2018

I keep telling myself that today is the day to start but then life happens and it never happens. I’ve been doing this for awhile and I’m trying to find away out of this cycle.

It the last few years I’ve learned to carry on with my back injury but with my new hip pain I’m finding I’m off balance and I cannot find my new way. The holidays are obviously not helpful and as much as I enjoy the time off work, I want to get back to a more sensible routine.

Happy New 2019!!!

Awareness

My project at work has been going pretty good. It is one of the only ones in it's size that was implemented on time and on budget so far. It was hard working of numerous people on the team that led to this. But that does not mean the project was perfect. There were and still are few issues that I scratch my head on how we delivered a project with these issues.

Why wasn't it developed as specced? how come the testers did not find these bugs? why didn't the client find it in their testing? what could have I done differently to make sure there are no bugs in the system?

Just like in a form - there are so many things to pay attention to. Will I ever be able to perform one without any errors? probably not. When paying attention to one aspect of the form, another gets neglected.

But this is why practice is crucial. Keep doing it while thinking of what need to be fixed. This awareness is important for perfecting my forms and for delivering better projects.

Trust

My company mission is to respect, trust, and serve each other and our clients. Earning our customers trust and our peers trust is highly important. Our integrity is a key factor in doing this. Trust is not easy to to earn but pretty easy to break.

Trust is also important with your family. If your kids do not trust you, they might not tell you when they are in trouble. If you don't trust your spouse, well - that is probably the end of that relationship.

In Kung Fu student must trust their instructors. They need to trust that the instructor knows where they are and knows what they need in order to progress.

In all aspects of my life trust is super important. So can you trust me? :-) I sure hope you can!

Sphere of Influence

We all have a specific area of influence. Things we can affect. At home or at work we are able to make an impact on our surrounding. With more practice the area we have impact on is growing.

In Kung Fu, we also have our sphere of influence. If we go beyond it, we lose power. But with practice we can make the sphere bigger.

Action

I have lots of ideas for a blog but every time I start writing something down I stop and realizing I'm not ready to blog about this. This is similar to my experience with many other area of life.

So many thing to do, so many things to learn. How do you figure out what to do and how much to do of it? Learn lots of things but to a certain level or learn one thing and become an expert?

Even in Kung Fu, it is the same thing - learn one weapon and become an expert? focus on all aspects but not have enough time to get really good at any of them?

For me lots of times it leads to planning. Lots of planning. But there is time for action. At least do something so you get better at it...

How do you revive someones engagement?

Engagement is a funny thing. What is the first thing you do when you do not feel engaged? You stop.

When you have something you value for many years, the more look at it you may find more flaws, more issues. Obviously nothing is perfect. But when you for example look at a circle and see some dents and curves, does it mean it is not a circle? What it means that there is still value in what you do even if it is not perfect.

Some people need a reset, some need a kick in the butt. But it is hard to motivate someone who made their mind to stop. How do you get them to start or continue. How do you make them see the value they saw before?

How do you revive someones engagement?

Lessons Learned

You work, work, work and then it is all done. And then what? Continue to the next thing.
It never ends and we keep chancing after the next goal, the next challenge.
Do you know why? Do you know what is the purpose behind all this?

I'm in Pittsburgh. On Friday we implemented phase 1 of our project. The client is extremely happy as they get to use functionality they never had. So, I made other peoples' work better. I should be happy about that. But I can't help feeling that we could have done better.

How do I carry this over to the future. How do I make it not just a lesson learned but actually change how things are done?

15 Years

Next month it will be 15 years since I moved into Canada and that made me think about a lot of things in the last few weeks.

It was not easy to find work when I moved here and I did the math and my salary today is almost 4 times as much as I made the first year in Canada. Unfortunately it never seems to be enough. Why?

I made some friends since I moved here but it is not the same as life friends (you know - the ones you have known since grade 2). Shouldn't you be able to become good friend with someone in few years?

I looked at photos from 10 years ago. And though I had specific image of what I looked like back then, it was not the right image. I already had excess weight back then.

All these things in my head and all I can think is that it is really depends on what I do. But deciding and planning is not enough. I need to follow through. Hmmm...

Day Off

This week was a hard one. I flew to Pittsburgh on Monday and came back on Wednesday. The days were long. Thursday and Friday were busy too. I was hoping to get some rest over the weekend but like always it was busy.

I should take a day off and tell nobody. Not even myself.

