Last blog post for the year 2011

The UBBT 8 challenge has truly made a change and a difference in my life both with my Kung Fu and with my family around me.

I would definitely participate in it again, and recommend it to everyone.

My goals for the UBBT 8 where;

1. 52 Journal entries
2. 50,000 Push ups
3. 50,000 Sit ups
4. 156 reps of Wudang 5 Animal Qigong
5. 2,080 chin ups
6. 5,200 kicks
7. 1000 acts of kindness
8. 1000 Liters of water consumed
9. 1000 reps of Lao Gar form
10. 365 fruits (I do not eat fruits, so I am challenging my self to eat at lest one fruit a day)
11. 365 days pop free (Quite drinking pop and other soft drinks)
12. Read 3 books on sailing (required reading for ASA Certification)
13. Learn how to sail a boat (take sailing lessons on one of our fresh water lakes)

(Regarding goals 12 and 13 – I have always wanted to sail around the world when I retire so these goals are working towards a longer term goals I have)

14. Grade for Black Belt

My accomplishments and failures are;

1. 42 Journal entries L
2. 51050 Push ups J
3. 51170 Sit ups J
4. 206 reps of Wudang 5 Animal Qigong J
5. 2082 Chin ups J
6. 7018 Kicks J
7. 934 acts of kindness J
8. 1092 Liters of water consumed J
9. 931 reps of Lao Gar form L
10. 365 fruits eaten J
11. 365 day pop free J
12. 0 books on sailing read J
13. 0 sailing lessons taken J
14. 1 Black Belt grading completed J

Some of the main things that I learned from participating in the 2011 UBBT 8 was that never stop doing your push-ups and sit-ups, 50,000 is not impossible and it will help keep you focused on the other goals that you have set. Don’t set your goals to low, you will be amazed on what you can get accomplished in a year. Never stop journaling, there are great benefits both personally and publicly that comes with journaling.

I will miss being part of the 2012 team next year but I will be following along with their progress.

An End is only but a New Beginning

Greg Wiebe

Stony Plain, AB, Canada

www.silentriverkungfu.com

Day 365

I was hoping to submit another blog entry before today, but time just flew by and here we are on the last day of the UBBT. That in itself is a reminder of the short time that we have to get to know ourselves.

This year was a good year for me, it seemed as though my main focus had been on mental training. I focused on maintaining a consistent conscious awareness of my emotions and mental being. With the mental training at the forefront, my hopes were that this sort of disposition would compliment and assist me with the personal goals I set out for myself this year.

I have felt a huge shift in my life...I don't believe its just because of the more positive outlook that I have on life in conjunction with what a lot might call the law of attraction, but what ever it is, it is working for me.

With the changes that I have made mentally in my life, I have noticed a shift in my kung fu...this to me is still two of the same, but because I have focused more on allowing kung fu to assist my old life, instead of trying to fit my life into kung fu - I have to word it as there being a shift in my kung fu. My next challenge will be to further myself, by incorporating my mental learning's into such things as sparring. An adjusted approach into my kung fu training should bring on a whole new realm of sight and possibilities.

Darcy Regier, Silent River Kung Fu, UBBT, Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada.

New Year

2012 is almost here, in the past I have made hollow new year's resolutions but in the last few years I have just resolved to make the new year better than the last, taking whatever steps I needed to make it happen. This "resolution" has served me well. I am finding more and more people my age (in their 30's) are resigning themselves to domesticity, to a boring life that they must endure or worse yet letting go of their own goals so they can give 100% of themselves to be a great mom or dad, something that will backfire in their near future. I read a friends status on facebook on his 31st birthday, it read- "spent a quiet day at home, perfect for a 31st birthday, couldn't imagine a more boring age to be". It was sad actually, I wanted to tell him he's not doing it right. I plan on making every year that I have count, there are so many cliches about regrets, but they are so true. When I go to bed at night I want to be a better person than I was when I woke up. That is my life long resolution.

