Gaining Clarity

Last weeks blog did not give me the clarity I usually get from blogging and left me feeling a bit at odds. It wasn't until after having a conversation with both Sifu Brinker and Sifu Rybak that I was able to gain more clarity. It's interesting because Sifu Rybak had used the word trust in our conversation, which was something I had though about as I was concluding last weeks blog but didn't explore. A timely reminder to trust myself and the process. Something else that stood out was understanding the not so obvious balance between efforts and progression. The two may not always line up at the exact time. Previous efforts may be what leads to current or future progression. 

The word coasting came up briefly as well, but not in a negative way. I had to chew on this a bit and what I’ve discovered is when I link it to efforts and progression, I can see the benefit of coasting. Coasting can allow a person to catch up on everything they are absorbing, learning and discovering, and find ways to apply, adding to the foundation. And the conversation with Sifu Brinker helped me to consider the possibility of other factors at play. After some reflection I was able to cross them off at this time, but also file them away for future use and consideration. 

With another restart this week, my goal was to really dig in and get some form reps done each day, building consistency back in. The reality was I managed to get 4 days in a row before dropping the ball. The failure of not making it the full week gives me something to work towards, and the success I did have provides some motivational fuel to continue forward.

I believe where I’m currently at and what I’m doing or not doing is partially related to my progress when it comes to memorizing/learning and absorbing the lessons Mastery by Stewart Emery provides. I have been successful with this requirement in the past and much of it has become engrained in how I live my life. A printed copy of Mastery hangs on a wall in my bedroom and yet I'm having to currently mark this as incomplete because I'm no longer able to recite it from start to finish. Yes, there is still a good understanding, but also much to be gained from keeping up with this requirement. Truthfully, I haven’t given it my full attention, time or effort. Maybe a bit of resistance here and I think it's partly because I’ve taken it for granted to some degree. I have always found the lessons embedded in Mastery by Stewart Emery to be multi layered. Much like our forms, with intentional repetition and effort there is depth to be discovered as we continue to evolve. This requirement is not a one and done tool.