The fear factor

I have been working really hard for the last couple of weeks. There is something about going into the last stretch of six months (before grading) that scares the pants off of me. What has changed for me is that instead of freezing with fear, I have put my fear into high gear and I am working harder than ever. I have added weights to my usual work out which is giving me pleasantly sore muscles, I am pushing myself a little bit more when doing cardio and I feel stronger and I am able to focus on the minute details of my form without isolating myself and concentrating for hours. I am feeling the benefits of all the hard work that I have been doing over the past couple of years and using it to push my kung fu to the next level. I know that I have lots of stuff to do in the next six months but I am confident that I have the tools to complete my list. And every once in a while, I get the butterflies in my stomach that remind me that I also need to deal with my emotional reaction to stressful situations. I got some good advice on the weekend about placing myself in stressful situations, so I can get used to the feelings and learn how to manage them. It looks like I will be seeking opportunities to stress myself out, demonstration anyone?
I have been having an absolutely fabulous time in the last couple of weeks and I feel kinda guilty. There is so much unrest and tragedy throughout our world and I feel helpless to affect much change, all I can change is myself.
Until next week, work hard and have fun.