In a tunnel

 

I feel like I’m treading water right now. I have my goals that I have been working on, but as of right now, they are just out of reach. Stress, migraines, and and an overall sense of urgency without a purpose. Sorry, I don’t know how else to describe what where I am at.

But not to worry, this too shall pass, and I will be swimming forwards soon. There is no quitting.


I found this quote by Thich Nhat Hanh that really spoke to me:


“When you feel overwhelmed, you’re trying too hard. That kind of energy does not help the other person and it does not help you. You should not be too eager to help right away, there are two things: to be and to do. Don’t think too much about to do - to be is first. To be peace. To be joy. To be happiness. And then to do joy, to do happiness - on the basis of being. So first you have to focus on the practice of being. Being fresh. Being peaceful. Being attentive. Being generous. Being compassionate. This is the basic practice. It’s like if the other person is sitting at the foot of a tree. The tree does not do anything, but the tree is fresh and alive. When you are like that tree, sending out waves of freshness, you help to calm down the suffering in the other person.”

- Thich Nhat Hanh.

Boot to the Head?

 

A little over a week ago, my Kung Fu was put to a test. Here’s the scenario and you decide which is the correct solution.

I was out walking my dog, and as some of you know, he is a big dog in a little body. Not exactly intimidating, although your ankles might not be the same after. Anyways, as we were approaching an intersection, I noticed a somewhat shady person slowly making their way across on the other side. I kept watching, and as we approached the corner, Bark Lee and I turned towards home but opted not to cross to the sidewalk on the other side as that is where this individual was very slowly walking and watching me. We had gotten slightly ahead of him when I noticed him cross to our side of the street, which I have to say, freaked me out. Now when I lay out the two choices, please keep in mind what Kung Fu does for you.

Solution #1. I picked up my dog, ran towards the guy, dropped him with an amazing roundhouse, and walked home with confidence.


Solution #2. Called my husband immediately, who was out the door and after the guy in 2 seconds flat.

If you chose lucky number 2, then you my friend are well on your way in your Kung Fu journey. Kung Fu is not just the ability to kick butt. It’s about recognizing a situation for what it is, trusting your instincts, and hopefully not putting yourself in harms way. So yes, I have my black belt, but I don’t want to fight. As it turns out, my husband knew a relative of this guy and it turned out ok, but it’s never worth the risk.

Clint Eastwood?

 

I discovered a strange habit last night in the black belt class, and it’s not a good thing. In one particular form, my left hand is chambered differently than my right for the same technique. Hung 2 is where is discovered this odd phenomenon and so, here I go, to break it down, figure out why I am doing it this way, and then to fix it...