And the world spins madly on
In the last few years, I've found it interesting that my birthday falls where it does. Just after school starts, and a mere 95 days until the end of the year. Harvest time. It's hectic for everyone, I know. I'm in the middle of one project at work right now, and have had meetings this week for two new ones already. I find it a blessing that I have this nice reminder before plunging into the family holidays and fourth-quarter madness.
While I was 25, I think the theme would have been stronger. I was really trying to maximize my strengths, work hard, play hard, see everyone I could. I was eating better, perhaps at my peak of fitness going into my Second Yellow test, and really feeling good.
My Sifu talks about how there are two aspects of power. You generate maximum power by making your final strike very very hard, say a strength rating of 10. But to get power you also have to be relaxed the rest of the time. You have to go from zero to ten back to zero to have a powerful strike. If you only go from five to seven, that's not very powerful. Twenty-five was a year spent adding perhaps a half-point to the top end.
I didn't really intend to, but it seems that I spent most of 26 working on the idea of softer. It's not even that I feel more calm or relaxed, I was getting that at 25 too. I've noticed a lot more times of holding my tongue when the words would do no good. Of letting go of fear or anger or doubt and refocusing on the task at hand. I don't stink of Zen as bad as I used to, I've stopped my endless nagging of people to be better than they are, or at least I don't verbalize it as much. I'm much more comfortable with who I am, flaws and all.
I know I've improved in this area because it's caused some problems. Tonight while sparring with a partner at the dojo, several times I simply didn't respond to an incoming flurry because I was remaining relaxed. This eventually earned me a nice punch almost behind my jaw. I was meant to be calm, not asleep.
There have been a great many other things in my life. I've fallen in love, "like whoa", and changed direction in major parts of my life. I've went from a small apartment to a small room to an even smaller room, shedding unneeded things along the way. I went from the junior member of a team to a fairly involved senior member. I've almost read twice my goal for books. I saw the Atlantic and the Pacific. I saw my sisters graduate. I played golf with my brother. I've had a lot of great conversations with my mother which I will cherish for my life. I've eaten a LOT of rice.
What's up this next year? I'm going West, moving to Oregon. I hope to test for Green sash in December or January. I'm going to graduate, then watch my mother graduate. I'm going to watch my brother get married. I'm going to launch a website.
26 was pretty good. 27 is going to be my best year EVER.
shoutouts to birthday twin oh_chris and nearby birthdays of Sessor and Gage.
While I was 25, I think the theme would have been stronger. I was really trying to maximize my strengths, work hard, play hard, see everyone I could. I was eating better, perhaps at my peak of fitness going into my Second Yellow test, and really feeling good.
My Sifu talks about how there are two aspects of power. You generate maximum power by making your final strike very very hard, say a strength rating of 10. But to get power you also have to be relaxed the rest of the time. You have to go from zero to ten back to zero to have a powerful strike. If you only go from five to seven, that's not very powerful. Twenty-five was a year spent adding perhaps a half-point to the top end.
I didn't really intend to, but it seems that I spent most of 26 working on the idea of softer. It's not even that I feel more calm or relaxed, I was getting that at 25 too. I've noticed a lot more times of holding my tongue when the words would do no good. Of letting go of fear or anger or doubt and refocusing on the task at hand. I don't stink of Zen as bad as I used to, I've stopped my endless nagging of people to be better than they are, or at least I don't verbalize it as much. I'm much more comfortable with who I am, flaws and all.
I know I've improved in this area because it's caused some problems. Tonight while sparring with a partner at the dojo, several times I simply didn't respond to an incoming flurry because I was remaining relaxed. This eventually earned me a nice punch almost behind my jaw. I was meant to be calm, not asleep.
There have been a great many other things in my life. I've fallen in love, "like whoa", and changed direction in major parts of my life. I've went from a small apartment to a small room to an even smaller room, shedding unneeded things along the way. I went from the junior member of a team to a fairly involved senior member. I've almost read twice my goal for books. I saw the Atlantic and the Pacific. I saw my sisters graduate. I played golf with my brother. I've had a lot of great conversations with my mother which I will cherish for my life. I've eaten a LOT of rice.
What's up this next year? I'm going West, moving to Oregon. I hope to test for Green sash in December or January. I'm going to graduate, then watch my mother graduate. I'm going to watch my brother get married. I'm going to launch a website.
26 was pretty good. 27 is going to be my best year EVER.
shoutouts to birthday twin oh_chris and nearby birthdays of Sessor and Gage.