2024 — New Year, New Goals!
A new year already! Seems like we were just here. But, with the new year comes new goals. Don’t like to use the word “resolutions”. It sounds so—final. Like the world will end if the resolution is not met.
Goals. So much more positive. And easier to not beat yourself up if you don’t get to the final endpoint. Besides, if you even reach some of the stated goal, you’ve succeeded, right?
So here’s some sage advice. Set multiple smaller goals that are steps toward the ultimate result you want. Celebrate each milestone as you reach it. If you don’t get all the way there, then you still have something to reach for. If you reach your ultimate goal, pat yourself on the back and….yup, set a new goal!
Doesn’t matter what your goal is. Financial or other. Big or small. Work-related, travel-related, weight-related, fitness-related. All are good places to start. Just don’t create so many that you immediately become overwhelmed.
Remember, goals should be challenging, but not impossible. They should be measurable. They should be tied to something meaningful to you, not someone else. Focus on one or two. Not ten or twelve! You’ve got a whole year! If you reach the first couple of goals you set, then look at your list and see what else might be worth tackling. But….make sure you maintain the success of the goals you did meet. No backsliding!! Well, at least try not to. After all, life happens. Things don’t always go as planned. Be flexible enough to pick up where you left off if you get sidetracked. Everything is a work […]
Summer Fun
August. The last month before school starts and life gets back into those routines that got left behind sometime in June. Don’t get depressed….you’ve still got a whole month!!!
Hopefully the weather will settle a bit and give us some nice sun, lower humidity, and just a few rainy days, ‘cause we’ll still need them to keep things green.
But while you’re having your summer fun, remember to think safety. Life jackets, bike helmets, knee/elbow pads, approriate hiking clothes, bug spray….all those things that help protect while the user indulges in their activities.
And if you miss a class here and there, don’t worry. Master Cindy understands. In fact, she probably wishes she was doing some of the fun things the students come in and talk about!
But no class doesn’t mean no practice! Even if you can’t always physically practice, find a quiet moment and go through your material mentally. That way, when you come to class, you won’t be completely lost.
Summer fun? YES!
Summer memory loss? Not so much…. 😊
Enjoy. And be safe.
Congratulations to NH’s Chief Instructors!
Saturday, May 13 , 2023
Master Mark, Keene, promoted to 7th Degree Black Belt
Master Cindy, Portsmouth, promoted to 6th Degree Black Belt
Sensei Tim, Concord, promoted to 5th Degree Black Belt (Mastery Level)
Anger vs. Hatred
There’s a difference. We can be justifiably angry at something without developing hatred. Anger can be sparked by watching our own, or others’, rights, dignity, and even lives robbed by the powers that be. Anger can also be sparked by recognizing when others fall short of expectations. But anger can be a powerful motivator, also. Anger can spur us into actions against societal injustices, as well as giving us an everyday motive to do our best.
Hatred, on the other hand, seeks to dehumanize. It has the potential to cause us to see others not as fellow human beings, but as animals, or insects, or aliens, or things….and such thoughts make it easier to mistreat others, or perhaps do even worse things.
It’s important to understand that even healthy anger, if left to fester or remain unchallenged, can become embittered into hatred. This is not a good result, and obviously should not be encouraged. So how do we break away from this potential result? Well, you’ll probably get a different answer to that question from everyone you ask. There’s no real right answer. Everyone deals with anger in a different way, some quite well, others, maybe not so much.
There’s an old saying….never go to bed angry. While that saying is often applied to relationships, the fact is, our minds tend to turn short-term memories into long-term memories when we sleep. Thus, if you are unable to shed your anger before you sleep, there’s a risk of stepping onto that road of anger turning into embittered hatred. Work hard to avoid that!
Use your anger for positive results, or let […]
Got Lemons?
The course of our lives can be bumpy from time to time. Few can say they’ve never had to negotiate a rough patch or two. Sooner or later, things won’t go as planned, the expected reward is not as anticipated, and sometimes life just sucks. No other way to put it.
What’s that have to do with lemons? Nothing much, other than it brings to mind that old saying… If life throws you lemons, Make lemonade. That’s all well and good, and the meaning behind that phrase is fairly obvious…turn something not-so-good into something good.
Great. What if you don’t like lemonade? No, seriously. If lemons are sour, lemonade is only the liquid form of that sour. How is that an improvement? Oh, sure. Throw in lots and lots of sugar. That’ll make is less sour. But think about it. Sugar is an additive. You must actually have that ingredient to put into the mix.
So when life sucks, what do you do if you don’t have an additive to make it less sucky? That’s the question many struggle with on a daily basis. And most do so quietly, falling further and further into despair. It’s easy for those of us experiencing one of life’s better moments to say “just be patient, all will work out” which may be tough for the struggling person to hear. And it may only add to their feelings of inadequacy and failure that they can’t seem to be patient. But how about this—“it’s all mental, just tell yourself to pull out of it, or get over it”. You may think that little bit of tough love is […]
Setting Goals
Whether you dust off old goals and work to accomplish them….OR….you create new goals…it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that you have something in mind to keep your motivation going.
Keep your goals simple. Keep them realistic. Keep them measurable. But keep them. Do your best to meet them, and when you do, set new goals.
Oh, and this is important. Don’t beat yourself up if you don’t succeed in all your goals. Remember…they’re goals. Something to strive for. Something to celebrate when reached. Something to reset if not reached. They are not something to mentally punish yourself for over and over if you fall a little short. Sometimes life gets in the way.
Blackbelts – 2nd Degree!
Congratulations to Daniel, Dylan, and Alfie. All received their 2nd Degree Black Belts on June 4, 2022.
2022 – Year of the Tiger
Since 2022 is the Year of the Tiger, let’s talk about them. From the Chinese Zodiac/Astrological perspective, those born under this sign are considered strong and fearless. They make great leaders and stand up for what they believe in. They will often take over projects in their eagerness to finish them, thus they may not always be at their best in a team situation. They also not only want to complete the task, but to do it right the first time. Money is not the biggest motivator for a Tiger. But success in a given endeavor is. Very often this will translate into wealth. Surprisingly, the Tiger is a peaceful sign. Provoking one usually requires a good deal of effort.
From a Kung Fu perspective, those who are Tiger practitioners are known for being strong and agile. Their main strategy is to charge and attack directly with brute force to overwhelm an opponent. The Tiger practitioner relies mostly on their arms but will occasionally use low kicks. They target any part of the body, but especially those most vulnerable to tearing techniques. They must be relaxed and capable of speed. Strong stances and the ability to quickly change to another stance is also a characteristic of a Tiger practitioner.
In the animal kingdom, Tigers are one of nature’s most feared predators. Strong, powerful, solitary creatures, they mark their territory and protect it against others. They can reach speeds of up to 40mph. Cubs remain with their mothers for two to three years. Hunting lessons begin around six months of age and by eleven months they are competent hunters. By approximately eighteen months, they are fully independent. […]
2022 Goal
Develop a warrior mindset.