I don't like holidays

Going on a holiday is fun BUT it gets me out of my routine. In theory it is supposed to be easier to do things because I should have had more time but it never works.

Being Focused

Being focused is something I struggle with. I think many people have the perception that I know what I want, that I know what I'm doing. There are so many things to do. So many things I want to do. It is paralyzing at times. Some of my work days are so hectic that at the end of the day I don't even remember what I was doing. I would love to focus on one thing.

Practicing Kung Fu has the same challenge. Should I practice forms or techniques? Should I work on my fitness or my flow? Should I help teach a class or practice by myself? In the past few years I had different strategies. For a period of time I had split the week into 5 and practice a different aspect of Kung Fu on each day. During the I Ho Chuan year I had more of a "everyday" schedule where I tried to crumb everything. There was also the time where I practice whatever we did in class for the following few days.

I'm not sure what is the best way to practice. I think that as long as you do practice, results will come. Now I need to focus again and go do some forms... or push-ups... Arrrr!!!

Music and Creativity

We are practicing for the Chinese New Years - Dragon dance, Kids demo, I Ho Chuan demo.

It is amazing to watch some of these kids. Their creativity is something to admire. It seems that the older you get the less creative you become. There must be ways to keep the creativity alive.

When I was practicing for the Tiger Challenge I wasn't planning to do musical form mainly because I didn't want to confuse my self with other forms. But then a week before (inspired by my wife and son) I decided to give it a try. I combined 4 sections from 4 different forms and picked a song I liked.

The 5 days practicing this musical form were lots of fun. I really enjoyed doing the form with the rhythm and moving with the beat. I think music improves ones creativity. I can't wait to do the same with all the other demos. It is going to be so much fun!

V.A.L.U.E

I'm currently taking part of a leadership program at work. I had different experiences in a variety of situations leading people and being led by people. The most obvious place for that was in the army. I had done many courses and got to see different types of leaders. Each had there own methods and ways to lead. Some were good and some not so good (or bad). I also had the chance at a very young age to supervise different groups of officers and soldiers. The experience was different as well. It takes two sides to make a good leader.

The workshops we take at work are emphasizing the core V.A.L.U.E in leadership. This stands for Value, Aptitude, Learning, Unity and Empathy. I find it very interesting and valuable to attend these workshops. I hope it will also make me a better leader at work and outside of work.

http://www.bhogroup.com/

Opportunities

One of the hardest things I had to overcome in Kung Fu was doing warm-ups. Even harder was leading a class (and it was a kids class). I was planning the class for days and trying to memorize what I will do every moment I'm in front of the kids. I can still remember how nervous I was. I constantly felt that the kids are testing me. I also felt that the other instructors are judging me.

Now, one of the things I enjoy most in Kung Fu is teaching the kids class. I still prepare and feel the kids are testing me but I don't get as nervous and I welcome any feedback the other instructors have to offer. I really enjoy to see the progress in the kids and in the way we run the class and to know I had a part in that. This is a great feeling of accomplishment.

My point is - we all feel nervous and scared of new situations but if we don't try, we wouldn't know what we are missing. We might even like it...

Healthier

It is so cold and so dark. I feel like I need to hibernate. Signing up to the Mud-Hero race made me feel so good. I'm starting to plan camping trips, kayaking, hiking. Just need to wait few more months and it will be summer again.

When I feel down at Kung Fu, I think of WHY. Why am I doing it. This always brings me into training mode. The reasons changed along the years but unlike the seasons, I don't need to wait for summer to enjoy the benefits of it.

One of my personal challenges this year was to become healthier. I stop drinking coke and ice-caps. I'm trying to eat better. I stopped going to fast food places. And of-course I exercise a lot. I've lost between 10-15lb (depending on the day - as our scale is not very reliable). It feels good to get back to my weight from 20 years ago...

Excited

Everyone around me is sick. People coughing at work. Kids sick at home. There are sick people everywhere. I really hope I'm not going to get sick now. My body is still aching from the sickness I had 3 weeks ago.

In the last few days I've been eating cleaner. Actually, I've been eating better in the last year but still had a treat once in a while. This week I had only real food and fruits. It has been good so far. No major cravings.

Needless to say I'm nervous but in the last few days I'm also getting very excited. I was reviewing the whole curriculum and realized how much I have learned in the last few years and how much I've learned in the last few months. There were many light bulb moments and "that feels good" moments this year. I'm sure that for some people I might still look clumsy but it is a much better clumsy than what I was a year ago :-).