Andrea Prince

What I REALLY Got For Christmas

This Christmas has been, so far, the best and most memorable ever and I feel truly blessed. The best gift I received was a book that Dennis got from a used book store. When I opened the package and saw the title, I cried. The book was titled "How to Survive and Prosper as an Artist: Selling Yourself Without Selling Your Soul." I had no idea this book existed and now it's in my hands. On the surface I got a cool book, but looking deeper, this is what I really got:

The belief that I can truly make it prosperously as a glass artist.
A roadmap to fulfilling that dream.
Help and support is there, just ask, and it shall reveal itself.
The humbling and feeling of immense gratitude from seeing and feeling just how much I am supported.
I have a gift, now go share it with the world, just go as the how will fill itself in.

My head is still swimming in the wonder of it all and to tell the truth, I don't want to leave the "water."
Sherri Donohue

A title?

I accidentally forgot to blog last week. Oops. A couple of things that I need to keep in front of me - routine is very important, and there is nothing like the pain one feels after an incredible workout. Routine is key to so many things. It helps us develop discipline, so that if and when the routine is interrupted, it isn't a huge obstacle to continue training. Your habits are already in place, so that your routine can be adjusted without much damage. It is also important to keep a routine over the holidays when everything is so busy, so that when we get back to our normal schedules, we aren't starting anew. If you have to start anew, it can be very overwhelming - so it's best to just keep doing what you always do. For example, pushups, situps, walking, and/ or eating habits. As for pain after an awesome workout - enough said. Awesome!I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season....I will see you on January 1st for 1000 pushups!

What a Fantastic Year!

When am I going to start reflecting on my goals? It seems like all that I have been thinking about lately is how I got here and what does it feel like. What has changed? What has stayed the same? What else do I want to change? What do I want to stay the same?
I have definitely been thinking a lot about my journey and what defines it and where it is going. I have also been working very hard at practice, dragon dance and training. That is where I am the most happiest person ever, when I am working on my kung fu, in any form. Each day is structured around maximizing my kung fu time; take something out for dinner that can be cooked by my family (thank you tons and tons), so that I can eat when I am finished my practice and then go and practice some more. Some days it means getting up extra early so that I have time to practice before family time or errands that contribute to the running of my household. Whatever it takes, I make time for practice, I love it.
One of the things that I noticed that has changed the most for me is making time for everything. I don't waste as many minutes as I used to, each portion of the day has a purpose and I try not to let it go to waste. I like to get things done. The more things that I can check off my list each the day the happier I am. I have always been this way but before I didn't exactly know how to get it done. I plan my days better now so that I can fit more stuff in and I spend way less time sitting around wondering how I am going to get it all done. I can not pin point when in the last year that the transformation took place, I just noticed that I am different. Here is an example; each year at Christmas time, I make elaborate plans to make items for people as gifts, I usually accomplish about half of what I set out to do and experience disappointment in myself. This year, I made a plan and I set it in motion and completed it in time. Two key things have changed, I am more realistic about what I can get accomplished so I didn't plan as many things and I stayed committed to what I was doing and got it done within my deadline.
I did not have a goal that stated that I should make better use of my time, etc. I just got super busy with all the things that I love to do and had to figure out a way to make it all happen. This is the true benefit of striving for mastery everyday, all kinds of cool things start to happen and before you know it, you are the person that you have been earning to be. I will always set goals for myself that include a daily commitment towards improvement, so that I can enjoy the fringe benefits of changing and growing each year.
That is the biggest impact that UBBT has had on my life this year. I have completed push ups, sit ups, kicks, forms, acts of kindness and many of the goals that I had set out to do. I also am continuing to work on many aspect of those same goals, as I don't think that I will ever be finished with them. I am a different person than I was went I started on this journey, actually I am different than when I got up yesterday morning and I will be different again tomorrow morning. As long as I strive towards mastery in all that I do, I will continue to grow.

Mexico!!

