Fears

We all have fears. Fears from the different, fears from the unknown, fears from the future.

When we are facing danger our brain automatically chooses between flight, freeze or fight. This is our instinctive mechanism to face the danger.

Standing in front of what I fear, I act differently based on what I believe I can do best. Freezing however seems to be one way that I think I will mostly regret about in the future. I feel that an action is better than inaction.

Seeing my mom getting old and knowing that this time might be the last time I will see her is one of my biggest fears. And at this point I feel the I'm in freeze mode.

Vacation Time

Taking time off, going on a family vacation. That sounds great and relaxing but somehow it turns to be stressful. Making sure we are all prepared, trying to buy tickets to different places, planning the days so we won't waste time, worrying about the weather, the transportation, the accommodation, the food, the prices, the weather (did I say that one already).

Next time I'm going for an all inclusive cruise.

Now I need to relax and enjoy the ride. Whatever happens - so be it. I should still enjoy it and not question "what if?" all the time.

Into the unknown

When faced with unknown I can either ignore it or prepare for it.

Ignoring it and I will be faced with reality. Dropped into the deep end of the pool. Trying to keep my face up and breath.

Preparing for it, although not knowing what for, might make it easier when it happens. Some sort of emergency kit that when faced with the unknown will keep me above water.

How do you prepare? As I do not know what is ahead, I need to be prepared for everything. Keeping my skills polished and my instincts sharp. Looking around and finding other who might have walked the path before. Follow their success. Learn from their mistakes.

Energy Levels

The last couple weeks are bad. I've been low on energy and I also turning into food to keep myself going. I'm trying to stay active and attend the classes but it is not the same. The worse is open training where I find myself a bit lost. I want to be in there and practice but it just not working.

Trying to figure out if there is a way to boost my energy. Power smoothie, more chocolate, a sunny vacation...

If anyone has any ideas how I can get my energy level back up - please comment.

I have a plan

Everyone tells me I'm highly organized. Some even tell me that I'm the most organized person they know. It is true. I always have a plan or two. 

Most times I'm not sure how to react to that. I always wanted to be the best in other areas. In relation to Kung fu I wanted to be the one with the best flow, the best forms, the best techniques, well you get the picture. Being best organized just doesn't cut it. 

While reading the Art of War, one of the first statements in the book is:
"A victorious leader plans for many eventualities before the battle. A defeated leader plans only few. Many options bring victory, few options bring defeat, no options at all spell disaster. "

Now I feel better with being organized and always having a plan.  

What does Kung Fu teaches us? Discipline and Respect

There are many element of Kung Fu that teaches us how to respect one another, respect our teachers, respect our lineage.

When we bow into class we all say "Past Masters". This is to show respect to our lineage. A respect for all the effort our past masters put in order for us to be able to train and learn.

We we see each other, we great with hello, we make eye contact, we do not play with our belt. When we are given instructions in class we bow and say "yes/no sifu". This is to acknowledge the effort our instructors are putting when sharing their knowledge with us. With the younger kids we recite: "3 rules of concentration - Focus your eyes, Focus your mind, Focus your body." When a student is focused, they show respect to their instructors, to the art of Kung Fu but also they show respect for themselves.

When our master instructor, Sifu Brinker, steps on the mats, we should all stop and bow as a token of respect. Respect to the master instructor and respect to our lineage. This is also showing our gratitude for allowing us to train. When Sifu Brinker steps on the mats, someone need to call "Students" and everyone will stop what they do and bow.

Showing our respect to the alter is also very important. We never stand with our backs next to the alter. We never place our weapons or anything else in front of the alter. When we fix our belt or clothing, we also turn away from the alter.

And of course you have to respect yourself. This is an important part of building your character and becoming a better person. If you don't respect yourself, you cannot expect others to respect you.


"KNOWLEDGE WILL GIVE YOU POWER BUT CHARACTER WILL GIVE YOU RESPECT!"
Bruce Lee

Pushing beyond my stress limits

It has been super busy at work lately. It was busy before and I had too many tasks and projects. But in the last 2 months it has been even more. I usually have a busy first quarter and then it quiets down for couple months. This year the future is not clear. I am pushed to go beyond my comfort zone and I'm not sure how it is going to work and what it will require from me.

My stress levels however have been pretty low in the last few months and for some reason, things that would have stressed me in the past are not too bad. Even the potential future change is not stressing me right now. For sure I will have to learn lots but I believe I will be able to handle it.

"If there is something you are stressing about - can you do something about it? If not, why bother stressing about it. If yes, then do something about it. No reason to be stressed!"