I haven't added up my numbers in a while to see where I am at, and I managed to sit down tonight to do it. I definitely need to stay on top of this, as I am not where I thought I would be. The Pandamonium helped a little with my forms, but I can now see the holes not my training. Time to fill them! I do recognize that sometimes we will fall behind, but the key is see it, and then do something about it.
And what am I doing? Besides looking at all of the things that I haven't done. I have to stop every so often, and add up the little things, because the little things add up to big things.
I was questioning my level of engagement with the Pandamonium, but if I really look, I think I was present for a lot of the little things. Things like jumping on the mats every so often when it looked like someone needed a break, helping out Ms. Vantuil with the face painting, getting change for the donation jars etc.
I think it was successful. Maybe not monetarily enough, but I think we did alright as far as raising awareness goes. But that is something we can't ever stop. The Pandamonium is over, but the charities we support need assistance all of the time. We can make a difference, if we keep at it, a little at a time.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to a great 24 hours!
Mental Health Awareness Week was May 04 to 08. We took it upon ourselves at work to engage awareness amongst ourselves and to spread the word.
Mental illness is something we can't see, therefore as a whole, society chooses to ignore it. It's not easy to ignore someone when they say they have a sore back, or are in a cast, or are fighting cancer.
Here are a couple of facts:
- 1 in 5 Canadians will experience a mental health problem or illness this year.
- Anxiety disorders are the most common mental illness in Canada.
- 80% of people with depression can recover if they get help.
- There is no good health without mental health
- Silence never helped anyone get better.
(These points were gathered from www.notmyselftoday.ca)
It's important to talk about mental illness, and to educate not only ourselves, but others. There is a lot of stigma attached, and it's up to us to break it.
I did a lot of walking last weekend, in what I thought were really comfy boots. I was very wrong. I had shin splints to beat the dickens, but it was worth it. The shin splints taught me two things. First, that I reminded that I march when I am at work. I go at high speed and get where I need to go fast and there isn't any mindfulness involved. It helps my numbers and helps me get stuff done though. I couldn't go fast at all this week until Friday really. I had to walk mindfully or else it really hurt. It made me realize that I don't always have to go for speed to get things done.
The second thing I learned was that our mats are pretty squishy. They have always seemed very firm compared to the red mats we used to use. But after spending a couple of hours walking mindfully (and slowly) over them, it felt really nice on my legs. I think it helped my healing time too, although that could be my imagination talking. I can say that I have a new appreciation for them.
And that was my week in a nutshell. On to a whole new week!
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.
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
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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