Blogging

     Didn't blog last week and its not that I didn't write a couple blogs, because I did. More so its that they weren't appropriate for anyone to read. It did feel good to write all those thoughts down , a good way to vent without any backlash or hurting anyone's feelings. But in the end no posted blog.

    Trying to be better about my blogging , especially the quality of content. What sounds awesome and makes perfect sense to me , in my head at least , hits the page and it reads like I'm crazy or angry. In the beginning I really thought this blogging requirement sucked but have since leaned to like it.

     What makes a good blog ?  Or better , What makes a great blog?

Scott Fuhr

In the moment

    Is anyone ever in the moment anymore? I watch people run around taking pictures just to post them on a social media. Always on their mobile leashes never appreciating being here and now. Not present. Oddly enough I'm doing that while I write this post  but it was starting to bother me. Being in group of people yet still alone. Can anyone else relate?
Scott Fuhr


http://www.silentriverkungfu.com

Reflection

     At first I was a little disappointed with my year but have since reflected on my accomplishments more and my failures less. Although I do not see them as actual failures but as learning experiences. Best way to learn, for me, is to do or fail trying. I do prefer to learn from others mistakes but sometimes that's not an option.  

    Will I ever live up to my expectations of myself? Every hurdle I encounter doesn't necessarily stop or slow my progression, it does alter my direction. As I evolve I realize it's more about the path you've left behind                     than the place you end up. Getting to the top, turning around and seeing a trial of devastation that's left behind is not who I am or want to be.  The point I am seeing as I write this is , I am taking longer to get to where I see myself being at as little cost to others as possible. Is it the right way to be or should I leave a wake of turmoil in a race to get there?

Scott Fuhr

Perspective

   This year has been good so far. A couple speed bumps slowed me down a little and a pothole sent me for repairs. Nothing major but it did disrupt my flow and up until then I was on track. Numbers were good (except for RAK).  I will fail on my final numbers, I'm am disappointed with that, but I don't  consider the year failed. It was a little harder than I expected it to be.  Maybe I was a little naïve to think this was going to be easy.  

•     Now how do I make next year better not just for me but more importantly for the team? I heard a few good ideas at Saturdays meeting hopefully we start now and test them,  its never too late to finish strong.    

Why

Why if you can see value in actions is it so hard to follow thru. The value all of our requirements is like a flashing billboard to me yet I struggle with doing some of them. Also the routine I started the year with is gone. It was not that hard to get into it or maintain but once I got out of it , I struggle to regain it. Why? Should I restructure it ? It worked before so it should work again. My struggles right now are obviously all mental.  

Scott Fuhr      

Motivation

     Haven't blogged for a while , no reason other than lazy I guess. My motivation was at a low for almost everything. Sifu Brinkers pep talk in Fridays class has hopefully changed that for good.

     Why is motivation a constant struggle for me ?


Scott Fuhr

Blogging

          I haven't blogged in two weeks. Mostly because I've been feeling down about the massive amount that I have fallen in behind in completing my requirements. So not blogging made sense ? Fall more behind ! After a couple of emails and a meeting with Sifu Brinker  I am back on track , hopefully to stay on track.
   
     Wish I had more uplifting , encouraging and insightful words to write when I blog but I do not. I believe they will come , they just aren't here yet.  

Scott Fuhr

Goals

     I try to re-read my goals for the year each week as a way to help me stay focused. Sometimes it helps and sometimes it slightly changes the direction I'm heading. Either way it helps. A bigger question now is "Will I accomplish what I said I would?"  To be on the positive side , I have not given up yet on any of my goals , I  just have to attack them in a different manner.
     Small deliberate steps are most likely the way to start , they should keep you from feeling overwhelmed at the beginning. Follow it with a plan that keeps you focused with a forward momentum and my list would gradually get smaller.
     I said this when I started and I say it now , but why is it so hard to do? Next year I think I will give myself a timeline to accomplish specific goals , that way with over half the year gone I won't be wondering if its all possible. The path to mastery for me is not an overnight trip with a final destination , it is a journey with no ending.

