It couldn't get any better than this!

Saturday is my favorite day of the week because I spend most of the day at the kwoon. I begin my day with a hearty breakfast and some lovely tea and then it is off to the kid's class. They have so much energy and willingness to try just about anything, that it is hard not to laugh out loud from the shear joy of it. There is a thirty minute break where I usually tell myself that it is a good time to do forms but I usually end up visiting with my friends, talking over the class or just catching up. The next class is tai chi, which I joined to improve my flow. I am not sure if that happened but I do know that I am calmer, and I am able to settle myself down much quicker in stressful situations. Tai chi also helps me feel centered and focused in all that I do. After that, it is time for a quick apple for energy that I will definitely need in the fitness class. I joined this class to improve my over all fitness and discovered that it is so fun to exercise with others who are willing to push themselves just as hard or harder than you do and do it with a sense of comradery that is second to none. It is definitely a high point of the day. If I am lucky, my partner and I will share a little lunch after this, talk about our week and plan what we want to focus on in open training. I love open training because you never really know what it is going to be like or who else you are going to get to train with. Sometimes, it is quiet so it is a very focused time, lots of forms and time for improving my eye for detail. Sometimes it is jammed packed with people, talking, laughing, teasing, sparring, teaching and just enjoying being there. And sometimes, it is a combination of it all. I just love being there.
So all this brings me to yesterday, WOW! What a fantastic day!!! It was like we took all my favorite things to do and amped it up big time. I arrived two hours early so that I could do some pre-planned nun chuck work with one of my friends, the time just flew. Suddenly it was time for the kids to arrive and it was time to run and play and have a good time. I think that the kids had a good time, too. I loved that we had lots of older kids helping the kids, that truly made the event cool for me. I loved seeing all the families wandering around, visiting and getting to know one another. Tai chi was super cool too! We did the whole form (it takes about 20 minutes if you do it right) three times all together, I think there was about 8 or 10 of us. I usually practice tai chi by myself and the energy generated by having the whole group together was phenomenal, it made the hairs on my arm stand up. On to the fitness class, I am not sure what I expected but it wasn't a packed room willing to give this class a try. Now that was some serious energy!!! I loved that so many people came out and gave it their all. We worked our butts off (as usual) and it was too fun having new and old training partners in the group. Of course, Sifu Stoddard is absolutely amazing when it comes to getting a group moving and having a good time. I have no idea how she puts together such a fun filled, work your butt off with a smile on your face class but it totally works. It's like you don't even know how hard your are working because you are having so much fun ( until you "take it to the floor" and that is a story for a different day). I topped off that part of my day with the dragon dance. I wasn't sure that I had any energy left in me (5 hours of sleep followed by 5 hours of non-stop kung fu) but I do like the dragon. It was challenging at first, remembering how to move together and not trip anyone else on the team, but we seemed to find our rhythm and no one got hurt. When it was over, I found myself eagerly discussing more practices so we could get ready for Canada day. It should prove to be an excellent way to get ready for summer.
I go off to work after the dragon dance, it was hard driving away when I really just wanted to go play the dragon game again and have some more popcorn. I decided that if I had any gas left in my tank that I would return after my shift to help close off the day. My daughter helped me with this as she wanted to go back in the evening to do more forms, that was all the energy boost that I needed. I arrived shortly after 11 pm, to find a very high energy group, doing forms, running suicides (?) and generally pushing themselves a little bit more. I jumped in, completely addicted to the energy and started doing nun chucks with a few people that turned into a group that just kept growing. We decided when there was about thirty minutes left that we should do all of our forms in the order that we learned them. We had a really good time, the energy was high,(there was lot's of sweat) and we finished the night with unity and vigor as the clock struck twelve and we did Hsing Chien.What a great way to end a great day :)

The Journey

 Feb/12 - i wrote this shortly after getting my black belt and was afraid that i was talking about it too much so i didn't publish it. today, it seems like the right time to do it.
A funny thing happened on my way to getting my black belt, I was so busy with the journey, I nearly forgot what I was going for. It may sound a little hard to believe but it is indeed true. Someone really smart always used to tell me that it is about the journey and once I completely understood that, then I would be ready. Of course, at the time I nodded my head and thought, no I WANT my black belt! I continued to train and believe in my really smart mentor and I began to notice that I really enjoyed training and I could see all kinds of changes happening. My thoughts were changing, my approach was changing and my skill level was improving. Once I immersed myself in that process, the end goal seemed less and less important.
So a couple of things have happened this week that brought me to this reflection. I opened my bag to ensure that I had everything that I needed for class and was surprised to see my black belt laying there, it was only a second but it was noticeable to me. Then I was thinking about extra training at the kwoon and my thought process was, first of all we will need a black belt, followed quickly by Oh Yeah, that's me. Then I was with a group of people about to embark on a training session, when I suddenly realized that I was the black belt in charge. All of these little instants have led me to the realization that I continue to be focused on my journey and I am no where near the end goal.
I think that I major part of my change in focus has been being a student member of the UBBT for the last couple of years and now the I Ho Chuan team. I just continued on with my training, I tallied my numbers on Dec.31 and began again on Jan.01. I think that I am now hard wired to set goals and work towards them every day. When I run into obstacles, I just figure away around them and keep going. Years ago, I remember all of the ' I can't ' statements that used to run through my head each day and now I look for solutions first.

