Don't do the laugh

This past year seems to have passed quite quickly, and I am not sure where it went. I do know that I am looking forward to the coming year. Prep for Chinese New Year always gets my juices flowing, and this one is no exception. A new lion and a dragon = pure awesomeness!!! (there is no charge for awesomeness or attractiveness).

I wasn't looking...

...But I found a fantastic book at my daughters parent teacher interview. Every time they have these, there is always a Scholastic book fair in the library. As a treat for my girls, it has become almost a tradition for me to buy them each a book. However, this past week, I saw a book for myself.

I am not usually impulsive when I buy something for myself, but that day, I had to have it and I didn't even peek inside the cover. Well, to my delighted surprise, I found a gem. Maybe not for everyone, but most definitely for me.

It's called "TEACH Like Your Hair's on Fire" by Rafe Esquith. It's about the teaching methods of a fifth grade teacher in an inner city school. I am so pumped! I just want to share his Aha moment - he had been doubting his career as a teacher, but one day during a science experiment he noticed a girl who was always picked last, and struggled to belong who was having troubles getting her wick to light. He decided then and there that she wasn't going home until her experiment worked. He got engrossed with her experiment and didn't notice his hair was on fire until the other students started slapping his head.

When your passion is apparent, then it will spread like fire. I am really inspired by this book so far...

( on another note, a Lil Leopard who we have been trying to get on the mats for a while actually spent some time with me yesterday, and he gave me a hug. That makes it all so worthwhile.)

Water horse

Some days, it's hard to know what to write about, or rather where to start.

It's funny how you can lose yourself in Kung Fu. When I am training or teaching, everything disappears - any worry or concern is gone. I thank Kung Fu for that everyday.

Kung Fu is truly a gift. One for us to treasure and cherish.

On the other side

My oldest daughter has moved up to the Advanced Teen/Adult class and it has definitely been an adjustment for us. She is settling in well, but I am finding it really different being on the sidelines. For numerous reasons, I am not on the deck, but instead I am on the bench with some other parents.

It is hard on one hand, as I want to jump in sometimes to help. However I am finding that I am learning a lot by by observing. It is a completely different view from the bench, and it's neat to see what you miss by being directly involved.

I highly recommend that if you ever find yourself sidelined due to injury or illness that you attend class anyway. By sitting out, you can learn a lot - and there are so many things that you can apply to yourself.

Centering

I am practicing staying centered. It isn't always easy when multiple things are being thrown your way.

I am struggling with this as I write. There are many things going on right now and I am hoping that the practice of blogging helps to center me.

I am sitting outside right now, and have taken a moment to close my eyes and just be. I felt the sun on my face, heard the breeze in the trees, and my mind was completely empty for that moment. It was wonderful.

Its important to center yourself while training as well. It is too easy to get focused on realism, and to forget about technique. It is important to try to recognize when that is happening, and to stop for minute and empty your cup.

Contemplation

As I sat in the emergency room with my daughters tonight, I got to thinking. Well I did after a snarky conversation with the triage nurse. I asked a seemingly innocent question, to which I felt my answer was both snarky and not really an answer at all. But after I sat down, I started to realize just how many people come in, and just how many might go through there in a single day. That is when I realized that I asked a question that is probably asked a lot, and she is busy, so her short snarky answer was not on purpose but simply a response to the situation. I can’t blame her for that.

That led to me thinking about how we encounter these types of situations all the time. When we are cut off by someone in traffic, or how someone might push you aside when you hold the door open for them. There is a chance that they are not trying to be rude, but could just possibly be dealing with an emergency of sorts. We don’t know. So I am going to try to exercise this more, by taking a moment to let the annoyance pass, and then forgive them for their wrong because I don’t know what the reason for the rudeness is.

The Path of the Most Resistance

Sometimes the most difficult path is the easiest one. While cutting corners can seem like the thing to do, it isn't the way. Take your training for example. It would be simpler to only do the absolute minimum required to achieve the desired result, however you can not achieve mastery this way. Improvement will not occur, as there will only be room for sustained mediocrity.

Sometimes injuries sideline us, and it can be very tempting to stop training completely, or go to the other extreme of pushing through it. There is a way of keeping up your training without aggravating them further. Basically, it boils down to mindfulness. Know what your limits are and working around them. While I don't always follow this advice, I am trying.

I overdid it this week with the renos, and I don't regret it at all. However, now that the tendinitis has flared it's ugly head once more, I am going to have to stay mindful of my activity so that I can heal. Not easy, but it's not supposed to be. If it was easy, then mastery is far off in the distance.