Scott Fuhr

River Ride

     Went on a tube ride today down the Pembina river for the first time. It was great. One problem though , we picked up a couple of small bags of garbage at the drop off site , it was all we could carry even though there was so much more. Also while floating down the river i noticed that there was a huge amount of garbage left on the bank of the river. It was sad. I can't really believe people think that is OK. The next trip I will be picking up more.

Scott Fuhr

Books

     I have just gone over my requirements for the year and realized that I am failing. It's not even close and I'm definitely going to have to step it up. Starting with reading , I agreed to read 12 books. I typically read a lot but have obliviously been slacking. Any other books you think are worth reading please let me know !

The Soul of Leadership by Deepak Chopra. Reading
The Devine Matrix by Gregg Brayden. Read    
Live An Inspired Life by Rae-AnnWood-Shatz. Read
Manifesting Change by Mike Dooley. Not read
Ignite the Third Factor by Dr. Peter Jensen. Not read
The Trouble With Islam Today by Irshad Manji. Read
The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein. Not read
The Secret of Inner Strength by Chuck Norris. Not read
 Sacred Balance by David Suzuki. Not read
Peace is Every Step by Thich Naht Hanh. Not read
One Good Run by Tim Hanna. Not read
The Anatomy of a Body Builder by Arnold Swartzenegger . Not read


Scott Fuhr

Not much to say

      Well I have been virtually completely out physically and any time I think I am ready  the next day has let me know that I was not. It is starting to get me down. On the bright side I have been able to take a couple things off of my list and I have more time to read which I have been slacking on a little ( I usually read a lot ).

Scott Fuhr

Still sore

     Have been struggling the last four weeks. 4 chiropractic , 2 Dr. , 2 massage appointments , an X-ray and energy work done by Sihing Donahue. There has been change and it has been getting better , the problem is me. I feel good so I move , then I wake up the next day and I can hardly move. Going to try Physical Therapy , more massage and lots of rest this week to see where that puts me.

Scott Fuhr

Humility help

     First , I would like to acknowledge and thank Sihing Donahue for helping relieve some of the pain in my neck and shoulders. She eliminated my headache , tapped into my chi , got it flowing again and I will get her to work on me again.

     How do we learn humility , Is it something we can be taught , Or is it something we are born with ?  I ask because I feel like I am getting a lesson from a stranger. He was drunk , on a mountain bike and he ripped the mirror off my car. He tried to leave , then get rough with me so we called the police. Since then he has come back to apologize and  pay for the damages. Something I can tell is really hard to do for him because of how scared he was when he came to the door but he came anyway and is going to make things right.

       The other reason is me asking for advice on how to give a lesson. There is a player on the baseball team that has absolutely no humility. His ego is huge and he brings the rest of the team down with it. If he was the best player on the team I would understand a little but he's far from that. Just ask the rest of the kids on the team , even they are tired of his attitude and effort.  I have talked to him but I think his parents feed his ego so it's counter active.  Even though it's near the end of those season I still would like to impress on this player some kind of humble attitude that will serve him later in life.

    Lastly here is a shameless plug that we are hosting 3 levels of Provincial baseball ages ranging from 9 to 19 from July 19 - 21 at the ball diamonds beside Glen Hall arena. So if you would like to watch some live amateur baseball come by.

Scott Fuhr

Back into it

     Two weeks of doing nothing , sounds good right , WRONG.  The tasks that need to get done , no matter how little , do not go away and they don't get done by smurfs , they pile up. I have not been able to move my neck or shoulders at all without pain or discomfort , therefore there is a big pile in front of me especially physically. Push ups, sit-ups, and forms are now way behind.(mowing grass , painting etc...) I can't wait to get back to it.

     To add to my balancing act ,  I'm definitely completely out of balance , our baseball team and two other divisions in Stony have decided to host provincials. It's going to be a busy three weeks. Hopefully I can get back on track smoothly with little teetering but I have a feeling it's going to be tough.