Planning and Scheduling

Planning and scheduling was the key for me so far this year. The consistency of doing push-ups, sit-up and running on a regular basis, doing my forms on specific days.

The hardest time was when I was on vacation for 3 weeks. We were away from home and I was away from my routine. This is one of my main challenges – keeping up with my tasks while on vacation.

I was able to keep most of my numbers. I have a calculated field that tells me what will be my projected number by the end of the year if I keep the pace I got so far. For push-ups and sit-ups I’m doing pretty well. I have 37,546 push-ups and 37,391 sit-ups. The projected numbers are 50,757 and 50,547 by the end of the year. Forms are not great but not too bad as well. I scaled down because of my shoulder injury but I hope to pick it up after the grading. I’m at 654 repetitions of my hand form and 567 repetitions of my weapon form.  I plan to have few days of forms marathons to catch up.

On the personal goals I had some successes and some failures. I was able to eat healthier. I lost more than 10lb. I’m really happy with this one and this is something I’m going to sustain in the future. The goal I was not successful with was work related and because of changes in my role at work I was unable to commit myself to it. I am going to try hard on this one as well as I have 3 more months…

Never Give Up

I can't lie. I'm scared. Nervous. Exited. Terrified. Doubting my self. But not ready to stop, to give up.

I've been training for 6 years and yes, if I had to do it again I would probably do a better job, but I think I did my best. Dedicated myself (especially in the last year) to Kung Fu.

I've got my injuries. And weaknesses. Some days I feel tired -  from work, from life. But there is a good reason why I do what I do. Actually there are few reasons. FAMILY, HEALTH, SUCCESS, FRIENDS and HAPPINESS.

I was watching this short video today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX9FSZJu448 And if this guy was able to do what he did. Regardless of all the obstacles he faced. Anyone can. At least anyone can do their best and never give up. I know I'm going to.

Happy Birthday

My sister had her birthday today. Now with technology it is easier to stay in touch. Phone, Skype, etc. it is all making our connection better even if there is an ocean separating us.

What would have happened 50 years back. Phones were available but I would probably have to get a mortgage just to cover my phone bills.

Now also think what will happen 50 years from now. Teleporting? visual phones?

Anyway - Happy Birthday to my sister and to everyone who had a  birthday today!
(now assuming there are 7 billion people, and on average 19 millions were born today, I just wished happy birthday to 19 million people!!!)

One Month

One month till grading (REALLY????) and I'm trying to be very careful not to get injured. Or should I say not to aggravate my existing injuries. I'm working hard at class and at the Tri-Leisure but I feel like I'm not doing enough. I want to do more but my body is tired and aching. I think it is telling me to take a vacation and I'm telling it to keep going for few more months... My chiropractor on the other hand is probably planning his vacation with all the money I'm paying him :-)

One more month. I need to push my self and practice practice practice for the next 4 weeks. If you see me blaring at the ceiling, please ask me to stop and do a form.

 

Eye for details

Eye for details is one of the qualities of a black belt. We learn a form and then we perfect it, paying attention to all the details that make this form shine. We learn a technique and then we practice and make it our instinctive moves.

Today I was learning Lao Gar step by step. I know the form but not the fine details. Today's class was great for that. We only covered the beginning of the form but I felt I learnt so much.

How is your eye for details? How many differences do you see between the 2 pictures?

Motivation, Commitment, Discipline and all that is in between

We all struggle with motivation from time to time. How can we keep our commitments? How can we do what we signed up for? How can we be disciplined and practice every day?

It is not easy and I find it harder now that it is so dark early in the morning. Who wants to get out of bed at 5:30 am? When it is so cold and dark outside? Not me!

When you have a goal in mind, it keeps you motivated. Your commitment is greater. This is where a tournament like the Tiger Challenge comes into play. We need to realize the value of this event and set a goal of competing at the event. We have less than a month to practice and prepare for it. Commitment. Discipline. Motivation. That all it takes.

When Sifu Brinker asks us in class - where are you/ and what are you doing? I also ask my-self: "why am I doing it?". We all have our reasons for being in Kung Fu. When you are feeling down and unmotivated, think about the WHY. It helps me to re-engage in my training.

I hope to see lots of students at the Tiger Challenge this year. I hope to see YOU there too!

Tiger Challenge

The Tiger Challenge is up and coming. This is the time to show case what we know to the rest of the school. I know some of us are nervous to perform (I know I do) but part of being in the I Ho Chuan is about learning how to overcome fears.

