Status

Our front line healthcare workers have been overworked for almost two years now and despite this the provincial government is attacking them through funding cutbacks, wage rollbacks, and broken agreements. While all of this is going on the government continues to spend billions on a fading oil industry while destroying any economic diversification initiated by previous governments. 

Our premier had declared that the pandemic was over. He opened the province up completely and partied at the Calgary Stampede and any other event he could get to. Presently, Alberta Health Services has had to implement emergency provisions to redeploy staff, mandate overtime, and cancel vacations as the fourth wave of infections continue to rise on a daily basis.

So where is our premier while all of this is going down? He is currently on vacation and cannot be reached. 

“I know many people are looking forward to a time without restrictions, without masks, and without the stresses of the pandemic weighing on all of us, I am one of those people. But I am concerned about the pace of this reopening plan, given that we had the highest rate of infection of anywhere in Canada or the U.S. earlier this very month. I have questions about how the premier decided on this pace, and whether it was informed by science, or simply by working backwards from the first day of the Calgary Stampede.” - Rachel Notley (b. 1964)

Valentino Rossi

Last week the greatest MotoGP racer on the planet announced that the current racing season would be his last. Nine world titles with seven of them in the highest motorcycle racing class in the world would be enough for him to be considered one of the greatest of all time but there is so much more behind the respect I have for him.

Valentino Rossi approaches his craft as an artist. His creativity and dedication are always on display. The attack lines he utilizes in a race are only slightly different than the lines his rivals’ use but those little differences reflect the gap between finishing first and finishing second.

Valentino Rossi’s mastery of the motorcycle is a major inspiration behind my pursuit of mastery in kung fu. His relentless pursuit of the perfect racing line is a constant reminder for me to keep learning and adapting as I evolve. Just because something is working great for me right now does not mean there is not a better approach that is just a couple of degrees to the left or right from where I currently am.

I am grateful to have been able to follow Valentino Rossi’s MotoGP career for over twenty years. He may be retiring from racing at the end of this season but his inspiration will continue to fuel my training until my days here are over.

“The great fights with your strongest rivals are always the biggest motivation. When you win easily it's not the same taste.” - Valentino Rossi (b. 1979)

SRKF COVID Protocols In a Province That Has None

As common sense already predicted, we are seeing a significant increase in COVID cases since the Calgary Stampede last month. Despite the alarming rise in cases, the provincial government is going ahead with their plan to remove all restrictions by August 16. To be clear, this means that people who test positive for COVID will no longer be required to isolate themselves. We are now in this unpredictable situation where our COVID numbers are rising alarmingly fast while we are simultaneously removing all restrictions that have been helping keep the numbers down. It is not easy to keep a kung fu school financially viable while keeping our students safe in a province with no COVID protocols. 

Strong leadership is often more about optics than the logical specifics of a situation. Setting a public example of common sense and awareness will go a long way to help inspire our community to work together so that everyone can function within the reality of the pandemic as safely as possible. 

Ignoring what needs to be done to address a crisis only adds more fuel for the crisis to continue. We need leadership that looks out for the welfare of our population over the long term rather than only looking out for their own short term lust for power and money. 

“Nothing is sweeter and addictive than power, the unlucky soul this demon possesses, if he is not sacrificed on its altar will sacrifice others himself to get it”  ― Bangambiki Habyarimana

Simplicity

A friend queried me this week concerning my ongoing goal to reduce the number of my possessions to one hundred. He pointed out that I first publicly declared this goal back in 2013 and as he had predicted, I had failed. Nothing could be further from the truth. While after eight years I still have not achieved my goal but that does not mean the quest does not continue.

Minimalistic living is a choice and it is a process. Like mastery, it is not a destination. It is not about the actual number of possessions I own, it is about living mindfully and not consuming thoughtlessly. I continue to reduce my possessions but even more importantly, I no longer recklessly accumulate.

The books I read are either borrowed from the library or they are electronic. The music I listen to is streamed. My money goes toward experiences, not things. Yes my garage still has two motorcycles in it but it stores less and less every year.

Living simply allows me to simply live. I do not have to work to pay off debt. I do not have to work to earn money to support and maintain my trinkets. Each day is about maximizing my awareness of the present moment and understanding that the source of my happiness is in how I spend my time, not how I spend my money.

“The best things in life are not things.” - Unkown