I'm leaving...on a jet plane....merry christmas to all--hope you have an awesome break! I'm looking forward to achieving a goal I never officially set this year; travel. I am finally going! I know its just a short trip, but its the first step in the long journey of many travels I hope. I'm looking forward to a rest from training also, just enjoying the moment. Hope the holiday is happy for all!!

Work what?

Stress has almost become a normality for me lately. There are three main parts of my life as I see it. Home which is the most important, Kung Fu which is important to me and work which is a necessity. As I have blogged earlier this year, I am dealing with some personal issues at home which are very stressful, the process of grading for your blackbelt is very stressful but work had always been good until now. With less than a month to Christmas our company has been sold to one of our major competitors and now the questions of what will happen begins. There is a good chance that they will make major changes to management (which I am part of) and layoffs could be coming. I have worked for this company for 15 years and we are like a family but this new company is very profit motivated and they get it by scrutinizing everything down to the penny. The reason I am blogging about this is because I'm able to relieve some of the stress by sharing with my teammates. Before the UBBT, I would have just internalized everything and never shared with anyone except my family. Now I feel that I must share with everyone because we are a team and that is the most important thing that the UBBT has taught me.

Sihing Lindstrom
Student Member
UBBT 8

Here and Now

For the past 10 years the Christmas season has had an undercurrent of angst and because of that I could not truly enjoy the season. The angst ranged from "I have to remember to teach the students this" to " I wonder how the students are going to be" to frantically cramming in knowledge so that I can teach a course I knew squat about, to being in tears over the upcoming 6 weeks of living hell of a schedule I was about to undergo. Basically I was anticipating and living in the future. Not really a cause for celebration, however this year is different.

I declined the offer to go back for the spring semester and for the first time in what seems like forever, I am feeling peace, joy, and serenity. In this moment I am living in the present. When I declined the offer I felt a release, maybe a final thread of stress, I don't know, but what I do know is that there is a certain calmness that wasn't there before.

Why did I decline the offer? Going back did not align with my life purpose to learn, to grow, and to create. I have chosen to go full forward with me, my Kung Fu, and with my glass art. There's a boatload of learning, growing, and creating to be done of which I am both thrilled and anxious. It's all good, no, let me rephrase that, it's all amazing.

I wish all of my Kung Fu family and their families a very Merry, Blessed, and prosperous holiday season that is filled with joy, fun, and, laughter. All the best in 2012!
Sherri Donohue

the Ultimate Black Belt Test

Great title right? When I talk about the Ultimate Black Belt Test or blog about it, I always use the much easier abbreviation of UBBT, and in doing so I think I tend to forget what it really means. Ultimate... wow. When I think about the ultimate anything it's pretty amazing, and so has this process been for me. This has been my third consecutive UBBT and next year I will not be a part of the new UBBT/ I Ho Chaun and it feels kind of weird. It feels a little like I'm in kindergarten and my parents just dropped me off at school. Can I do this on my own?

I started this process as a green belt and Sifu Brinker told me what a great opportunity it was because I was getting a head start on what it was like to be a Sihing. I had never set so many goals that I followed through on as I did that year. I learned a lot about discipline and being accountable. I got so much accomplished that I have stayed a part of the UBBT every year since. I have made a lot of good habits that I will take with me; acts of kindness, daily pushups & situps and taking the stairs or the long way just to get those extra kms everyday just to name a few.

I do believe that the Ultimate Black Belt Test is only "ultimate" if you give it everything. You have to commit yourself to the process and above all be accountable. Your going to have your ups and downs and fall behind where you thought you would excel, but if you know the no quitting requirement is not an option for you you will accomplish great things.

Andrea Prince

It's Christmas!!!!!!

Don't forget as you run around doing your last minute shopping and errands, and try to fit one more thing in before the holidays, etc. It's Christmas!
I feel truly blessed to have the opportunity to train, laugh, sweat, chat, take risks, shovel, encourage and inspire an amazing group of people. I wish you and your families a Very Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year!
I look forward to encountering all of you in the new year as we all strive to be better tomorrow than we are today.

