Perspective

It's been really interesting reading the blogs of my team mates, to get another's perspective of the world around them and how that's affecting them. Some are bored, some are feeling the need for more human contact, including something as simple as "small talk" when meeting someone on the street or in the grocery store.

It's made me realize how different I am (or seem to be?). I love being with people, but I also love my alone time. With the type of work my husband does, being away at camp, I have literally lived half the year (or more) alone. Just me and the animals and phone calls with my husband (thank goodness for unlimited calling and texting within Canada). This is before my father-in-law moved in with us and moving the Clinical Herbal Practice to the basement of our home.

As a result I don't tend to call people because I don't want to waste their time or be an imposition. So I only tend to call people when I really need to. This seems to be a Walker family trait, because even my dad says the Walker's had a reputation for only calling when they needed something. You see...

Perspective!

Mine - don't want to bother people if it isn't absolutely necessary

Theirs - only calls when me when they want something.

Watching my forms on video was another lesson in perspective. Yikes! My forms look nothing like they feel! I hated watching them. I never realized how much I look like, and move like, an old woman now. Maybe I'd feel a tiny bit better if I went back to dying my hair?

So, it seems I have two more things to work on based on my lessons in perspective.

1. Somehow I need to get more comfortable calling people, and when this pandemic isolation is done, meeting with people socially. Cultivating relationships like I try to cultivate my garden.

2. Figure out how to improve my Kung Fu so it's not so terrible to watch.

Tips?

Improvement as a form of perspective

Since starting Kungfu (this is my third year)

• I have more stamina

• I have lower blood pressure (and no longer take the prescription to keep it there)

• rarely get dizzy in class anymore (except on shoulder role days)

• more flexibility

• more muscle mass

• lost inches (belt got four notches tighter)

• balance is improving (but still frustrating)

• generally feeling better in my own skin (until I watched those videos)

• and yesterday did all 200 pushups on the floor (not counter or wall pushups). They were knee pushups and I had to use the pushup device that my son-in-law introduced me to, but I did them! I've never been able to do that many (on the floor) in a day since I started Kung Fu! Today the shoulder isn't complaining, so I'll take that as a win.

Curious to know...

What lessons in perspective have you personally encountered?