Crowning Glory

So I've had this cranky crown on my tooth that kept being a literal pain and not settling down. Over the holidays I bit crosswise on a piece of roast beef and had pretty much the worst pain ever. I saw stars!! When I described the pain and incident to my dentist he questioned as to whether the crown was the actual issue. Upon investigation with a cool and trippy camera in my mouth, it was discovered that the crown was fine, it was the tooth behind that was cracked. Argh! So later this morning I am being prepped for another crown. I'd rather fix now and have all my teeth in my head than to opt out for the removable variety later on. Moral of this story: look behind what seems to be the obvious problem.

I have been thinking about the 20/20  hindsight of this year as to what I'd do differently. I believe that everything happens and happens at a particular time for a reason. I don't have any regrets, but I do have an adjustment and that adjustment is to accept where I am and to stand in my power. It's perfectly okay for me to be a homemaker, a martial artist, and have a home business (or two) and that my self worth is not measured by my career status or salary. Very hard one for me to accept as I am money-driven, and I am working on that one.

Over this year, I am coming (still work in progress) that it's all about the creativity for me, not about the money. Yes there's this side of me that screams otherwise, but in truth, I'm the happiest when I am creating be it glass, chocolate, or making someone's day. Shifting the focus to Kung Fu, it's about the movement and being in the moment of the movement not whether I can pass the fitness test and yes, I am talking about the upcoming grand poobah of all fitness tests that scares the living beeejeezzezz out of me. I struggled with my forms this year and I think I have finally found a solution: focus on one thing at a time and to break down the form as small as I have to. Let go as to what the results or process "should" look like and focus on what is actually happening.

It's interesting that last year's New Year's banquet facilitated me being punted out of my comfort zone thanks to Dennis, Sifu Kichko, and Sifu Lindstrom.  They "strong-armed" me into putting my dragons on the auction table and my "self" be in spasms throughout the night. This year the comfort zone punting and subsequent spasms have started early thanks to Sihing Robinson. Sihing Robinson suggested that I put a basket of my homemade goodies on the auction table complete with descriptions and contact info. Hello "stuff" and I want my lampshade!!

I'll end here with a couple of timely quotes that came into my inbox this week.

"It is when you no longer feel the need for money (insert whatever) that money will come. The feeling of needing money comes from the thought that you don't have enough, and so you continue to create not having enough money.
You are always creating, and when it comes to money, you are either creating the lack of it of the abundance of it"
 Rhonda Byrne, The Secret

"Take pride in how far you've come. Have faith in how far you can go. But don't forget to enjoy the journey."
Michael Josephson
Speaker on the subject of ethics and former law professor

Sherri Donohue
Hot Torch, Room Full of Glass, or a Kung Fu Kwoon