Sihing Kichko

Holiday Season

Hello all,

I would like to wish everyone and their families a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Gamble Family

UBBT 2011 Highlights

Hello all,

2011 has been a very rewarding year and I have improved greatly as a person.  The UBBT process has been a driving factor in progressing in my kung fu and in every aspect of my life.  Here are the highlights for me:

Blogging - this has been a great tool in ensuring that I stayed on track with my personal goals and connected to the UBBT team.  It also took me out of my comfort zone a couple of times, blogging about myself and even sharing personal feelings.  This is new and somewhat of a breakthrough for me.

Random Acts of Kindness - recording random acts of kindness helped me to be mindful of being kind.  Also, I was more aware when I received random acts of kindness.  If these activities catch on for many people, there would be a lot more kindness in the world.  This one was very easy to do and it feels good.

Physout - This to me is the biggest factor in being successful in achieving my goals is to publicly record and manage my progress.  This is a great tool and I posted my progression on a weekly basis the same time as my weekly blog.  It provide me a tracking tool as well as motivation to succeed.  I would suggest that this should be a requirement for the 2012 team, just my opinion.

Have a great week!

Allan Gamble

Happy to be where I am.

Do I write about........
Christmas?
How I think that last year has gone?
The thrill and excitement of the Dragon Dance?
Being on holidays and feeling like I can breath for a second or two before moving on to the next thing to do?
Fundraising, how to share the passion?
My new kitten and the highs and lows of finding the right food for him?

Each and every week, I pack as many things as possible into every day. This is mostly due to the UBBT team and learning that each moment has a purpose. I started out trying to fit all my requirements into each day and discovered that I love to be busy and I love to accomplish things every day. I no longer think that I don't have time for something new, I think, how am I going to make this work?
I am on holidays until Jan. 08, I am hoping that I can manage to stay busy until then.

last years goals

Ok, lets talk this past years goals, and what I got out of them. My list of goals included; 50 000 push ups and situps (standard), 500 rounds of lao gar, 1000 rounds of cane form, 500 hrs of kung fu, 25,000 kicks, 400 mins horse stance, 500 mins sparring, 1000 acts of kindness.
What did I learn from these? Truely learned the discipline of practicing a little everyday adding up. I completed the pushups, situps, forms, kicks; close on the hrs of kungfu, should get the random acts done if keep it up, sparring and horse stance, no where even close. I think I bit off a bit much the first time round, but its helped me alot to learn time management.
Next: 52 connections with friends (1 a week). This was great--I actually have had some fun this year!
25 dates with Sean; also great--hard to make time sometimes, but well worth it.
Read 20 books --totally awesome, a real mind stretcher as they werent fiction
Finish a year long daily meditation book--almost there, and another great focus for me
1750 servings of fruit/veg, no more than 1100 servings of bread/grains--this mutated through the year as I read more and learned more about my body and how it reacts to different things.
Achieve my paddling certificate;no where close, looked into it AFTER all the courses were done; bottom line, do your research early!
Financial cleanup--will, divorce, budget---yeah, not so good. Still on the list of things to do.
Paint or draw a picture of a dragon. This one, not sure. I did start on it, but have got blocked.
Out of all of this I learned I am fairly disciplined when it comes to physical training, but the spiritual and mental stuff definitely needs some work! I look forward to challenging that part of my training next year--in fact all my goals are in that category. Good luck to all of us!

The Beginning of the End or is it the End of the Beginning?

The year long UBBT is nearing the count down. We have two weeks to make this a finish to remember. Soon it will be time to reflect on where this challenge has brought us...was there growth, gain or achievement? Did the challenge go smoothly through the entire year...? Did you challenge yourself to build yourself or defeat yourself? There are so many questions to ask and so much to learn from this test.