Stop the Hate

Nothing new about this. There is lots of hatred in the world. For centuries people went to wars because of different beliefs, different views, different color, size, shape, ...

Why can't people just accept other people as they are?

On Saturday while participating in the Tiger Challenge, I got a message from my sister asking me if I am OK. There was a shooting incident in Pittsburgh which is where I spend about a week every month. A shooting incident that happened just because someone is hating someone else. Not the individuals that were killed and injured. The shooter did not know them personally. He purely shot them because they were different from what he is.

And I am in the kwoon with people that have different religious beliefs from mine, people from different backgrounds, with different shapes, colors, views - but we are working together and we are not hating or hurting each other. Why can't the whole world be like that??? 

What is important to me?

Every once in a while I go somewhere and see something that makes we wish I had something I do not have...

I am pretty happy with what I have and where I am but once in a while I am looking a the Johnson's. :-(

But wondering what I should have done is worthless. If something is really important to me, I should make a plan to get it and keep working on it. If I am not doing it, then it is not that important.

This is also true in Kung Fu. I am not going to be the same as any other person in Kung Fu. I will work and improve on what is important to me.

Family and sharing what we love

I always enjoyed the fact that Kung Fu allows me to spend time with my family. It started with me spending lots of time with Kobe and then with Sharida and the girls as well. It is still fun to be able to practice together. I always feared from the day one of them will decide to quit but it seems they are too scared at this point to do so... 😏

Now this year I am also enjoying spending time with my kids in other activities they are enrolled in. Kobe started playing basketball lots. It is fun to play with him although he is already better then me. We also enjoy watching NBA games together. Noa also started playing and I enjoy watching her practices and games. The other two, Shira and Aviva, decided to join gymnastics. OK here is my limit - I cannot really practice with them but I do enjoy watching them practice.

I am spending lots more time this year watching them in activities other than Kung Fu. But I think that the time we share at the kwoon allowed us to develop the connection we have today.

Forever in My Heart

I am thankful for the past 13.5 year I had Charlie. My companion and friend.
Some people say that you don't know what you have until you lose it. Well, with Charlie this was not true. I always knew what a great dog he was. Always waiting for me at the door, always there to cheer me up. You are in my heart forever.

what you loved

Sometimes what you loved to do is not what you love to do anymore. I used to love gardening. It was rewarding activity. Relaxing. And challenging.

Few days ago I was thinking about the fact that in the last few years I am doing close to zero gardening. I was wondering why.

Yesterday I did a little bit of gardening and today my back was feeling it. All my back is aching as it did not for long time. Now I know why I do not do gardening any more...

The Challenge

Plank is one of the better core exercises. It is strengthening your abs without harming your back. It is also working on your back muscles, gluts, thighs, ...

I was thinking of a challenge that will push me beyond my comfort level with a plank. Let say 1000 minutes in couple months. I've done it in the past but it was impossible to continue with it after the challenge was done.

This year I'm thinking more of sustainability. Something that I can continue after the challenge is complete. However, I still want to make it challenging and to get others to participate with me.

So the target date is Chinese New Year 2019 (Feb 5th). The plan is to do 300 minutes planks by target date. But if more than 3 people will join my challenge, I will add 100 more. Which means 400 minutes. If more than 5 people will join my challenge, I will do 500 minutes. If more than 10 people will join my challenge, I will do 600 minutes of plank.

The Next New Thing

We are constantly after the next new thing. It is almost impossible these days to be content with what you have. For sure, my current phone is doing what it needs to but can I imagine having my phone from 10 years ago? Shouldn't I buy a new piece of clothing to replace the one that is worn down?

Am I going to be able to be satisfied with what I've got? Do I have all I need?

It feels the same when learning Kung Fu. Learnt one form and now progress to the next. Practiced one application and not the new one looks like a shiny item I need.

I don't think that you can stop consumption either with the material world or with training. You always want and should get more. The question is how you do it and what balance you are making with getting better use with what you already have. Get all you can get out of it before you jump to the next new thing.

Just keep going

It could be experience or age, it could be a state of mind. In the last year I had a different view of my tasks and responsibilities.

I used to be scared of taking new challenges and stayed away from any. In the last year I am open to take any challenge that is presented to me. I am also not overly stressed about the results. For sure, I am doing my best to succeed but I will not loose sleep over it.

Sometimes I feel what I used to in the past but I can easily take a big breath an re-focus on what I'm doing and just keep going.

