Fist Bump

I am not sure what to write about this week.

Winter seems to be here to stay. On one hand I like it, but mostly I don’t like it, mostly due to the cold. I hate being cold, and since I can be cold in the midst of summer, I find it really frustrating sometimes. I also find that the dreariness and the dark affect me too, and so it can be difficult to start each day. It’s also easier to withdraw from things, but thankfully I have things like Kung Fu to keep me going.

No matter how I am feeling, going to Kung Fu whether to teach or to learn, I always feel better after. Chinese new year is coming, and I have started to think about my kids classes. I don’t know what direction we’ll go in yet, but I am excited about the possibilities.

The Black Dragons class tomorrow is going to focus on bullying. I feel that while the schools talk about a zero tolerance, they really don’t seem to do anything about it. I have seen it countless times, and I find that any change ultimately lies in the parents. Is that right? I don’t think so. What happened to suspensions? Or detentions? Or actual consequences to their actions? It needs to change. And I hope that I can start to make a lasting one.

Pandemonium and stuff

Something that I have been waiting for has finally happened! I got my letter of offer last Tuesday afternoon, and I started my new position on Wednesday. I am now a Health Services clerk, and so far I am loving it. It felt surreal on Wednesday, as I have waited for 5 months to go there, and the strange thing was that I was overwhelmed and underwhelmed at the same time.

I didn’t let go of all the previous job stress as quickly as I thought I would, and initially I was worried about my decision. However, it was the absolutely right one. I have zero doubts about that. I am able to utilize my previous experience/ knowledge, and am gaining more. I still have lots to learn, and I have to find a new rhythm, but that will come. So far, I like the people, and the passion they have for what they do.

This week, we completed our annual Pandemonium. It was a lot of fun, but I was a little disappointed that more students didn’t show up. It happens every year, and I only saw a couple of classes so I could be wrong, but what I don’t understand is that no matter if you fundraise or not, it is still a lot of fun to participate in. At least, I always have a lot of fun, however I can’t speak for everyone.

Congratulations to all who participated in the Pandemonium! Awesome job!

Hmmm

I am really not sure what to write about today. The Pandemonium is this week, and I am excited about it. I really hope it all comes together, and that everyone has fun completing it.

I have a lot going on right now in my head. I am refining my goals for the UBBT 8, trying to plan my classes, and have numerous other projects that I want to tackle. One thing at a time though right?

On another note, Aung San Suu Kyi was released from a 7 1/2 year house arrest in Burma yesterday. It will be interesting to see if she can make a difference in a country that has been ruled by the military for the last several decades. She has a lot of support, and is someone I admire. She has tenacity and passion, and is someone who makes a difference, even while under house arrest. The world is watching...

It’s amazing how one person can make such a difference. She gives hope to the thousands of supporters in her country, and hope to everyone around the world. Her spirit has not been broken, and I admire her strength.

Limbo

I have been waiting to hear about my transfer to a different unit, and at the end of October I was told that November 15th would be my start day. Well, I still don't have a letter, so that day will pass by and I will still be where I am now. The good thing is that I have a job, regardless and I am lucky. Many people don't. So I'll keep waiting in limbo, and doing what I do.

Acts of Kindness

My kids impressed me yesterday. I feel some guilt because I realized that I don’t always give them enough credit, and don’t always recognize how big their hearts are. I know I hold them to a high standard, and it causes me to miss some of the little things.

Yesterday, we were heading up to my mom and dads, and were waiting for the elevator with a lady who was using the building cart to bring a couple of boxes and stuff upstairs. After pushing the button a few times, it became apparent that someone had locked the elevator on the 4th floor.

I asked the lady what floor she needed, and then I offered to help her carry it up the stairs. Haley was right in there, and so was Maya, even though she was really grouchy. It turns out the lady was getting a head start on moving her daughter into the building, and she was really nice. And extremely grateful, as she would have had to somehow bring up the boxes on her own.

Haley said to me after, that she felt really good for helping, and she had a giant smile on her face. And even though Maya refused to look at me, I knew that she felt good too. So while I volunteered them to help, they jumped right in, and made me proud.

It proves that small things can make a huge difference.

Treat others the way you want to be treated

How do we teach our children and peers to be leaders? I really believe in setting an example, so instead of talking too much, we need to actually do more. We need them to see us doing what we say to do, and to visibly see our passion.

So how do we show our children the way to lead when they are at school? How do you define the line between helping and being taken advantage of? I hope that be talking as a family, and discussing things that happen, without dismissing them is a good start. So is doing more at Kung Fu.

I try to be involved in my kids training, by training with them. I hope that with them seeing my involvement in my school, and by including them in our community, and volunteering our family, that it will encourage them to lead.

Together we can make a difference. We walk the walk, and talk the talk.

Kung Fu

I realized something not too long ago, and it became more evident this week in my older daughter.

I noticed her coordination in her swimming lessons over the summer, and her lessons now. Compared to the other kids her age, her ability to move her arms and legs together but separately is way ahead of the others.

And this week, she was telling me about how they are learning football in gym class. She was on a team of 4 with 3 other boys, and she was telling me that she is good at throwing, and that out of the kids in her class, she is one of the only ones who can step forward and throw the ball at the same time.

This brought our conversation to Kung Fu. I told her that it was Kung Fu that has given her that coordination, and the ability to move her body like that. She was a little surprised, but I explained that we do that stuff every class. It’s in our forms, in our techniques, and even sparring. As it dawned on her, that Kung Fu is going to help her in all sports, her face lit up.

I am really excited to see how much Kung Fu will positively influence the rest of her life. (Of course, there is the mental discipline and focus, but that’s for another blog)