This past Saturday I had my first Kung Fu rank test. It was extremely intense, and you really had to know your stuff to have any chance of passing. Not only that, but you have to be in tip top shape both mentally and physically. For example we went through all of our blocks and punches while holding horse stance, the only break in between was when we transitioned from blocks to punches. All in all I'd say it was probably about 5 minutes a piece holding horse stance, if not longer. The point is, one's body is perfectly capable of doing this after being conditioned for months at a time. The variable factor is whether one has the mental mettle to let their mind transcend the pain by focusing on something else and pushing through until you get to stand up again. This, I have found, is extremely applicable to web software engineering (a title I've given what I do, but don't hold me to it as if it were gospel truth).
I am tasked daily with very challenging things. Often times more challenging than I believe I can take care of at the time. The fact of the matter is, I *have* to figure out a way to get the task done. Either that, or someone else will, and I'm all of the sudden out of a job. I also have to keep up on the latest technologies, not because it's required, but because it's smart, and gives me an edge in the field. Combine this with school, $life, and kung fu, and you have a very formidable task ahead of you. This is where I make a comparison between kung fu and my career (though green it and myself may be), further proved by me writing this at 4am on a school night. This is not the first time I have had to sacrifice sleep to get a mission critical piece of work done. And this will not be the last. One's mental strength and make up must be that which can withstand the tribulations of mind numbingly bad code, test iterations that seem endless, and the 800lb gorilla on your back that is sleep deprivation.
Anyway, this rant is pretty much done. I just really had to convey the fact that mental clarity and strength in one form or another is absolutely pinnacle if you really want to be a competitive, well, anything.
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