Great morning to all today. How was your week? Mine was good. Back to slaving away making money. At least we get sundays off, for now. I do not mind working these heavy hours well, because, it wont last forever. Will barley last until summer. So its only a few months. That's okay. I'm sure I will be just fine. Hopefully I can save a bunch of cash and have a great summer again. If I save my cash!!
So, unfortunately I missed the meeting on Saturday where the new and old teams have been brought into one meeting to introduce everyone. So welcome everyone. I promise, this will be the best days of your lives. I'm looking forward to meeting everyone. It's weird, I'm excited to meet new people. Last year at this time, I was quite content on not meeting people. I was happy in my bubble, for the most part. Today, through this challenge, I have learnt to embrace new people. It is a new challenge, for myself, to introduce myself to new people. I get to learn new things about new people. That's neat-o.
Kung fu this week has been great. That Christmas break was really what a guy needed. I feel strong and confident in myself again. All I needed was a nice break away from everyone and everything. I got this thing I have been working on for a while now. Which is the ability to throw three disastrous punches in one second. Then once I stomp that goal into the ground, I will work towards four bone smashing punches in one second. From there.... as many proper and precise punches as humanly possible. But, for now, I am floating around 1.2 - 1.5 seconds right now. And, these punches have to be as picture perfect as I can achieve them. Not, just sloppy sticking my hand out there. So on class Friday night, I had an awesome opportunity to pick Sifu Hayes's mind. I definitely learnt a few new things and had a bunch of "ohh, that's how that works" moments. His biggest piece of advice is loosen up. Speed and power will come from being and staying loose. I really enjoyed spending the majority of the class listening to his experience, strength and hope. He, maybe un-knowingly, gave me some more inspiration for my quitting smoking mission. Since we are on that topic, I have managed to cut my intake in half again! Last year, I was a heavy pack a day, maybe more, depending on my mood. Before chirstmas, was a half pack, today, I'm around a half a half pack. So 6-8 a day. Friday, my best day in a long time, I had six before the class and one after. Not too bad at all! But, even in saying that, I can do better. Sifu Csillag threatened to kick me once, for every smoke I had for the day! I don't want to get kicked, so I have to continue to make this happen. But, I also, got some insight from that conversation with sifu. Everyone is dealing with something like I am. Just a different pile. Some people its food. Some booze. Some material obsessions. So, it is freeing to realize that everyone has a crutch of some sort and I don't need to be so uptight about my own vices.
The hardest part is all the little triggers. Horns honking in traffic, boom I want to light up. Grabbing a coffee, my morning commute, evening commute, finishing a meal, having a tea, having a conversation, talking on the phone, meeting new people, sitting idle for a split second. All triggers. I could honestly write a blog on just the triggers, but that would be boring. One part of this habit that really baffles me, is besides the health issues, I do enjoy smoking. Honestly if it wasn't so terrible and it was just some tobacco rolled in some papers, I wouldn't be bothered by it. Its all the chemicals that go into it. If you have ever had a clean smoke, its really not that bad. Its not full of chemicals and stuff, they are actually pretty tasty. But, alas, they are full of stuff and I will not spend twenty bucks a pack so I can feel good about my smoking. That's absurd.
I have noticed a lot of health issues, and things contributed to smoking now that I have been anal about my intake. Not just the breathing, but when I go for a long time with out one, I get dizzy, a little light-headed. Cant think right. Putting sentences together, I've been stuttering if I haven't had a smoke for a while. I don't quite understand that, but its happening. Shaking. If I go for a long period of time, I get shaky. It feels like I was out drinking the night before. On the positive side of things, we have to climb a whack of stairs at work and I see guys stopping on the way to catch their breath. I said to myself, I need to be gasping for air and near puking before some stairs will stop me from reaching the top. So I will not pause for a second while climbing the stairs. Lungs and legs on fire and I still got nine more floors to go. I got an army unit's chant running through my mind. "left, left. left right left." I will not be one of those guys who need to stop after thirty stairs. I will leave them in the dust. I get to class and I feel like I can kick the rafters, my lungs feel so good. And that feeling will only grow as I continue to eliminate cigarettes from my system. I do love how invigorated I feel lately. This is the best my lungs have ever felt.
Sifu Brinker will ask the group, are you in the best shape of your life? Well, physically, maybe not, I've been stronger and faster at other times in my life. Spiritually? Yes, this is the strongest my spirit has ever been in. Mentally? My mind is becoming healthier at exponential rates. I still have days of self-doubt, but, its okay. That tells me I have something to learn from that thought. I have more courage and confidence, then I have ever had in my life. And that right there makes me answer, yes. Yes this is the best shape of my life. And guess what? It is only going to get better. I will only get physically stronger and faster. I will only get more confident, as long as I stay the course. Whoo!
Right now, I feel on fire man. Kung fu is flying on all cylinders. I am putting together blueprints of an awesome weapon that I would like to build. I just have to figure out the intricacies of springs and swivels and locks. If I can figure this weapon out and build a working prototype, man that's some journeyman stuff right there. Shh, its a secret! Don't tell the cops. Hahaha. Also, there are rough drafts of escrima running through my mind, with new ideas coming almost hourly. Ahh yeah boy! But, I got to remember to keep those ideas in the back of my mind until after the new year. I can not forget, that I still have this awesome stick form to get as awesome as I can before the banquet. We still have people's minds to blow. The dragon dance looks amazing. Dragon team is doing awesome. Oiy, I just wanted to mention that holy loud. That new drum! Wow! I could not hear Sifu Ryback two feet from me over that drum. I'm deaf, but not that bad! I need to wear earplugs while that thing is getting smashed on.
So, I guess that is everything for now. Again, welcome to the new monkey teammates. I look forward to train with all of you and getting to know a couple more people.
Well, thank you for your time and your thoughts.
Humbly yours,
Mr.Duncan
Your journaling has been spot on all year. Your insightful writing leaves little doubt as to the quality of your journey.
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