Mar/12 - then i wrote this and again questioned whether or not i should share my thoughts and feelings, today i want to remind myself that i am on the right track
I often wondered what it would feel like to be a black belt and I had a difficult time imagining it. Now that I am here, I know that it feels exactly as it should, Fantastic! I feel like I am in the right place, at the right time, doing the right thing, all the time, every day. Whether I am at the school, the track or at work, I am doing what I am meant to do and it feels pretty good.
I could describe all the incredible things that have been happening but that doesn't quite feel right. So I will leave it at this, if you work really hard to accomplish something, you will reap the rewards! It is totally worth it; the hard work, the self doubt, the struggles it takes to complete requirements everyday, all of it! And it makes you want to continue to work hard so that you continue to reap the rewards from it. It is pretty cool!

I often write my thoughts and feelings down on my blog shortly after they happen so that I can keep track of what was happening for me. Today I went back and reviewed all the drafts that I had and relived one of the best parts of my journey so far. On Jan.31/12, I made a list of all the cool things about the weekend (on the top of the list was the irresistible urge to smile non-stop) I didn't publish it and I probably won't but having it and re-reading it brought back all those wonderful feelings and thoughts. I was a non-believer when I started blogging, but now I can't imagine not thinking out loud (on my blog).
ps
I still can't stop smiling!!!!
:)

Gardening

I am looking forward to a gardening season where I have a bit more balance in my schedule so that I can enjoy my hobby. I enjoy digging in the dirt (even if I have to share it with the worms!), planting flowers and trying to make my small part of the world look pretty. I love to sit outside after all the flowers are planted and enjoying the sight and smell of them. My two favorite times are first thing in the morning with a nice cup of tea and a good book and after dinner as the sun sits just over top the houses across the street. I love the hard work, the sweat and fresh air. I could be out there for hours and not even notice the passing of time.

Path to Mastery

In a letter to us, I Ho Chuan members, Master Brinker has set in motion the lessons that we will learn this year. I thought that I would post it as a reminder of what we have set out to do. Sometimes when I look at all the expectations and all the requirements, they seem a bit over-whelming, but I know from experience that as long as you are pushing yourself, being mindful of where you are and what you are doing, a lot of the lessons will take care of themselves. A fine example is surrounding yourself with like-minded people that expect more of you than you do; when you are so busy trying to fit all your day to day requirements into your everyday life of work and family, you don't have time to spend time with people who are not on a similar path.
We will learn:

• Your yellow belt, your green belt, your black belt, your kung fu are all about MASTERY.
  
• MASTERY IS A PROCESS concerned with your journey toward your goals. It cannot be about the destination because as you continue to grow and evolve so will your goals and ambitions. The journey never ends.
  
• Many small things can add up to one big thing. Embracing and applying the concept of incremental progression is the CORNERSTONE OF DISCIPLINE.
  
• People you associate with affect your thinking, your values, and your self worth. They influence the value you place on your goals and hold sway over how you choose to live your life. Your commitment and level of engagement are so affected by your social peers that they may be THE MOST IMPORTANT INFLUENCE determining your success or failure.
  
• The success of your journey is measured by the efforts you put into it and the quality of the results. Work ethic and discipline will earn you respect but if you are not closing the distance on your goals, your efforts are without substance. Accordingly, progress without extraordinary effort can be attributed to luck and cannot be regarded as a result of your quest for mastery. MASTERY CAN ONLY BE FOUND IN THE EXTENT OF YOUR EFFORTS AND THE QUALITY OF THE RESULTS.
  
• YOUR LIFE IS YOUR KWOON. Your plan for mastery must hold value for your family and your career if you hope to keep your plan a high priority in your daily life. Recognizing the benefit your practice has on those within your sphere of influence, and maintaining that perspective, will dramatically improve your level of engagement.
  
• Failure is only final if you quit. SUCCESS IS BUILT UPON COUNTLESS FAILURES. Your ability to adapt your attitude and your practice to compensate for unseen challenges and setbacks will be the difference between your success and your failure.
  
• Your journey to mastery is YOUR JOURNEY, no one else's. It cannot be compared to another's journey and the scope of your accomplishments can only be completely realized by you alone. In order for your journey to have heart it must speak to you and be pertinent to your life.
  
• To be RECOGNIZED AS A MASTER, you must define yourself as such in the eyes of your teachers, your peers, and your community. Your personal journey must be transparent and its merit recognized by everyone who follows it.

Jeff Brinker
Master Instructor
Silent River Kung Fu

The Missing Link

Today was an amazing day. I went to the track and pushed myself harder than I have in quite some time and it felt great. I have been making excuses for the last couple of months for not doing it, but I think that I was really afraid to see if I still have it in me. While I was training for my black belt, I always did one more mile, 50 more push ups, one more rep and so on and I loved it. I loved seeing how hard I could go and be smiling like a fiend when it was over. My focus changed for a few months and I swore that I would get back to business as soon as I could. I have been working out; going for shorter runs than are my usual and always with a running commentary in my head telling me that I can't go as hard as before. Today, I got back to business, I didn't listen to the voice, at 5 km, I decided that I would push a little and see what happens. I soon as I got going, that feeling came back. The one that has been missing. I ran for nearly 9 km and I was exhausted and smiling when it was over. In fact, as I write this I am still smiling.
I think that is also what has been missing from my I Ho Chaun challenge, I know that I can do my daily requirements every day and complete my goals. I know that I need to push myself in order to complete my goals and feel satisified and today I proved it to myself once again.
I am definitely back in business and loving it.
:)