Influencing Moods

My mind has been all over the place this week. Part of the issue is the renovation chaos I'm still dealing with, which adds stress and takes my mind to all sorts of places. I have also discovered that other peoples moods affect how I am feeling to some extent. My oldest son has a couple of big changes happening in his life and is experiencing some difficulties, which is causing him anxiety and stress. It's easy as a parent to take on your child's stress even when they are grown adults. I'm happy to add he has been able to get everything sorted out.

Then I had a client in the middle of the week that was super excited due to an upgrade her and her family were able to take advantage of for their upcoming cruise. They upgraded to a suite on board the ship at a much reduced cost, which comes with extra perks, like butler service and more living space. She was practically bouncing when she stopped by the office to pick up her documents and was very thankful for everything I had done for her. Her mood and excitement was contagious and affected everyone in the office a positive way. I still smile when I think of her and how excited she was.

Stress, anger and fear are issues we all deal with to some extent. There are times when we need to share with others and I think it is important to acknowledge how you are feeling (good or bad) and talk to someone when needed. We also need to realize when certain things are beyond our control and just need to play out. Quite often obstacles are put in our path for a reason and are opportunities to learn and grow.

 I have realized this week, that a positive attitude, happiness and joy, has not only more benefits, but also a much longer lasting effect on yourself and those around you than most stressful situations.


Michele Ward
                                                         
   

Cluttered Space Equals a Cluttered Mind

This past week has reconfirmed my need for an orderly and uncluttered house. Instead of orderly and uncluttered, my house has been turned upside down due to renovations for over a week now. My dog experienced an anxiety attack over a month ago and destroyed the carpet in my bedroom. Luckily the damage (carpet & paint) was covered by my house insurance, but in order to save money I removed all the trim, old carpet and the toilet from the en suite and painted all the walls myself prior to the new flooring being installed.

If you ever want to fully understand how much stuff you have accumulated then just move everything out of one room and you may be surprised. Unpleasantly, I may add! Construction debris, furniture, decor and personal belongings are now spread throughout my house. I know that I do not function well in this type of environment and I find myself loosing focus. There have been a couple of days this week where my numbers were not as good as they could have been and I also missed both my morning classes due to exhaustion. As much as I would have liked to attend, something had to give. My cane form is not yet complete and I'm not even sure where to find the time to fit in some practice. Just thinking about the clutter and everything that still needs to be put back together and cleaned up causes me stress.

I started working on purging and decluttering my house during the summer and obviously still have a long way to go. I plan to continue to work on one room at a time in between everything else going on. For me a clean and uncluttered living space equals calm and creates a positive energy flow.

Michele Ward
                

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  

The 3 C's of Life

I always recognize when my stress level has increased beyond what is normal for me. I become  overwhelmed and more emotional. Definitely not a good time for making important decisions. This is a time when my thoughts do not always serve me in the best way possible. Allowing myself a day of rest is important to regenerate and reset for the following week. Not necessarily a day to lounge about doing nothing, but rather a day to catch up on house, family, and personal responsibilities as well as blog. When stress levels are high and motivation is starting to waiver we need something to remind us that we all have choices and the choices we make throughout the day determine our results.

"Mastery is a product of consistently going beyond our limits."

The 3 C's of Life:

• Choices
• Chances
• Changes

It is quite simple, make a choice to take a chance, or your life will never change!

I have decided to post this message in key areas of my house so that whenever I am feeling stressed, overwhelmed or lack motivation it will serve as a reminder and motivator.

Michele Ward

     

Phi Theta Kappa

When I look back at my first year in the I Ho Chuan ("year of the sheep"), I really believe that being part of the team was a huge catalyst for many important changes in my life. Resigning from a long term management position that was no longer serving me or my son and going back to school full time were two of the biggest life changes for me during the "year of the sheep". The journey and the paths I choose were difficult and there were times when I really struggled with certain areas of higher education and the whole learning process. Adding in a lack of computer knowledge and a 52 year old brain to the mix, made it all that much more exciting and challenging. I managed to finish off the travel program with a G.P.A. of 4.0, much to my surprise and delight. Hard work, sweat, tears, perseverance, trust and knowing when to ask for help is what got me to the finish line. No blood though, just the odd paper cut! Sounds familiar, doesn't it?