“If you spend too much time thinking about your loses you will never win.”-Kobe Csillag 2018 

Methods

I've been taking it easy since we came back from our vacation. My back and now also shoulder injury are not encouraging me to push harder while training.

I did, however, start a new exercise routine using an app called Methods. I also started running although I know I need to do more of that.

It has been a challenging year so far. Being away makes it harder to keep the routine going. I am building a routine while I am away, so things are getting better on that front.

I was away during the maintenance week and I kind of miss the kwoon and all of you...

The famous 5

No, it is not the 5 animals of Kung Fu. The Famous 5 are five women who did not accept how women were treated in the past. If you have not heard of them, please read in this link https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Famous_Five_(Canada)

Do I have the courage to stand up for what I believe in even if I have to stand against more powerful people? And this is for all levels of life. It can be at work, in school, in our community. Do I have what it takes to take a stand?

Making the kwoon part of who you are

You cannot get your black belt in private lessons. Just showing up to your class and nothing more. There is so much more for getting a black belt at SRKF. As a student (but especially if you are a black belt candidate) you need to be present in school event and even more so - lead these event. This is a great practice for life outside the kwoon. Taking initiatives and leading them is key for your success and the success of your organization.

There are many opportunities to be involved and lead the kwoon. One of them is the school maintenance. This one in particular is great because on top of being involved with the school and better yet leading the effort, you are also making a better connection to the kwoon. Making it part of you are.

Back to business

Love going on vacation but...
It always takes me of my routine.
It is so hard to get back to work.
I have so much catch up to do.

So, is it worth it?

For me it is a time of reset. Time to do some thinking.

...and tomorrow it is back to business.

Preference

As I write this blog, we are in Yellowstone. It is nice here but a bit overrated in my opinion. 

The campground has many sites, they are close to each other and small. The roads are packed jam with cars. The parking lots are always full. The scenery is nice but I think the Canadian Rockies are much more magnificent. The geysers are unique, beautiful and worth the trip.

Before leaving, lots of people told me it is so beautiful there. I guess beauty is very subjective. We all have our preferences.

This is the same with martial arts. Each person may find one more beautiful than the other. One that works better for them. There is no right or wrong. Just preference.

Past and present

We are on the way to Yellowstone. Stopped for few days at Writing on Stone provincial park. 

We got here 2 years ago and loved it. It is funny how while here now, you remember what happened last time we were here. 

One of the themes of that trip was Sharida breaking a board or two every day. 

This time we are using the broken boards (we have lots of broken boards) for starting fire. 

And thankfully the boards are the only thing broken - but that is for a future blog. 

I got my black belt. And now what?

Getting your black belt is a big goal. You train hard. Harder than ever. You learn lots and progress with techniques. And then one day it happens. You get your black belt. And now what?

We talk about it being a journey. Not a mountain we climb and reach the top and then stop. Some people reach the top of the mountain and then see another mountain in the distance. Now they are focused on this new thing. Some people decide to retire in the valley- framing a picture of the mountain on their wall. Some realized that they did not actually reach the top of the mountain range and that there is still more to learn.

Goal Setting

Goal settings is not an easy walk in the park. You have to consider your ability to achieve your goals.

Set it too high and you are setting yourself for failure. Setting it too low leads to mediocrity. Setting it in a way that is too easy for you to achieve, and you will not grow from the experience.

Challenging yourself but at the same time making it attainable is the key.

Sometimes we are setting goals that are for life. With these goals we have to be able to maintain and improve on what you do for a longer period of time. Create habits that will help you continue with your journey.

Removing Unnecessary Clutter

This weekend I did something that I should have done years ago. I cleaned my garage. You know how you keep this item that you never use and maybe you will use in the future? Or the item that you will never use but you had it when you did that awesome trip? Well - I got rid of all of these. I really challenged myself to empty it out and to keep only the items that I am using. Still wished I had a bigger garage, but at least now I can see the floor and some of the walls... :-)

With training it is kind of similar. I need to focus my attention to what is important now and not what might be important in the future or what could have been important in the past. Figuring out what are the important aspects of my training and focusing on them. For me there are 2 right now - getting my cardio to a reasonable level and taking my six harmonies to the next level. It is a bit hard to improve on both with my sore back but I am determined to do it.

Engaged?

I was back last Monday from a week long trip to Pittsburgh and then to Raleigh NC. Flying all day Monday and then crazy busy week at work. I did not really feel I am back.