Scott Fuhr

Feeling better

     Well I have not been doing anything this past week because of my neck and shoulders but they are definitely feeling better. In talking to several people around town I have found I am not the only one with the exact same symptoms that show up out of nowhere.  They have all said that after roughly a week it's gone and things are back to normal. I am hoping that is the case for me.  Need to get back to training.

Scott Fuhr

Win win

    I have been coaching this Baseball team for almost 2 months and we have been mercy'd every game. That means we have been down by 10 runs by the 4th inning.  It's been rough , the kids were starting to get really down about it , not to mention the parents.  We have had many small victories as a team but no actual win.

     As coaches we take all the blame and it was starting to take its toll , even though winning is not the most important thing to me , it is important. It pushes us to be better and try harder , in this instance it's about ball , but it can be related to the rest of life as well. The wanting to be better makes us try harder and pushes out the mediocrity.

      The reasons we were not winning are many but the pressures off now , we Won. We can move forward now knowing we have what it takes to win. Finally. Persistence definitely paid off.

Scott Fuhr

Tortoise or Hare

     While I am not really sure which one I am , at this moment it seems to me that I am a hare. Out of the gate at top speed , but as of late , having a nap . Although , the more I think about it , I see myself as more of a tortoise ,  more interested in the journey than the destination slow but steady. Unfortunately I need a deadline , it gives me a sense of urgency and a finish line. Under pressure I appear to work better ( the proverbial gun to head). When that is not there I hear myself saying "Why do today what you can put off until tomorrow."

     I did join Kung Fu hoping to achieve a black belt in 5 years , that deadline has since passed (no gun), and even though I am disappointed that I didn't make it , my journey has most definitely been worth it and even when I do get my black belt it will not be over.   So which am I?

   Scott Fuhr

Lion Dance

     When I first tried Lion Dance it was in a boot camp the first year I started kung fu and I did not like it. Me and the word dance don't really go together on any level , and I did not see any actual value to it . Things have changed tho. I was asked to be in a lion for the Chinese New Year and I thought what better way to get out of my comfort zone. The fact that it is a requirement for the I Ho Chuan team may have  helped a little. I am really enjoying doing it now , it is a ton of fun especially in the parade and I have found a lot of value in it.

     Physically it is extremely intense , whether you are in the head or as a tail. It is like doing a fitness class only you are holding a lion head and covered with a blanket. You must have good balance and be able to hold several low stances off and on for at least 20 minutes while not being able to see anything.

     I am glad it is a requirement because I may not have tried it again and now I can't wait for the next dance.

Scott Fuhr

Balance or Motivation

     I've been feeling lazy the last couple of weeks , not keeping up with anything really  unmotivated. Why? No idea , but after Fridays class I'm feeling better and the motivation is back. Maybe my motivation is directly related to my Balance ?  The more motivated I am the more balanced I become , or is it the other way , the more balanced I am the more motivated I become.  Some serious reflection has to happen now.

     Either way this weekend was great. Spent some quality time with my family not rushing anywhere , which is unusual , and managed to get in a quick practice in a lion at the kwoon , both on Saturday.

Scott Fuhr

Time

      How does everyone do it ? I'm trying but it seems like there is not enough time in the day to get everything done. You would think I would have it figured out by this stage of the challenge but I don't. One day is leaps and bounds and the next is a full stop. Hardly a pattern for success.
   

Scott Fuhr

Random thoughts

     Really struggle sometimes with what to write. I have made a list of topics but it has not made it easier. Oddly enough I am enjoying blogging anyway. Something I thought was never going to happen.

     I believe I understand the importance of keeping track of our Random Acts of Kindness but it still struggle with it. Not the Act but the recording of it. Getting the door for someone , picking up a piece of trash or even mowing the neighbours lawn hardly seem random. While it is obvious that I do not  do nearly enough of this I still have a hard time tracking it.

     Should I feel bad , about not feeling bad , because I like to eat meat?

