In the moment

Being in the moment is way easier said than done. But it seems to be getting a little easier, the more frequently I try. Friday night, during the first run through of the demo, I felt almost frantic. I forgot a couple techniques,nd was rushing through. But before the second and third time, I stopped, took a deep breath, and thought about where I was and what I was doing. It helped tremendously, and I think my performance was ok. Better than that first try anyway.

The trick is to calm my mind. One of Thich Nhat Hanh's quotes sticks with me. (There are a couple that I use, but this one speaks to me).

"Breathing in, I calm body and mind. Breathing out, I smile..."

I found myself in the moment a lot today. It was a great day.

 

 

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Earth Day 2015-04-22

I have to admit that my project doesn't feel as successful as it did in the past. But that's my fault. I got caught up in all the other initiatives we have going on, and I failed to see the connection until a few minutes ago. And I didn't push my project, or talk about it nearly as much as it deserved.

 

 

The connection that I missed is that the clean ups that we are doing, both at Rotary Park and around our Kwoon, are two precise things that reinforce the need to care for our earth, or if you prefer, our environment. And so they should have been incorporated into this Earth Day project. They still can though, as it's never too late to do something this important.

 

I have had a few submissions, and I have something to share that the Advanced Black Dragons did, and a joint art project from the Lil Leopards and Tiny Tigers. I hope to have it all posted by Wednesday so watch for it!

 

I will ask that we all try to do something as often as we can. I will take submissions on an ongoing basis too. It can be a picture, or a phrase or a word that represents you caring for our earth. They can be emailed to theloraxproject@icloud.com

 

 

 

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Sit-ups, Tai Chi, and Leopards

I have taken up the challenge to do 200 sit-ups per day. Actually, the challenge was push-ups, but that's not in the cards for me. At first, I was a little hesitant, but I am glad I did. Doing it this way, makes me way more accountable to doing them. There's a lot to be said about this stuff publicly.

 

This weekend, I learned that one of my direction orientations in the Tai Chi short form isn't right. I'm glad we fought it now, and not several months from now. It's cool though - you ever stop learning. Ever.

 

And my last thought for the day...my nephew started in the Lil Leopards class on Saturday. It's exciting for me, but hard as I still have to be a Sifu, not an auntie on the mats. But he did ok, and I can't wait to see him this Saturday. I have said this before, but I really enjoy teaching that age group. They are full of wonder, full of beans, and full of joy.

 

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Honesty

I'm not very good at being honest with myself, and it leads to problems. I am aware that I avoid confrontation, and I try to avoid hurting anyone. However, it hurts others when I am not honest with myself. And really, it hurts me too.

 

So how do I fix this? I'm thinking I have to stay mindful of my emotions and thoughts and I have to learn awareness for when for when my actions don't match my words. That's hard as I seem to become aware after the damage is done.

 

I'm a black belt. How the heck did I get here if I am not always honest with myself? I can say it was a challenging path - worth it though. I know I recognize when I compare myself to others, and I can take responsibility for those times when I don't think I am good enough. I have to ask why? And the answer is simple - I am not trying hard enough, or training enough. The onus is on me. As is getting help when I need it. I am responsible to ask. I am responsible to look in the mirror and face the answer honestly.

 

I need to work on being more in tune with my thoughts and therefore my actions. If I find an excuse as to why my forms or techniques aren't good enough, then I am not being honest with myself. Either it isn't a big enough priority or I just didn't care enough. I alone am responsible.

 

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