This long weekend is probably a good reset for me. It was great being with lots of friends doing demos but I did not participate in the demos this year. My back was not feeling right for my weapon demo and I guess I'm retired from the Dragon?!

When we are part of the IHC group we have to make sure we are engaged. Even if we are not participating in a demo, you need to be part of the team. This is especially true if you are in your grading year. All the other students need to see your actions and believe you have earned the black belt.

Priorities

I had a conversation with someone about what is important and what we place in high priority in our lives.

Obviously the priorities are different from one to another person but they can also be different between the priorities for now and the priorities for the future.

The main question for me is do you sacrifice the now in order to achieve the future you want or do you delay the future goal in order to focus on the present.

Or maybe it is a combination of both. Like many things in life there should be a balance.

Not Ready

I am going away for work again. This trip is officially marking the start of phase 3  although we also have a day dedicated to phase 1 and needless to say there is also a phase 2 in the midst of all things.

Having one project phase is keeping me busy enough and having 3 right now is making me not be able to focus on all the things I need to do.

This is like aiming to learn and master 5 forms all in the same time. Unfortunately, this is not in my control and I do need to handle 3 project phases at once. I know I need to take a big breath, make a plan and then follow through.

With my weapon form, I've learnt sections 1 and 2 and have decided not to start section 3 until after Canada Day. I just don't feel ready yet.

So I will be away for a week and I will try to follow on you guys from distance web.

75

I always said that I want to be able to do things when I'm 75 years old. I remember hiking in the Himalayas when I was 20 and along side me there was a 76 years old man that was telling us that this is his 5th year in a row doing this 10 day trek.

This week I felt like I'm in a 75 year old body. I had pain walking, bending, sitting. I'm not sure what the reason is but my whole body felt tight and it was a challenge doing stuff.

I've been practicing Kung Fu for many years now and I've been practicing at the gym for many years as well, but in the last 1-2 years I've noticed a decline in my cardio ability (that was not very high to begin with). Lack of energy as well.

In the next couple weeks I will explore different ways to get the energy back and to recondition my body to do better. (if you have ideas I would love to hear them!)

The List

I have a list. A list of things I want to have, things I want to do, places I want to visit.

I had the list for many years. The list changed since I started it. Things added, things removed. Some of the items on the list were crossed off - got it, been there, done that...

Right now the list is not written down. I am not accountable to myself for the items on the list. I want to change that. I want to write the list (including the items I got) and then I will be able to literally cross things off. I will also have a better reminder to what is on my list.

Awesome

Pandamonium yesterday was awesome! I was able to spend the day with a great group of people. The interactive challenge with the charities was awesome and made everyone interact with the charities and do some Kung Fu. Our demo and the lion dances were great. All the fundraising events were successful.

I wish we had better attendance from the students. Especially the kids. I wish more of them would have been there as it was so awesome.

Busy busy busy

I’m continuing to be extremely busy at work. However I’m still able to practice at the Kwoon and also at the gym. Sometimes I don’t feel like it but I go anyway. I am glad I do that as it feels better after working out.

My right shoulder has been hurting in the last 2 weeks which reduced my weapon training. I hope it gets better soon.

Summer is here and in between camping trips, work getting even busier and lots of Kung fu activities, I have to make sure I get my rest.

Bad Things Happen when Good People are Silent

What makes us take a stand instead of being the silent bystander? When is it important enough for us to get involved? With many ills of society, the issue is worsen because us bystanders are silent.

Being a black belt, being a team lead at work - there is consequence to my actions but there is also consequences for inaction.

Exhaustion

This last week was hard. I was away in Pittsburgh from Monday to Friday. I had intentions to do lots of training while I was there but all my plans stayed as plans.

On Monday instead of going to the gym before my flight, I had to attend a meeting in the office. Then 10 hours later, I landed in Pittsburgh and I had to prepare for the next day, going to sleep at 2am.

Tuesday was long. Very long. I had full day meeting with the client and then few more hours with my partners. I was able to go to the gym but I was extremely tired.

Wednesday I was exhausted. When we were done with the day I went for a walk and then fell asleep. I was catching up on sleep so I thought I should be OK on Thursday.

On Thursday as I was walking back to the hotel, I sprained my ankle and found myself on the concrete floor. Needless to say I was not able to train that day.

Well, at least the weekend was good.

I was at open training. I practice my forms and was working with one of my girls. I connected with some people before the IHC meeting. I went for a run. Did lots of yard work.

