This June will mark the 10th Year Anniversary of our Dojang. A whole decade has passed and with it, many laughter, tears, sweat, and people have passed through my life and these walls. I was telling my students the other day that one must always create goals and plan how to achieve them and without this process of self-examination, we can lose our purpose, our meaning. I went on to say that we cannot make it just a routine - a day in/day out event with no thought, no introspect. It is just something we do; this is the problem. This part of our human nature is what makes us seek for comfort, rather than challenges and before we know it we have neglected, devalued, unappreciated, and taken for granted the special people who are around us and the special circumstances that we are in.

When I was young, there were so many dreams, so many things I wanted to do and I had no doubt of my abilities to make them all come true. It was a matter of time. That's right, that is exactly what it was, a matter of time. As time erodes away the mountain side, it also erodes our dreams, our hopes, forcing us to accept the so called reality as a condition and settle, compromising on the high principles, which we proudly lived by. I guess it is my turn to think and feel like this, but you can say that I am sort of a late bloomer in regards to this kind of thing. Many would say this is growing up, facing the responsibilities of life, becoming a productive individual within a society. Well, this is what I think about that. Even as I struggle with the hopes of my future, I will not relent. I will not relent from my dreams and if forgoing my dreams is what it means to grow up, then I am not grown up. However, the problem does remain, seeping into our minds and hearts in our waking days and our dreaming nights. The loss of innocence, the loss of hope, and the scars of disillusionment only grows and gains momentum with time. At 20, all things were possible, at 30 somethings are possible, and at 40 am I possible?

Writing this article and reflecting on the past, I remember some senior ranked person trying to teach me or something when I was a college student, "… you never even washed dishes for a living, have you!" I guess he was trying to say that he had a rough life and I did not. That somehow I was spoiled for knowing my life calling from an early age, for never having worked at MacDonald's, and for being confident that I can do it. He tried to demean my ambitions and somehow in his mind, he was better than me because he went through more "crap" in his life than I. I don't listen to people like that, who likes to boast about their battle scars, argue over who suffered more or has a more miserable life than the other. Yes, that's right! I never worked at any job that I did not find purpose other than money…, except when I was 9 years old, I had a newspaper route and made about $100 per month. Other than that, it was all Hwa Rang Do, the dream to spread Hwa Rang Do throughout the World and become a leading force within our society.

My first school was my garage that my father turned into a workout room, fully equipped with mats and mirrors. I was 13 years old and I started teaching my sister's friends. Two to three times a week, the parents would actually drive their children to my home and have tea with my mother while I trained their children in the garage and believe me it was not an easy class. They paid me, I think about $40 or $50 per month and I had about 10 students. I have made more money doing what I loved than anything else before. This was my humble beginning to now, the West Coast Hwa Rang Do Academy. This is where I learned my father's lesson, "Man should not follow money, money should follow man."

Yes, there are many scars in my heart and yes, I question my purpose everyday, but I will not relent, give up, quit, and pack it up. As time passes we are faced with many obstacles by people, society, and our own imagination, which test our character and purpose, forcing at every turn to reevaluate our goals and plans. I guess this is why I seem at times contemplative, frustrated, and impatient as I am never satisfied with my condition and always looking for ways to better myself, my students, our dojang, our Association, our humanity and do it all while before I get too old to reap what I have sown. I guess that is one of the greatest disappointments to have worked all your life to accomplish your dream, only to have it come to fruition after you pass away. Then, I must remind myself that the "high road" as Lao Tsu says, "…But a good leader, who talks little, when his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will all say, 'We did it ourselves.'" However, I hope to be around to enjoy some or it. Yes, I have accomplished many things, but there are many more things to do and I believe that I am a tool, a vehicle for making this dream of a Hwa Rang Do University (HRDU) a reality.

I want to thank everyone who has entered into this great harbor, our Dojang, and especially for those who have remained undaunted in their conviction for self betterment and their belief in Hwa Rang Do and me. Let us all dream together of a better, bigger, stronger Dojang, HRDU, and from there we can all dream together of a better, peaceful World.