State of Mind

In addition to battling the clutter in my brain I have been struggling with varying degrees of exhaustion on a daily basis. I know that these low energy levels play a big part in my lack of motivation. Although, how much of this is just a state of mind? It's hard to know for certain. If I constantly tell myself that I am exhausted then it becomes a reality so I am careful to correct my negative self talk when I am aware of this happening. I have also been working on improving my diet which will hopefully increase my energy somewhat.

My brain often over thinks and is full of information and details, but I am learning to know when to listen and how to quite it when necessary. The idea is to learn how to train my mind to work for me in a positive way rather than create problems. 

Sifu Brinker said something to me recently about having fun with my training and I think this has really helped. Just the idea of approaching Kung Fu with the mindset of fun seems to take a bit of the pressure off. The effort and hard work still needs to be present, but for whatever reason when I think "fun" it is easier to have some control over where my mind takes me. 

Namaste,

Michele Ward

Declutter & Follow Through

I signed up at the beginning of the year to be a member of the dog team knowing what to expect as this is not my first year on the team. Although there is no actual dotted line to sign on there was still an agreement and commitment made. I know that I have not followed through completely with that commitment though. When I look back and revisit the commitment I made at the beginning of the year I don't feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

Mostly I'm following alongside the wagon. I know what needs to be done to get back on, but I just can't quite seem to get enough steam going. When I initially fell off the wagon there were some good reasons and as those reasons were resolved it was hard to get back on. Part of the problem is I was  having success with completing my personal goals even though the team requirements were getting somewhat dusty. That success created an attitude of complacency.

So I question what is going on and where my motivation has gone? I'm not exactly sure, but I think the clutter in my mind regarding my Kung Fu training has spilled over and somewhat affected other areas. It's definitely time to declutter and sort some things out and for that I am going to need some assistance. Right now it's not about whether or not I want to get back on the wagon, but rather following through with the commitment I made to myself and the team.

Namaste,

Michele Ward

New Diet Action Plan

If I plan to continue training in Kung Fu then some changes need to be made. Progressing wisely is a key component of that training and right now that means I need to take control over my diet. For the past couple of weeks I have greatly reduced my carb intake. My primary goal at first was to eliminate all processed sugars and because carbs convert to sugar I settled on a low carb eating plan. My consumption of sweets had been getting out of control lately and as each year goes by I am more aware of what I'm putting into my body and the consequences of my eating habits. Some issues can partially be tied to the aging process, but more and more I believe that what I put into my body is directly related to my lack of energy, inflammation, weight gain and mental state. Long gone are the days when I can eat whatever I want without consequences.

I've allowed myself a cheat or two at the end of every week, but other than that everything is going pretty good. Eating a low carb diet means reading labels on food packing, meal planning and making conscious choices about what I consume. I never realized that carbs are in almost everything we typically consume on a standard North American diet. The high carb count in certain food items has been quite an eye opener. Initially it takes much more effort, but as I go along I'm finding that I enjoy the fact that I am more aware of what I am putting into my body and that I am consciously making better choices.

I tend to jump into things without thoroughly researching and planning first. Which is exactly what I did two weeks ago when I started. So, I'm at the stage now where although I'm feeling good about what I've accomplished so far, I am wanting to continue with a more structured and informed plan so that I get the most benefit out of this new eating regime.   

Canada Day Demos

Canada Day was an opportunity to spend some quality time with the team and take part in the demos. I had planned to attend so that I could be there with the team, but I had decided that I was not going to be performing myself. The reason for my decision had been mostly due to mental barriers. Even so I still brought my weapon with me on the chance that I would be able to convince myself to go for it. It feels good to take control and overcome those barriers. After doing one performance there was no good reason to not continue and take part in the others. It was a wonderful day of challenges, building relationships, being outdoors and taking part in the community.

Namaste,

Michele Ward