But I get up again....
If anyone continues singing that song then they are in the cool group. And when I say the cool group, I mean the older than 30, OK maybe even older than 40 group.
Age has definitely taken a toll this last week as I laid in bed recovering from a cold. For two days I did not leave the bed and for the remaining week I’ve stayed home under the covers lucky to be able to work remotely and rest when needed. And as we get older our bodies definitely take longer to recover from any type of illness or injury but as long as we take care of it were able to get back up and continue on.
The biggest problem I had with staying in bed, was knowing that my numbers were starting to slide because the previous week I was so on track. Today was the first day that I was able to get some sit ups and push-ups in and it felt good. Not all of them but a start. The one good thing that I see about this sickness is it was like hitting a brick wall. It stopped me in my tracks for a little while but the momentum is still fresh in my brain so it’s easier to pick up. In previous years it was the gradual decline of those numbers that was harder to recover from. I am hoping that this will allow me to start a pace to recover those numbers and continue forward but it sure is frustrating missing a week right at the beginning.
Mr. Sollinger - I can't tell you how much I missed this week of working out!
Here are my numbers as of today:
PU 2030, SU 2155, AOK 65, Hand Form30, Sparring 22, Weapon at 11
See you on the mats!!!
Friday, 22 February 2019
Wednesday, 13 February 2019
Are you too old to make a difference?
Tuesday night started off as a normal night. It was cold out, roads were bad, I was late at work, rushing to meet my friend for supper so we could go listen to Eva Olsson. Sifu Sharida Csillag had put out a notice earlier on Kwoon Talk that Eva Olsson - a holocaust survivor, was speaking in Stony Plain and tickets were free. I figured "why not", it sounded pretty cool. As we entered the packed venue, I noticed how many children, teenagers, and families were attending. My friend and I sat chatting to people we knew and waited for Eva to arrive. Then the night changed.
Eva Olsson, a 94 year old spry woman, explained how she began to talk about her past because of her grandchildren. She was 72 years old when she did her first speech to her grandchildren's school. This was the first time she publicly spoke about what had happened to her. We listened as she talked about how she was raised, then how she lost all her family except her sister while in Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen camps. How she lived in brutal conditions and was so close to death so many times but her primary message was on how we need to love our children and protect them from bullying and racism. That these traits are taught and that these cycles can be broken. It was how we need to show love and not hate, no matter what happens to you. Eva was a very powerful speaker and I sat there mesmerized as she talked. I cried as she described how many children were killed and the ways that it occurred. How they never had a chance and she felt she needed to be their voice.
How can a 94 year old spend her time speaking a schools and events just to get the word out about love and acceptance? She started all of this at 72 years old! Most people at that age are well into retirement and slowing down, not starting a journey like she has. Suddenly my age has become irrelevant. Is anyone too old to start a journey?
Being part of the I Ho Chuan, we are challenged to do 1000 acts of kindness (AOK). After listening to Eva on Tuesday, I wondered why this should even be a challenge. Spreading love and kindness to others can break cycles. Eva is a single person who was able to stand up and make a difference, just think what our school can do if we all stand up and do AOKs, to share acceptance, love and kindness with others. The potential is limitless. So what is stopping us?
I would like to challenge everyone at Silent River to log Acts of Kindness and blog your numbers on this post. Let's see how many as a school we can accomplish by the end of February. Let's start a our own positive change!
Eva Olsson, a 94 year old spry woman, explained how she began to talk about her past because of her grandchildren. She was 72 years old when she did her first speech to her grandchildren's school. This was the first time she publicly spoke about what had happened to her. We listened as she talked about how she was raised, then how she lost all her family except her sister while in Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen camps. How she lived in brutal conditions and was so close to death so many times but her primary message was on how we need to love our children and protect them from bullying and racism. That these traits are taught and that these cycles can be broken. It was how we need to show love and not hate, no matter what happens to you. Eva was a very powerful speaker and I sat there mesmerized as she talked. I cried as she described how many children were killed and the ways that it occurred. How they never had a chance and she felt she needed to be their voice.
How can a 94 year old spend her time speaking a schools and events just to get the word out about love and acceptance? She started all of this at 72 years old! Most people at that age are well into retirement and slowing down, not starting a journey like she has. Suddenly my age has become irrelevant. Is anyone too old to start a journey?
Being part of the I Ho Chuan, we are challenged to do 1000 acts of kindness (AOK). After listening to Eva on Tuesday, I wondered why this should even be a challenge. Spreading love and kindness to others can break cycles. Eva is a single person who was able to stand up and make a difference, just think what our school can do if we all stand up and do AOKs, to share acceptance, love and kindness with others. The potential is limitless. So what is stopping us?
I would like to challenge everyone at Silent River to log Acts of Kindness and blog your numbers on this post. Let's see how many as a school we can accomplish by the end of February. Let's start a our own positive change!
Sunday, 10 February 2019
Year of the Pig
We are 5 days into the year of the pig and there has already been some ups and downs. The morning workouts are a great start to getting numbers in. The first 2.5 days were strong and then when Simon got sick it threw a wrench into it. I did not get my numbers in for the other 2.5 days and that was very frustrating but then the banquet happened in there and we all made it through that. Woohoo! Time to dig in and go harder!