Scott Fuhr

Diets over

     The diet challenge started off being fun and interesting eating different foods and finding meat alternatives. The novelty wore off quickly.  The first 2 weeks were fine but in the 3rd week I did not feel as strong physically or mentally as usual am. The 4th week was even worse and my family noticed my mood had changed. My family , for the most part , did it with me but even they were questioning the challenge with just over a week to go. Glad I did the challenge but I won't be doing that again anytime soon.
   
Scott Fuhr

Bad Week

      Well I made myself a schedule to follow 2 weeks ago and I think I followed it for 1 day. WOW!  1 whole day , I thought it would easier and I definitely fell apart completely this week as far as my training goes. No one is harder on me than me , so that means kicking my own @$$ and putting it into gear again. Monday is a new day and I will do better.

Scott Fuhr

Volunteering

     Well it's obvious to me now that I have over committed yet again. Spent all day Sunday evaluating kids for baseball (11hours) and have committed to assisting coach a team that is playing from now thru till August. Am I crazy? It is going to be at least a 3 day a week commitment maybe more. I should get my head checked I don't have that kind of time.
     The reason I volunteer is not just for my kids but for all of the kids. Someone volunteered their time for me when I was a child and I think it is my turn to give back a little. It does require me to take a couple of coaching courses and they can only make me a better person.
     On a proud parent moment , I had my kids (9&11)help out with the younger ones(7&8) today. Teaching the proper way to stand at bat and how to throw a ball properly. They did fantastic I just wish all the advice they were giving they would listen to and follow. I guess that means at least they are listening to what they are being coached to do , and it is easier said than done.


Scott Fuhr  

Moving Forward

     Saturdays meeting was fantastic and while I am not proud to say that hearing everyone is struggling a little made me feel better. It was very humbling also and even though my struggles pale in comparison to some of my other team members they are my own and I imagine what we feel is similar.
     I came away with a new plan of attack for my goals that I have set into motion. Hopefully this helps me get to the next level that I am striving for.
   
     Why did I join Kung-Fu? Needed to do something.(easy answer)
     Why am I still in Kung-Fu? The people.(easy answer)
     Is my Kung-Fu serving me? Absolutely.(easy answer)
     I will have to elaborate on the first 2 questions later , the answer to the 3rd question was easy. When I started writing them down it seemed to me that all the answers were easy but it's hard to pinpoint what exactly made me join and what exactly keeps me coming back. I have not really thought about them until now.

    Scott Fuhr

Motivated

     While I have never announced to people that I learn/train in Kung-Fu I have not hidden the fact either. My family asks me how karate is going all the time. I Ho Chuan has made me answer a few questions as to why I am doing so many sit ups , push ups and why I would go vegetarian. My Dad has been trying to do 1000 sit ups a week to keep up with me.
     On Saturday I had a conversation with a dad from hockey and was explaining to him about I Ho Chuan and most of the challenges involved. It definitely got him thinking because I seen him again a few hours later and he said he couldn't stop thinking about the push up part. Mostly because he has started back working out and push ups are a big part of his regime. Although I can't say for sure I think he is going to be setting the 50000 goal for the year.(said it was his competitive side)
     Looks like I may have motivated 2 people to do a little more and all I did was tell them what I was doing. It's only 2 but its a start.

Scott Fuhr

Family Time

      So I basically took the Easter weekend off Friday , Saturday , Sunday to spend it focused on my family , skiing and dinners with extended family. It was more than worth it. Quality time is hard to come by as we tend to spend most of our days heading in different directions. That being said I still managed to fit in 320 push ups and sit ups , a few rounds of sparring and some form reps. Not what I should have done number wise but when I think about it not bad for taking the time off.
      Really looking forward to spring and getting outside to put some miles on because to date I haven't officially recorded any. I am not worried about it , I do a lot of walking at work and will once its a little nicer out I will walk/run the dog more than I do already. A pedometer is on my list of items to purchase so if there are any tried and tested ones that are any good I would like to know.  

