John L Sullivan 2003 -2013

Sully is in his favorite place, in the middle of the kitchen floor while we are making supper!

Barking at his dad! Trying to prove once again, who is in charge!!!!

He was always trying to lick my face, he seemed to get a charge out of my protests!!

Nothing like a nice big dog to cuddle when you don't feel good :)

We are Silent

So here's the thing, Katie and I are taking a vow of silence on April 18th, for the children that don't have a voice!

6 Harmonies

We have been learning about the six harmonies for a while now and it seems easy to talk about them, know when they are not working together, feel when we are not in sync and then......

You twist your knee cause you are so busy trying to fix one thing, that you forget that they all have to work together. The moment isn't long but it happens and it hurts!

I have been taking Tai Chi for some years ( I honestly don't remember, I can't really remember not taking it) and I love it. I go to every class that I can and I learn something each time. I love how this form evolves into your very own way of moving and it feels sooooo peaceful.

So yesterday I go to do a move and it didn't feel quite right, so I concentrate, slow down and try to figure out what it going on. I am concentrating so hard on my shoulders and hips and waist that I didn't realize that I was torquing my knee at the same time. It hurts like crazy!!! Without the whole story, you may be inclined to think ' You hurt your knee doing Tai Chi, Really???' But it is true and it can happen. It is very easy to get hurt doing Tai Chi because it depends on you using the six harmonies, finding your balancing spot and moving gracefully through the form. It also takes a lot more work and muscle power than one might realize. If you are in the proper body position, you need to use all of your muscle to do the moves properly, it is a very good workout!

So therein ends the story of my Saturday at Kung Fu, I limped home to an ice pack and some muscle work by my husband (Thank You)!

I had a really good Kung Fu week, I love when my schedule allows me to go to both Tues and Thurs classes, I love having time during the day to work on my forms and kicks, and I love hanging out with my Kung Fu friends. Thank you all for a wonderful week, I am looking forward to repeating the experience next week.

Balance

I haven't been to class since Tuesday due to my work schedule. I miss you guys! I have had lots of time to work on my kung fu by myself and with a few training partners, but I really miss being at the kwoon with other students. Tomorrow is my day 6, which means that I will have some balance this week and be able to attend most of my classes. One of the lessons that I have learned is that balance can take many forms, one of the ways that I create balance is by being at the kwoon as much as I can and accepting when I can't be there. Totally works for me.

Bullies....big and small

Bullying can take on many forms, but the one that I am confronted with the most is when someone in a position of power states that they won't give you what you want/need unless you do what they say. Even if this is delivered in a joking manner, it's not funny! It leaves you wondering, do they really mean it? Should I have to kiss up to get the next promotion? Should I do things that go against what I believe in, in order to "succeed"?
I realize that there is a certain amount of diplomacy required when dealing with bosses and stuff, but how far does one have to go outside their comfort zone to move forward? What do you need to do to get your ideas listened to?
I think the answer to all my questions is to be true to yourself and don't forget that the other person is the one with the agenda. They may want to look good in front of others (perhaps their boss) and they have things that they want to accomplish that have nothing to do with you. I think that doing the best job that you know how to do is the answer and don't do anything that you are not comfortable doing. And of course, don't use the same tactics on the people that you are in charge of.
I think that it is also important to help others stand up to bullying. As I was telling a story to my mentor about someone who was trying to intimidate me to get what they wanted, she pointed out that, incredibly, the witness to the whole thing did nothing as well. Bullies are fueled by acceptance, spoken or unspoken, they believe they are right and if no one stands up to tell them otherwise, it just confirms their stance. My message today is let's tell bullies that there are better more affective ways of getting their needs met.