The question that I had to ask myself at the end of my first year was, "is this the beginning of the end or the end of the beginning? "Beginning of the end", meaning - the continuation of the first year and "end of the beginning", meaning - end of the what could have been a life long self learning tool.

I obviously chose the "beginning of the end" and will again next year.

Too many people choose to stop learning and stop challenging themselves. I see what that does and personally I think its best to keep your mind active, continue to learn (about yourself) and grow within.

All the best to my teammates, keep on learning!

Darcy Regier, Silent River Kung Fu, UBBT, Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada.

End of Year Approaching Rapidly

Hello all,

We are nearing the end of 2011 and it has been a very challenging and rewarding year.  Very busy times right now with work, family, christmas, black belt grading process, ubbt year, dragon dance, and some other things.  I plan to blog a reflection of my ubbt journey next week as I am on the run this week.  All is going well and I am very happy!

Allan Gamble

almost there

I know I'm supposed to stay in the moment, but I can't wait for this week to be over! I'm looking forward to being able to spend more time on my kung fu, right now it barely feels like I'm making it to class and practice let along fix anything. Only two more days. Just have to keep breathing.

Andrea Prince

Leaky Holes

In the Prosperity Tribe class that I am in there is a concept that is discussed and that concept is called "leaky holes". The definition given to a leaky hole is something that one spends unconsciously doing, in other words, doing something without giving it attention. Leaky holes is often used to determine nonsupportive spending habits such as always getting a Starbucks latte because that is what one does thirsty or not. However leaky holes can apply to various other aspects in life. I think I have heard the concept of mindful training a time or two in Kung Fu. Oblivious training could be considered a leaky hole.

Even though the leaky hole concept is wrapped around money, that isn't where my leaky hole is. Mine leaky hole concerns time. You know when you go to check something on the internet or email intending to spend 15 minutes at it and a solid hour goes by. Or intention of doing something and a shinier something comes along and there blows another chunk of time into the stratosphere. Yeah, that would about describe it. So first comes awareness, then comes action steps to keep me on track. It's amazing that when I keep on track how much I accomplish and in the direction of my life purpose and truthfully, that feels darned good.

It's interesting that when an "issue" arises so does a challenge. I have identified time as my leaky hole and have set in action steps to correct it. But alas a challenger has entered the scene. My previous employer called asking me if I want to come back to work part time for next semester. At first glance this would be a great opportunity because the coin is good. However, and this is the important point, is this going to add to the leaky hole situation? There are reasons why I left and by going back would I be going forward while having one foot stuck in a cement bucket? Not an easy decision and it's one that has to be made considering ALL of the factors involved.

Sherri Donohue
Silent River Kung Fu, Stony Plain, Alberta

Untitled

Why I volunteer........
I started the adopt-a-driveway program because I thought that it would be a fun thing to do with my kung fu friends. And it is. The first year, I don't think that I ever went out by myself to shovel, it was always with a group. In recent years, I often go in the morning after class with some of my training mates and it is always a great time. Throughout this time, I had heard that other members of the team had talk to our home owners, I did not meet any of them until last year. Then I got to meet Mrs. Chaulifoux and Mrs. Englehardt and they are very, very nice ladies. I am not just saying that because they give the most amazing baked goods. They are nice people and they truly appreciate what we are doing. One day, when we arrived, Mrs. Chaulifoux was out in the driveway getting started as she didn't want "you girls" to have to do it all. I feel truly blessed to have met this lady, she is a sweat heart and she is the reason that I strap on my snow boots each and every time that it snows, so she doesn't have to worry about the walk way.
A few years ago, we were all invited to listen to a lady talk about the project in Malawi. I went because I thought that is what was expected of me. What I heard was amazing! I don't remember all the words that were spoken, but I remember the passion. When Memory spoke about the girls at the school, I remember the depth of emotion that she shared with us. As I raise money for pandemonium this year, I don't think that I have to do this, I am thinking of her face and her voice and the passion that she shared with us that night.
I recently rescued a kitten. He was found in a garbage bag with his brothers and sisters at the dump (insert politically correct word here) and a kind soul found homes for all of them. I don't know the gentleman that started the whole thing but I think of him often and his kindness and selflessness. I am sure that it wasn't easy lining up five homes in one afternoon but he did it. He even gave each of us a little milk replacer for kittens to get us through the night. When I met my kitten, he was very frightened, he had had quite an adventure, I settled him by zipping him into my hoodie where he promptly went to sleep listening to my heart. I think of that moment when I am speaking to people about donating money to SCARS.
I believe that everyone needs to know that someone in the world cares about them. Just one person, that is all it takes. When someone is feeling alone, they need a place to turn, to talk, to feel grounded, to know that there is someone who understands. When we give money to the Simon Poultney Foundation, we are providing that opportunity, that moment (it's a precious one) that could change a person's life.
These are the things that I think about all the time. I don't drag my butt around complaining about all the things that I have to do to be a better person or because someone else wants me to. I drag my butt around because I want to help people, I want them to know that I care, I will help, listen, shovel and even eat a brownie once in a while so that they feel better.
So now you know, what drives me when I am volunteering. What drives you?