I had a lot of fun in the past Tiger Challenge events. I always enjoy to watch my kids compete and this year I'm going to be also part of the group that is organizing it. That should be fun too.

I hope everyone in the team will find it beneficial to them to compete in the event as well as run it as part of the group.

Going up or going down?

The technology I'm working with is evolving so fast and it is very hard to keep up with the pace. It is also expanding. Every year there is an advancement of technology and new technology as well. There is so much to learn and everyday that passes I feel that I'm getting further behind. It is sometimes overwhelming and hard to figure out what I should do first, should I learn something deeply or should I learn different subjects and just surface level?

"One step at a time."  Sounds great but with which leg and towards which direction. How big should the step be and should it be up or down?

Time Management

Time became a scarce resource. Before I joined the I Ho Chuan I was already juggling between work, family, my Kung Fu class, teaching the kids classes.

When I thought it can't get busier, I joined the I Ho Chuan, I took some more responsibilities at work and committed myself to several other events.

Now I'm in the process of figuring out how to get an extra hour or two every day. Anyone has any ideas?
Next year my work will move and it will save me 1/2 an hour a day. Yeah! But that is a year from now. I calculated that on average the time I'm spending driving from home to the kwoon and back is about 30 minutes every day. Hmmm... Moving my room to the store next to the kwoon? I don't think my wife will approve. :-(

First Day

Today was the first day.

First day at school for my kids. The excitement, the fear, the resentment, the anticipation. So many emotions is such small bodies. I remember myself going to school when I was a kid not knowing who is going to be your teacher, which of your friends are going to be with you, how I'm going to be with all the new material and new environment.

Even now it is the same thing at work, at Kung-Fu - how am I going to be in the new class? how is this new client going to be? will I be able to succeed?

Today was the first day, but sometimes it feels like every day is the first day.

Reno Time

It is renovation time at the kwoon and everyone are working hard cleaning, building and cleaning. It is great working side by side with everyone.

The problem I have with this week is that it wrecks my schedule. I usually practice every morning and this week I find it very hard to wake up on time. Today I dragged myself to the Tri-Leisure and I'm glad I did. I was ale to do some reps and felt better. I'm also using this week to give my shoulder a rest. I hope it won interfere with my training in the next few months.

If you did not come to the Kwoon to help out, remember - this is a project the I Ho Chuan is supposed to lead and participate in.

Sparring

You guys might look at me and say - he is a big guy, he has no problem with sparring. He loves sparring and that is why he is in sparring class.

Is that true? No.

I shy away from confrontations. Sparring is not my thing. It took me a long time to minimize the fear involved with sparring.

Why do I keep coming to the sparring class? I need to improve. I want to feel more comfortable with it. I want to look at myself in the mirror and say - "you did it".

Today we had a class with 7 sifus and only 3 students. This is a ratio of 2 to 1. What a great opportunity. I want to encourage all of the I Ho Chuan members to come to this class. Starting in September, commit to come for a class. Give a try. I'm pretty sure you will not regret it.

Worst week so far

This week was bad. Very bad.

Starting with my work - I had very hard time dealing with some of my clients and I was feeling like a chicken without a head running around and being thrown eggs on. I'm so happy the week is over and don't want Monday to come.

I also have a very aching shoulder. It affects my training and I am scared I'm pushing it too much. How do I know how much I should rest and when I can push my self again?

I'm also lacking sleep and I was not waking up when I was supposed to, missing 2 training mornings. I'm happy I still made it to class this week (8 classes so far this week). It seems like the only time I was able to train this week.

Tomorrow we have the forms seminar and I am nervous (yes, ms. Gibbons, you are not the only one). I'm not doing well when so many people are watching and judging me. I want to learn but I'm not comfortable with the public evaluation afterwards.

The Hobbit

I was watching the Hobbit last week with my oldest son. At the end, after surviving the rock giants' battle. fighting the goblins, running away from the gollum and almost loosing the battle with the orcs, the wizard sent a butterfly message to the giant birds to save the dwarfs and the hobbit and bring them closer to their destination.

We asked ourselves - why didn't he called the birds earlier? They could have taken the dwarfs and the hobbit and bring them all the way to the end.

At first I answered: if that happened the movie would have been very short and boring. Then after few days I thought - it is not the final destination, it is the journey that is important here to teach the dwarfs and the hobbit what they are capable of and what they are really fighting for.

Ready to get dirty?

