New Chapter

Tomorrow is the first big step towards my new career in the pre-hospital field. The course I am about to take is four weeks long and has an incredible amount of material to cover in that time. Because of this I am sorry to say I will not be able to participate in the majority of the children's classes during this time, the hours and location of my course do not allow me to do both. This is temporary, I will return to fully commit my time once again at the end of August.

However, I must continue attending my own classes when I am able. It would be detrimental for me to completely sacrifice one valuable aspect of my life to solely concentrate on another. To go from five days a week to zero or even one would be too much of a shock. In times of change, holding onto at least a portion of something familiar helps you keep your wits about you and embrace what is happening.

The structure and support of Silent River is what makes it so great. In fact, it is because of the support of my training partners that I am making this life change in the first place. Classes also provide a means of de-stressing. The focus of mastering an ancient art gives one a sense of purpose beyond anything else.

My training is still going strong. I shook off most of the rust that I developed during my motorbike trip and I am firing on all cylinders once again. The body is stiff, but the mindset is still there. I am excited for what is to come.

Consistency on the Road

Well, we made it to Alaska last night, with 3 hours to spare. That makes 49 states and 9 provinces in 13 days! Now we have rested and have begun a leisurely return back home, I think we earned it.

I brought my large leather daily journal with me on the trip. This usually is not the best idea as there is limited space to pack on the bike, better spacewise to bring something small. However I felt it was important to stay consistent in my daily journal.

By keeping the format for my journalling the same, I was more likely to use it, keep my momentum and further accomplish one of my personal goals.

The importance of blogging stuck with me through this trip as opposed to my last couple trips. It has become so ingrained that even on a rushed, time sensitive trip such as this one, I found the time to continue blogging regularly. The value of blogging is even more important when away from the kwoon. It keeps you engaged and lets others know you are still alive.

As mentioned in my last blog, I used this trip to apply the mental aspect we learn at the kwoon. The adversities we experienced, not to mention the lack of sleep presented challenges. Challenges that, without a calm mind, would not have been addressed so smoothly. It is fascinating how much I have changed in the time between last attempt and this one.

I am happy to announce my retirement from long distance motorcycle touring, priorities are changing in my life and I can't go out galavanting on my bike all the time. This was an incredible final hoorah, I could ask for nothing better.

That being said, I am quite sore and feeling the lack of physical training creeping up on me. I will fix that in no time, I will be back in time for class tomorrow!

Mental Game

We are making great progress. 8 provinces and 26 states completed in 7 days. This trip certainly tests our ability to work on limited sleep, minimize our stop times and ensure we get between stops efficiently and safely.

I have been focussing on the mental aspect of our training and applying it. Remaining calm when an issue comes up is mainly what I am trying to achieve. Keep the proper perspective in my head and look at the journey, not the destination. (Sounds familiar, doesn't it?) 

Of course it gets frustrating when we run into construction or the GPS sends us in the wrong direction, this will happen. Just keep in mind what we are doing, it is not easy, but that is the allure!

We are currently in Arkansas, working our way up and then back west. We are on track. My next post will be written in our finish point in Hyder, Alaska!

www.helmetonstraight.com

Here we go again!

This week I was reminded of the importance of life balance. For a while now I have been attempting to cater and schedule my life around kung fu while sacrificing other things: friends, family, work.

I realize this is not sustainable. Kung fu should be a part of my life, not my entire life. It needs to serve me, not the other way around. I need to take what I learn in kung fu, the determination, the discipline and use it throughout my life. When I am at work, I am present instead of thinking of what I can do to improve my kung fu. After all, being present in everything I do IS improving my kung fu.

I am about to initiate a complete change in career. At the end of July I will start a course to become an emergency medical responder. The course load is heavy so my time at the kwoon will significantly reduce. However, this is a great opportunity to practice remaining present and getting the most of this education. I plan to excel, to master this rather than just be competent. I want to know it inside and out, understand it and be able to apply it to many situations and scenarios.

Before this course I am embarking on my second attempt at an insane motorbike trip with my dad. 49 states and 9 provinces in 14 days. The clock starts tomorrow in Medicine Hat. I built a website so others may follow us on our trip. It also provides a brief description of who we are and what kind of trips we have done so far.

This is probably the last trip of this scale I will be able to do with my dad, so it is a very special moment to me. I will take several more pictures than I did last time and be sure to post when I can.

Below is the website name. Wish us luck!

www.helmetonstraight.com

In The Moment

We were encouraged on Thursday to remain in the moment this Canada Day, surrounded by our fellow I Ho Chuan members and Kung Fu classmates. Just stay present, not thinking about what you will have to eat when you leave, or reflect on what you have done to this point. It was not the time or place to do either. 

Too often our consciousness is clouded with imagery of past and future that the present becomes this great fog. This creates almost a snowball effect, if the present is foggy, how can you reflect on it when it becomes the past? It will only be even more foggy later on. Ironically, this is a concept I have been struggling with as of late. My mind has been excited, worried, anxious about things yet to come as well as satisfied, upset, proud of things that have happened already. Because I have not been focusing on the moment, I feel like I have been dragged around by life around me with no respite to be seen. 

We all get busy and we all have moments where our schedule is tossed in the bin and our momentum comes to a grinding halt. Staying present keeps the damage to a minimum and allows you to recover and even improve to a state better than before. 

I heeded the advice today. Taking each moment as it came and leaving it where it left and to be honest it felt great. I did not feel like I missed out on anything, I did not feel bad for anything I may or may not have done. Whether or not I needed to do something or be anywhere, I was not worried. I was, however, aware of where I needed to be (for the most part) and dealt with it was required with a relaxed yet driven mindset. 

I had some amazing conversations with all sorts of people, simply because I chose to stop, look them in the eye and give them my full attention. After all, I would not ask any less for myself, would I?

Thank you to all who came out and participated in or spectated our demos throughout the day in Spruce Grove and Stony Plain. The support is greatly appreciated, it makes the whole experience that much more enjoyable. I left the park today in a mental state far superior to what it was even 24 hours ago.

Happy Canada Day!