Slowing. . .

 My point with this post: May we make time to Be

just Be.

Slowing down can lead to Reflection

Reflection can lead to Insights.

Insights can guide us in life. . .

I have moments when I can slow. . .

when I’m able to 

de-celerate thinking

ease feelings

stop doing too much. . . 

when I can just Be

This is for us and me, so we can make/take time to Be present with our selves, as well as our surroundings and we can

Reflect. . .

Home life photos w/ captions can be taken as a story.

May you perceive something of value for YOU from my story

Photos 1+2 Midmorning moseying around

As she, @oreoturtle works on relevant scholarly “stuffs” upstairs, I am in the kitchen about to do laundry, making breakfast that I’ll bring up to her. I’ll eat as I do stuff around the house.

Photos 3-6: CATS. 

As I mosey, I pay attention to our three Cats. . .

We have our cat, ZuZu, an older, grey INDOOR-and-some-outdoor kinda cat.  

We also have Pepper & Ozzie, both younger, OUTDOOR-and-some-indoor type of cats.  

These two guys came with this house that we got about two years ago.

Ozzie comes in from the backyard and hops up on the kitchen sink.

Photo 7 Being Reflecting and Flowing

I stop moseying to settle into a reflective mode. I stand at our counter that serves as a bar and a place to just Be.  I look out at the yard and look into my inner world. I consider goals and tasks.

In front of me, on our bar / ”Being”-Counter are papers with notes of various tasks I’ll organize, a computer and a book I’m enjoying reading, a gift from a good friend.

I think about life; I muse. . .

I flow: read some, write some, ponder this . . . think about that.

I am Content to Be. . .

May we make time to Be. . .

just Be.

Before posting this, I slow read what I wrote and eally took time to look at the photos.

Some things of value that come to me as I slowly take in these words and images:

My age, 45 and how life has changed, how I’ve changed.

Home life, Family life, aging loved ones, including ZuZu

How our bodies change as we age and how we can adapt to these changes.

My family/friends . .  how to MAINTAIN as well GROW relationships.

Home improvement

Work/Career-Life Balance

Balancing. . .

Balancing our Growth and Development of:

Our Heart

Our Spirit

Our Mind

Our Body

How to balance those 4 areas of Being with one another

Mischief, Curiosity, Exploration (inspired by Ozzie on the kitchen sink)

YOU, may you make time to Be, just Be.

Slowing down can lead to Reflection

Reflection can lead to Insights.

Insights can guide us in life. . .

Life Lessons that CAN Be Learned if One is Inclined. . .

Thursday July 23. 2020 Millbrae

This is for me and for our Community. . .

From my stories and reflections, may we get something useful,
something that is applicable to our life and thoughts that we
will put into action.

I think there are Life Lessons for ALL, including those not into
Martial Arts/Combative Sports.  Instead of Muay Thai/Combative
Sports Competition, relate this to something relevant in YOUR life,
such as raising kids, dealing with people at YOUR job/career, in
your home, managing physical and/or health issues…&c.

Got your perspective and mind focused on YOUR situation? 
OK, here we go. . .

Those that kno/ew me, or of me, as an Muay Thai Competitor,

10 or so years ago, 2005-2012 when I was active as an Amateur
Nak Muay, probably saw:

a short (5’5”), mesomorph (aka husky build) dude with power
in both hands who competed at mostly Welterweight (147 lbs),
with last 2 fights at 155lb-ish catch weights.  Some might say I
had/ve “heart” or determination. One article noted that I was
“a very game opponent.” Spectators likely observed that I liked
to throw hands even though people have mentioned I had pretty
good kicks that I could've/should’ve utilized a lot more. That WAS me.

Today, in 2020, I like to think of myself as more technical, skilled,
experienced, seasoned. . . what have you.  I consider myself a
Martial Artist/Scientist, more than a “fighter,” but don’t get it twisted,
I can still throw down/scrap like a Mexican Style boxer.  Nowadays,
I’d like to be a Boxer-Puncher type of Nay Muay, and also be more
nuanced in what I CAN do and what I CHOOSE to do, and HOW I
do THAT with/to opponents.

My game has evolved…

This morning I was musing. . . thinking about Sport Combat
scenarios . . . 

I was thinking . . 

What CAN (there are many different options) one do against
an opponent
with fancy,
intricate footwork, such as a Dominic Cruz or Vasyl
Lomachenko?

One can *try* to match the footwork with their foot work.

They can also cut off the ring with SUBTLE footwork. They
can have Patience and Persistence, until their opponent's
fancy footwork dances them into a bad spot.
Then we tag them. 

In Muay Thai and Kickboxing, we can break their legs-- see
how fancy their footwork will be with bruised thighs and/or
calves.

Because one has good footwork, doesn't mean they have
to use it, all the time. . .  or they can and that can work, too.

Mindset, reading opponents, Flexible fluidity. . .being
AWARE of one's own abilities and their opponent’s capabilities,
tendencies. . . knowing/understanding all that and figuring out
a way to beat someone, in that moment in that match. . . that,
my friend, is the fight game.  It takes training the mind, the body,
one’s heart and spirit. . . I love it.

state of "things"

Hey,

It's March 25, 2020
11:06am in Millbrae, CA

Life is interesting. 
Pandemic, quarantine and social distancing are in effect.

Folks are reacting in the way they do:
Panic, frustration, anxiety, logic, venting...&c.
Defense mechanism and coping skills kick in.

