My Christmas Wish

Christmas has a way of reminding you of what is important. My most vivid memories of Christmas past are about the people I shared the season with and those whose absence reminded me of how important these shared moments are. The holidays bring us together as families, reconnecting us with who we are and bring to mind that we are the sum of our own experiences as well as those of our parents, and their parents. Every moment we experience colours the next. 

My wish is for Christmas to always be about the moments we experience and how great a gift a shared moment can be when we recognize all that is contained in that moment. May all our shared moments be enriched by our presence and may the quality of our presence be defined by the void left in our absence.

“The most precious gift we can offer others is our presence. When mindfulness embraces those we love, they will bloom like flowers.” - Thich Nhat Hanh (b. 1926)

"A" Is For Attitude

I have spent the past week helping my upcoming I Ho Chuan (Student UBBT) team prepare for the year long challenge that is going to begin on January 23, 2012 - Year of the Dragon. Many of the team became intimidated and filled with self doubt when they considered the scope of the requirements that lay before them. A few became frustrated when their strategy of only choosing personal requirements they were guaranteed of fulfilling was rejected by me.

There is an elegance behind Tom Callos’ Ultimate Black Belt Test that is easy to overlook. Every program requirement and challenge plays an integral role in ensuring the success of the participant. Whether the curriculum is making you more aware or helping you stay engaged, all serve a purpose.The best way to approach the curriculum requirements is to view each as a tool to assist you achieve mastery. I have found some people immediately interpret a requirement as a hoop they must jump through as opposed to the ladder it actually is. Just a small change of attitude can change the entire aspect of the challenge.

The UBBT has taught me a lot about kung fu and success, and all of that knowledge has come to me experientially. I have always known that a bunch of small things add up to a single big thing, logic dictates that. However, logical or not, that knowledge does not empower you until you put it into action and experience the rewards.

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference" - Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)

Children Do As They See

Bullying is an issue that continues to blight our society. Learning disabilities, health issues, and suicide are just some of the consequences of bullying. Our school system is not protecting our children from bullies and at the same time they punish the victims as harshly as the perpetrator if the victim dares to take a stand. Social media gives bullies 24/7 access to their victims, creating a relentless atmosphere of persecution. What is it about our so called ‘civilized’ society that allows this supposedly unacceptable behaviour continue to flourish?

Watching the USA’s Tea Party in action should open anyone’s eyes as to how it has become acceptable to use fear and intimidation to get what you want. In fact it seams that over the past ten years or so, fear and intimidation are the standard modus operandi for politicians in North America. Was there ever a time that Stephen Harper was not known as a bully?

As long as we continue to accept bullying and intimidation tactics from our leaders, is it reasonable for us to expect anything less from our children? As with most issues change comes from having your voice heard. Bad behaviour is only unacceptable if someone takes a stand and does not condone it. Silence and a blind eye has never changed a thing.

“Why of course the people don't want war. Why should some poor slob on a farm want to risk his life in a war when the best he can get out of it is to come back to his farm in one piece? Naturally the common people don't want war neither in Russia, nor in England, nor for that matter in Germany. That is understood. But, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine the policy and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. That is easy. All you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the peacemakers for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country.” - Hermann Goering (1893 - 1946)

Empathy

Pro Infirmis is a Swiss organization that assists people with disabilities. They conducted an experiment involving a man, Fabian, dressed in a bear costume giving out hugs. Their tagline for this video is:

Pro Infirmis conducts an experiment: there are only a few people who don`t have empathy with disabled people. Nevertheless, the passenger seat in the public bus next to Fabian often stays empty. Handicapped people are a regular part of our society.

A friend of mine sent me this video a few weeks ago. I had seen it before, perhaps in another blog, but somehow it did not speak to me that first time like it has this time. I have been unable to get the video out of my mind for the past couple of weeks.

Why do handicaps and mental illness carry such social stigma? Obviously our lack of empathy reflects our lack of understanding. This ad by Pro Infirmis should really open eyes.

“Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but stigma and bias shame us all." - Bill Clinton (b. 1946)