Evening of the Final Day of the Month of August 2020

 So I started in the beginning of August with the commitment to write for at least fifteen minutes everyday. I have not stuck to that commitment. For some of those days there are reasons, but for a lot of them there are excuses. 

But! This will not deter me! I know that I just gotta stick with it! Give that commitment to excellence! And I am a little proud of myself as well. Looking back on some of my blogs I know that I did not write a word for months whether it was I felt like I had nothing to say or it was the Covid Blues. And a little late to the game to realize that this pandemic may change me, but it does not define what I do. And what goals I set out to do. I mean, better late then never, right?

So this month I will have gotten out 18 blogs. So I shall set a minimum of 20 blogs for next month! Two more blogs shall be nothing! 

Thank you everyone who has given me encouragement throughout August and I look forward to all of the blogs (mine and yours) that come out next month!

Night Y'all!

Intensity with Intent

So in I Ho Chuan the other night we had to our demo forms. We did our weapons forms and Sifu mentioned our intent. How we have to focus on our intensity as well as our intent. 

When we did our hand forms I was actively thinking about the intensity with intent. And I found that I felt like the form was a lot more powerful and was more my own when I thought about it. That channeling the intent into the form had a lot more impact that me worrying about the space. ( To be fair, Lus' weapons are slightly more intimidating when your within stabbing range.) 

 

But I also found that there was a freedom to focus. There was less worry and less stress. I trusted me and lu would stay out each others way and perform with intent. And all it took was a reset. What am I doing this form for? What to I intend to achieve by doing this?

Anyway! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

HIT MOTION PICTURE OF 2005?

 So this will be my first blog without Mastery to focus my thoughts so lets see how this goes.

So if ya'll didn't know, I work as a nurse at the Good Sam in Stony Plain. I have worked there for about 2 years coming fast upon 3. It is a good place to work, the staff are friendly and most of the residents are kind. The place is clean and everybody helps with everything. Or I like to think so.

This year for acts of kindness I have been writing down mediorce things. " I helped carry supplies for someone" or " I held open a door for someone". Those everyday things that is just commom curtesy. Ya know, be kind not for the reward, but because it is right. And being kind is not being a pushover, but I digress. Today I reflected what extra ...err... helpfulness? Yeah helpfulness I give my job. 

For instance, I realized that my co-worker was overwhelmed with her duties and was stressed. So I told her that I would take part of her workload, seeing as I had almost finished mine. She was surprised? And I am never sure if that is a good thing or a bad thing, but I personally don't like seeing people going through a tough time if I can help it. But at the end of the day she was less stressed and even though she had a tough day she came and said thanks. 

Hey, ya'll ever seen that 2005 hit motion picture by Blue Sky Studios, Robots? Starring Robbie Williams (Ms. Doubtfire)  and Ewan McGregor (Obi Wan Kenobi)? That Hit Comedy? The funniest animation in existence save "The Emperors New Groove"? Yeah, you know the one I'm talking about.

Anyway in the comedic genius of Robots the main theme is "See a need, fill a need". Which has probably impacted my life a lot more than it should have :| . But I stick to it! Because if I can simply help someone, then why the heck wouldn't I?

And I mean this is just personal to me, because growing up, you find that everyone has a different version of kindness. We are so indivdual in our desire to help and what lengths we go to extend that to others. And even though they are different, they are not wrong. We are all so freaking kind in our own ways and honestly I could rant about the compassion that each of show to each other on a daily bases but then everyone would be stuck here all night. 

So. Thats not where I wanted to go but here we are.

Imma gonna close saying this, I am choosing to write down the things  that I find mediorce and the actions of kindness that I know that it was a conscious decsion to make. So even if you know that its a act of kindness that you think "Oh anybody would do it" WRITE IT DOWN. Cause whether or not you know it, you made a differene to somebody. 

See a Need, Fill a Need. (ROBOTS  Hit Motion Picture of 2005 Blue Sky Studios) 

Mastery - By Stewart Emery

Mastery in our career and consciousness simply requires that we produce results beyond the ordinary. Mastery is the result of going beyond our limits. For most people, its starts with a techinical excellence in a chosen field and a commitment to that excellence. If you are willing to make a commitment to excellence and surround yourself with things that represent excellence and pursue events and experinces that that become miracles your life will change. ( When we talk of miracles we speak of events and experinces in the real world that are beyond the ordinary.)

