When I look at what has gone awry fro me over the last several months, I feel like I can trace things back to one concept - mindfulness, or in my case, the lack thereof. I find it terribly difficult to live in the moment. This has far reaching consequences for me, not just in my abandonment of my training, but in personal relationships also.
I am lucky to have an amazing and supportive girlfriend but there have been times when I think I have tested our relationship a bit; not wittingly, but as a result of my tendency to always be thinking about what might be or what could be. Anxiety and worrying about the future has sometimes come at the expense of being in the moment with the person I'm with.
The same anxiety and worry about the future has allowed my lack of training to spiral out of control. You think about your I Ho Chuan commitments and you stop viewing them as a tool, but instead as a mountain to climb. You think about the many years of training ahead of you and instead of taking your journey one step at a time, you wonder if you have what it takes. Living in the moment takes practice but it's clear to me that this is one of the keys to mastery. Being mindful of where I am and what I'm doing will pay dividends in all aspects of my life.
Cory Smid
http://kungfucory.blogspot.ca/
Friday, September 18, 2015
Thursday, September 17, 2015
A Spark...
I had a bit of an epiphany the other day. My girlfriend's nine year old daughter, Shae, is enrolled in MMA in Sherwood Park and so I wanted to watch one of her classes. She's only been at it for a couple of weeks but I was really impressed with her. Even when it was obvious she was tired, she kept going. Even when she was having trouble with some of the moves, she didn't quit, and she got better right away.
After watching her class I realized a couple of things. First, kung fu is important to me. I haven't been to a class in months but I've thought about kung fu almost every day. Secondly, I'm setting a terrible example for her by sitting on the sidelines and letting innumerable opportunities pass me by.
I've spoken before about being an "all or nothing" type person. If I don't do everything, I do nothing. It's easy to let things get out of control when you live life like that. Once you miss a few days, that turns into weeks, and those weeks turn into months. It gets to the point where you're embarrassed to return to class. Your fitness and skill erode. Your enthusiasm erodes along with it. But all it takes is one small spark to get the fire going again. Shae's enthusiasm provided that spark for me.
Cory Smid
http://kungfucory.blogspot.ca/
After watching her class I realized a couple of things. First, kung fu is important to me. I haven't been to a class in months but I've thought about kung fu almost every day. Secondly, I'm setting a terrible example for her by sitting on the sidelines and letting innumerable opportunities pass me by.
I've spoken before about being an "all or nothing" type person. If I don't do everything, I do nothing. It's easy to let things get out of control when you live life like that. Once you miss a few days, that turns into weeks, and those weeks turn into months. It gets to the point where you're embarrassed to return to class. Your fitness and skill erode. Your enthusiasm erodes along with it. But all it takes is one small spark to get the fire going again. Shae's enthusiasm provided that spark for me.
Cory Smid
http://kungfucory.blogspot.ca/
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