I was surprised to received a letter this week, informing me that I have been selected for membership in the Alpha Tau Delta Chapter of Phi Theta Kappa, due to my outstanding academic record. Wow! According to the letter, membership in Phi Theta Kappa is recognized as one of the highest honours a college student can receive. I have read and reread the letter as I process what a great achievement this offer of membership signifies.

Just like earning a black belt, I know that even though I have completed my studies and graduated, my education has only just begun. There is so much more for me to experience and continue learning as I expand my knowledge in the travel industry. I now have a good solid base just like we learn in our  Kung Fu training. A few of the reasons I love the travel industry are the vast amount of learning and ongoing knowledge required for this business and it's ability to connect each and everyone of us in a global world. I am also learning how relevant Kung fu really is to all aspects of our lives!

Michele Ward

Weapon of Choice

So, cane is my weapon of choice this year. Not the most exciting weapon and not a weapon I would of chosen a year ago, but the creative side of my brain had been playing with an idea. That idea started with a cane and then it expands! But first I needed to start with a basic cane. I had not given much thought to what that cane was going to look like. Something basic, just a tool to learn proper technique and handling of the weapon. As soon as I saw the cane that I now own, I knew it was the one for me. Hand made by out of ash wood and carved from top to bottom. It is a beautiful cane! Who would have thought I could be so excited about a cane?

Now this is where the work comes in! I need to take that excitement that I feel and transition it into an amazing form. The cane is heavier than I had expected, especially with all the repetitions necessary to learn the strikes, the blocks and to become comfortable with the weapon. I also have difficulty processing and learning anything new quickly. I have discovered early on that taking notes and repetition is necessary for me in order to remember new forms and concepts. I am also looking forward to learning more about the cane, as I have discovered there is quite a bit of interesting information and history regarding this weapon.

 Learning to handle a weapon properly requires a lot of time, patience and practice. Becoming familiar with the weapon, how it feels in your hands and the correct technique associated with it is key to being able to handle the weapon with skill and to create your own form. The more a person works with a weapon, the more it becomes an extension of themselves. I plan to and will dig deep, practice, dig some more, and practice, practice, practice!    

Michele Ward
                         

The Squirrel Effect

Zoom... we're off!!!

There is a great deal of energy, excitement and some apprehension when starting something new. We are easily caught up in the bright shiny new goals!

I have a tendency to just wing it! Conscious goal setting and planning is not something I excel at. A certain amount of planning occurs initially, but whatever happens after that is a mystery. Stuff does get done and some goals are achieved, because when I'm not being lazy, I'm doing. Maybe that's the squirrel effect?

Week one felt pretty good and I was happy with my progress. I've made adjustments and I took advantage of small blocks of time whenever possible. Working 6 or 7 days a week and up to 12 hours a day requires me to find and take advantage of any opportunity to work on the requirements. There is still room for improvement but all in all a good start.


After our fist team meeting I quickly realized I am missing pieces of the puzzle. More thought and planning needs to happen in order to be successful in building numbers and checking off all the boxes. Some of the requirements had been filed away and had not been given much thought or planning at all. I was focused on the more manageable requirements (the bright shiny objects) and the others faded into the background. Everything will work itself out. Won't it? The list of goals and requirements is extensive and if I think about every one of them it's very easy to dart about from here to there... getting distracted, overwhelmed and loosing track of the less bright and shiny, but still necessary requirements.

Goal setting and planning is not one of my personal goals this year and to be perfectly honest I don't actually embrace the process either, yet I foresee it to be a natural outcome throughout this "Year of the Rooster."



  Michele Ward