Week 3

I found it hard to keep motivated this week, I wasn't able to make to it any classes at all. Also it's FREEZING out! I'm still not able to practice anything with my spear outside of the kwoon. I was able to keep up with my situps and acts of kindness and my diet tracking, although after a couple of busy days not writing things down and those numbers are lost. I don't have much to say, just going to keep plugging along over here. It's getting to be the busy season at work- calving season. I'm hoping this won't keep me late to often. See you all Friday.

Week 2

I wish I was better at writing. I don't mind blogging weekly, but I find it hard to write down thoughts in a way that makes sense. I am trying to write down blog post ideas if they come to me this year, I have spent considerable time in the past few years staring at this computer screen wondering what to write about, as I'm sure most of you have too. At the meeting on the 8th part of the discussion was the  Benevolent Foundation and Ms. Fuhr asked what it was. I wrote down a note in the meeting based one what Sifu Brinker was saying about how it isn't necessarily about the charities and the money we raise, but how it changes US. Empathy training is only successful if the student actually feels empathy, makes a connection of some kind. I think that is where we are failing, not making those connections. It got easy for me working with so many SCARS animals at work, you can't not be moved by seeing a starving dog wolf down it's first meal in who knows how long, or watching an abused animal recover from it's wounds. I don't know how, but I want us all to take it onto ourselves to make a connection to our charities, make it personal. If we are supposed to be inspiring the school to raise 20,000 we need to be inspired ourselves. I think one of our down falls has been waiting to long to get this going, if anyone has any ideas about ways to bring this to the school, maybe has a talent with putting together a video or something, we should talk. How cool would it be to make this year the year we do this?

Week One

I forgot to cut and paste last weeks blog to the team site, whoops. It's been a good first week of Year of the Horse, I have become a convert to Sifu Brinker's method of getting my sit-ups done first thing. My day can often go awry from what has been planned and it is a relief to have that done at least. I'm having some trouble practicing spear in the house, crossing my fingers for warmer weather! It's easy getting in my km's walking the dog, although the weather is slowing down us there too a bit, the dog just isn't hairy enough for this climate.

One of my goals this year was to learn better time management. I'm often not home until 9 at night and it's easy for my responsibilities at home to get way behind, plus just doing mom stuff like talking to the kids, making their lunches etc. So far making sure everyone's lunches are made the night before and having at least 2 dinners prepped on the weekend has made a noticeable difference. Being part of the I Ho Chuan team keeps you BUSY as all returning members know, and I don't think I've ever successfully found a really good sustainable balance. I'm hoping this will be the year! See you all Friday.

New Year

Chinese New Year was amazing last night. It felt extra special this year, I don't know if it was because I wasn't a part of it the year before or what, but it was great.
I'm excited to start on new goals this year, at the same time I don't know if all I've set out for myself is really achievable. Actually I had second guessed myself to the point that I told Sifu Brinker I couldn't do it and that he could give my spot to someone else. If you've been in Sifu Brinker's office you know that it is somehow connected to another universe where everything he says makes 100% sense and all your reasonable arguments disappear, and so I'm on the team. Not that I'm sorry, Sifu Brinker was right and I can't wait to get going with the year. I hope that I can hang on to the feeling we had last night through this year and keep it in front of me through the tough parts of this coming year. Happy year of the Horse!