I am...Super Mom!

If I was a superhero...

I would have some pretty amazing powers. This thought started a couple of weeks ago when my oldest daughter said I was “Super Mom”. I was wearing the only cape I own - it’s knitted and warm, and hardly has superhero qualities. My best friend also gave me a book on building a robot army and so I was morivated to reread another book I have, called “The Action Heroine’s Handbook”.

Now if I was a superhero, my cape would have to be able to repel bullets, repair itself, and give me the ability to become invisible. And of course it would have to be black, like Batman.

I think that I would also need some serious butt kicking boots. And probably a mask too. Now, I technically have some ninja like skills already - they do need lots of work stilll, and they will only get better. As a mom, I also already have eyes on the back of my head, and a sixth sense for when my girls are getting into trouble. I have an amazing ability to juggle many tasks at once, which is a must for a Super Mom. I have a zippy car which can also hold a lot of stuff. Plus, being white, my car has an uncanny ability to camoflauge in the winter.

In addition to the skills I already have, I think I need to work on my grappling skills, rappling skills, flying skills and wall climbing. I think I would need to be able to run very fast when needed, and have the strength to lift a heavy vehicle. (I’m thinking rescue here). I would like to have the ability to project a hologram of myself, so that I can actually be in two places at once. Beneficial when it comes to kids ( and bad guys). I would want to be able to drive any vehicle whether it’s a motorcycle or a monster truck, to operating a raft in white water rapids or flying a helicopter.

I think an arsenal of toys would be essential too. Think Batman or James Bond. Toys, lots of toys.

I could be a superhero, but I think in today’s world I would be way too busy. I would need more trusty sidekicks than I could count. So I guess I will stick with the SuperMom status my kids have labelled me with, and the powers that go with it. Not to mention a future of Kung Fu so I will be ready to intimidate those boys that will eventually want to date my girls. I think their training in Kung Fu will help them there too, and will give them some advance for if and when they become SuperMoms.

Until next time....KAPOW!
(Yes, I might be a little geeky, and I am okay with that).

My Grateful List

A while ago, I watched a video on Youtube, which was an interview of sorts on Oprah. It was a man diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer, who was given 3 to 6 months before his health would take a major turn for the worse. I am now reading the book. “The Last Lecture” by Randy Pausch.

It has me looking at my life, what I have done so far, and wondering where I am going. I have also been inspired to start a “Grateful” list. A list of things that I know I take for granted, and should make notes of often that they are something to cherish.

This will be a work in progress, as I know I can’t think of everything in one go. And this is in no particular order. I am grateful for...


1. My parents. (They gave me life, and supported me even when they disagreed).
2. My girls.
3. My career.
4. My Kung Fu.
5. My failed marriage (This one because without it, I probably wouldn’t have numbers 2, 3, and 4.)
6. The phenomenal instructors at Kung Fu. ( They have offered so much support and inspiration over the years).
7. My health.
8. I live in a place that is relatively free from natural disasters so far.
9. Freedom of speech
10. Being able to follow my own religious beliefs without fear of prosecution
11. The opportunity to pursue education
12. The opportunities every day to make a difference somehow.
13. Meeting my best friend and soul mate.
14. The serentiy at my parents acreage. I can listen to the frogs, the grouse, the birds all day long. Not to mention the wind in the trees.
15. The ability to enjoy the simple things, like blowing bubbles or flying a kite.

This list is going to grow and I plan on adding to it constantly. This list is now something that I can look back on and gather strength from. It is also humbling to realize just how good I have it here.

I hope to live for a long time yet, and I hope to make the most out of every moment because we do not know when it is our turn to go.

A Challenge to Remember

So, I came out of the Tiger Challenge with something I didn’t expect. I expected to learn a lot as I did last year, and I expected to be full of inspiration towards my goals and training. However, I didn’t expect to be humbled the way I was, and almost frozen from fhe prospects of the journey to come.

I realized that while I have learned a lot so far, I have so much farther to go. I thought that I was getting better, and perhaps I am, but I can still improve a lot more.

I have to admit, that the whole experience really affected me, as I just didn’t feel good enough, and that maybe I should seriously re-think grading for black belt this year. I mean, I have so much more to learn, how can I possibly fit a black belt in all of that?

And that brings to question, what is a black belt? It’s the goal I have aspired to for a long time, but it is really scary in that what happens when I achieve that? Obviously more learning, as it never stops, but how do I fit it all in? I have to keep taking that step back, to remind myself that nothing happens overnight, and if it did, who would possibly appreciate it? If I could earn a black belt overnight, then what would be the point? Is it a symbol of the learning and progress that I have made so far? Does it represent the trials and tribulations that got me there?

Master Brinker mentioned the other day the cycles that we go through mentally. I feel at the bottom of that right now. It feels very daunting, to imagine myself passing the grading. Am I at my physical and mental best? I should be in the best shape of my life, but am instead questioning the reasons I go to class.

I worked hard on Kempo, and feel that this performance was my best yet. I felt pretty good about it, and even better that I pushed myself to compete. I haven’t competed in anything since I was a teen because I don’t handle the pressure very well. It happened to be a fellow student that inspired me to compete, and because of her example, I took a step forward.

So what am I trying to say here? I am saying that I stepped out of my comfort zone and did something that scared me. I also came out of the tournament a whole lot more humble than when I went in. I was once again reminded of the journey I am on, and while I question myself constantly, maybe it is a good thing. I hope that questioning my abilities as a martial artist will help to keep me from becoming arrogant, and will keep me on the true path of my journey.

As of today, I am still moving foward, but much more mindfully.

Oh, and Happy Mother’s Day!

Goal Setting 101

In order to grade for black belt, there are a number of assignments that we must first complete. All of them seem somewhat daunting, but there is a purpose. And it’s funny how I end up being reminded of that purpose everytime I have a new assignment due.

Take for instance the 26 000 pushups to be completed in a 6 month period. Once you break it down into a manageable 150 per day, and then perhaps break it down into 3 or more sessions, then it isn’t really that impossible to do. Not to mention the strength you build.

We had a memorization assignment. This one worried me a bit, because when it comes to testing or having to present something orally, I tend to freeze and forget all I know. After a week or so, I figured out how to approach this one. But I had to first remind myself as to why I was doing this. We aren’t given these things so that we have something to do, but it a valuable tool that we are being taught to use. How to set a goal, break it down into more manageable parts so that the whole is so much easier and simpler to accomplish.

I think a lot of the time, we as people tend to fix our sights on a goal, and then leave that goal because it seems to big to accomplish. If you just have a goal, and no apparent plan, you will never get there.

You need to break it down. You can’t say I am going to college and it will happen. There are many steps you need to take to get there. Same thing applies to achieving a black belt. Now I am obviously not there yet, but I have been given the assignments to teach me how to actually attain it.

And I think the same would apply to training for the Tiger Challenge next Saturday. I couldn’t possibly just say, yes I am going to compete and then not train. First is the decision in which competitions to enter. Then what to perfom in each of those categories. And then to practice what I have chosen. And with practicing there also needs to be a plan. If I was to enter 6 things, I doubt I would accomplish much by trying to practice all 6 things in one go. Again, one would need to break it down and work on one or two things at a time.

Yes, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure it out (and I am certainly not a rocket scientist), but I do tend to focus on the big picture and struggle with trying to come up with a plan to get there. I have learned so much at Kung Fu about this, and it is something that I can apply to any goal in my life.

So with that being said, every assignment is a tool. And I have learned not to let them intimidate me, because I can do it. I can achieve anything if I break it down into manageable parts.