It is remarkable how much mediocrity that we live with, surrounding ourselves with daily reminders that tell us that the average is acceptable. Our world suffers from teminal mediocrity. Take a moment and assess the things that encourage you to remain average. These things keep you powerless, unable to go beyond the arbitary limits that you have set for yourself. Take your first steps toward mastery by removing everthing in your enviroment that represent mediocrity, removing your arbitary limits. Try surrounding youself with friends that expect more of you than you do. Didn't some of your best coaches, your teachers, your parents expect more of you?

On the path to mastery, erase any resentment that you have towards your masters. Develop a compassion for yourself so that you can be in the presence of masters and grow from the experince. Rather than comparing yourself and resenting people who are masters, remain open and receptive; and let the experince plant a seed within you - with nourishment it will grow into your own individual mastery.

Correction is important in power and mastery. You see, we are all ordinary. But a master, rather than condeming himself for his ordinariness; he embraces his ordinariness and uses as a foundation to build the extra ordinary. Instead of giving up, like ordinary people do, a master uses his ordinariness to correct his errors, which is essential in the process in attaining mastery. You must be able to correct yourself with out condeming youself or invalidating youself, accept the results and improve on them.

Correct, don't protect

So here it is! The full version. I tried to write it out by heart and I gotta tell ya, I peeked more than once! But! That is more or less the point! I shall commit myself to memorizing this and master it so that I can continue to apply it to my daily living. So this will be the last time that I put out the top sentences. I will now have to find something else to blog about! But till then! Thank you all for sticking with me and have a wonderful week!

Stranded and Selflessness

Instead of giving up, like ordinary people do, a master uses his ordinariness to correct his errors, which is essential in the process towards attaining mastery. You must be able to correct yourself withour condeming or invalidating yourself, accept the results and improve upon them.

So I know I usually talk about the part of Mastery that I put up every time, but today i wann blog about something different. 

Have you ever thought about the kindness of strangers? like been put in a really crappy situation and then someone, of whom you have no connection with, reaches out to help out? That they stick themselves in the situation that they do not know how you will react or if you will reciprocate thier kindness? Cause let me tell you a story.

So this summer, I have (not to brag, but...) been up to Jasper 4 times. Each for a visit and a hike with one of my oldest and dearest friends. She lives closer to Jasper so we just hang out there and head out in the morning to hike. This time, it was me and her going to the Sundance Hoodoos. Which were first off beautiful, and second off the hike was a lot easier than Whistler. (Still a lot of up hill, but like, nice slow uphill) 

We were on our way back to my friends car when we were stopped by a couple on the trail who informed us that the transmission on her car had been leaking. We booked it back to the parking lot and sure enough, it looked like someone had been murdered under her car. Bright red puddled under the car and was slowly creeping out underneath on of the wheels. And uh, did I mention that it was a one bar or none kinda place? 

So here we are, stuck 95km from any civilation both ways, no cell service and did I mention that it was my friends birthday? yay... happy birthday...... 

All hope was lost! Our valient steed had taken a fatal blow and the outcome looked bleak! When who should appear?!? The couple that we had seen on the trail! They explained that they were heading to Hinton and would be willing to give us a ride. (They also had the most adorable pug, not an important fact, but gosh darnit! It was cute).

We all piled into their truck, saying goodbye to the car and were on our way. They were so very kind. They chatted wth us the whole way and were apparently visiting from Stony Plain! (Its a small world...) Half way to Hinton it struck me why helping us seemed odd to me at this time. Here were these people, not realizing where we from, helping out what seemed to be random people with  a stroke of bad luck. Not a glance of suspision or invasive questions, just a act of kindness. 

And I think that is something that this quaratine can take away. Yeah sure, you get the people who ramp up the suspision to 100% or get the people who don't give a crap, but that wasn't this couple. They understood the worry of corona and stated that they would have helped us whether there was a global pandemic or not. There are people who help, in any sitaution and heck, if that isn't total selflessness than I don't know what is.

The only thing I regret is not learning thier names. Nobody vollenteered their name and noone asked. Call me cheesy, but I think there is something poetic and steadying about that. We were strangers when they helped us, and although we chatted for quite a while, we still parted as strangers. They will always be the "helpful strangers" in my mind, with only that label to define them. 

So what I guess what I am trying to get across is that people are amazing and kind. We only need to remember it. 

In the eye of the Beeholder

But a master, rather in condemning himself for his ordinariness, he embraces his ordinariness and uses it as a foundation to build the extraordinary. Instead of giving up, like ordinary people do, a master uses his ordinariness to correct his errors, which is essential in the process towards attaining mastery.

Correcting the errors. We all make mistakes. And we all learn differently from those mistakes, all grow in different ways. If two people make the same mistake then it is not guarenteed that they will both take the same lesson away.

