Anna’s arms extended out into the cut, the point of her sword wavering her body ever so slightly withdrawn, the extension of her arms slightly slack. The motion was essentially correct but every part of it was made with doubt as if she were exacting over every detail and wondering if she was doing it right. I have often found Read More …
Last month I was honoured to be a speaker at Pecha Kucha Vancouver. Pecha Kucha, for those who are unfamiliar with it, is a speaking night focused on people and inspiration that follows a very focused format. You have 20 slides, each displayed for 20 seconds. The slides move whether you do or not, so you have to keep your Read More …
“I made a stupid decision today — everything worked out ok — but it nearly got me really hurt.” This is the best kind of stupid decision. You get the benefit of all of the learning without any of the consequence. A saying I have often enjoyed is: To avoid bad judgment you need wisdom. To gain wisdom you need Read More …
In Chinese medicine one aspect of health is related to your comfort or lack of comfort with your process for making decisions. I learned this from a student who is a Chinese medicine practitioner and found the concept rather interesting. I loved the idea that your lack of health wouldn’t be with a specific method of decision making but instead Read More …
The other day one of my students had a rather scary moment after class, we’ll call him Bill. While performing a demonstration Bill nearly injured another student by going faster and harder than he was planning to. The other called out and left the room nursing a sore arm. Bill turned white. He stammered an apology and looked at me Read More …
If you want to make a big transformation in your life. The most important thing you can do is to create a rhythm around that change. Success in transformation does not come through revolutionary action, it comes through creating a system of small steps forward. Set a time to meet with yourself or better a coach or trusted friend every Read More …
One of the primary challenges that I see my students face and that I have personally faced over years of practice is boredom. Most techniques take hours of focused time to improve and hone. Yet the mental discipline it takes to put in these hours does not come naturally, certainly not to our rapid fire lives in the modern world. Read More …
I have a friend that I frequently have lunch with. She’s a live wire, thoughtful, artistic, and always challenges me. She is wise and creative and 30 years older than me. When we go out I am not infrequently asked during or after if she is my mother. We don’t look anything alike. She’s a foot shorter than me, round Read More …
Just like pain, hate is inevitable. I used to really struggle with hate and haters. I wanted everyone to like me. I wanted everyone to be alright with me. To see what I had to offer. Being hated, or rather wanting to not be hated, was connected with a desire to be liked by everyone. To legitimize a sense of Read More …
Practicing does not always mean ‘working on’. It’s important to give yourself time with passions and skills in your life to just simply indulge in the activity. You don’t always need to practice. However I recommend if you’re not going to practice that you also don’t judge. Turn your judgemental brain off and switch gears to a state of being Read More …