Drink Before You Are Thirsty

Oh how many times I have let the business of life make me forget to drink water.  I have found myself at work, driving, running or even in kung fu classes where I feel this immense thirst come upon me suddenly and upon thinking about it (if I’m coherent enough to think), realize that I have not been drinking enough water throughout my day or activity.  Now I know the importance of water for my mind and body and I also realize that if I wait till I’m thirsty, I am probably too late and already dehydrated.  The lesson is simple, don’t wait until you are parched and dehydrated to drink!

As with water for the body, so is rest and filling for the spirit. One of my readings this week spoke of the importance of filling your spirit long before you grow emotionally, spiritually or relationally dehydrated.  Here are the points made:

1.       Time away – Rather than waiting for burnout plan a vacation or simple time away.  This doesn’t have to be complicated, expensive or even far away.

2.      Daily retreats – Nourish yourself daily.  Seek quiet moments to reflect and express gratitude.  I like this one and find my walks and runs to be an awesome time for refill.

3.       Life-giving Friendships – “Life can be lonely, but we make it lonelier than it needs to be by expending our life energy among a hundred shallow acquaintances while neglecting to connect deeply with any one individual.”  Invest the most in the relationships that are important.

4.      Healthy Family – “All you have to do for family relationships to erode is nothing.”  Give your family the time they deserve, invest in each other early and continually.

5.      Energizing Activities – This can be anything that recharges your batteries, the sky is the limit!  Running, painting, reading, fishing… 

As we all walk away from the banquet inspired and energized for this New Year, it may be hard to see that the high will end.  At this point the push ups, sit ups and form reps seem a lot easier than they may be in the days to come when our weapons lose their shininess and we don’t feel so on fire. With all life throws at us and in our pursuit of mastery we will all have moments of feeling overwhelmed and frustrated, so for this reason remember to ‘hydrate’ yourself daily. Make a point of including the things that refill you in your daily life, make them realistic, sustainable and thoughtful with a purpose. Take care of all parts of you so you can accomplish the goals you have set for yourself for this upcoming year. Drink before you are thirsty!

Alana Regier

 

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

Change Required

Change, it is feared, inevitable and required. We can’t control everything in our lives so like it or not, things are going to change.   In order to grow, advance or move change is required.  We cannot keep doing things the same way we always have and expect to get different results.  Ben Franklin said “when you are finished changing you are finished.”  In order to improve our circumstances, get through challenges or to just be a better person today than we were yesterday, we need change. 

I believe this is the purpose of the I Ho Chuan, to change people.  Each one of us who have embarked on this journey came with our own set of goals and expectations. In some we surprised ourselves and smiled and then there were others that left us disappointment and at times discouraged.  But as long as we did not give up, we didn’t fail, we just learnt all the ways things didn’t work.  Each one of us has changed, some in obvious leaps and bounds and others in smaller but still significant ways, all working towards a life of mastery. So it is with mixed feelings I prepare for the next couple of weeks.  It is with excitement, hard work and enjoyment that I prepare for Jan 28^th and with a bit of sadness that the year of the Monkey comes to an end. I may not be on the Rooster team but after a few years in the I Ho Chuan I have come away with immense appreciation for the value of the team and their support and a number of tools that have helped develop routines that have become a lifestyle, for this I am very grateful. So to all you Roosters, have a wonderful year, work hard, never give up, continue to push past mediocrity and enjoy every moment.

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

True Greatness

Greatness and fame are too often seen as the same thing.  All around us we are bombarded with pictures and stories of “great people” who have had a song reach number one, hit a homerun or been elected President.  However, does the world have a deluded idea of what true greatness really is?  2016 saw the death of many celebrities and people in the public eye, everything from authors, musicians, actor’s etc. and with their deaths came the stories of how they really lived. As I heard some of these stories, I couldn’t help but feel a little sad.  Here were many, who in their rise to fame and popularity had the attention, contacts and financial means that could have been the makings of real, positive and huge change, however, they let the pride and glamor of stardom too often get in the way and cloud their true ability, value, purpose and direction.   Is this true greatness?