UBBT 8: The Gifts

It's very easy to look at one's goal list and assume that's what they got (or not) as a result of a year long event. X number of pushups, situps, Kempo reps, kicks represent only what's on the surface of achievement. However when one looks below the surface, the list of real accomplishments may be not only many, but also very surprising. When I reflect on this past year, I received a lot of gifts and some came from left field. A list gives an example of what was really accomplished as a result of a year long, can't quit, up/down/left/right event.

A training schedule and system that works for me.
A team of team mates that provided mentorship, help, and support.
An evolution of a circle of like-minded and action-oriented friends who gather monthly to explore tastes and boast culinary skills.
Immense personal and Spiritual growth in directions I didn't anticipate.
Deep gratitude for the leaps and steps I have taken thus far and continue to take.
Access to amazing materials, books, and programs.
Deepened awareness, listening and understanding of my body's requirements in regards to nutrition, activity, and movement. Gluten-free replacement method didn't work, but gluten-reduced with high raw does.
Increased awareness and acknowledgement of my inner guidance and the directional signs that appear before me. The signs get more intense when ignored, trust me on this one.
Beliefs and boundaries that are challenged, questioned, and pushed in order to determine mine and non-mine. To tag along, the amount of support I have when I am in self-doubt.
My glass art taken to and projected to a whole new level and experience and learning.
Self-healing and empathy
A greater definition of what I truly want in life and who I am. Aka my life purpose.
A realization of the type and value of support that I actually give especially to Dennis. This was a big a-ha as the support is non-monetary and is of huge value.
Greater awareness of when I'm buying my own baloney and the punt needed to quit buying it.
Friends with whom I can have a great conversations with on a great variety of topics and when the chips are down, our backs are covered.

I am sure that upon more reflection more things will appear. And yes, this all was accomplished through the pushups, the situps, the forms, the blogging, the torch time and what not.

The one question remains: knowing then what I know now, would I embark on this event again? The answer: why wouldn't I?

ruminating

After Master Brinker asked us to ruminate on last year, I went back and read my blogs. One interesting thing I noticed was that my book challenge--to read 20 books at least 15 of them books I might not normally (such as philosphy)--was the basis of alot of blogs. That one requirement was a real mind and soul stretcher this year....so I have to do it again!!:)