This weekend I'm going to run in the Mud Hero race. I did it last year and it was lots of fun. This year I think it will be more fun as we are running together with a group. SRKF group. We are also camping close to each other and I'm hoping we can spend some time together as well.

When I'm thinking of why I'm practicing Kung Fu, one of the main reasons is friendship. I hope that the connections we are making with other Kung Fu members will be stronger and continue after Kung Time as well.

Bootcamping

Finished the bootcamp which was pretty hard for me. I was really pushing myself. The day after we were driving 6 hours to Saskatchewan. Needless to say that my muscles were aching. I was able to do most of my reps during our camping vacation which was one of my goals for this vacation. Now I need regroup and get ready for the next challenge.

Sanshou class

Today in Sanshou we had a rare opportunity. There were 3 of us que belts and 6 sifus. It was great opportunity to spar with so many sifus (and the other 2 que belts are pretty good too). Each opponent present different challenges and lots to learn from.

The sad thing is that it is actually common to have a very low participation in this class when this is a great class to learn and to get better in martial arts.

Try it out few times and I hope you will see the benefits of attending this class on a regular basis (and you might be able to catch up with the sparring requirement).

Blog

Work is still very demanding. So many things to learn and so many more responsibilities. I'm trying to manage all clients and it feels like juggling. I always prefer to have some solid time focusing on a task rather then being interrupt all the time. People say they can multi-task at work but it is not really multi-tasking as we are only doing one thing at a time and we just switch from one to another all the time. This has proven to be not productive in terms of work.

This is also taking a toll of my personal life. I'm extremely tired when I get home and I cannot find the energy nor the mental capacity to learn for my Microsoft certificate. After 8 hours of work in front of the computer at work the most I can do is to read blogs (and write some).

That brings me to another point. Some of us are late in blogging. If you are reading this blog and you haven't blogged for more than 7 days, write your blog NOW. Tell us how your day/week was.

Sparring Night

I think that in the last year I became more relaxed while sparring. Realizing that I can protect myself and deliver counter attacks. Today I was nervous sparring. Today I was sparring, for the first time, with sifu Brinker. I was trying really hard not to look into his eyes and focus on his chest. I knew his look will melt my guards down. I probably was more rigid than usual and I did get hit a lot but I think I learned from this match as I did from all the great matches I had today. During the round with sifu Brinker, he kept lowering his guards and giving me some openings (false openings I presume). I was very anxious but survived (beside a sore nose) to blog. 

I was feeling down today. The stress at work is pounding hard. Then the drive home and strait into class, with a horrible headache. But after few rounds of sparring I felt much better. I guess this is what happening when I get bunked in the head too many times...

Scrambling

This weekend I was scrambling. l took a scrambling course in Canmore. This weekend I learnt lots about scrambling, path finding, evaluating risks and leading a group of hikers. I also learnt about myself - what can I do and how far I can set my limits.

On both days when the instructors showed us where we are going, my initial response was - no way, I cannot do this. At the top I felt a great sense of accomplishment. I did it in-spite of the fear and anxiety.

Can I do it again? Yes, with support from a team.

Happy Canada Day

I'm so happy. I broke all 4 boards. This was a a learning process for me an d I kept changing my sequence until I felt I got it right. Practicing with real boards in class makes a huge difference as real boards are different from shields and from the re-breakable boards. I want to thank my two sifus - sifu Bryant and sifu Masterson - who help me getting to this sequence. I want to thank my wife who helped me practice. And I also want to help everyone else for the encouragement and support.

The rest of the day was great as well. First with the Parade, then the Dragon Dance and the demo. I felt we all did a great job. I could hear the spectators and I think they really liked it.

Happy Canada Day everyone!!!

(and than you sifu Masterson for the photo I used for this blog)

Am I a failure?

Lots of things are going on lately. Life seems very intense and unfair. I've been working hard but I still feeling like I'm failing. From talking to some other students in the I Ho Chuan I get the feeling that this is a common struggle. Work has been challenging as well. I have 2 new clients and lots to learn. There is a lot of pressure to perform and again I fear from failing and disappointing my supervisors. Actually, I'm more worried about disappointing my self.

My family is one of the main reasons why I joined Kung Fu and I always like to use the phrase Sifu Brinker is using - "use it as a tool and not as a hoop" and relate it to my Kung Fu training. I learn Kung Fu because it is a tool to achieve my goals and core values.

I guess my point is that even when it is hard and even when we feel down, we should see how the experience is benefiting us and our journey for better life.

