Reduce

We have all heard the saying, "Reduce, Reuse, Recycle". This is taught in school, (at least when I was in school) and it is common knowledge for most. The issue is that this is mostly associated with the "Recycle" portion. Most people think that because they are doing the bare minimum and recycling, they are reducing their ecological footprint. While this is not untrue, it is still a long way from the potential that this motto has to offer.

For instance, the first word is REDUCE. This is huge simply because the less you use, the less that needs to be produced, the less resources and energy are required and the more sustainable our society can be. The problem with using recycling as a fallback is that there is still energy and infrastructure required to take something and mold it into something new again.

How does one reduce?

There are several ways you can reduce what you use, some of them actually overlap into the reuse portion of the philosophy. I will use napkins as an example. It is very common to have paper napkins in a household. This is valid as they have many applications. You can greatly reduce the amount you buy if you switch to cloth napkins and wash them for reuse. Also, be mindful not to stock up on 100 different napkins. Only keep what you need for one, maybe two days of meals. This reduces what you get from the store on a regular basis and you reuse what you already purchased instead of throwing it out after a single use.

This is just one example taken from one site I found online tonight. I will post the link below. There is some very fascinating, simple stuff here.

http://superheroyou.com/15-ways-to-reduce-your-environmental-footprint/


Goal count for this year:
Distance 476.3/1609 km
Acts of Kindness 135/1000 acts
Long Hua Jian 116/1000 reps
Lao Gar 116/1000 reps
Meditation 166/1500 minutes
Journal 38/355 days
Situps 5180/50000 reps
Pushups 5180/50000 reps
Sparring 114/1000 rounds
Books Finished 2/20 books

Year of the DOG

I find it very interesting when life throws you a new challenge, with choices to make and follow through on. I had one such moment last week.

This is Freyja. She approached me on our driveway Monday, March 5th when I was starting my vehicle for work. She looked very excited and very cold (it was -24 C that morning). At first I tried to convince her to go back home, when she just sat there I realized she had no collar, not a good sign. I decided I could not leave this puppy stranded out in the cold. I took her inside while I figured out what to do.

After going from door to door with no success, I took her to the vet to see if she had an electronic chip. Turns out she did, but there was no owner registered to the tag, again not a good sign. The chip was also administered in south Edmonton so it seemed very unusual that she would be wondering around in Spruce Grove. I phoned the clinic, hoping for more information, but there was nothing else they could find on this dog. Where did she come from?

It was suggested to me to take her to a shelter where they could advertise her and give her proper care until she was claimed. Mel and I discussed the matter, if she was indeed abandoned we would take her in. Freyja ended up at the Parkland Animal Shelter in Stony Plain. I made it very clear to the people working there that if no one claims her, I wished to be the first to call when she becomes up for adoption. I even visited her once while she was in the shelter.

Ten days passed and not a peep regarding anyone coming forward. How could no one be looking for this beautiful dog? On Friday I left work early to fill out the appropriate paperwork and take her home. She is a great dog! She has already been house trained, trained commands, spayed (which made the adoption cheaper) and has a great temperament. We also received a lot of assistance from Sifu Freitag, which was a great help. (I have never owned a dog before.)

I had a choice, to selfishly go to work and hope this dog finds her way home, or take the initiative to help her out, even if it meant I would be late. This small act of kindness to an animal I didn't even know resulted in us having a new family member. We were certainly not looking for a dog, but she found us anyway and we are so excited to have her. Ironic really, as this is the year of the dog.

Communication

Mediocrity can sneak up on us in any form. The scary part is occasionally you don't realize that you are losing your way until mediocrity has been fully engrained into what you are doing. Sifu Brinker mentioned at our last meeting about how we need to define the particular "wagon" we are on in order to keep track of what our objective is for the year.

My "wagon" this year is improving and maintaining better communication skills. My word is not as impeccable as I know it could be. It is not horrible by any means, but everything can use improvement. After all, that is what striving for mastery is all about, constant improvement. The root of the problem I believe is lack of mindfulness, I am not fully thinking about my actions or words and how they could affect those around me. I make assumptions rather than effectively using my word to clarify my intentions.

Mindfulness is the greatest enemy of mediocrity. When you are mindful you are focussed, you are aware of what is around you. You recognize the first signs of mediocrity and correct right then and there rather than wait and have to do a full 180 degree course change to get back on track.

Using the right words at the right time is only a portion of the challenge, another major component is having integrity with my word. If I say I am going to do something and make a plan, I need to stick to that plan. Have the discipline to not let anything that is not a priority lead me astray. If plans change for one reason or another, communicate with those involved immediately in order to minimize any confusion. Unless absolutely impossible, I must stick to my plans. I make them for a reason, if I keep that reason in the front of my mind, I should have no problem.

Goal count for this year:
Distance 296.3/1609 km
Acts of Kindness 88/1000 acts
Long Hua Jian 81/1000 reps
Lao Gar 79/1000 reps
Meditation 105/1500 minutes
Journal 24/355 days
Situps 3130/50000 reps
Pushups 3130/50000 reps
Sparring 63/1000 rounds
Books Finished 1/20 books

Dancing for Tots

This week, members of the lion dance team performed for the kindergarten students of Brookwood school in Spruce Grove. This was the first year I have had a chance to participate in this event and I loved it. The laughs and gasps in awe that I heard as they saw the lion come to life was unlike any lion dance I have done before.

I saw how excited they were before and after the dance, this made me more excited to be a part of it. I feel that with the lion we are able to show these kids what we are about in a way that really gets their attention. It plants a seed in their minds that the martial arts are not about weaponizing people, but how you can take these techniques you learn and use them to convey something meaningful, to show compassion for others, clearing evil spirits from around them and bringing them good luck all at the same time.

I revel in promoting this increasingly rare yet incredibly important aspect of Kung Fu because it is a tangible draw from what the martial arts should continue to represent. This is pure art, drawn from the skills you develop when practice the martial portion in your Kung Fu classes and refined through practice and teamwork between all members of the dance; This is all for the benefit of those viewing and the community as a whole. I guarantee some of those kids were inspired, went home and told their parents and the word was spread yet again of what the martial arts should be about. The more the community knows what we represent, the more we are empowered to make a positive difference.


Goal count for this year:
Distance 199.6/1609 km
Acts of Kindness 61/1000 acts
Long Hua Jian 61/1000 reps
Lao Gar 59/1000 reps
Meditation 75/1500 minutes
Journal 17/355 days
Situps 2170/50000 reps
Pushups 2170/50000 reps
Sparring 33/1000 rounds
Books Finished 0/20 books