Grounding

I’ve had a pretty good week. I had the opportunity to connect with Coach Callos and a couple of my teammates over the past couple of days and its impossible not to feel great when surrounded with all that positive energy.

I met with my student team yesterday for our monthly meeting and came out feeling very pleased with the efforts of my team and how engaged they are at this point. We’re setting up some team projects for the next few months and we had a couple of great discussions.

Something that we touched on was the value of a vegetarian diet. We live in a province where beef is king so eliminating meat from our diet can be a challenge. Mindful eating goes a long way in motivating a person to stay the course. When you approach your diet in a mindful way, it is impossible not be completely cognizant of the environmental, health, and moral consequences of consuming meat and supporting that industry.

“One farmer says to me, "You cannot live on vegetable food solely, for it furnishes nothing to make the bones with;" and so he religiously devotes a part of his day to supplying himself with the raw material of bones; walking all the while he talks behind his oxen, which, with vegetable-made bones, jerk him and his lumbering plow along in spite of every obstacle.” - Henry David Thoreau (1817 - 1862)

Protocol

“I’m new here, and so I just didn’t understand the proper protocol.” Protocol. I have come to detest that word. I am finding that a lot of people use that word to explain their poor conduct and their failure to utilize their empathy skills. Something I have learned through tracking and logging acts of kindness is that proper protocol is about common sense, respect, and above all - empathy. Effective communication is not just about the words being said, but also the context in which they were meant. Context is always a matter of perspective and if you are not looking from the perspective of another, you are not effectively communicating.

Motives and consequences. Basic anger management training helps a person realize that they may not have control over what other people say or do, but they do have control over how they interpret what other people say or do. Considering the motives behind what is being said will immediately apply a context to the words and help in the proper interpretation and ultimate communication. Considering the consequences of how you choose to reply will also impact on proper communication by influencing how receptive others are to your words. Words should be chosen carefully.

“To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.” - Anthony Robbins (b. 1960)

Opportunity

Change has come to Egypt. What this change ultimately manifests into is going to depend on the values of those supporting it. Where will the west place its priorities for the outside aid it will provide? Will the priority be democracy or will it be capitalism? While the two are compatible, they don’t always go hand in hand.

It is hard not to be inspired by the change being generated through peaceful activism. Each of us has the power to initiate change but very few of us accept that responsibility. Those of us who enjoy the power of influence must mindfully ensure that our values are reflected in our leadership and that these values not only address our current situation, but cater to the legacy we wish to leave behind. In this light, as a martial artist, there is no doubt that peace is more important than punches.

Everyday presents new opportunities. Through our actions and words, our indifference and apathy, our commitment to mastery, or our acceptance of mediocrity - we either seize opportunities and accept responsibility for creating the world in which we wish to live, or we shuffle on, oblivious to wasted and eventually lost potential. Our choices, no matter how seemingly insignificant, are ripples that are creating waves.

“The function of leadership is to provide more leaders, not more followers.” - Ralph Nader (b. 1934)

Whew!

While I have been keeping up with my UBBT requirements, I have definitely been absent from actively engaging with my team. Just too much on my plate these past few months has forced me to narrow my priorities and focus on the basics. Now that Chinese New Year has passed, I have my life back. Sure there’s still some projects to complete but now that our school’s annual banquet is finished, the pressure is off.

My first order of business is to catch up on my sleep. That in turn should help me achieve my second goal - heal a couple of aggravating injuries. Training full time pretty much guarantees never being at 100% but these past couple of years have been ridiculous when it comes to chronic issues. I can tell I’ve turned a corner so I am really looking forward to the coming year.

“A project is complete when it starts working for you, rather than you working for it.” - Scott Allen