The more I learn, the more I learn

So it wasn't all that long ago that I learned about the process of incremental progress. I figured that I could relate to the concept because I was (am) recovering from a lung infection and I have to train smart and not exhaust myself. I can still relate to it but my comfort and knowledge about the concept is growing. I am learning how I can use the statement to keep me in the moment and thinking about my training all day long. If I think about the phrase 'process of incremental progress' first thing in the morning and the last thing at night, then I think about my training throughout the day and manage to fit in more moments of training than usual. I have only been doing this for two days and I can already see a difference in how I train. I am not suggesting that training is far from my mind and I need reminders to act on it. My training seems to have a life of its own lately and the intensity seems to be growing and growing. The more I train, the more that I want to train. It is just like learning, the more I learn abut how my brain works the more that I want to learn about I work.
Things that are totally working for me and I will want to look back and remember them when I need a boost:
1.Stop thinking about it, get off my butt and do it.
2.Meditation, focusing on changing negative thought patterns into positives.
3.Planning - make a plan each day, be willing to adjust, not throw it out in the face of adversity.
4.Follow the plan to the best of my ability.
5.Write down what is working so that I can remember when I need it.
Have a great week
Robyn Kichko
Silent River Kung Fu
Stony Plain, AB, Canada

WE ARE MORE

Some of you may have missed this poem at the opening ceremony for the 2010 Olympics, I thought I would share some of Shane Koyczan's words with you. ( FYI - He starting writing as a means of coping with relentless bullies.)

"Define Canada
You might say the home of the Rocket
Or the Great One
Who inspired little No.9's and little No.99's
But we're more that just hockey and fishing lines
Off of the rocky coast of the Maritimes
And some say what defines us
Is something as simple as "please" and "thank you"
And as for "you're welcome," well, we say that, too
But we are more than genteel or civilized
We are an idea in the process of being realized
We are young, we are cultures strung together then
woven into a tapestry
And the design is what makes us more than the sum
totals of our history
We are an experiment going right for a change
With influences that range from A to Zed
And yes, we say "Zed" instead of "Zee"
We are the brightness of Chinatown and the laughter of
Little Italy
We dream so big that there are those
Who would call our ambition an industry
We reforest what we clear
Because we believe in generations beyond our own
Knowing now that so many of us
Have grown past what we used to be
We can stand here today
Filled with all the hope people have
When they say things like "someday"
Because we are more
Than a laundry list of things to do and places to see
More than hills to ski
Or country ponds to skate
We are the abandoned hesitation of all those who can't
wait
We are the first-rate greasy spoon diners and healthy living
cafes
A country that is all the ways you choose to live
A nation that can give you variety
Because we are choices
We are millions upon millions of voices
Shouting, keep exploring
We are more
We are the surprise the world has in store for you, it's
true
Canada is the "what" in "What's new"
So don't let your luggage define your travels
Each life unravels differently
And experiences are what make up
The colors of our tapestry
We are the true North
Strong and free
And what's more
Is that we didn't just say it
We made it be."

Robyn Kichko
Silent River Kung Fu
Stony Plain, AB, Canada

Dreams......

So last night I dreamt about the banquet. Not in the present but what it would be like to have to run the whole thing. We were talking about it last night as we were unloading the last of the equipment, our conversation mostly centered around, 'were we up to the task?'. I guess this conversation was not far from my thoughts as I went to sleep a short while later.
In my dream, I was in charge of making sure that the banquet ran smoothly and everyone was taken care of. All kinds of disastrous events occurred and I won't bore you with the details but there were monsters involved. The coolest part was that despite all the crazy stuff that was going on, I knew that it would be okay because I had my Kung Fu family behind me. I woke up with a complete feeling of contentment and the knowledge that no matter what I tried to accomplish or whether I failed or succeeded, my Kung Fu family would have my back.
Robyn Kichko
Silent River Kung Fu
Stony Plain, AB, Canada

Going for Gold

I can totally relate to the Olympic athletes and what it takes to not settle for mediocrity. They must have to work every day to attain their goals, one step at a time. Well, me too. I will just enjoy my day, each day and all that I can work on and improve on. I had a great day today. I completed 1000 push ups and sit ups to commemorate Chinese New Year. It feels awesome to live in the moment, all day long. I can see myself reaching my goals this way, one day at a time.
Robyn Kichko
Silent River Kung Fu
Stony Plain, AB, Canada

Support

What does it look like and how do you know that you are giving and receiving it?

I have often heard that I am a good support person. I am not even sure that I know what that means. I know that if I see someone working hard, I let them know that they are doing a good job. I know that if someone is frustrated with their inability to make their body do the moves that they want, that I encourage them to keep trying. This usually entails a story about how awkward I felt trying the same thing in the beginning (or last week). If those things are what it takes to be a good support person, then I guess I am.

What do I want/need in a support person? Well, that is a loaded question. Sometimes, I need quiet, soothing encouragement and reassurance that I am doing a good job. Sometimes, I need to be yelled at to move my butt and stop giving in to the negative messages. Can I tell what I need at any given time? No. Does that make me normal or not? I guess that depends on your definition of normal, it is what it is.

I know that this weekend, I went outside my comfort zone and asked for help and received heaps of it. That is a different kind of support as well. The 'Hey, I know you can do it ' kind, always makes me feel good.

I have been thinking that I am the only one that can make or break my success when it comes right down to it. This is true, no one else can make me get off my butt and do my push ups but knowing the team that is behind me, well, that is immeasurable.