It's about the journey?

I am very goal-orientated, I enjoy setting goals and giving everything I have to reach them. I always keep the goal in front of me, certain that it is the motivation that I need to keep going. This last little while I have spent quite a bit of time reflecting on how I have changed over the past year or two and where I am going in the next little while. The way that I am thinking is changing, for the better. I have learned to live in the moment and appreciate where I am and what I am doing. My mentor always used to say to me, "It's about the journey, Robyn" and I would think 'what about my next belt?'. I figured that I would get IT when I got to my next color of belt, I didn't. I am not even sure when I started to change or when I stopped looking forward and started looking in the here and now. I am different though, I feel different, I am more aware of what is happening around me, I approach life in a completely different way. I try to learn from each and every encounter that I have everyday and I try to take in new information and figure out a way to use it (instead of dismissing it as something I don't know about).
Being part of the UBBT and embracing the journey that I am on has changed/enhanced every part of me. It is not any one thing, it is all the things (challenges, assignments, goals, support). I knew this would be one of the greatest things that I ever took part in, but I just didn't realize how big it would be until now.

Slogging along

I have had an amazing training year. In the past 12 months, I have experienced many highs in my training and in my life experiences. I am currently in a lull, I feel like I am just slogging along. There are no major breakthroughs, no exciting move to figure out, just putting one foot in front of the other. I guess this is where the rubber meets the road, the true journey to mastery is the one where you just keep going. I am practicing everyday, I am meeting my daily goals, and I will keep on doing so.
I will keep on working hard and having fun and I look forward to the next high.

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I have nothing to write about right now, I have been staring at this blank screen for an hour, erased six different topics and still have come up blank.
My week consisted of trying to training around my shift work and not attending my regular classes.
Until next week, work hard and have fun.

It's team work, really!

Kung Fu is not a team sport, it is very individual and very personal. You progress as much as you work at it. Each person moves and interprets in their own way, learns at their own speed and teaches from a different perspective. Very individual. BUT....I happen to belong to a group of people that approach the art with the same degree of passion and intent that I do. That makes us a team, capable of accomplishing things together, helping one another and encouraging each other. When we are working together, we all work and contribute what we can to accomplish a common goal. It is an absolutely amazing feeling at the end of the day.
Yesterday, we celebrated Chinese New Years with banquet. We do this annually and it has changes as much as it has stayed the same over the years. I have been involved in it for approx. 8 years and it keeps getting better each year. Each year, a great deal of thought and planning goes into the program and a great deal of organizing goes into making it happen. And each year, it just gets better and better. Last night was absolutely amazing in many respects. The program was slightly different but more awe inspiring then ever before. Each new performance gave me ideas on how to improve my art and things that I can work towards. The awards and promotions were equally inspiring, giving me goals to set my sights on. The "work" to set up and take down all the stuff was fun and entertaining. Everyone brought their best to the project and no one felt the burden of too much work or not enough volunteers. It was a fantastic evening and I am blessed to be a part of such an amazing team.

Back in the physical game

What a fantastic week!!!

I began the week by taking it easy and testing what I could do, it felt a bit like dipping my toe in the water to test the temperature. Each day, I felt like I could do more and more, by the end of the week, I felt like there were no limits. Friday and Saturday consisted of hours on end concentrating on Kung Fu, forms and techniques. The coolest part is that I don't feel like I missed anything. I stayed engaged in my kung fu throughout my illness by focusing on Tai Chi and keeping up on my reading and writing. Another thing that I did different was to attend class and dress for it. Usually, I go to the kwoon and sit on the bench but instead, I put on my uniform, even though I couldn't participate 100%. I am still immersed in my training and moving forward.

I am looking forward to the Chinese New Years Banquet that we are having next weekend. It will be a bit different this year as we usually celebrate the promotion of some people to black belt. This year there will not be any new black belts, so we can focus on the celebration of the new year. I have gotten a peek at some of the performances that will happen and they look pretty cool. It should prove to be a great time. As a sihing, part of my responsibilities next weekend will be to make sure the whole thing runs smoothly, luckily I am part of an amazing team. This begins with greeting the guests and continues throughout the banquet as we clear the tables and get the kids ready for their demonstrations. I love doing this as it gives me an opportunity to visit with people that I don't usually see and hang out in a different setting with my training partners.

I will do 1000 push ups and sit ups on the first day of the New Year, to start the year off with a bang.