"Failure isn't the end. It's just part of the journey to success. Quitting is the end. Never give up." Bonnie Pfiester.

Breaking the wall

Today was day one of the first aid course. I'm so happy I'm doing the course with another 2 members of the I Ho Chuan. It was great spending the day with Sihing Lagner and Sihing Lowery.

The dragon dance is progressing well, in my opinion and I'm also exited about the demo. I was working with Sifu Regier on our form and I think it is progressing very good. I'm nervous about the board breaking. I'm going to focus on my sequence for the next few days. It became a barrier that I need to break through.

Dragon Dance

This week we started working on the choreographed dragon dance. I was a bit worried because it usually takes some time for me to remember a new form, but I had a lot of fun and was really happy with what we were able to do in just an hour.

This week I was recovering from my head injury. I think I might have had some of my brain licking out. I was forgetting a lot of staff and I was very tired this week.

Tomorrow we are going on a 3 day canoe trip. This is going to be so much fun. We were waiting for this trip for a long time. Actually since last year when a similar trip was cancelled. I'm hoping to have some photos to share when we are back.

Life is precious!

Today was supposed to be a fun day, trail run racing, with the whole family. I was especially  excited to see my son, Kobe, participating in a 3km race. I was also excited to see my girls running (Noa and Shira - 1km, Aviva 500m). I woke up early (5am) in order to get to the race area and help with the setup. After about half an hour I got banged a heavy metal pole on my head.

My first reaction was - oh boy that is not good. I put my hand on my head and feeling all the blood, I looked at my hands and said - that is really not good.

I spent the next few hours in a medical center getting stitches and a tetanus shot. Needless to say, I missed my kids' races. :-(

I got to the race starting point 5 minutes after the last wave started running. I asked if I can start running and they agreed to let me run. Most of the run I felt really good. I didn't feel any pain. I think the anesthesia was working great.

It might have been easy to decide not to run because of my injury but I decided to make the best of it (I did ask the doctor if it is OK). At the end I had lots of fun and the kids were happy I ran with 4 stitches...

Moral of the story - watch what you are doing. Life is precious!

We had fun together

Today we went to a "celebration of life" for Tim, a family friend, who had past away while travelling in China. Tim was the first friend I had in Canada and although the age gap we had fun going for walks and doing computer stuff together.

During the memorial service I had lots of thoughts going through my head - am I leaving my life to the fullest? How many people will show up to my memorial? What will my kids say about me? How will they remember me?

There was one phrase from the memorial that I thought was very strong. Tim's son asked everyone not to think of the time we could have spent with his dad but to think of the good times we did spend with him. I felt it was very powerful and made me feel good.

RIP Tim :-)

Stop being nice to me; Be my friend!

Since I got to Canada I met many people that were nice to me. They ask me how I'm doing, they say hello when they see me but they are not crossing the line between an acquaintance and a friend.

I can admit that sometimes it is also hard for me to do the next step but I tried few times and got burnt. I've invited some people for supper, helped others but never got anything back. No one invited me back. Except for one couple.

4 weeks after they moved into our neighborhood, they were placing sod. We only exchanged "hello"s till then and after seeing them working for a little bit I offered my help and worked with them for the rest of the day. We also invited them for lunch. Unlike anyone else up to that point, they invited us back.

I'm so happy I did get to find a true friend here in Canada.

Breathing

While training I often find my self out of breath. I thought that after working out almost everyday, including running, I will find exercising to be a bit easier. I'm trying to control my breathing but it is VERY hard to breath slowly and deeply when your brain says "that's it, I'm out of here if I don't get anymore oxygen".

I'm starting to into breathing exercises.

This weekend was, so far, lots of fun. We did so much and although I'm already exhausted  I'm very happy with what we accomplished so far. Tomorrow (if the weather will cooperate) we will use our kayaks for the first time this year.

Pushups

We are back from our trip to Israel. We had lots of fun!!! Here are some pushups photos to prove it.

On the way to the Dead Sea

Jerusalem Old City

 Jaffa Gate

Walls of Jerusalem

Walls of Jerusalem

Walls of Jerusalem

Massada

Massada

Massada

Massada

Massada

The end is also a beginning

We are close to the end of our visit in Israel. Tomorrow we will be on our way to the airport after saying our good-byes to family. We had a lot of fun here and we visited many friends and family as well as travelled in many tourist places.