a little scattered

I didn't blog last week, and this week is almost over too. I wrote a few different blogs and deleted them, they were just too negative. I feel really spread thin right now. I am trying to figure out what the heck I was thinking when I decided to grade this year and take on 10 courses at the same time. Finals are here, 10 written and 4 practical. Chantal's birthday is today and she is having 4 friends sleep over this weekend. Practice Friday night. Dragon dance practice Saturday. Class Monday and Wednesday nights, Christmas concert, 2 or 3 finals per day next week. I need to cook dinner, make lunches, hopefully shower a few times in there, fix my form and techniques for next practice, and actually studying for those finals might be a good idea. People ask me if I'm "ready for Christmas" and I keep going oh ya, that's happening this year too. Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining, this is my life and I enjoy it, but things are a tad crazy right now. I'm going to be as organized and on task as much as humanly possible the next week and a half. I'm going to have to focus on what I am doing at that particular time and shut out everything else... that's going to be a tough one. I find I'm just saying random words in my head during kung fu for my medical terminology test, or while sitting in class I find myself thinking about what the green belts are going to do for the Chinese New Years banquet. "Where am I and what am I doing?" is going to be my mantra this week.

Andrea Prince

December 2011 UBBT Challenge!

This is the final month for our 2011 UBBT and it is prudent to issue a challenge related to blogging.  We had our final 2011 UBBT progress meeting this past Saturday and Sifu Brinker nudged us to share our experience through blogging.  This is a great way to share our individual journeys with our current team mates and provide our learning for the 2012 I Ho Chuan team.

I would like to challenge all 2011 UBBT participants to blog on this site 5 times in December!

Gamble has 2 blogs today!

Have fun.

Allan Gamble

Getting Better

There are a group of us candidates grading for our black belts this year and we are in the final stage with a lot of work to do.  The focus now is improving our individual techniques and forms.  The last couple of weeks have been very challenging and hard on the body physically, but I think we all turned a corner at our evaluation last night.  Our partnerships have strenghtened and we have invested  a lot of effort in getting better each time, and I think we hit a major milestone last night.  Last night felt pretty good and our efforts are being rewarded with continuous improvement.  Also, our most recent Dragon and Lion dance looks awesome!  I think it came to life when we added the music component.

Have a great week!

Allan Gamble

Interim blog

On the weekend, Sifu Brinker asked us to reflect on what we have learned in the past year. I started writing that blog and realized that it is going to take me longer than the time that I had set aside to do it. This is my interim blog while the other percolates some more.
My training this week has been very interesting. I am learning some very cool stuff and having a great time doing it. I am also trying to fix some things that continue to haunt me, probably because I didn't really fix them the first time. I know that I will find the real truth when I look at the root of the problem, I just have to find the nerve to take a peek. I will continue to work on my courage to do so.
Until next week, work hard and have fun.
Sihing Kichko

Mental challenge

This past week I have had a few challenges, but I am fortunate to have something to help keep me going. Yes, my children and family are number one on that list, but Kung fu and my family there are a close second. Keeping harmony ( and peace - although that can be a hit or miss) at home, and running the couple of kids classes/ prepping for the Chinese New Year banquet have been fantastic tools to keep me going.

We had our monthly Black Dragon grading yesterday, and watching the kids receive their new belts never ceases to inspire me. It's even more awesome when there are kids from our advanced class. Way to go guys!

Finding My Place in My Life

First is a disclaimer that this blog is based on my personal opinion and experiences and is not intended to be used as a guide or scale for your life, but is just my food for your thought. LOL!

Most of my blogs link together one way or another, but anyway, I wrote awhile back on how I felt, that we could have control of our thoughts, if we so chose to.

Choosing to gain control of yourself is really self awareness and finding yourself; amongst living in the moment, living with intent and purpose. I have found that there are obviously things in my environment which have an impact on me, but it is how I choose to react which dictates the outcome.

This is not a written challenge, and maybe it should be, but I always want to become a better person, a better me. I feel that as I build in that direction, that most of everything else becomes easier. My stress level decreases and along with that is a multitude of goodness. The goodness typically just seems to linger, of course a good linger...like lint! I could use the word cling but I think linger best describes how It feels, it’s like an aura.

There are times when I lose my focus, and what happens....ya, stress builds, hopes, goals and dreams are lost in the back of my mind, even the smallest things that were easy to control become a challenge. At that point, I have found it very important for me to communicate. The people who communicate with are people who I trust, good listeners, also people who aren’t afraid to tell me the truth, whether it momentarily offends me or lifts me.