Now I need few days to rest from last week and the weekend. Hmm. maybe next year...

Peaks and Valleys

When climbing a mountain, sometimes you need to cross valleys and sometimes you need to stop and view the beauty around you.

It is OK to take some break as long as you are able to continue with your journey. It is OK to go steady rather than sprinting and then collapsing without the ability to carry on.

I always try to do what I can sustain for future years. And I also grateful for all that I and the people around me have achieved.

More practice is needed.

Big city. Lots of people. High rise buildings. This is downtown Vancouv
Back to Kung fu reality - I recorded my form an I did not like it. I have lots to work on.
Videos do not lie. I have lots to practice.

Change

Part of my role at work requires me to let go of things I did in the past and get others to do it. It is hard sometimes to let go as you don't know if they will do a good job and if they will do it the way you want to do it. Also, there is some unknown in terms of what you are going to be doing if you are not doing what you did in the past.

Last Saturday I had the same feeling. We practiced the Dragon and I let Simon head the dragon. I was just on the outside giving feedback. This was different and challenging for me.

There is nothing permanent except change. - Heraclitus

Photography Eye

It has been a hard week. I left last Sunday and got home on Saturday. 2 short weekends and a very busy week at a client site make it hard to focus on what is important to me.

So why do I do it?

Because I need to get better. There is something in me that will not let me stay stagnant if there is an opportunity to improve.

I was watching a photography course on the flight back and there was something the guy said in relation to becoming a good photographer that stack with me - "People that can't see that their work is lacking, will never get any better".

This is so true. Attention to details. Knowing what you did wrong. These are a must in the path of mastery.


"The rain has stopped and is no longer with us. We still love the rain and we miss him so much." Geshem, 2018

Memories

Decisions we make, actions we take are what makes us who we are.
Any change in our past would have changed where we are now.
Some decisions or actions could have had a major effect and some minor.

If I did not decide to join Kung fu years back, I would obviously not know most if not all of you.
Other things would be different as well. For the better? For the worse? Who knows.

Even the one event I would have want to change could have meant I would not be where I am now. Life and experience defines who we are. All we can do is learn and shape our future.

Love you and miss you Aba.

Why? Because it keeps me (mental) healthy

On of the biggest changes I'm going through this year is the ability to ask WHY?

Everything I do at work, home, kung fu - I ask myself why? what is the point of what I'm doing? what is the purpose?

Talking about being in the moment, thinking about the now. What is the point? Taking deep breaths, focusing. Why? We live pretty stressful life and we need to realize the reason why we do this. Do I love being stressed at work? why is it worth it?

I watch this video yesterday that talks about our minds (rotten minds) and suggests how to make them better. I personally love the idea of smiling. There is something about this action of the face that makes your whole body relax.

Try it:
1. Smile
2. Deep Breath
3. Focus on Now

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6YbWRqsnHdo

Catch Up

As things change we need to change and adjust. As a well organized person, it is hard for me to adjust to the change before the change is happening. As much as I plan, I am not ready for what I do not know.

Once I've done it, I can refine the methods and procedure and make sure things are done correctly.

This is frustrating for me as I would have liked to make it work the first time. Especially with new team members, it is challenging to set expectations when you are not sure what they are.

The more I am thinking about this the more I realize that I need more patience but at the same time I need to make sure that what was agreed on is taken care of.

As all of the above was relating to my work, it is also apply to IHC. Specifically to starting a new year. Practicing a new form, setting new requirements. The beginning, until you develop the right habits is not easy. This year I had a road block with my back and my starting point was delayed. I have lots of catch up to do.

Personal Goal #3 - Guitar

My 3rd personal goal is probably going to be the hardest one.

Other than a short stint with a recorder in grade 4, I never played a musical instrument. Both my brothers and my sister played the guitar but I never did.

I plan to learn how to play the guitar this year. This will require me taking some lessons and adding another training aspect to my routine.

I tried doing this couple years ago and failed. I want this year to be different.

Personal Goal #2 - Stay connected

How appropriate... I'm flying to Pittsburgh today and I'm going to be there for the rest of the week. This new project added new challenges and one of them is being away from the kwoon (and from my practice routine).

This is why my second personal goal this year is to stay connected.

I plan to attend open training whenever I am not away. I plan to attend sihing class once a month. I plan to attend the evening adults class at least once a month and most important, while I am away, I plan to read posts and add a post or a message every day.

See you next Saturday at open training.