I had a big problem with my engagement during this trip. This is one of the things I will have to work on when I'm back in Canada. I need to be able to continue with the requirements even if I'm out of my zone. I am coming back fully charged and with high expectations of the next few months. Stepping up my engagement and pursuing the rest of my personal goals.

As hard as it is to leave my family again, I am happy we are coming back to our home and our friends.

Routine

I'm missing my routine. I find it extremely hard to do anything while not at home. At the same time I also want to approach these 2 weeks as a vacation (because this is what it is). When I'm back it will be full force ahead.

Back to my roots

I'm back to the home I was born in. It is very intersting seeing and using items that I was around while growing up. Today we also visited my dad's grave.

This is where my roots are. This is where my base is. It feels great to visit here again and reflect on everything that shaped me the way I am and whom built my core values.

Just like training in Kung Fu, we all need to know our base, our foundation.

Mastery

One of my biggest challenges yet was to memorize Mastery by Stewart Emery. I was never good in memorizing and even-though I've been speaking English for many years, it is not my native tongue and it is harder for me to read or write in English.

This was not an easy task. I tried to find what is the best way, for me, to be able to memorize it.

I was thinking about some of the theory we teach the kids in the Advanced Black Dragons. The first that came into mind was the 100 times theory. You do something properly 100 times and then you will know how it is done - muscle memory, right? Well, I started with reading M
astery as much as I could. At home, at work, while working out. I was understanding the content but I still didn't feel I was going to be able to memorize it.


Goal setting: set a goal, set a plan (and get a success coach), keep consistent action, review your plan and review your goals. I know what my goal is... I made a plan to read every morning, at lunch break and in the evening while doing plank or in horse stance. I was taking consistent action and every few days reviewing my progress. I knew I had to change something as I was not progressing as fast as I was supposed to. I decided to break down the goals into mini goals. Tackle one paragraph at a time. That seemed to help as I got half of the first paragraph memorized.

Another theory concept - how to learn for exam? "creative repetition and consistent review". Find different ways to study and keep studying. I was already reading it. I recorded my self and started listening to my self narrating it on the drive to work. I also made a recording with gaps in between sentences so I can repeat after the narrator.

The first paragraph was the hardest. Then the second one was the hardest. The third was a bit confusing but I think I got the confidence of "I'm able to do this". Then came the 4th and it was the new "hardest". I think I spent the most time on this one while keeping tab on the first three.

I finally got it memorized. My kids are running away from me whenever I start "Mastery in our career...". But I still face the toughest challenge - the test. I'm going to be so nervous that I might black out completely.

More theory help - how to relax: breath, pressure points... DON'T PANIC!!!

Why am I here now?

This is from an exercise we did in the morning class few months ago. I've just found it in my KF bag. We were asked to write down the reasons "why we joined Kung-Fu?" and then write down the reasons "why am I here now?".

Reasons why I joined Kung Fu
When my son joined the Lil-Leopards at the age of 3, he was so shy that I decided to join Kung Fu in order to motivate him and to be able to help him in his training.

Reasons why I'm still in Kung Fu

1. I'm still in it to be able to help my kids. My son is a brown belt (I'm so proud) and the girls are taking their first steps and going to catch up fast.
2. I realized Kung Fu is a great tool to increase my fitness level.
3. Kung Fu helps me to stay healthy (physically and mentally).
4. This is a great family activity. Now when the whole family is engaged, we can spend time together and train at the same time. I'm so happy my wife is engaged in it too.
5. I realized that I enjoy teaching. It is not easy as I'm nervous standing in front of crowds (especially kids) but I was able to learn how to overcome this fear.
6. Kung Fu is helping me to set goals and to work on being successful. Trying my best.
7. The kwoon is a great place to find friends.

...there might be more, but these are the reasons I wrote down when we did the exercise. 

Never Again

We are so focused on ourselves. I think it is natural to make sure you are safe, to make sure your family has a roof over their heads and food to eat, to help a friend that is in need but are we blinding ourselves from the rest of what is happening around us?

Today is the Holocaust Memorial Day in Israel and many people are remembering the horrors that happened during that time and vowing to not let it happen again.

Opening our eyes to what is happening around the world and we will see so many horrific events happening in almost any place we live in.

Sometimes I feel helpless knowing that there is nothing I can do to help out. I’m wondering if this is how people felt back then and what motivated people to scarify their lives in order to protect values they believed are important.

I know I can’t change the whole world but I’m hoping that with any little act of kindness that I do, with every contribution to a cause, I am changing something to the better and making the world a better place to live in.