When I manage to stay on track, the feeling is overwhelming. When I say stay on track, for me that involves, how much and what I eat, my strong work ethic, communications with friends and family, exercise, maintaining goals, my kung fu training (physical), everything. Really if I look at this list, it is really, so much about mind control.

I know myself well enough, I say “well enough”, because I don’t feel that I know everything about myself and don’t know if I ever will. Wouldn’t that be cool to know everything that you were capable of? Off topic, but...I know myself well enough to know where my boundaries are, what impacts me in a good way and what impacts me in not such a good way. By staying within my boundaries and focusing on in a nut shell...who I want to be and what I want from my life, life becomes that much more pleasurable, it becomes easier, not a threat or challenge.

I can 100% fore sure say that one of the major influences to my personal betterment has been kung fu. Some might say.... How can kung fu do that much? There has to be something else to attribute your success or feelings to? Really the way I see it... life is a huge mind game! Once you are capable of controlling the main switch board, the smoother the operation of all the connected components.

Look at all the people affected by mental illness, this is not a game, but it is part of the realm of life; part of which we have the ability to alter. I feel that 80-90% of my kung fu training and benefit is mental. So, what I said earlier was essentially that my mental stability, self awareness and stress levels, are in a good place and is having a dramatic affect on who I am.

I still have lots to work towards and improve; goals to meet and challenges to face, but I like who I’m becoming.

Darcy Regier, Silent River Kung Fu, UBBT, Stony Plain, Alberta, Canada.

The 3 R's

In my life right now the 3 R's stand for relaxation, reflection, and rejuvenation. Shows are tiring both mentally and physically and I find I need down time after I'm finished for the season. What worked, what didn't, what am I doing and where am I going are the questions that are floating around my mind these past few days in regards to life in general rather than just my glass art.

During the Lloydminster show I found out that a fellow co-worker from another department passed away suddenly in June from a heart attack. He was 50 and had plans to go back to Paris next summer. The gal telling me this news was saddened by it, of course, but also was full of anger and resentment towards the employer and was revealing to me that she is soooo outa there...... in 5 years. Blink, blink! In that moment my first silent question was "why not now" and my first feeling was that of gratitude that I took a leap of faith to defy all logic, to leave a routine (and paycheck) and to live my life now.

I often hear that I am so lucky that I can do my glass art, my Kung Fu and whatnot because I have a husband who supports me. Of course the literal translation is "your husband is a wallet therefore you don't have to worry about money". Now that's an assumption the size of the universe! However, I do have husband support and the wallet support is the least important of the support he gives me. Dennis believes in me and my potential and that is so important especially when I want to pull a lampshade over my head and hide from the world. There are times that it's his belief in me that keeps me going and sometimes the belief comes in the form of "how many more signs do you want for confirmation?? Get over yourself and get on with it already!" And I'm grateful for it all.

I finished my Weight Loss For Women Who Feel Too Much course and I really felt like I bombed it. I went in with the intention of melting away the body fat that was tagging along despite what I did. Well that's not what the outcome was. I wrote in my closing email that I had difficulty keeping on track and doing the exercises and as a result I didn't lose any weight, but I did break through resistance that I had in regards to the direction of my glass art. I got a return email response that said "WOOHOOO, The Universe works in such a powerful and perfect manner...you got EXACTLY what you needed out of this class...exactly! Clarity, purpose of vision and more. That is great stuff. Well, worth the class. And congratulations for being self-aware enough to KNOW that you got what you needed." I guess I didn't bomb it after all.

When I slow down I can take a good look at where I want to go in the future. What do I want to learn? What do I want to focus my training on? Is what I'm doing working and if not what shift can I make so it can? Of course there is the all-important question of what do I really want? What do I really want (and how would I train) if no one was watching me and if I didn't hold myself back? Hmmmmmm