Can you develop your own personal Martial Arts Credo/ Philosophy?

Credo

noun cre·do \ˈkrē-(ˌ)dō

"Statement of beliefs or aims that guide someone's actions"

Philosophy
noun phi·los·o·phy \fə-ˈlä-s(ə-)fē\

"A theory or attitude held by a person that acts as a guiding principle for
behavior"

Whether you call it a philosophy, a credo, axiom, doesn't really matter, what matters is that you the Martial artist develop a set a beliefs to effectively reach your potential, or in terms of Maslow's motivational theory of Self Actualization. Why should you develop a personal martial arts credo in your Martial Arts Journey?

How can you become the best if you don't know who you are and what you want? Psychology Today specifies, "To not have a credo means to go through life without defined purpose, clear focus or identifiable direction".(https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-power-prime/200909/business-prime-business-credo) So if you are an avid Martial Arts practitioner, why are you involved in Martial Arts? What do you get or what do you want to get out of Martial Arts?

If you are familiar with Pete Carroll, coach of the Seattle Seahawks, he has a very intriguing personal philosophy. It comes down to one word, "Compete". Compete as a football coach to be the best, compete to be the best parent, husband, etc. Just compete in everything you do in life to reach your potential. Here are some other examples relating to philosophies and credos:

"American parents who give a darn about their kids have noticed that martial arts teach their children about respect, discipline, hard work, sacrifice and humility"
(http://www.blackbeltmag.com/category/daily/martial-arts-philosophy/?topicid=9329)

Five Dojo Kun of the Japan Karate Association
1. Jinkaku kansei ni tsutomuru koto - Seek perfection of character
2. Makoto no michi o mamoru koto - Be sincere
3. Doryoku no seishin o yashinau koto - Put maximum effort into everything you do
4. Reigi o omonzuru koto - Respect others
5. Kekki no yuu o imashimuru koto - Develop self-control
(http://jka.or.jp/en/karate/philosophy.html)

Obviously, your personal philosophy or credo can be very long and explicit or short and implicit.

Here is a short way to get started:

1. Determine what type of Martial Arts Practitioner you are
1.  Martial Artist - Self Defense
2.  Martial Artist - Community builder, demos, and forms
3.  Martial Fighter - Mixed Martial Arts
4.  Combination
2. Review any sources important to you 
1. Martial Arts instructors, philosophies and texts
2. Religious philosophies and texts
3. Philosophical theories and texts
4. Mentors and other influential people
5. Heck even fictional books and movies
3. Pick certain philosophies, brainstorm and think about 3-5 items that are important/ useful to you
4. Pick 2-3 as you core
5. Rewrite in your own words
6. Strive to reach your goals and potential
7. Repeat as necessary as epiphanies or life experiences dictates

http://www.ehow.com/how_6088211_write-one-personal-philosophy-statement.html

http://www.leadershipchallenge.com/resource/composing-your-personal-credo.aspx

Hopefully this helps Martial Arts Enthusiasts and I will continue to dig up resources to present on this blog and podcast. Bam!

-Dwight