What Has Kung Fu Done For Me....So Far? - Orange Belt Version

Part of the black belt promotion ceremony includes a speech from each candidate about what Kung Fu has done for them. It takes a tremendous amount of strength and determination to make it that far as a martial artist, and so these speeches are often both powerful and inspirational.  The unfortunate reality is that many people don't make it to that day.  In fact...most don't make it.  But since I hope to be one that does some day, I thought it may be a valuable exercise to begin reflecting on this now, rather than waiting 10 years.  

And so I’m asking myself today, “what has Kung Fu done for me, so far?”

• There are certainly the more obvious things like an improvement in my fitness level, health and energy.
• I've been given some amazing opportunities such as helping at the kids' classes and working with Sifu Kohut as she prepared for her Black Belt grading.
• I have found myself surrounded by like-minded individuals happy to offer support in anything I am trying to accomplish.
• I've seen huge improvements in patience, empathy and understanding for both others and myself. 
• I find that I can better regulate my emotions and think and react more rationally in stressful situations.
• I’ve seen some tremendous growth in various relationships.
• My opinions, and subsequent actions, tend to lean more towards what I feel is right rather than what I feel is easy.
• I find myself looking for and creating opportunities, rather than waiting for ones to come to me.
• When dealing with conflict, I am better able to determine when it's best to speak and when it's best to listen.
• I find myself more cognizant in recognizing when there are things in my life that are causing me pain or suffering, and I find myself better armed to remove them....or to simply accept them.
• I've learned to listen more to my instinct and intuition.  I've come to find that if I listen within, I can usually find the right answer.
• My work with meditation and my Chi, although in very early stages, has really opened my eyes and mind to some really amazing possibilities.
• I feel like I have a purpose and a sense of belonging to something important.  This feeling has made me feel at peace and happier with who I am and how I live my life.
• I've seen many of these same benefits in my children.  I've also seen many of these improvements in my husband, who does not practice Kung Fu, but who is exposed to it through me.  So Kung Fu isn't only adding these things to my life, but to those around me.

I won't go so far as to say that a person can't experience these things without Kung Fu.  But for me, Kung Fu has been the catalyst that has either amplified or ignited these things in me and in my life.  

I think this may be something important to reflect on regularly, regardless of where I might be on my journey.  I don't doubt for a second that if I were to quit, everything on this list would diminish, or even disappear altogether.  It's definitely not an easy path, and so I expect uncertainty to permeate it's way in now and again.  But I think a regular reminder of the tremendous benefits that come with Kung Fu could be a huge motivator, should I ever find myself doubting this path.  

These are all things that will continue to develop.  And I do realize my perspective on what Kung Fu has done for me will change and evolve all the time…but I'm fairly confident it will always be for the better.