Awake, Decide, Work at it, Change

Sifu Brinker has often said to mindful practice until it becomes effortless effort, something like that. It was during the drive to Sask. and listening to Dr. Bruce Lipton, cell biologist that Sifu Brinker's sentence unveiled it's meaning. Dr. Bruce Lipton's area of expertise is on how the environment affects the cell and that we are more affected by our environment than by our genes. Translation: we don't have a genetic disposition to patterns, disease, and lifestyle: it's the environment to which we are subjected to.

When a child is born the conscious mind is not active, but what is happening is that everything is being pouring into the subconscious mind until about age 7 when the conscious mind becomes active. The conscious mind is the creative mind that can make decisions whereas the subconscious mind is data only and is where behavior patterns stem from. Therefore a child is the sum total of the environment he or she is exposed to. Phrases like "you act like your father" is because it's the father's actions that have been downloaded into the subconscious mind and what is being played out in the child's real life.

To change something coming from the subconscious mind requires a conscious choice, then consistent conscious behavior until a new pattern is "written" into the subconscious mind.  One more thing, before the conscious choice can be made, awareness must first happen and there can be the sticky part as most of us walk around in a coma or perpetual blame or both. Plus change, a lot of the time, takes consistent effort. Think about learning to drive a car especially a stick-shift. Again, a lot of people don't like to make the effort of making a change even though there are benefits on the other side as it's much easier to stay stuck in the rut.

What does this have to do with Kung Fu? Better put, what does it not have to do with Kung Fu? I think of all of the subconscious programming I have rewritten, all of the patterns I have changed, and all of the behaviors I have modified. I'm not the same person I was when I started Kung Fu. The changes go in layers as well as different angles. This year was about changing from going forth in ego (and stubbornness) to listening to my intuition and body doing what's right for me in a time that's right for me. That too is an ever evolving process as I discover what I really like/want instead of what was a product of those around me.

I'm blessed to have the support, friends, and coaches around me to help with the process. I'd be lying if I said that the process was fun and easy and I've loved the coach/support crew every minute of the day. It was David who looked at me, smiled, and said "love you" and then shoved me off the bench so I'd do my assignment in Denver. Not my favorite guy at that moment. It's when I'm in the most discomfort/pain where the biggest breakthrough comes through and I do the most learning and discovery. Why do I go through what I do? So that I can be the best me I can be and live an amazing life without limitations.
Sherri Donohue
My Blog