Scott Fuhr

Focus

Well, I was falling asleep when I realized I had not done my blog yet. I wish I had insightful revalations like some of the other blogs but I don't . Not yet at least. I do believe it will come as long as I continue to blog every week. Feel like I am wasting a lot of time during the days, which is most likely the cause of my numbers to be low and there is only one way to combat this and that is to focus a little harder each and every day.
  ScottFuhr

Crazy week

Had a really crazy week. Both of my kids play hockey , I help coach both teams , and it is playoffs. Throughout the year coaching attendance for practices and games has been good therefore I have been able to miss some hockey and attend Kung Fu this last week and possibly the next week are the exception. Two coaches are out of town this week so I have to be there. Practice and game times this week are going to be set each day , it may be every night or there might not be anything until the weekend. The bitter sweet part is that it looks like this weekend will be the end of hockey for the year , win or lose , for both kids. The point of this post is that even though I may not physically be at class I am there in spirit. This is my balancing act.

Comfort zone

     What do I write about? I cannot be the only one with this problem. I think I will start making notes through out the week on topics that are important or relevant to me. There are a million topics running thru my head the problem for me is getting them down on paper. A video blog might be the answer even though the thought of that is definitely more uncomfortable than typing my thoughts.

      Also keeping a record of my food intake and doing a food challenge is a great idea , although I do not see me being a vegetarian or eating gluten free long term I do see the benefit of the challenge.
   

     Scott Fuhr

Numbers

These are my numbers for February.
Push ups and sit ups 3600 for both.
26 rounds of sparring.
14 reps of my hand form and 8 of my weapons form.

     While they are not what I envisioned for a start they are a start. In my mind I saw my numbers being high and a flow being unmatched. Reality has set in. This journey I am embarking on is going to take a re-evaluation of my time use more so than I originally thought. Already I see the hours I waste , where before the start of the UBBT , I thought were put to relatively good use. I don't see me trying to brush my teeth while doing sit-ups. Yet.

     So where do I start ?
     

Slow Start

Only a couple of weeks into the I Ho Chuan and I am falling behind on my numbers already. I guess I thought they would do themselves , so I feel like I am failing already. A little pressure is how I work best but if this keeps up it will be virtually impossible to catch up and we've only just begun.
My solution : Work harder and don't give up. Practice practice practice.

On a more positive note Friday nights attendance and the excitement towards the Snake teams year was more than a little motivating. Really looking forward to the next class and I will remember to bring my weapon.

Scott Fuhr

Fear

WOW! What inspiring performances and speeches. It makes me wonder I have not taken the opportunity to sign up for the UBBT until this year , but really , I know. I was afraid , it is a big commitment that requires a lot of focus and determination , not procrastination or complacency.  

Happy New Year

     It was a good day doing 1000 push ups and sit ups not so good with the calories.  I found myself  focussing on food way too much which made it worse to try and only consume 1000 calories. Home made desserts all around are hard to pass up on but I did it and am feeling happy even though I am a little hungry.  For the most part I try to make healthy food choices and today was no exception only the portion was limited.  

My food intake for the day

3 hard boiled eggs

1 piece dry toast 

1 orange

1 mushroom

1/3 cup Kraft dinner

3 croquettes (moose. leaner than beef) baked not fried

5 oz moose roast 

4 cups of coffee 

2 cups tea

2 L water

     Looking forward to a great and challenging year ahead.  

Scott Fuhr

On Stage

     Well I did my first performance last night in a lion. If someone would have told me that I would perform on stage ,ever ,in any capacity I would have laughed and still be laughing. That was definitely outside my comfort zone but thanks to the fantastic group of people I was performing with I did it.

Thanks Lion / Dragon dance team !

Scott Fuhr

Testing the Waters

Hello

     This is my first post. Feels more like dipping my toe into lava than water. Mind is racing with what to say but comes up blank even though I've been thinking about my first blog since I decided to join the I Ho Chuan team in October. It is going to be hard to be a private under the radar type person with a public blog. So I am guessing that person will no longer exist.


     Excited to be on the Snake team and looking forward to an exciting rewarding year for everyone.


Go team !

Scott Fuhr