reflecting on my year

I have really been taking a long hard look at this year in the I Ho Chuan. My successes and especially my failures. I totally agree with Sifu Brinker that you can learn so much more from your failures, then you can from your successes. 90% of my successes have been of a physical nature this year. I will achieve my pushup goal next week and my situps were done over christmas. I wont stop doing them, they are part of me now. I have had to adjust my pushups with more tricep dips due to my elbow injury, but I am still getting in reps. I have almost doubled my kms goal for the year. Between work and all the jogging I have done this year, that has been a breeze. My flexibility has improved, but I have a long ways to go yet. I expected it would take time and pushing to far, to fast would be a mistake. I got my reading of 12 books done plus a few extra ones. Where I haven't done as well is the mental side. When I'm running or walking the dog I get my walking meditation in no problem. But I haven't gotten into a proper and consistent routine at home. This is something I will have to work harder on this coming year. The other thing that I noticed this year is that I let my knee injury and elbow injury distract me from my training. I became unfocused and scatter brained. Add in the christmas season and I found myself slipping badly. I have missed a number of classes lately due to meetings for my daughters upcoming trip to Quebec and other family issues. Being a husband/father/martial artist has been extremely demanding of late. I have had increased demands on my time, but no more hours in the day. I have learned the hard way that getting less then 6 hours of sleep a nite for a week straight is not good for my health or mental fitness. I have had to give in various areas at various times to accomplish and meet all my commitments. I am not going to be on the I Ho Chuan team this coming year of the snake and I'm a little depressed about that. I will miss the team immensely. But I also am realistic that I would miss a number of the team commitments and I don't want to let the team down in any way. I will still continue on as if I'm on the team. Doing my requirements and blogging(hopefully more succesfully then this past year). I have gotten so much from these past two years. I am not going to return to the person I was before, that would be truely crazy. I learn so much about myself becoming a martial artist. Things I dont want to admit and others I am proud of. But by becoming more aware of who and what I am, I am growing a little bit everyday. I have managed to push myself past limits that I didn't even know I could reach. Who knew this old fart that was an overweight couch potatoe could become someone who wants to live, breath and yes even ooze kung fu. My passion for kung fu is still growing and I consider that a blessing. It means to me that I have found something I can do for a lifetime and enjoy the entire time. Oh I expect valleys, but I look forward to the view from those hills so much.