UBBT 6 Retrospective

As I approach the end of my first Ultimate Black Belt Test, I realize how short the amount of time is in a single year. I have been reflecting upon the past eleven months and whether or not I am where I expected to be when I started this journey back in January. At a moment like this it is easy to become caught up in everything I haven’t accomplished rather than reflect upon the evolution that has taken place within me over the past eleven months. While a single year may be incredibly short, it is amazing how much opportunity is encapsulated within that year.

The list of what I haven’t accomplished is vast. My goal to study under a lion dance master has been postponed until my knee/leg issues improve. These issues have also prevented me from realizing many of my physical goals. Form reps, sparring rounds, and BJJ are more casualties of my condition. I am looking forward to the opportunity the Live Like a Champion Project will provide me to knock off these goals.

Adaptability. That has been the key to my successful UBBT journey. The value in this past year has been found in the personal growth and self discovery that have transformed me. The time I spent in Alabama with my students, Master McNeill’s visit to my school, and the Thich Nhat Hanh retreat in Colorado were all significant experiences I hadn’t expected or even considered when I began my test. I guess I should be grateful for my physical challenges as I may not have noticed all the other opportunities before me if my UBBT had gone perfectly as planned. Such is the value of the no quitting requirement.

Above all, I am grateful for the relentless push the UBBT provides. Everyday is a day of accomplishment and discovery.

“Aging wrinkles the body. Quitting wrinkles the soul.” - Douglas MacArther (1880 - 1964)

Barack Obama - Living Hero #6

Yeah, it is probably not cool to choose a politician as a living hero, but after living with what had gone on in the world for the eight years prior to his mandate, Barack Obama has given me hope for the future.

I won’t get into the multitude of reasons why many feel he would be a poor choice. No one is perfect. My specific reason for admiring Barack Obama is his ‘dialogue first’ approach to diplomacy. If the world’s most militaristically powerful nation is not willing to engage in dialogue, there is not much hope for resolving conflicts. Dealing with conflict by imposing your will upon your enemy only prolongs and escalates a conflict over the long term. There is much damage that Barack Obama will have to repair before his attempts at resolving some of these conflicts bear fruit, but I have no doubt he is on the right path.

If the economy does not overshadow the world issues that should matter most, Barack Obama has the potential to change the world into something my grandchildren will be able to live with.

“Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral questions of our time; the need for mankind to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to oppression and violence. Mankind must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression, and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.” - Martin Luther King (1929 - 1968)

Either he's dead or my watch has stopped . . .

We’re in the middle of the H1N1 pandemic in Alberta right now and we are all feeling the consequences of poor leadership. Thousands of healthy people stood in line for a vaccine while the high risk population stood unprotected. Heck, even the Calgary Flames got to the front of the queue while children with cystic fibrosis stood in line outside in the cold rain for five hours to get their vaccine. While everyone questioned each other’s “take care of our own” approach, the real problem was a total lack of leadership. Without strong leadership, people tend to adopt the strategy of every man for himself.

After witnessing the chaos surrounding the first wave of vaccinations, one can only wonder what it would be like if the pandemic became such a crisis that Tamiflu becomes the hot commodity. You need to receive the medicine within 48 hours for it to be effective. I can only imagine the widespread panic and violence that would occur if the rolling out of the Tamiflu treatment is as disorganized as the rolling out of the vaccine prevention. Without strong leadership we’re only one mass crisis away from anarchy.

I’ve been thinking a lot about leadership lately and the vital role it plays in society. As a martial arts instructor I understand the value of leadership skills and I work hard at developing my school’s curriculum so that it reinforces this quality in my students. If we’re not producing strong leaders then we’re not maximizing our value to society.

“I don’t spend a lot of time studying stuff” - Ron Liepert, Alberta Minister of Health and Wellness.

Change is in the Wind

Change is inevitable. Our ability to handle change is a big factor in how we cope with stress. I learned a long time ago that it is much easier to accept a change, even one for the worse, if I have done everything within my power to prevent the situation from evolving to the point where change is necessary. I guess if my effort is there and my conscience is clear, I can see factors at play that are beyond my control and I have no choice but to accept and move on.

Some people consider me a risk taker. I know I jump into a lot of situations because my heart tells me to do so and I sort out the details as I go. As long as I have my long term objective in front of me, things always seem to work out for me. Even when things don’t work out the way I had envisioned, time always proves that it was still for the best. Who am I to argue with those types of results?

I am at a crossroads in my life. I guess I have been here for a long time but I have been fighting against the winds of change for so long that I have forgotten about the peace that comes with quiet acceptance. If one avoids something long enough, the stress of avoiding eventually far outweighs the stress of dealing with the situation.

Simplify, simplify, simplify. It has been my creed for along time and it seems that every November brings a fresh perspective to me that allows me to see things much more clearly. No matter how much effort I put into a situation that involves others who have their own agenda, a positive outcome is not in my complete control. It’s time to purge myself of a couple of sloppy situations that are taxing me and sucking my soul dry. Life is too short to fight against the inevitable.

Ahhhh, the sweet release of acceptance......

“Change the changeable, accept the unchangeable, and remove yourself from the unacceptable.” - Denis Waitley (b. 1933)