A particular line in one of my readings this week read “Greatness is planted in the seedbed of humility, it’s watered by the deeds of servant hood and it’s cultivated by the hands of perseverance until it finally yields the harvest of royalty.”  I love this sentence! I believe humility and greatness walk hand in hand. I believe that with constant and consistent words and actions that serve others, the harvest is greatness.  And I believe the rewards of humility outweigh the dollar signs of stardom hands down. It has never been the person yelling loudly “look at me, see what I have done, aren’t I great?” that defines true greatness to me.  In my life the truly great people were never pictured in the magazines at the tills, they are those who taught me the things that really matter, the things that build a person of character.  They taught me right from wrong, the meaning of hard work, compassion, understanding, love, forgiveness, courage, determination, integrity, loyalty and humility. They led by example and left a pathway of real goodness and change.  I believe true greatness lies deep in the heart of every person and every day we have the choice with what we plant. It is those choices that will determine what the harvest is.

Alana Regier

http:/alanaregier.blogspot.ca

True Gratitude

Gratitude, it seems to be the theme around me for the past couple of weeks.  Everything from the conversations I’ve had, to the messages at church, to the reminders in kung fu and even the commercials on TV, they all seem to be reminding me that I have a never ending list of things in my life to be grateful for.  Like many, I have had a tough year in a more than a few respects.  I am ashamed to say that I have had more than a few moments struggling with finding anything to be grateful for.  I have got so caught up in and focused on what was going wrong that I missed what was going right.  I think I have “painted a broad brush of thanksgiving that leaves me deeply thankful for very few things in my life.”  This year one of my goals was to keep up with a gratitude journal.  I started off fairly strong but as the year continued and more challenging things came up in life I found myself struggling to find anything to write.  This is absolutely absurd!  My life is so full of wonderful people, things and experiences, how could I not find even a simple little sentence or even one word of something I have to be grateful for? 

This past week, after more than a little reflection, I have discovered that I have been missing true gratitude because I have been looking too broad.  I haven’t been looking at the small specific details, the meaningful words and moments that build true gratitude.  I have lazily and thoughtlessly named off words that encompasses so much more if I break it down and truly focus on the pieces. A couple of nights ago I went out for a walk (very bundled up and yes it was cold).  I walked very slowly; anyone who knows me or has ever walked with me will understand that this is a huge challenge for me.  Slowing down and truly focusing on the moment I felt the cold biting air on what skin was exposed making me aware I’m alive.  Looking up I could see thousands of stars lighting up the dark sky.  I could see and feel the snowflakes falling on my face.  I could hear true peace and quiet with only the crunching of snow under my boots.  I could smell the wood burning from fireplaces in the neighborhood. Without making the conscious decision to slow down and truly look at and pick apart the pieces of the night, I would have missed one of the best night walks ever.

Meet each day with a grateful heart.  Look beyond the big picture and see and appreciate the small details and pieces that make up all we have to be grateful for.

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

Tiger Challenge Fears

With the Tiger Challenge approaching fast I catch myself remembering the first tournament I actually participated in.  I am embarrassed to say it took me till blue belt to build up the courage to submit the entry form and more than a few sleepless nights after that.  I wish I could say I had finally built up the confidence and guts on my own; however that is not totally the truth.  It was actually my oldest son who lit the fire.  After many years participating himself, he told me right out that I wasn’t signing up why should he?  What is a mother to do?  So that was it, we signed up for a team form and before I knew it I was in 3 additional divisions and my mind was changed as to where I wanted to go in my training.

This single action was the turning point for my Kung Fu.  I can say with confidence, out loud and with true belief that there is extreme value in stepping up and taking advantage of opportunities like the Tiger Challenge.  These are the decisions that can turn the direction of or push you to achieve goals that otherwise would never materialize. I can’t say that it is now easy to get up and compete, actually in some ways it seems harder.  So with only 5 sleeps away I am feeling disappointed that I may not be able to participate this year for the simple fact that I realize the value in it.  I will be there all day cheering you all on wishing I was on the mats with you.  I encourage everyone to jump on this opportunity and don’t wait till blue belt.  There is so much to learn in a safe and fun environment.

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca

 

Right vs Wrong

From the day they were born we have taught our kids right from wrong.  We have done our best to instill in them kindness, compassion, forgiveness, empathy, respect and love for others.  We have tried to lead by example but have fallen short on many occasions, however, these are the times we have tried to use as teachable moments and I hope all walked away having learnt valuable lessons.