Personal Goal #1 - meditation

Last year, during the year of the rooster, I participate in the alpha mind workshop. This 2 weekends program was teaching meditation techniques to visualize and achieve success in life. That workshop was part of my rooster personal goals.

My first goal for the year of the dog is to practice these techniques and to benefit from this type of meditation and visualization. 

I plan to do at least 52 of the “short” meditation and 12 long meditations. I wrote short in double quotes because the short meditation is not short. It takes about 10 minutes. The long session is about 30 minutes. It is hard to find the time to do these without being interrupted. 

I also plan to also take 4 more workshops of meditation this year. This will be to expand my knowledge and experience with different meditation techniques. 

End and Start

Yesterday we had our banquet which marked the end of the Rooster year. The day was busy as always and I think we got to work like an oiled machine. Before, during and after.

From my perspective, this was a great banquet. Maybe because of the switch between the performance and the meal (finally got to eat...) and maybe because I'm getting used to it.

I do want to thank everyone who took part in organizing the day. We all did great as a team!

Looking ahead to the Dog year. I tried to stay focused on the Rooster so I am a little late with some of the Dog stuff. I need to keep it going with the changes required with new forms, new goals.

I am excited to see new members on the team and I will be missing some that are not returning. I wish everyone Happy New Year and a successful Dog year!

Planning the chaos

I'm a planner. There is not doubt about this. In the past, I used to plan so much that I never got to execute my plans.

In the last few years I've learnt to adapt, to accept that some things might not go as planned, and to adjust.

I think that now I get to plan multiple plans in my head. If plan A is not working, try plan B or C. But I am also getting better of doing ad-hoc planning where it is all based on the changing scenarios.

I've been challenging myself in some occasions to not plan at all and to be able to adjust what I'm doing as I go. I find it challenging but I do learn a lot about myself.

This year - the dragon dance is semi-choreographed. I know what sequence of moves I am going to do but I do not know which side it is going to be. It will depend on where the lion is... So dragon guys, if I start doing the barrel roll during the demo - you better be ready!

Keep going forward

Looking at the past IHC year, I do not want to summarize it as a failure or as a success. I like looking at the IHC as a series of successes and a series of failures. As mastery is a journey not a destination, I cannot say "I failed" or "I succeeded" as I'm still in the the process of mastery. I will continue to fail, I will continue to achieve my goals. I will continue to better my self. I will never stop.

It is one thing to say you are going to do it and another to actually do it

When I am thinking of the Adopt the Driveway program, I think that as a team we failed this year. It is not that the driveways are not cleared. But there are some elements missing from how we are doing it that takes away many of the benefits that could have been realized from this program.

--

There were too many times this year where someone cleared the driveway alone. No team building here.

I'm not aware of any SRKF member who is not IHC member (other than kids of...) that joined the shoveling effort. We did not inspire the kwoon to join.

There are only a handful of IHC members who actually went to shovel this year and many who did not even gone once. This imbalance in the team is not healthy.

--

I would assume that it is not convenient for anyone to go and shovel. We are all busy and have our own agendas. But if as a team we signed up for this, understanding the benefit of helping elderly people with this, I would have expect that people would prioritize this and make more of an effort to help with shoveling.

As we are still in the midst of winter, I challenge everyone in the IHC to participate in this team effort. There is still a chance to make it a success.

Balance

Life is a balancing act. There are competing priorities for every single minute and every single energy we have. If we had one and only one priority, we would be doing it 24-7, getting REALLY good at it. But, we have multiple priorities and a limited time and limited energy resources and therefore we need to choose wisely what we do and when we do it.

Part of my decision this year was to progress at work into a different role. This new role requires me to put more effort into training and it also result in more time away from home. This time is not there for picking. There are consequences to this. It means I have less time for things I used to do.

What is important for me is that my values, what I consider the "non negotiable" activities, are not negatively affected.  As I said, this is a balancing act.

Fitness class

After a break of about 7 months, we had fitness class again. There was a very good turnaround for the first class of this seminar and as always- Sifu Masterson’s class was great.

It was hard and fun at the same time.

Working as a group

I love working in a healthy team. The power of a healthy team is greater than the sum of its parts. This is why there should be collaboration, idea sharing. acceptance within the team.

Teams like that inspire and motivates the team members to do more and to be able to produce more than what they would have by themselves. When I work in a team I strive to get to that. I really don't enjoy working in teams where there is no collaboration, where there is intimidation, where people tend to work alone.