite our face on a regular basis. We get angry over silly nonsense, we take little problems or misunderstandings that can easily be resolved and we turn them into fights that can only destroy us.

Why? We are simply stubborn and thus we become the architects of our own personal destruction.

I always believe that reasonable people can resolve their differences, "We can work it out". "Try to see it my way".

Put yourself in the other persons' shoes and see how they could have understand things differently.

Up or down, it is time to choose. And whether we go up to down is largely our own doing.

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