Journalling

 Journaling

 We watched a show(Nova -Science Now) about brain power (it also had a cool part about how your brain grows when you learn to play the piano) and how journaling really helps reduce anxiety and can decrease the chances of choking during high stress moments. They did a test and had high school students, who were interested, journal prior to a big test. The ones that chose to journal did much better on their exams than the ones that chose not to. The journals were not elaborate and only depicted how they were feeling at the time. The students stated during interviews that it helped them calm down prior to the exam. Imagine the reduced anxiety we would feel if we journalled prior to our kung fu tests?
I found this show very interesting and educational. I usually blog each week because it gives me an opportunity to reflect on my week, my progress and my kung fu. I did not consider that it helped me relax and stay focused. When I was younger, I used to journal to help me through troubled times, to explore my feelings and tangled thoughts. I think that I am going to increase my journaling to include a private daily journal as a means of staying more focused and more in tune with my thoughts and feelings.
Those are my thoughts for this week

Balance

The demo yesterday was amazing! It was so cool to be a part of and to kind of stand back and watch unfold. I think that the seniors really enjoyed our performance and have asked that we come back again with more to show them. I really enjoyed watching my teammates perform their forms, techniques and board breaks, I think everyone looked fantastic! I enjoyed preparing for this demo, although getting up at 4 am to get ready for work before the practice stretched my limits. Well, probably going back after work to teach and practice some more is probably what really tested my abilities. I still liked it! Mostly because everyone else was willing to do it too. I usually come up with these hair-brain ideas and no one else wants to do them, this time everyone said yes!!!
Once again it is the end of a long week and I am finding myself saying Hi to the family that I neglected all week. They never complain and are always supportive but I feel guilty when I spend more time at the kwoon than home and I am when I am here it is time to sleep. I know that it is about balance and this next week the scales will tip a little bit more towards normal, with no evening shifts and no extra practices, I might feel a little less stretched.
I seem to have picked up a head cold along the way, so I feel a bit rambley in my blog today and a bit sleepy, I will sign off for now.....
Those are my thoughts for this week.

Note to self

I read Mr.Repay's blog earlier this week and he challenged all who read his blog to write a letter to their 15 year old self. Here is my version:
Dear 15 yr old self;
I know that you haven't had much success in the people department, but don't give up. Keep trying to meet new people, trust a little tiny bit and let that grow in a natural way. There really are good, caring people out there, you just haven't met them yet.
Be patient with yourself as you grow and learn, don't rush things that need time and nurturing to grow naturally.
You are a good person with a good heart, please believe that and let that guide your choices.
Trust that you are smart, you may have made some not smart choices but you are really smart, allow yourself to learn.
Above all else, I want to tell you that you are worth it, all of it, don't ever forget that!
Love from me

What would you say to your 15 year old self?
 Sifu Kichko

Thankfulness! Gratefulness!!!

I am grateful for so many things in my life;
First of all I am grateful to God, He is the reason for all the is good in my life and the obstacles that I need to overcome to grow.
I am grateful for my husband, he has supported and encouraged me for nearly twenty years. He always there for me as I attempt to be a better me, cheering me on and helping me out when I fall down.
I am grateful for my daughter, she believes that there is nothing that I can't do! What an amazing feeling that is!!
I am grateful  for the life that I have, it is full of goodness and love. I have good friends, near and far, and I have family members that accept me for who I have become.
I am grateful for my job, I have been working with children and families for approx. 23 yrs, and they never cease to amaze me, their capacity to love one another and over-come diversity in order to be together is over-whelming at times.
I am grateful for my pet family, they make me laugh, cry and sigh with contentment. I love that I can have these animals in my life and they show me the true meaning of unconditional love. No matter how the rest of the world treats me, when I come home, I am greeted with so much love and excitement that all else is forgotten.
I am grateful for my kung fu family, I truly feel like I have found a place where I belong and I am completed accepted. I love my family. My goal is to pass that feeling on and treat each person that walks in the door with compassion and understanding so that they will experience the same feelings that I have.
I am grateful for the opportunities that I have had to volunteer in my community. I have gained so much empathy from our projects.
There are many more things that I am grateful for but that would make this a really long blog. My goal is to remind myself throughout the year, not only during Thanksgiving.
Those are my thoughts for this week.

Influence

One of the things that has influenced me the most is the leadership requirement. It is not what I thought it was going to be. I figured that we would be told what needs to be done and then we would go forth and make it so. I thought that since I enjoyed leadership that it would not be a difficult or challenging requirement. I did not fully understand the requirement until  recently. I understand now that it is not about any one of us improving our leadership skills, it is about each of us being a leader. We are all leading the school, some of us are outspoken and loudly encouraging others to do stuff (get involved, try harder, etc) and some of us are quietly being amazing and encouraging others with our actions ( always doing push ups, forms,being there, etc). There different types of leaders and different types of leadership and I think we are all taking strides in the direction that will serve us best. Personally, I have been doing things that I have never done before and I kind of like it. I used to think that I was leading by doing what we were supposed to do, I am learning that I can also lead by doing what needs to be done. It is a bit scarey at first but I am getting used to it. I find myself thinking, am I doing this right? Is this how I am supposed to be doing? The answer is yes and yes because I am doing it. I am hoping to continue to grow in this area and learn more about leading people in the direction that they need to go.
One of the other requirements that has served me so far is the one where we have to mend a relationship. I have been wanting to mend the relationship with my brother Tim for a few years but I was kind of chicken. I was afraid that if I made an effort of any sort it would not be reciprocated. So after having this on my list for a few years, I took the plunge this year. I invited him for lunch and honestly told him how I felt, that I missed hanging out with him and hoped that we could move forward in our relationship. I was surprised to learn that he missed me too. We have only seen each other a few times so far but it is going well and there is a major bonus. Katie is getting to know her uncle and aunt and they are getting along quite well and creating a relationship of their own.
I am also supposed to write about my personal requirements that have served me well. The thing is that I have a difficult time doing stuff for me. I put two things on my list that I have always wanted to do, they are not for anyone else, just me and I keep putting off doing anything about it. I will leave them on my goal list until I do something about them as I don't want to give up.
Those are my thoughts for this week

Fall

So here are a few pictures from my family album. These are a few of the things that cross my mind when I think of fall.
- Having Katie "help" me rake the leaves in the front yard is a memory that always makes me smile
- I love the color of flowers in the fall, the orange being my favorite followed closely by dark red
- I always say a little good bye to the green leaves and look forward to seeing them again in the spring

I sometimes wonder if we can focus on the simpler things in life, perhaps life would be a bit easier. If we stopped worrying about what we didn't have and how long it will take us to get it, would we be more satisfied? If we are grateful for our lives and concentrated on helping others with theirs, would we be more fulfilled?
Those are my thoughts for now
Sifu Kichko