Success

This week was something special for me. I was presented with a couple tangible representations of my success over the past several months, both of them occurring on the same day.

The morning class on Thursday seemed like any normal one. We worked in stations for the first half, focussing on a particular concept in each.  Followed by forms, specifically 18 temple motions. I did not expect at the end of the class to be promoted. Not that I was slacking, it just caught me off guard when it was announced. I feel different, but at the same time not. I did not instantly progress any faster because of this, it is simply a representation of the progress accumulated over time. All this being said, I am excited to attend my new class!

Later that day, I received a notice that I passed my EMR retest. Again, I was surprised, as I did not expect a response this soon. I can now officially begin my new career! I am already on the hunt for positions.

Now I can concentrate more on what happens next. We are on the cusp of a new year, a year that will have it's own trials and triumphs. This is all very exciting!

The Year of the Dog

I approach the year of the pig a different person. My path in the year of the dog went profoundly different than I was expecting. So many things happened to cause this shift.

In March, a wonderful dog ended up on our doorstep. We took her in and now Freyja is a full fledged member of our family. Through her I learned the value of responsibility for another.

In May, I was involved in a motorcycle accident. The circumstances of which I wish I could have changed, but that would deprive me of the lesson of mortality and caution. It took me a while to get back on a bike after that, but I am grateful for the chance to take what I learned and apply it.

In June I was forced to change jobs, this gave me the opportunity to pursue another career. One that I am still working on entering, I took my EMR retest today and feel confident I succeeded. I learned not to be complacent, no matter what you know, you can always benefit from learning more.

In July, I travelled the entire North American continent with my dad in 13 days on motorcycles. Obviously I had gotten over my accident months before and we proved that such a feat is possible, if you have the will and desire to achieve it.

In September, we found out that we are expecting a child. This brought to light the reality of the chapter ahead of us. I am preparing to become a father. Even typing the words fills me with so much joy. I am learning to actively set my path in front of me so that I may have an easier time guiding my future child on theirs.

The events that transpired this year have changed me for the better. Even though some of them were negative at the time, I feel I have become wiser because of them and can use that wisdom to help me in the future.

My kung fu has benefited greatly from all of this life experience. My ability to think clearly under pressure, change my intent and further commit to ridding my life of mediocrity is at a level I wouldn't think possible this time last year. This has been a great year.

Emotion

Emotion is a funny thing. It can be a distraction or a very useful tool.

When you let your emotions get out of hand, you begin to lose control of your reactions to outside influences. You may make rash decisions and sometimes end up regretting them in the end, which is itself a dangerous emotion to feel.

Emotions also have the power to focus and inspire. When you are fully invested in something, you develop an emotional attachment to it. That attachment drives you to further invest yourself and create something extraordinary.

I greatly invest my emotion in my kung fu. It has been an unyielding ground for me in a constantly changing world. In return, I put all the emotion possible into it. From something as simple as a pushup, to attempting to perfect a form or technique, to helping a student reach their full potential, I embrace it completely.

When you are fully invested, it is noticable. In your actions, words and even your expressions. It makes the difference between, "Hey, that was pretty good.", to, "Wow, that was mind blowing!" It shows that your really care about what you are doing and what it stands for.

Share to the world how much this means to you through your expressions. It will awe and inspire others to achieve their own greatness.

New Year

It is a new year, another tangible tool to help you reset your priorities. The 1000 challenge on new years day gave me new drive to make this my best kung fu year yet. Not only kung fu in it's literal sense, but the principles of kung fu that you take into the environment around you. It reminded me why I joined the I Ho Chuan originally, to see a challenge though to completion.

I am thrilled, yet very nervous about what 2019 has in store, there are so many unknown variables. This is actually a benefit though, it forces me to refocus my attention on what I know now, what I can control now. I am getting progressively better at this, year after year, as I experience the unpredictability of life.