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.

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.

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.

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.