The Ripple Effect

All you have to do is watch what happens when a stone is tossed into the water. A ripple is created and that ripple gets bigger and bigger. A beautiful pattern is formed on the surface of the water. This is what we see with the naked eye and yet there is also an unseen effect above and below the surface. A slight movement of the air, oxygen is added to the water, the energy is enhanced and the ripple effect continues. The stone itself is no longer where it originated and has now changed the environment at the bottom of that body of water. All changes no matter how small or large can be perceived as positive or negative.

For every action there is a reaction. The ripple effect has a huge capacity to create change in our lives, our society and the world around us. The possibilities are endless. Pick up one piece of garbage and maybe one person watches you and they do the same. The ripple continues. Talk about mental health for instance and we build awareness and possibly help even just one person. Can you imagine the ripple effect that would create?

 Change can be scary, exciting, overwhelming and take us on new paths as we move along on our journey. We need to be prepared to make adjustments and go with the natural flow that the ripples are taking us in. Knowing this and applying it to our day to day lives can be difficult and requires conscious thought. I am currently dealing with an issue at work and I have been trying to figure out how to apply this to my situation. My job requirements have changed drastically in regards to working evenings and weekends, which conflicts with my obligations as a single parent. I can stand and fight  and expend a lot of energy for no guarantee of a positive result or I can take it as a message to make a change.  I believe that the ripples are guiding me in a new direction. This would mean changing jobs, which in itself is very scary. This is not the first time change and conflict at work has occurred. Previously I have mostly loved my job, but over the past year that has been changing and is no longer the case. So I ask myself how often does the universe need to hit me on the head before I listen?


Numbers for the week

Sit ups           1200
push ups         770
Walking          0  (misfit is not behaving)
Kempo            7x
Nunchuks        0
AOk                20

Bye for now, Michele

Mind - Friend or foe?

Life can throw you a curve ball once in a while and sometimes more often than not. About 7 years ago I had 2 major curve balls thrown at me. They really shook me up but I persevered and stayed strong for my kids. It took me about 3 years to recover and get back on track. At that point in my life I focused on routine, consistency and what I perceived to be balance in my life. I also knew that I wanted to experience more in life. To do that I would need to stretch my limits and make conscious decisions to go beyond the norm as opportunities presented themselves. I have slowly stretched those limits and done and experienced some pretty amazing things.

I have:  Spent 3 weeks travelling through India (much different from a vacation, but loved it)
             Floated down the Ganges River in a row boat (not a fan of water or small boats)
             Walked across a large suspension bridge (heights not my thing)
             Flew in a four seater air plane and even flew it for a few minutes
             Took apart a toilet, rebuilt the inside and reinstalled it in my bathroom
             Joined Kung Fu and the I Ho Chuan ( completely out of my comfort zone on so many levels)

There have been other small victories and I am looking forward to many more. Life is for living not merely existing.

I try to always ask myself will I regret not doing something when the opportunity presents itself. Some things only come around once. You may not get a second chance at another time. I remember a couple of years ago asking myself that same question in regards to getting into a kayak. I got in and pushed myself off from the shore, wobbled around a bit, (wasn't any more than waist deep) and started to panic. I promptly said enough and was helped back to shore. I was OK with that because at least I had tried and my son also saw that I hadn't let my fear keep me from trying. Not everything is for everybody.

To me balance is all about family, friends, health, work, community, activities, continued learning, and feeling good about yourself. Joy and passion in our lives can come from one specific thing or even the whole of everything put together. Individually each of those components can vary and not necessarily be equal. The weight or importance that each is given can not be expected to remain constant. Expect and embrace the changes as they occur.

My biggest road block is my mind. It is my enemy at times, but it can also be my best friend and keep me motivated. I can't even begin to describe my journey so far. Hundreds of thoughts and feelings go through my mind every week. Some are positive and some are negative, but the routine of performing the basic requirements help to keep me grounded. Coming to classes and meetings no matter how difficult keep me engaged and on track no matter how I'm feeling. The path and journey that I have set for myself is moving me steadily towards having true balance and joy in my life.


Numbers for the week

Sit ups          1100
Push ups       808
walking         33k
AOK             24
kempo           0
nunchuks      58

Happy Mothers' Day! Michele

Tough Week

It's been a tough week for me. There is a lot going on in my head and that's not usually a good thing.   I should feel good about keeping up with my daily physical routine, but I know that it is not enough. There is still much more that I need to be doing. Plus the constant pressure of performing in front of others is taking it's toll. I was just starting to get used to going through my form in front of others and the anxiety and fear had lessened somewhat. Yay!  Now we have a demo to work on. Instead of feeling relief after our last formal class, there was just this huge overwhelming feeling of: too much, too fast! I felt panicked, and almost physically sick. I actually had myself convinced that I needed to opt out of the demo.

Fast forward a couple of days and I'm feeling slightly better. I'm not sure what my decision is going to be, as far as the demo is concerned and I probably won't know until Friday night. I have been working on my combination this past week so I will be prepared either way.

The next couple of months will be busy with my son soccer schedule added into our regular routine. I also have doctors appointments scheduled and a biopsy some where in the near future. I am also testing for my orange belt this week or next week. Feels like a huge emotional roller coaster.

Come Monday, I need to get back on track. With a brand new week staring tomorrow I plan to improve my eating habits (not so good the past couple of weeks) and add more into my daily routine that points me in the direction of my goals. A little less lazy time will help me to be more productive and feel better about where I'm at.

Numbers this week            Total to date

sit ups        1100                  12290
push ups    725                      7110
walking     19k                       377k
kempo       11                            90
nunchuks   12                          186
Aok's         10                            96


Bye for now,  Michele