Measuring Sticks

Part 1:

The requirements that are a part of being on the I Ho Chuan team can be easily tracked and measured. By recording our efforts on a daily basis, we are able to quickly see the progress we have made and determine if we are on track and whether adjustments are needed. The requirements are tools to help us on our journey and the process of recording our numbers is a type of measuring stick that shows us where we are at and where we need to be.

At the end of my first year on the team, I was able to quickly see everything I had accomplished throughout the year, because I had logged all my numbers daily in a note book. I was happy with the results and yet disappointed for some reason.  I struggled with my own expectations of what I had hoped to gain from my year of the sheep. I did the push ups and sit ups etc... but the growth wasn't there. Or so I thought at the time!

Some things are much harder to measure than others, so I read over all my journal posts for the year and made some amazing discoveries. Not only was journaling also a tool to measure progress, it had also helped me to develop a habit and the ability for reflection and contemplation. This ability to reflect helped me to realize that my own expectations had created a blockage and once I let go of those expectations I was able to realize the unexpected growth and bonuses of the year.

Part 2:

Silent River Kung Fu utilizes an intelligent curriculum as part of it's training program and the Benevolent Foundation plays an important role in that curriculum. The Benevolent Foundation is a non-profit organization focused on raising public awareness and oversees all money raised for the various charities and initiatives that the Kwoon and its students are involved in. Commitments have been made to specific charities and they have come to rely on the money we are able to raise for them each year. Even though the money is important; awareness, empathy and compassion are the primary goals. The success of the intelligent curriculum is measured in part by the money raised and yet if people simply write a check then the purpose has been lost.

 So how do we accurately measure things like awareness, empathy and compassion? I think we need to keep a record of anything our students do that reflect an understanding of awareness, empathy and compassion. This record should be public for everyone to recognize and celebrate. A student that dyes their hair pink, or donates their hair for wigs, someone that asks for pet supplies to donate to Scars instead of birthday gifts, students taking the time to research one of the charities, a report done on bullying, wearing a pink shirt for anti-bullying day, etc. These are just some of the ways we can measure the qualities we are trying to teach the students of Silent River Kung Fu.

Yes, some things are definitely harder to measure than others. With a little extra effort and some creative thinking anything can be accomplished. I have come to realize that expectations sometime cloud our perspective. Maybe... just maybe, more has been accomplished than we realize. I think it is beneficial to make use of more than one type of measuring stick!

Michele Ward