A Question of Motivation

This was the essay I submitted for my latest taekwondo promotion. It was a good point for introspection and to review my motivation to keep going. To setup the pix: I had fun collating my old belts, one of the boards I've broken, and my kicking paddle. I'm posting here coz it goes well with the "colors" theme I've got going. - Enjoy!

What A Black Belt Means To Me

It’s hard to attempt to explain it without falling back on clichés.

No pain, no gain;

Borne out of blood, sweat, and tears;

No guts, no glory;

Try and try until you succeed;

On one hand: It is a trophy embodying multiple bodily injuries and hundreds of dollars spent on fees.

On the other hand: It is a piece of cloth signifying the fruition of years of training and perseverance, and the accomplishment what I had set out to do.

That said, I succumb to another cliché to sum up: What you get by achieving your goal is not as important as what you become by achieving your goal.

I believe that knowledge, above all else, keeps me going.

Blue: Moving up a Belt (TKD)

Moved up a notch: to Taekwondo Blue Belt. Notice how I am no longer in the leftmost part of the room (that side being reserved for newbies)- woohoo!

I actually meant to take the test in August but was initially asked not to. Apparently, I was going too fast and they wanted me to slow down and stay longer at my belt level. I was able to convince them to allow me to test but then my 'busy time' happened and I skipped testing then anyway. Well, as they say: all is well that ends well.

During the test, I felt very comfortable. There were no butterflies as with previous promotions. That's partly because I am in review mode where I dont have a lot of new forms but instead polishing the ones I learned previously.

Here are some pix/videos from the promotions.

Green - Crazy about Juicing

Blame it on home TV shopping -- again.

Impressionable and gullible me. Saw this infomercial for the Jack Lallane Power Juicer and had to have it. Well, have had it for two weeks now and still juicing. Celery, spinach, oranges, kiwi, apple, cucumber, grapes, honeydew, bitter melon, carrots-- I've juiced them all. Cathy thinks I'm obsessed what with all the time it takes to wash the veg/fruits, cut them up, and juice them. I don't mind coz I believe it's offsets my otherwise unhealthy eating habits. Since starting juicing, I feel more focused and am convinced I have more energy.

Move over, Oscar the Grouch. A new "green" monster is here.

(Picture: I do the washing and chopping during the weekend and put the veg in 'single-use' containers. Yes, this was when Cathy started thinking I was going overboard with this juicing thing)

Red: My 29th Birthday Resolutions

I turned 29 last October 2, 2007. And so the countdown of my "late 20s" begins. The ominous words of my primary school teacher came rushing back: You have to learn everything you can before you're 30. After you're 30, you're an old dog (you know, can't learn new tricks).

And so it was that in a panic, I checked out the University of Cincinnati's adult learning catalog and started looking at classes. Golf, cooking, tennis, meditation, astronomy, hiking, Spanish, guitar-- I wanted to do everything. But where to draw the line? I finally decided on French. I'm starting with the basic course-- 8 weeks in a class setting, two hours each week. Been to three sessions so far and what can, so far so bien (ugh, my professor will just hate me for that). - Learn another language: in progress.

The other class I meant to attend was beginner acoustic guitar. The schedule didnt work out (conflicted with my taekwondo schedule) but hopefully next semester. My dream has always been to be able to sing and accompany myself either on the piano or guitar. With any luck, by this time next year. - Learn a musical instrument: postponed; revisit: January 2008.

On a related note: I signed up for a local Toastmasters club. For the uninitiated, it is a group that helps members develop their public speaking skills. I dont really mind/fear speaking in public but know I can improve (a lot) on this front. Additional benefit: It will force me to write. I will post my progress (and speeches) here as I get those kicked off.

Funny-- nothing like the imminence of a decade in your life ending to get you moving. - Now if I can only get started on my "Places to Visit Before I Die" list.