We have had some major changes for schooling this year. Because of lack of room, the program Kayden is in was moved to another school. With the blending of different groups, challenges have arisen.  With this move, Kayden has found himself surrounded with new students, some who have a different view as to what is right and what is wrong.  In grade 9 the hormones are raging, boundaries are being tested and kids are trying to find out just where they fit. This is a time where many teenagers have been known to behave in less than desirable ways.  So as I hear and see the drama unfold I have caught myself this week telling Kayden to “just let it go” to some of the small things that fall in the undesirable category.  What I have forgotten is that these “small things” are the same things that he was taught as a little guy to be unacceptable.  Have I just erased the value in all we’ve taught that has helped build him into the wonderful young man is becoming?  Is there a fine line between tolerance and being a coward in not standing up for what you believe is right?  What behaviors fall into the category of “little things”?  Is accepting and turning our eyes to the “little things” just allowing the little things to become big things?  The answers to these questions are tough to find and vary depending on your perspective.  To say “ya I know it’s not right, but that is reality and you are just going to have to accept somethings sometimes” sucks as an answer. I will never be able to give an answer for every scenario my children will run into, and although they will not be able to rid the world COMPLETELY of injustice and evil, how they react does matter and will alter the outcome one way or the other. It is not always the yelling voice saying “you shouldn’t do this” that will make a positive difference, although it may get you a black eye.  Sometimes it’s the silent voice and the quiet actions that speak louder and have the biggest impact.  Just because we don’t speak up does not necessarily mean we accept and condone the words people say or the way they behave, sometimes it’s just not the time or the battle. It’s not necessarily a matter of being weak or scared when choosing silence but rather using our better judgement from what we have been taught and what we have learnt from experience that helps us differentiate when to speak up and when to shut up. If speaking up holds no positive purpose, maybe there is another way!

Alana Regier

http:/alanaregier.blogspot.ca

 

End of the Season

I have now just finished my season/contract with the County of Parkland, Agriculture Division.  Since May I have been fortunate to be part of a team who truly does believe in making both positive examples and differences in our community and beyond.  It has been a while since I’ve had the opportunity to work with a group of people who are health conscious (not too many donuts around this office) as well as environmentally conscious.  To end my season I was privileged to be a part of the City Slickers program offered through the Multicultural Center in Stony Plain.  This is a program that brings between 1200-1500 grades 4&5 students out to the farm.  The program is designed to teach students where their food comes from, to hear from farmers themselves as to how they take care of their land, animals and the environment in order to produce safe food and to listen to different groups and businesses involved in the processes of growing our food while at the same time being aware of the importance of conserving our environment.  

Our display and presentation was based on the importance of soil and how valuable and vital it is to our life. It was so hard to narrow the presentation to 20 minutes; there was just so much to share with these kids.  I completely enjoyed brainstorming and preparing for this event.  We had put together everything from posters, soil profiles, buckets of different soil textures complete with fake bugs to profile frames showing root developments and even a display with worms. As Friday came closer I found the thought of making approximately 10 presentations to different groups of students freaked me out more than a little. First off I don’t get extremely excited about presenting anything in front of groups of people and second, I had the idea that children who have been cooped up in the city, school and then the bus may just go a little crazy in the fresh farm air (or run around with their noses plugged as some did).  I’d be lying if the thought of calling in sick didn’t cross my mind or the hope that maybe a tornado would come and just take away my part of the presentation.  However I found myself saying over and over again “this will be good for you, this will be good for you” (thanks I Ho Chuan).  Not only was it good, it was great!  I found the more engaged I could get the kids, the more excited and passionate I became.  Yes there were the kids that I would see playing with the fake bugs in my soil piles who seemed to have tuned me out and then there were those absolutely bright whipper snappers (I know, old persons term, my grandma is laughing at me right now) who always seemed a step ahead and challenged me with questions and their ideas, it was fantastic!  And of those kids who seemed more intrigued by the fake bugs, I discovered they were paying attention all along just learned a little differently than the rest of the class.  And as for the kids going crazy on fresh farm air, I couldn’t be more wrong.  These kids were so eager to learn and take in the day that they behaved with respect and gratitude.  It was a pleasure to spend the day with them.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have been a part of this day, grateful for the I Ho Chuan words “this will be good for you” in my ear and grateful that there were no tornados taking away my soil buckets and fake bugs!  A great way to end the season of a great job!

Alana Regier

http://alanaregier.blogspot.ca