Defeat the Monster

Stress in our lives can be immediate or it can be something looming in the background.

Usually we deal with the immediate first and foremost. Its in our face and we have no choice but  to address it.

Its the stuff that sits in the back of your mind, slowly simmering that can literally kill us. Chronic stress will wake us up in the middle of the night and keep us up till the alarm clock goes off (yeah, that was last night).

You cant ignore the chronic stress, actually , I guess you can ignore it but you shouldn't. Chronic stress may not change your life all of a sudden but it  does change your life slowly and almost silently.

Solution: deal with it now, make a plan to rid yourself of it.

First , clearly identify whats bothering  you, then decide how to solve it. This is the scary part because this is where we have to face a solution  that might not always be the most pleasant to carry out. It might mean confronting someone or something we are not comfortable with or it might mean some hard work or sacrifice on our part to accomplish.
It may take days , months or even years, but once you start taking some action you have already started to defeat the monster.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

And now for some good news...(tumbleweeds and crickets)

I have got to quit looking at the news.
 Yeah, a person needs to be informed, locally, globally. You cant ignore what goes on around you but I feel myself wince when I open up the news in the morning. There is no doubt headlines are spun to shock and disturb, its what sells. The reality is, sometimes what is going on  is shocking enough without the leading headline.
After glancing over  the doom,despair  suffering and continuous acts of greed, cruelty and apathy. I feel rotten. A person can lose hope and faith in humanity and take the approach that its every person for themselves. Its in the news isn't it. Who can you trust, what can you believe in, it seems pointless.
Finding  good news that is inspiring is definitely more challenging but its worth looking for. If you cant balance out the bad news of the day with some good, you need to look around you for some, if that doesn't work there is nothing like an act of kindness to offset  that hopeless feeling.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

The Enemy Within

Think of your worst enemy. Someone who has done you great harm, maybe someone from the past.
In your mind they are to blame for your hurt and hardships and great emotions are conjured up, you may even recall intense anger.
The more hurt you feel the larger the enemy feels, however, it is our own lack of control that is the true enemy. It is our own anger, ego and selfishness that actually harms us. Reacting in retaliation to someone who has wronged you only creates a wound in your own peace and harmony.
Think of how many times anger has escalated a situation to the point of nonsense. Disciplining your self to react with cool and calm keeps you grounded and equipped to judge your conduct with right mind.
Anger is a valid emotion but it should be the spark to fire up the want for change. Anger unchecked, turns to hatred, hatred unchecked turns to bitterness and bitterness leaves no room for peace of mind and body.
It is the enemy within.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

Change

Change is hard.
Changing things is even more diffcult when the ones around you oppose the change. It can be too much or mean more work and it is easier to disagree then roll up your sleeves and work together.
Then I realize, this is my perspective. What I want to change seems very diffuclt because the support is not there. I cannot expect others to do what I preech just because I said "make it so".
And so I find myself back to basics. Lead by example.
If my example proves results, even in a minor way, the hope is ,others will support and maybe, just maybe help out.
Change is hard because my will is weak. When you have support you can afford a weakness in your mettle, when you do not have support you have to dig deeper into yourself and forge gently but firmly forward.
Its exciting to think of what can happen when you have both.


JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta,Canada

Batman and Robin

I was there to help out with renovations at the kwoon but tonite was the first night I was there after the chaos  of reconstruction.
My hats off to Sihing Lindstrom and Weibe for their leadership role. Their hard work surpasses mere tiling and painting, when you view the finished kwoon you can sense the dedication and commitment they put into it. They are truly super heros for what they have produced in such a short time frame. I shall have to call them Batman and Robin from now on. (They can decide which one of them is Robin).
All kidding aside, a fantastic job, I am particularly fond of the womens change room!
Big thanks to you for your sacrifice and hard work. Looks great!

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

Never be too rigid in your ways. If you set your path without any flexibility you may pass by something amazing.
Keep yourself open to other possibilities, do not have a preconceived idea of what your end result has to be. The end result could far exceed your expectations if you stay humble, versatile and flexible along your steps.


JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada

Slow Down

Everyday seems to be a barrage of things to do.Then the next day seems to be another day of much the same.
Sometimes it feels like the perpetual "ground hog day". We focus on completing a routine of tasks. Tasks that become part of a daily routine. Do these routine tasks take up all of your day? or worse yet, you run out of time to finish everything you think you need to do. Can some of these things be delegated elsewhere? Can they wait?
Routine can become all consuming with no room to create, cogitate or accomplish.
Sometimes you need to slow down to accomplish.
Quality over Quantity.
Thought over Information.
Conversation over Texting.
Form over Speed.

Sometimes you need to slow down to accomplish.

JC Masterson, Silent River Kung Fu, Alberta, Canada