What a week can bring?

 Wow, I have just taken a breath and realized how fast a week can fly.  I was supposed to be missing class tonight and tomorrow.  At work, we were doing an upgrade starting this evening but late last week the upgrade version was withdrawn and the recommendation from our vendor was to not proceed.  My upgrade was occurring in conjunction with another large application upgrade so the amount of preparation, testing, communication, etc. that was needed was massive and to have that all be stopped at a moments notice was daunting.  But within 24 hours my team and I were able to get everything in place to make sure that we did not impact the other upgrade that is still proceeding tonight. Now I need to fit the new upgrade/fix into the summer so we don't impact the testing required for the next round of implementations.  But hey, at least I will be in class today and tomorrow.  😂

This upgrade was a 3 version application upgrade with a number of hardware changes also required.  Changes to physical servers, operating systems on servers, net new authentication servers, and so on.  (I know that this does not mean much to most people but it emphasized how much change was occurring with this upgrade).  You never change multiple things at a time unless you absolutely need to as you compound your risk with each change that your do.

So this week passed in a blur but it was not unmanageable, it was actually very manageable.  That was all due to being organized, having a positive attitude, everyone knowing what jobs they needed to do, working together and being prepared for situations.  The biggest things that helped this week was the affirmation challenge I had put out to the team.  The notes around my house helped me instantly ground and regroup and I needed that many times during the day.

My upgrade was also at the back of my mind on Monday's class when we were going through our forms.  Especially the "don't make too many changes at one time".  This is pertinent in Kung Fu as well as my upgrade.  If you make too many changes it increases your risk of issues occurring and potential failure.  Then you can become paralyzed by not knowing where to start or you can jump all over the place trying to fix things her and there, missing how all these pieces fit together giving you the end product.

At work I can easily section out pieces of the project and know what needs to be done so it connects in with another piece, having many pieces being worked on at once.  I realize now that I have not been taking this approach with my Kung Fu forms.  I section out the beginning of the form and work on that and then add to it.  I don't break apart each section and focus on those individually and then tie them together to create the end product.  I am really excited to try this approach but why does it take so long to figure some of these things out?  

This whole week really showed me how Kung Fu has been integrating into all aspects of my life in a positive way.   When you approach issues logically and with a good attitude, you can conquer anything.

See you on the mats!!!

Back to the Kwoon

 Yesterday was the first day back into the Kwoon after so long.  I forgot how much energy you receive with those around you.  They say you miss things when they are gone.  I didn't miss the energy when we were training at home, but once I stepped back on the mats it hit me like a rogue wave.  My intensity stayed high without even trying.  This couldn't have come at a better time.  

I have had my fair share of struggles along this road.  Most of them were easily identifiable.  I had just stopped, sometimes even slipping backwards.  This year the struggle has been more subtle.  It feels like I am on a racetrack, in first person point of view as a greyhound, chasing the white rabbit around the rail.  Each dog on the track is one of my requirements.  I put all my effort on one dog.  Driving forward, looking ahead, focused on that rabbit.  Then my point of view changes and I am the next dog in the race.  I know I have to work harder to catch up to the lead dog and ever have a chance at catching the rabbit.  What works for that dog doesn't work for this one.  Just when I find my groove in dog 2 and I am pulling ahead my point of view changes and its another dog and the last one in the pack is just playing with butterflies in the field. So you get the drift.  

Although I have been moving ahead with my requirements, it feels like above.  I don't want to stop and try something different as I am afraid I will lose ground but I also worry that the rabbit is going to stop and I will find myself back at the starting gate.  So why am I not panicking?  Because the Kwoon gave me a reset with my other areas of Kung Fu.  I visualized throwing my opponent, I could see someone there when I was doing my techniques.  It was small but helped me realize that I continue to move forward.  

See you on the mats!  FINALLY

Strong Leaders

 The following was sent at work from my boss's, boss's, boss (hope you followed that).  Someone who is in a high ranking position but demonstrates how we can show caring and compassion in all areas of our life.  Someone who leads by example and is not afraid to put out her feelings.  (This is shared with her consent.) In I Ho Chuan, we talk about leadership and making a difference.  Strong leaders are needed, but strong leaders must also show compassion and caring to really make changes.  This is the type of leader I aim to be.

Team,

Yesterday I sat in a park, across from a church that chimed its bells 215 times. Once for each child buried at just one of the Canadian residential schools.  I wept for the parents whose children were taken from them, I wept for the children who were forced to leave their family and live in fear, I wept for a society who were forbidden to practice those rites and rituals they held most dear, I wept for the many, many people who died.  

These things are inhumane.  That is one of the first tenants of racism, failing to see and acknowledge the humanity in others.  In that moment, I let the enormity of what had happened crash over me and ached for the lost generations.  My acknowledgement of their pain did not change the past, but it brought better clarity, understanding and compassion in me for the indigenous peoples of Canada. Not an academic understanding of events, but the visceral empathy of standing in their shoes. 

It is easier, of course, to stay detached from the impact actions of society has had throughout history.  But walking a mile in someone else’s shoes will change the way you see them forever.  If we all took time to do that, we might just begin to heal the fissures in our society that still exist today and treat each other with just a little more kindness. 

Later this month is National Indigenous People’s day, but given the profound impact my experience yesterday had on me, it seemed better to share in the moment. 

 

When I read this, I had tears in my eyes.  These things don't happen in Canada!  But they did.  Talking to others, I heard comments like "this was years ago", "we have learnt from this", "how does this pertain to us today" as well as comments that expressing sorrow for those that were impacted.  I also hear of the issues that are occurring today, in Canada, in Alberta, in Edmonton.  Hatred to the Asian population, people blaming the pandemic on skin color and race.  Why has intolerance become more prevalent in the last few years?  That is why the above email hit so hard.  We need to have stronger leaders in today's society.  People who are not afraid to show caring and lead by example if we are ever to recover back to the caring Canadians we use to be known for.  We all need to be these strong caring leaders TODAY!