I am managing well.
I like to think of myself as adaptable.
I consider myself a martial artist as well as a surfer and counselor.
Being these three "personas" as part of who i am allows me to:
 assess situations,
take on different perspectives
and take an educated form of action,
while allowing for trial and error. 
I also wish to serve and pass on the peace i have to others.

That is all for now . . .
until the next episode

peace to you and you and you . . .

Upbringing, Perspective and Hopefully More Open Minded Folks

        People have varying experiences growing up that shape their views, attitudes and values.  Individuals have a tendency to ONLY see their view and often judge others by their standards.  These standards are heavily influenced by the one person’s circumstances in his/her life, NOT what has happened in everyone else’s life.  I see this happen every day. Is it fair?  No. Is it understandable?  Maybe, it depends. 

       

        If I had more time I could give a few examples, but I have responsibilities that take my time and energy.  This Grad school thing....well, that's another story. =)

        Anyway, my hope is that people can get outside themselves, can develop empathy and be aware that people have values that are different, and not necessarily wrong.  I understand one can’t be mindful of everyone’s different values and that we can't walk on egg shells because we are afraid we'll offend someone, but I wish that people , at least, become more conscious that their perspective is not the only perspective.  It would be great if individuals would ask others what they believe and not assume another person has the same beliefs that they do. 

        This world is full of self-centered, un-empathetic people.  And actually, this is ALL of us at some point in our lives.   Let’s try to lessen the instances we are selfish and narrow minded.  Let’s all try to raise our awareness, think of how others will be affected by our words and actions before we act, before we speak.  I am wishing we become more mindful, myself included.

        This is MY perspective.  If you don’t agree, I respect that.  And I hope to understand your point of view and how certain experiences in your life shaped your thinking.  Let’s have a discussion about it.  Feel free to explain to me your thoughts on the subject.  Peace to you.

Learning to live in the grey, weaving through three layers.

Someone I know once noted that people make themselves seem busy to bolster self-worth, alluding to the notion that being busy means you’re important.  It struck me; I do this!  I also do the complete opposite, I make it seem as if I have all the free time in the world, so much so that I can do many fun activities.  In a similar way, I try to present myself as someone who has his sh*t together and therefore has much leisure time because.... “important” people also have the luxury of NOT being busy and indulging in pleasure.  Being overtly busy and being totally carefree can be two sides of the same coin.  Upon this self-realization, I don’t want to buy into the idea that either of these personas are always true all the time.  The coin does not always land on heads, nor does it land on tails every time.  The truth is the coin is flipped in the air where it is neither heads nor tails, it is in constant flux.  It is neither black nor white; it is grey. The area between two opposites.  It is balance.  I try to be balanced in my ways and I am willing to go to both extremes to find my own personal balance.  I  weave through the hills and valleys and find an even keel, in the process, learn to live in the grey.

Six years later....

It's been nearly six years since i've last blogged (not counting posts on Facebook). And for those that subscribed to my blog way back when(and might still peruse this blog site) i'd like to provide a sense of continuity by carrying on from my last blog.

April 25, 2010
"The primitive man had to fight everyday NOT to be hungry and the modern man has to fight everyday to be hungry..." --Dorian "Doc" Paskowtiz; actually paraphrased from one of his sons in the film, Surfwise. i mean this in both the food sense & emotional drive kind of way.

i wrote that six years ago and it still resonates with me. "to be hungry" what does that mean in the emotional sense?

to want something
to be unsatisfied
in need of sustenance
desire
need

In 2014, in the United States, a vast majority do NOT go hungry, in the nutritional sense of the word, and i feel, also in the more figurative sense of the word.

One can use the following words to mean hunger:

passion
drive
determination...

Do people in this tech age still have this?
and if so, for what?

Are people passionate to get a thousand "like's" on Facebook?
Determined to own every style of Nike Air Jordan's?
Driven to be the next Youtube sensation?

Now, i ask YOU!:

what are you hungry for?
what are you passionate about?
are you determined? about what?
what drives you? and to what is it towards?

me?

i am hungry for adventure.  later....possibly: some sense stability
i am passionate about martial arts, surfing, education, family, community, social justice and Silly randomness!
i am determined to live a life serving others while being content with what i have when i have it.
i am driven by passion, passion to live my life the way i see it should be lived, with passion, love and meaning.

"The primitive man had to fight everyday NOT to be hungry and the modern man has to fight everyday to be hungry..."

what about you? are you hungry? and i don't mean for In n'Out burgers or any other fast food.

hunger

"The primitive man had to fight everyday NOT to be hungry and the modern man has to fight everyday to be hungry..." --Dorian "Doc" Paskowtiz; actually paraphrased from one of his sons in the film, Surfwise.

I mean this in both the food sense & emotional drive kind of way.

By my "simple man" standards, most middle class Americans live in excessive comfort, which is slowly and insidously killing us spiritually & physiologically. there is no will to survive cuz it's already given (to most people).
[add examples of spiritually dying of pysiologically dying slow]

Adversity builds character. Seek growth not comfort. Growth comes from struggle. And that is why I value the struggle. There are those that are too lazy (comfortable in complacency) to push themselves out of their routine way of thinking and try to understand what I'm trying to say. But I'm saying it anyway, even if just for myself to read in the future. peace. I wish I would spend more to really articulate my thoughts more clearly. but i, too, am lazy.