Sustainability

Sustainability - able to be used without being completely used up or destroyed

This is a concept that I've been giving a great deal of thought to lately.  The definition above is not the first one that popped up when I googled it but it most certainly matched where my thoughts have been.


Mastery is a relentless journey.  It is a destination that cannot every be truly reached and it is extremely easy to get off in the weeds of mediocrity.  It is life long journey.  I plan to live a very long time and, therefore, my journey then will also be very long.


Our society is very driven by instant gratification.  We want it all and we want it now.  In our drive to have it all now, often little thought is given to sustainability.  We see that in our environment, in our relationships, in our health, in nearly every single area of our lives.


Considering the choices we have all made to be in the IHC, physical health is obviously a priority to each of us.  For those of us who are still queue belts, we are working towards our next belt with the ultimate goal of becoming a black belt someday.  For years the thought of that "someday" was safely tucked away in the "that'll never happen" place of my brain.  As I get closer, I am finding that I am starting to look at the requirements to grade and thinking about how I could start preparing.  I know that I need to lose some extra weight, gain strength, stamina, flexibility and quite honestly a belief that it is possible.  Yet in all of this, I recognize that I am not a spring chicken any longer and that this journey needs to be addressed in a sustainable manner.  I do not want a black belt at all cost.  I do not want to be completely used up or destroyed in the process.


I recognize that I am participating in a martial art.  I know that injuries can and do happen.  I look around the kwoon and there are injured people everywhere.  I have my own issues that I am already dealing with in my hips and knees.  I recognize that pain and aches will be a part of the process.  I am working to recognize when a pain is a slap an Advil on it and carry on kind of pain and when a pain is a better get that checked out kind of pain.  I had a great talk with Sifu Hayes last week on this topic and he has given me some action items that I am working on pursuing.


Anyways, that has been where my thoughts have been especially focused over the past week.  Now off to keep moving forward in a slow, steady, sustainable fashion!  Off to class I go....