Maybe it’s time to look to the karate mat for answers.

Hey Nonprofit Leader, What’s Keeping You Awake at Night?

This week, I’m stepping away from my usual nonprofit musings to bring you a story from a different kind of battlefield—the karate tournament tatami. As a nonprofit consultant by day and a para-karate coach by night (yes, you read that correctly), I live in both worlds. And believe it or not, they overlap more than you'd think.

This past weekend, Sensei Tamara Canedo and I traveled with eight para-athletes to the USA Karate Nationals in Fort Worth, Texas. Our athletes, ages 8 to 24, all live with a disability—autism, physical impairments, or both—and all competed in kata, choreographed forms of martial arts movements, part discipline, and full-on heart.

Let’s get this straight—there were no flying kicks or broken boards. Just beautifully executed movements, designed to showcase control, precision, and determination. And our athletes? They brought it. Every single one medaled:🥇 Three Gold🥈 Two Silver🥉 Three Bronze

But numbers don’t tell the whole story.

Fall Down Seven Times, Get Up Eight

On Thursday, we watched elite-level para-athletes compete for a spot on Team USA. One standout moment? Josiah, a wheelchair athlete, executed a flawless kata until—mid-wheelie—he flipped backward and landed on his back. Calmly, his coaches reset his chair. And Josiah? He finished his performance.

Afterward, he cried. I cried. Everyone watching cried. But when he received his silver medal, I told him what he had really won: courage. Because finishing after a fall takes more guts than starting ever did. That’s the lesson—fall down seven times, get up eight.

Beyond Kata: New Weapons, New Confidence

Inspired by the international competitors at the US Karate Open in April, three of our athletes—Jamey, Sierra, and Matt—took up Bo staff (long weapons kata) just three months ago. This weekend, they didn’t just perform—they medaled.

Other highlights?

• Damien lost his glasses mid-turn, kept going, and snagged a silver medal.

• Damien and JP traveled with caregivers—first time without parents. JP declared, “I could get used to traveling without my mother!” (Independence, anyone?)

• Vinnie, giver of award-winning bear hugs, was cheered on by his entire family--mom, dad, big sister, and two older brothers.

• On the flight home, Sensei got the flight attendant to announce their wins—cue applause and celebrity status at 35,000 feet.

• Keyla, who moves through life ever so gently, executed her kata with the power of a lion. Gold medal. No notes.

• Our youngest competitor, Boston, snagged Gold and beamed with pride on the award podium.

At the end of every karate class, I ask my students to repeat:

“I am smarter than I think. Stronger than I feel. Braver than I seem. I can do hard things.”

And they do. In karate class—and in life.

So, What Does This Have to Do With You, Nonprofit Leader?

Everything.

You're tired. You're juggling programs, fundraisers, board meetings, and a hundred things no one sees. And some days, it feels like you’re flat on your back in the middle of a wheelie gone wrong.

But here’s the deal:You’re smarter than you think.Stronger than you feel.Braver than you seem.You can do hard things.

Write that grant. Launch that program. Call that donor.And when the hard things pile up, it’s okay to hit pause. Rest. Rehydrate. Let it go for the night. The work will be there tomorrow—fresher, more manageable, and less likely to land you in a metaphorical wheelie.

You’ve got this, nonprofit warrior.Now go get some sleep.

Click the HERE for a resource for ADHD (a neurodevelopment condition associated with inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity).

Team Seiden Juku