The best way to find mistakes for me is having someone point them out. I know that it will not be this way forever, but I truly learn the best by watching others and then mimicking how they do it. If something still feels off I restart my thinking and try a different approach. And although I know that my eye for detail has definitaly changed throughout my years at Silent River I still have trouble sometimes identifying what is wrong with a move. 

Just tonight in class I was corrected on my downward foot block as I was twisting my hand in a way that would not be effective in the block. I corrected it and it felt so much better. 

What I guess I am trying to say is that we don't always realize we have errors. That we need an extra set of eyes and a helping hand to set us straight. 

 

Ordinary

 You see,  we are all ordinary. But a master, rather in condeming himself for his ordinariness, he embraces his ordinariness, and uses it as a foundation to build the extra ordinary.

Its that willingness to understand that you are ordinary but can still do bigger and better things. To go beyond the ordinary. 

These past few days I have been slipping in my blog. I almost fell back into my routine of "I'll do it tomorrow" and "One day won't matter". But thats a crappy way of looking at it. I started the I Ho Chuan this year because I wanted to change. I wanted to commit myself to doing somthing that I can look back on at the end of the year and be proud of. I though, let myself slip back into the ordinariness of my life. Not striving to make myself better in anyway. So I am going to restart myself again. 

I know this will not be the last time I slip up. Heck, I know that i'm gonna have bad and good days ahead of me. But if there is anything this year has taught me is that I can alway pick myself back up again. And I have to remember that. I have to know that even when the going gets tough, that you grit your teeth and try again. 

We are all ordinary. I am ordinary. But I will push myself to build a foundation that I can rely on. I will not be angry with myself for missing a day, I will make a promise with myself to do better and see that promise through.

Have a wonderful night and a good week everyone! Enjoy that Sun!!

Correction

Correction is essential in power and mastery. 

50,000 between me and a master. But it would not matter if I did 50,000 of the kicks the wrong way. There is a reason that we are taught to do a kick one way when we start off at a white belt and slight differences when we are a blue, brown or black. We are given the basic tools to start off, when we master that we are told corrections. Corrections that make the kick faster, stronger or more solid. The best example of this is the spinning back kick. There are so many components to that kick, where to start. It starts with the spin, the ability to do a 180 with out tripping over the two left feet. Start lifting your foot halfway there, and deliver the kick. Basics right?

Here is where the openess to correction comes in. Learning how to stop and deliver the kick straight out. Being able to rotate your body and hips at the last second or maintain the power of the kick. Blading the kick and making sure the toes are out of the way as not to break them. And Even doing 50,000 of doing it with those modifications, there is always room for improvement. There is always room for growth.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Short

Develop compassion for yourself so that you can be in the presence of masters and grow from the experience. Rather than comparing yourself and resenting people who are masters, remain open and receptive; and let the experience be like planting a seed within you - with nourishment, it will grow into your own individual mastery.

It really does get easier when you are older, I find, if you are more open to ideas and thoughts beyond your knowledge and understanding. And I find that being receptive is more than just going " oh thats cool" and then tucking it away. It is about taking that information and applying it to your daily life. I make it mean something to me, and learn about it in my own way. 

It's a short one today! have a wonderful Firday everyone!

Steadfast

On the path to mastery, erase any resentment towards your masters. Develop compassion for yourself so that you can be in the presence of masters and grow from the experience.

To be able to learn from something or someone, you must first want to learn. Be open and understanding in what is being taught to you and accept that you might not get it on the first try.

I find that when I developed a compassion for myself in learning it was a lot easier to learn new material. That understanding of my frustrations of not moving forward and having to take a step back and do a new approach towards it. The knowlegde that even though I can't understand the steps, I have the resources available for me to ask questions. Its not impossible to perfect my technique, its 50,000.

 So I guess to sum up what I think develop compassion for yourself is to be kind to yourself and don't close up to help. Be steadfast and understanding of the material that is present. Be patient and pursue the road to mastery.

I hope that y'all are enjoying the sunshine and have a happy Wednesday!

Be Passionate in your Teaching

On the path to mastery, erase any resentment towards your masters.

Resenting my teachers has always been a odd subject for me to broach upon. Not saying that I have loved all my teachers or that all my teachers have been exemplary in their teaching methods. But like, their there to teach? Don't get me wrong there are certainly teachers whom I would trust with my life and my respect for them is something I wish to carry forever. I just mean that I have had some teachers who so up ten minutes late for class, swing through the slideshows and then expect you sit in silence for 40mins and do work and not ask questions. Teachers that refuse to anwser students questions when they ask for clarification or simply repeat themselves. I once had a math teacher who showed up at the beginning of class and showed us a McDonald Employee application and said that we were so stupid that we would be lucky to get in to a fast food place.... ah good grade 11 math mermories.