Speaking of the banquet, watching the black belt candidates was really amazing this year. This is the first year that I was so involved with their journey and everything that they did was very motivating. As I stood watching them receive their black belts, I was so very proud of each and everyone of them, especially Simon. It flashed me back to the first banquet we ever attended. We were in the small hall and in the back so we didn't really get to see everything but even then there was a feeling in the air that you knew something big was happening. Every year it got bigger and bigger as you started personally knowing the candidates and watching their journey. Sitting back there on Saturday, I could also see the day when it will be my turn. It is not a "if" but a "when".
Being part of the I Ho Chuan demo was awesome but the really amazing part was the Lion Dance. It was a new experience and I can't wait to do this again. We learnt so much but there is so much more to learn. Working with Mr. Bjorkquist was a great experience and I am so thankful for all the help that he gave me.
Another amazing banquet moment was receiving the Travis Panasiuk award. That was a great honour and I am very thankful for being chosen. It is a little scary to be placed with such amazing previous candidates. What I have learnt is don't be afraid to put your hand up, leading does not mean doing by yourself, and there is a great team ready to help each other. We have such great leaders in our midst, don't be afraid to learn from them.
For everyone that was at the banquet, how many times did someone come up to you and thank you for something you have done? I know we normally brush those compliments off but I want you to really think about what was said. These are the moments that you have touched someone's life and you probably didn't even realize it. This shows how much we can do for someone else without a lot of effort. Imagine the difference that can be made if we made extra effort. Remember this as we start recording our Acts of Kindness.
A HUGE thank you to everyone that set up and took down the banquet. It felt very weird not being in the midst of all the action but it was amazing to see how well it was done. You all did GREAT! My family was very impressed with the banquet and many want to come back and watch it again. It always amazes me to the level of commitment and support that this team and school can do when it pulls together. Go Pigs!
See you on the mats!
Speaking of the banquet, watching the black belt candidates was really amazing this year. This is the first year that I was so involved with their journey and everything that they did was very motivating. As I stood watching them receive their black belts, I was so very proud of each and everyone of them, especially Simon. It flashed me back to the first banquet we ever attended. We were in the small hall and in the back so we didn't really get to see everything but even then there was a feeling in the air that you knew something big was happening. Every year it got bigger and bigger as you started personally knowing the candidates and watching their journey. Sitting back there on Saturday, I could also see the day when it will be my turn. It is not a "if" but a "when".
Being part of the I Ho Chuan demo was awesome but the really amazing part was the Lion Dance. It was a new experience and I can't wait to do this again. We learnt so much but there is so much more to learn. Working with Mr. Bjorkquist was a great experience and I am so thankful for all the help that he gave me.
Another amazing banquet moment was receiving the Travis Panasiuk award. That was a great honour and I am very thankful for being chosen. It is a little scary to be placed with such amazing previous candidates. What I have learnt is don't be afraid to put your hand up, leading does not mean doing by yourself, and there is a great team ready to help each other. We have such great leaders in our midst, don't be afraid to learn from them.
For everyone that was at the banquet, how many times did someone come up to you and thank you for something you have done? I know we normally brush those compliments off but I want you to really think about what was said. These are the moments that you have touched someone's life and you probably didn't even realize it. This shows how much we can do for someone else without a lot of effort. Imagine the difference that can be made if we made extra effort. Remember this as we start recording our Acts of Kindness.
A HUGE thank you to everyone that set up and took down the banquet. It felt very weird not being in the midst of all the action but it was amazing to see how well it was done. You all did GREAT! My family was very impressed with the banquet and many want to come back and watch it again. It always amazes me to the level of commitment and support that this team and school can do when it pulls together. Go Pigs!
See you on the mats!
Sunday, 3 February 2019
Is it really a mountain?
This weekend was nothing as we expected. We had a few bumps along the way. These bumps are feeling like mountains to my kids. It makes me wonder how do you help them prepare. I have always tried to help them do critical thinking. What is the problem, what are options to help solve it, what are other options now that you started thinking about solutions, what are the pros and cons and finally, what is your action. So why do they see a mountain and freeze? Is it experience and maturity? Does life give you more items to compare so you know the difference between a mountain and a hill?
When I compare this to my training, I can see a role reversal from the above. My kids will say “just do it” but sometimes I see a mountain ahead and instead of trying to figure a path around or over it, I am stuck staring up in awe. As I write this I realize that experience is the most important thing. It makes me understand why Sifu Brinker says “don’t talk, just do”. That it is a mountain to you until you see something bigger. It’s building that toolset which will help you attack that mountain in front of you.
I think that is the one benefit of being an older student, you know the mountain is ahead so you prepare today to be able to tackle it tomorrow.
See you on the mats!
When I compare this to my training, I can see a role reversal from the above. My kids will say “just do it” but sometimes I see a mountain ahead and instead of trying to figure a path around or over it, I am stuck staring up in awe. As I write this I realize that experience is the most important thing. It makes me understand why Sifu Brinker says “don’t talk, just do”. That it is a mountain to you until you see something bigger. It’s building that toolset which will help you attack that mountain in front of you.
I think that is the one benefit of being an older student, you know the mountain is ahead so you prepare today to be able to tackle it tomorrow.
See you on the mats!
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