Perspective

   Well happy sunday to everyone today. Man I can not believe we have hit the half way mark of this remarkable journey that is I Ho Chuan. Looking back, boy, have I stepped outta that shell. It seems, I pulled a super Mario and stomped on the turtle shell and kicked it down the line. Never to be the same, always changing and growing. Is that not what is asked of us in this program? To fully expose ourselves. So we can truly feel the warmth feeling that is growth? I have laid it down for all to see. Used those old skeletons as a continuing building block to walk all over those scary little demons. The ups and downs. I realize are simply who I am. If I was always calm and cool, I just would not be who I am. With that being said, that is always the end goal. Calm and cool. I would like to play that game for ever. With time, I will get their.


   I stepped out of that box again last night and met up with Sifu. Looking for answers on perspective, and looking to pick others minds. I desire knowledge, not information. Knowledge can only be shared through words and actions. Information is all over the internet. Any one can obtain a state of informed, but not knowledge. Further opening up and exposing ourselves can be scary. But, if it is for the greater good, then just do it. Push fear outta the way and crush that conversation. Take everything you can from it. And grow. Never stop growing.


   I was confused by kung fu is here to serve me. I think I have an understanding on what that entails to me, now. I realise that, I will have to sacrifice, time with the family. I will have to sacrifice those precious moments in life, to obtain the standard of kung fu I wish to achieve. Will people become resentful and angry at me? Probably, but, as long as I keep the thought "Is this for the greater good?" at hand, then, have faith, it will be okay. I thought long and hard on that last night. As my family is very important to me. I had to ask myself, "Am I okay with sacrificing those things, for the greater good?" Boy that is a hard question to answer. My heart and soul says yes, I understand and I am cool with that. But the other side says, what about the kids. Some of these experiences, will never, ever come around again. and its gone, just like that. Poof! That ties right into my perspective. Last night, the conversation we had was wonderful and very enlightening. I do feel I understand how kung fu is here to serve me. Kung fu is here to use as a tool to become a better person, a more empathetic person. To show all what determination, hard work and sacrifice is all about. But those lessons do come at a cost. Family time is lost and could possibly be the cause for frustration for the family. But here it is. The practitioner's perspective. Questions to ask ourselves, when everything is imploding or when everything is going great. Am I setting my family up for success or failure? Are all these push ups, more than just....motions? Is what I am doing for the right reason, or is it truly selfish? Is this the legacy I wish to leave behind me? I believe, that if I answer yes to these questions, than it is the right thing to do. Keep pushing forward. That is what sacrificing is all about. Doing the right thing at the right time. No matter the consequences. Someone is always going to be upset or someone's feelings will always get hurt, but, think of the example we are setting. Each push up is all about becoming stronger today than yesterday. Not, just a motion so I can put a pen stroke on my paper. Each sacrifice is a lesson we are teaching our family. It is up to them to embrace that example we are setting.


   I have always felt a draw to the martial arts. Always have I wanted to be a master in the martial arts. Unfortunately, my journey took me away from martial arts and into a family setting. Man I remember telling my folks that I did not want to be ruled by the clock. I knew as a child, living by a made up thing, was silly. Now, experiencing that every day, I see just how silly it really is. I look at the animals and think, I wonder if that bird is in a rush to get down the road. Is that bird late for its appointment? Of course not. I look at the deer and watch them as they just chill out. No hurry to go anywhere except to the safety of the brush. We, humans are the only animal that feels the need to put undo stressors like, time and money and chase it meaninglessly around. I came into this world naked with nothing and that is how I will go out. With nothing, my possessions will not make a difference whether I die or not. Death is in my nature. So, why do I "need" all this "stuff." Because it has been ingrained in me, by society, corporations and people. My folks said you can not live without the clock, how will you become successful? You need to follow the clock to make money. The more money you make, the more stuff you can have. The more stuff you have, the more successful you are. What an absurd thought process. Like all feelings and emotions, success is an internal thing. I know when I have done well. I know when I have failed. But have I learnt the lesson? I feel real success is in growth. Can we grow from every single failure and build from there to an unmatched success, that only you can measure.


    Boy, I have a lot floating around upstairs today. That's good. Means I absorbed a lot from last nights get together. It was a great opportunity to learn from a master. Like I say if you want to grow, you have to throw yourself out there and embrace the teachings. Real quickly, I was in my little corner last night pondering the prior conversation and this came to me.
  Anything is possible, as long as I ask for help. Through my form, I have learnt that any move can be achieved. My part is asking for directions along the way. Realize people, places and things are in our paths for a reason. The reason is the lesson. Seize the lesson. The lesson becomes the opportunity. Seize the growth.


   Kung fu was pretty decent this week, considering I was at my little sisters all week. She lives in Saskatchewan with her family. A younger family than mine. I miss my nephews. I do not get to see them often enough, but, that is life. A phone call, will have to work, until our next meeting. I really tried to focus on the children's smiles. I realized that, when a child comes running up to you with this big old smile, they only want to share that smile with you. And if we do not recognize that, we actually steal that moment and that smile from that child and plant a seed of doubt into their hearts. Children are always in the moment. They are always here for right now. You can see the amazement in their eyes. We can all learn a lesson from children.


    But, that is it for today. My blog seems pretty sporadic, because my mind is racing today. So much knowledge to process. So much to sort out and make sense of. But it is a great thing. I will continue to grow from this. The lesson is being seized and the growth will come.


Thanks for your time
Mr.Duncan