Those teachers who showed up for a paycheck and disregared their students, defiently did not deserve my respect. But I never resented them? It was more like I had learned in my early years that it didn't matter who taught the subject. All that mattered was that I passed and could move on the the next step of my education. So you had a teacher who didn't like explaining things, thats what you had study buddies for! Didn't understand a formula in class? Youtube is a wonderful place if you need things explained one more time! 

What I am trying to get at is in my experience I understood that the people who taught me were just that, people. People who had taken their time to teach me, regardless of their intentions. I realize that I am supposed to be talking about in these blogs, but all the Sifus at the Kwoon have never given me reason to resent them, or treat them with anything but respect for what they teach. All of the Sifus are passionate and want to teach and love what they do! They inspire me to pursue to become better in my mastery, in both Kung Fu and in my daily life. So thanks to each and everyone of you!

Have a wonderful rest of your week and stay safe out there!! 

Labels

One way is to surround yourself with friends who ask more of you than you do. Didn’t some of your best teachers, coaches, parents, etc.?

Asking more of me that I see in myself. The potential to become somthing greater. I think that is one of the most amazing things about growing up in a (semi) large family is the constant questions. The questions like. Hey you look like you enjoyed that why not try it out full time? Or the soft encouragement, I know that it's tough but I know that you can do better. And the sheer compassionate faith that they have in me. The people in my life have got my back through the thick and thin.

And honestly? For a while the line of I am doing this to better myself and the line of do this so you wont disappoint them became blurred. My self improvement was determined by what people thought I should do to become a better person. To be fair most of the time it did make me a better person than I was and did push me to new heights and achievements. But it was always that question in my mind of was this for me? Or for them? And it took me an embarrassingly long time to figure out that it sometimes can be both! And it was a relief to find out that even if I had my own goals away from what my family expects from me there will always be that support.

I think of all the situations in life that have led me to this moment. This now. And  I know that I would not gotten here if not for the people in my life who want to see me go just that little bit further. 

Thanks for reading y'all! Have a wonderful week!

Siomai

Take your first steps towards mastery by removing everything in your enviroment that represents mediocrity, removing your arbitrary limits. Try surrounding yourself with friends the expect more of you than you do.

I am lucky in my life to have friends that do that. First one comes to mind, my sister who had encouraged and been with me on this crazy journey of I Ho Chuan and this year in general. But! I would like to go back to the past.....college.

I am as y'all know a nurse and let me tell you. DO NOT TAKE CONDENSED COURSES. They are one of the roughest experinces that I could ever do. Tests every week and no review classes cause ya should have learned all the skills in the 5 min that they showed ya. You wanted sleep?!? You FOOL. Only memerization and 4 hours of sleep and 8 hour work day, my man! What I am saying is, is that I never got hooked on caffeine and I really regret that some days. 

Anyways.

During one of the most hardest semesters I was there I met my best friend. She is one of the major reasons that I never thought about quitting my nursing. Before the tests we would chat for hours about the subject and talking through what we were doing together really made everything stick better. We would head out for coffee sessions and remind ourselves what we were working toward. That this was more than school. That we were more than whatever our sleep deprived brains told us. That we would make it through this and that we would pursue what we had earned. 

I feel that if she had not been there I would have remained a "sandwhich artist". I know that we pushed eachother to the limits of our knowlegde and then said, you can do better. I know that we both earned a place of respect in eachothers eyes and I can say without a shadow of a doubt that she is one of my dearest people. 

Have a wonderful week and see yall around!

Screen Time

These thing keep you powerless, unable to go beyond the limits that you have arbitrarily set for yourself. Take your first steps towards mastery by removing everything in your enviroment that represents mediocrity, removing your abitrary limits.

Things taht represent mediocrity in my life would mostly be the things that I try to fill up my free time with. Whether that this be from naps from boredom or scrolling my social media sites. Since trying to restart my promises this year I have been trying to go on them less. Not successful all the time. And I think the reason for that is that its almost ... habit. Not a good habit mind you but I find that when I go to look up something like a reciepe or address on my phone I push the instagram or youtube before I catch myself and I find my self spiral into the nonsense before I realize that I had a thought before that.

I have been trying to restrict myself in that regard. Leaving my phone in a different place so I have to hunt it down if I need it. Or if I have it on me only to open it if there is something that is of the utmost importance. Dosen't always work but I think that I am improving. Time and dedication will tell I guess!

