Melanie Gibson Guest Writers, Mental Health, Self-Development and Leadership

Guest Writer: Train the Mind, Dominate the Moment

Someone asked me recently about the mental/emotional/spiritual aspect of martial arts. I’ve discussed it many times on this blog. But don’t just take my word for it. Today’s inspiring guest post is from Coach Matt Marcinek on how winning happens in the mind before you even set foot on the mat. If you would like to write a guest post for Little Black Belt, please review the guest writer guidelines here.

Everyone talks about toughness.
 “Push through.”
 “Don’t quit.”
 “Be mentally strong.”

But what if we’ve misunderstood what real toughness actually is?
 What if it’s not about clenching your jaw and pretending you don’t feel the pressure… but about being calm, aware, and honest when the pressure hits?

That’s the real inner game.
 And it’s the one I try to train every day—on the mat and in life.

Continue reading “Guest Writer: Train the Mind, Dominate the Moment” →

Melanie Gibson Mental Health, Self-Development and Leadership, Work and Martial Arts

When the Flames of Imposter Syndrome Loom Large

Fire Images On Black Backgrounds - Wallpaper Cave

I’ve explored imposter syndrome a few times on this blog, once during a period of depression and loneliness and more recently when I was offered the opportunity to do something new at work.

I’m happy to report that (1) I’m no longer depressed and lonely and (2) I’ve gotten a pretty good handle on that new thing at work.

Continue reading “When the Flames of Imposter Syndrome Loom Large” →

Melanie Gibson Self-Development and Leadership, Work and Martial Arts

Start Playing Big

2021 Giant Chess Set Buying Guide - How to Choose the Best Giant Chess

I’ve been doing some work with executives in my company, which requires me to get into a particular floor to access a particular conference room. Every time I go to a meeting, I have to wait in the hallway and hope someone sees me to let me in on time. 

One day, my executive leader saw me from the interior window and let me in. She had a puzzled expression on her face.

“You can’t get in?” she said.
“No,” I answered. In my head, I added, “I didn’t even try because I assumed I wouldn’t have access because I don’t belong here.”

Continue reading “Start Playing Big” →

Melanie Gibson Book, Mental Health

Bonus Book Chapter: I Am Enough

Dear Reader: For the remainder of 2021, to continue celebrating the release of my first book Kicking and Screaming: a Memoir of Madness and Martial Arts, I will be posting a monthly bonus chapter. While these stories didn’t make the final cut, they were still important moments in my life and in my black belt journey. Enjoy!

[Note: This event would have occurred between chapters 29 “Sucker Punched” and 30 “Aftermath,” late April 2015.]

Continue reading “Bonus Book Chapter: I Am Enough” →

Melanie Gibson Self-Development and Leadership

Forty Lessons and Blessings Upon Turning Forty

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Like many friends and former classmates, I turned forty this year. It was interesting to see how people celebrated (or not). There were a few Vegas trips. There were a few parties. There were a few moments of contemplation. Mostly I saw a renewed energy and excitement about the future that we haven’t always associated with turning forty. My generation seems to be grabbing forty with gusto and running with it.

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Melanie Gibson Class Diaries, Training Tips

Playing the Long Game in Pool, Taekwondo, and in Life

“I’m playing the long game.”

My billiards partner glanced up at me as he said this and then narrowed his eyes at the pool table as he adjusted his stance. I had suggested he take an easier and more straight shot, but he was focused on long-term strategy. He wanted to set himself up to get multiple shots in one play. This involved taking a more difficult shot first so the cue ball would end up where he wanted it. Continue reading “Playing the Long Game in Pool, Taekwondo, and in Life” →

Melanie Gibson Mental Health

Saying Goodbye to the Parasites in Our Lives

This is Plankton. He’s my intestinal parasite.

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…it’s not REALLY Plankton from Spongebob Squarepants, but this is how I picture the recently diagnosed parasitic infection in my digestive system–a tiny little bastard who’s always scheming to pull one over on everybody. He’s a dick, and I’m tired of the way he’s been treating me, but I’m also a little afraid to say goodbye to him.
Continue reading “Saying Goodbye to the Parasites in Our Lives” →

Melanie Gibson Mental Health

So I’m Eating Meat Again: A Cautionary Tale of the Rules We Place on Ourselves

Jail-Bars-and-Hands

So I was vegetarian for a while. And for a while it worked…until it didn’t, or rather, I didn’t. This isn’t going to be one of those posts that tries to debunk the value of a vegetarian diet (sorry, carnivores, I know you love to find those stories online). I think they’re great and work quite well. I was the issue, not the tenets of a vegetarian diet.
Continue reading “So I’m Eating Meat Again: A Cautionary Tale of the Rules We Place on Ourselves” →

Melanie Gibson Mental Health

I Am My Own Nemesis Part 2: The Comeback Tour

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Gotcha!!

A funny thing happens when I get what I want and am in a happy place in life. Having not yet mastered the practice of true detachment, any success or gain I have comes with a fear of loss. It’s a package deal. I thought I had gotten past that feeling, the one where I get what I think I want but am still unsatisfied and continue to chase that elusive momentary high. I thought I had progressed. I’ve done SO much work on myself in the past six years. As I leave my thirties I’m proud to say I’m a much different person than I was when I entered them, but it looks like I have more work to do.
Continue reading “I Am My Own Nemesis Part 2: The Comeback Tour” →

Melanie Gibson Mental Health, Self-Development and Leadership, Work and Martial Arts

You ARE Something (Other People Believe It, So It’s About Time You Did)

diving-board

I’ve recently changed job locations within the company where I’ve been employed for the last nearly 13 years. It’s a bit of a homecoming since I returned to the hospital where I first began my career with the company. After a six year stint at our corporate office in an adjacent city, it was time for me to come home. A few weeks in I got a life lesson in how our perceptions of ourselves, who we are, and what we deserved can at times be flawed at worst, underestimated at best.
Continue reading “You ARE Something (Other People Believe It, So It’s About Time You Did)” →