Working Hard and Having Fun! Really!!!

What an incredible week it has been! I am working harder than ever before in my life and I am loving it. Everything that I do, all day long, is orchestrated so that I can have more time to practice. It was hard at first but I am getting used to the pace and I am enjoying pushing myself as hard as I can.
I made a major break through with my eye for detail this week and it is a giant relief. I have been trying to figure something out about how I move for a long time and I finally get it. I knew that if I kept trying that I would get it, and it was hard to be patient with the process sometimes, but I think I have succeeded.
I am fully enjoying teaching all the different levels and ages that I have an opportunity to. The young people on Saturday mornings are nearly as enthusiastic as I am and they are a great deal of fun. They will try anything once and that makes the class very entertaining. The teen/adult classes that I attend and am lucky to be a part of are very educational. I am learning about how different people learn and how to help them by letting them figure some stuff out for themselves.
I also very blessed to have a great partner to train with, it is always fun and challenging when we get together. We work hard to improve ourselves and to give each other positive feedback.
When I review the week, I can't believe how busy it was and when I look the coming week, I can't wait to get started.
Until next week, work hard and have fun.

Snow Days!

I think that I discovered one of the great mystery's of my little world. Why do we stay in this crazy cold climate, with long winters and short summers (with lots of rain)?
I had the pleasure of having to run some errands on Thurs. afternoon in the middle of the snow storm. The people that I encountered were friendly and helpful and full of good cheer. The general attitude seemed to be 'No point complaining about, might as well make the best of it.' I observed people helping others with their hard to manage carts in the snow, sharing jokes about snow days and how come grown ups don't get them, and being patient and over all friendly with one another. I think that the snow brought them together, gave them a common ground. Hopefully this good cheer will see us through the holiday season and into the long months while we wait for spring to arrive.
Meanwhile, I am thrilled and exhausted this week as I attempt to push my training to the next level.
Until next week, work hard and have fun.

Goals

Goal setting is important in all areas of our lives. Whether you are setting fitness goals, weight loss goals, how to get a promotion goals or how to be a better person goals, it is important that you write them down, recite them often and remind yourself throughout the day. When I set a major, long term goal, the steps that I take to get there are many and keep me involved throughout each day. Every part of my being needs to be involved in working towards that goal. When I set getting a black belt as a major goal several years ago, I don't think that I understood the process that it would take to get anywhere near there. I could imagine (sort of) dedicating myself daily to working towards a goal but I didn't understand the transformation and how it would impact all aspects of my life. I have changed how I eat, always keeping in mind the energy that I will get from the food I eat and how long I can train before I have to eat again. I don't always make the right choices but I always consider the impact of what I am doing. I have changed how I treat people, I try to hold myself to higher standard than before, I want to be that person that it always kind and considerate. I will always strive to be that person. I have changed who I spend my time with, my free time has decreased quite a bit, so it is important that I spend time with people that I care about and that have the same goal-oriented principles that I have. A few years ago, I met someone and we started to be friends, when the opportunity to do 1000 push ups in a day came up, I was very excited at the prospect of learning something about myself. This new person in my life suggested that I lie and tell everyone that I had done the push ups when I had not. That person is no longer part of my life. It wasn't a hard choice to make, we were just so fundamentally different, it wouldn't have made sense for us to remain friends. I made that choice because my goal is always in front of me and I can't allow for any part of my life to not be affected by it.
So all day long, about a thousand times, I am thinking about my goal and choosing to do things that put me closer to that goal. I no longer think that it is just about the goal, I now know that it is about the process, it is all about the process. I am fully enjoying the process and I know that I have learned some life-long lessons throughout it.
Until next week, work hard and have fun.

Just Checking In.

Highlights of the week:
- spending tons of time with Sifu during class on Monday night thanks to Halloween.
- dragon dancing, it just doesn't get any cooler than that.
- planning our next renovation project, it always seems bigger at the beginning!
- bought new shovels in preparation for the snow shoveling team. One of the great things about winter is being involved with shoveling for seniors, it's not just about the amazing baked goods.
- brainstorming ways to raise money for pandemonium, I am not an idea person but give me an idea and I will run with it full force. I am hoping that we will have a successful year and more students will understand the reason for creating awareness and helping others.
That is my week in a nutshell. I am feeling good about my training and it feels like I might be making some progress in the way I move. I had a major break through at Tai Chi yesterday, I think that I can apply it to my other forms. I am definitely going to spend this week trying.
Until next week, work hard and have fun.