Have a wonderful weekend and enjoy the weather!

Blogging for Betterment

Take a moment to assess all the things around you that encourage you to remain average. These things keep you powerless, unable to go beyond the limits that you arbitrarily set for yourself.

Tonight was amazing for me in a couple of ways. One, it was fantastic to see everyone again face to face. ( Happy Birthday again Mr. Repay!) Two, I found out how much more comfortable talking out loud during the meeting verses just not saying anything. Three, it was a wonderful way to re-focus myself on the present and how far we have all come as a group. I am looking forward to more of the meetings!

Okay! So, I feel liked we talked a lot tonight about how even if we fall off the wagon we can always start anew. And for me that is probably the mantra that I need to repeat at myself most often. The chance to go "If I didn't get it this time I can get it next time" or "This move is rather frustrating, I just need to take it from a different angle". Rather than my old mantra of " Nah, this is enough" or that fun negative take of " Huh, well, I'll never get it, may as well give up now." 

I do feel that what I am doing, this blogging (mostly) consistently is helping me not only in learning how to blog better, but increasing my commitment in other areas of my life as well. It was definatly the reboot I needed in my life and I am going to ride this coaster, well, hopefully for a long long while.

It was wonderful to see all your beautiful faces and I look forward to seeing you all soon! Have a wonderful weekend!

Two Steps Forward

Our world suffers from terminal mediocrity. Take a moment to assess all the things around you that encourage you to remain average.

Things that encourge me not to go beyond my limits.

I think I covered this a lot in my last post so I shall leave it as is for that. I wish to talk about a bucket list item that I have recently  (Yesterday), crossed off my list. 

So for many people who visit Jasper, it is one of the many sites and tourist attractions that I think get the most visitors per year. It is the Gondola. That wonderful smooth ride up to the tippy top of mount Whislter.

What I want to say is that I did not do that. I walked up. 5 hours to the top. 8 Kilometers plus a 1.3km incline. Over roots and boulders and small animals. It was grueling and exhausting. But ya know what? I made it. It was worth every step to stand at the top of the mountain and just look at the path that I had to take to get up there. 

Its a Small World

It is remarkable how much mediocrity we live with, surrounding ourselves with daily reminders that the average is acceptable. Our world suffers from terminal mediocrity.

So I don't know what to write about today. But thats OK! Cause I promised myself 15 min and gosh darn I gonna make 15min!

I mean it is probably not good that I have run out of material this early. 

Maybe.

None the less! What to talk about.... hmm.... Oh! I recently found out that one of the ladies that I work with at Good Sam, her son used to go to Silent River and received a black belt when he was in his teens! Justin Weeb? I think that was his name. She was the one to approach me about it because I had recently bought my Kung Fu Hoodie and was wearing at work. ( Would 10/10 reccomend buying one! SUPER comfy)

She mentioned that going to Silent River was one of the best experiences that her son had through high school and that even though she said he didn't stick with it long after that he really enjoyed going. 

I think it is really neat that the little commmunity that the kwoon has built for people impacts them long after they have quit and gone in a different direction. 

Have a wonderfully warm week everyone! And don't forget to stay safe!

Mind of Mediocrity

It is remarkable how much mediocrity we live with, surrounding ourselves with daily reminders that the average is acceptable. 

The average is acceptable. 

Hmmm... I think with me, being average has just been the most comfortable? Like, never going above and beyond, never lagging behind, but just doing the bare minimum? Me all the way. Never having to worry about the pressure that comes with having to always excell in work. Not worrying about the disapointment that comes across so often when the requirements are not met. Always doing just enough. 

And I think that was the problem? Doing just enough. What qualifies as enough in the effort we put into our daily life? Why must we feel the need to do more if the average is acceptable? Why put more effort into something if the task can be completed with moderate effort?

Because we can always do more. 

Heck I know that I was kinda rambling with those questions up there and I honestly still struggle with them sometimes. But I would be lying if I didn't think them slightly pessimestic. I used to wonder why being average was ... hmmm not bad, but stagnant? I guess?, because it wasn't like I was going to make a grand statment anyway. But that was it, never moving forward for anything and falling for everything.

In my college years I think it was the worst. "Just pass the course and get a job" "You dont need to be the best, you just need to pass". I think even then, with me putting in all my effort into those classes I was okay being average. And honestly, its probably engrained in my bones by now. 

Today though, I want to change that. Today and every day from now on. To push myself to be beyond average. To excell in something and know that it is better than Just Enough. 


Thanks for reading again!

Hope everybody has an awesome long weekend!