Tags: Qigong, Training
The closest Chinese equivalent to the word “stress” is written as two characters. Roughly translated, “Crisis,” but the first character actually represents Danger and the second, Opportunity.
I had to take a hiatus from Kung Fu. I was somewhere between Danger and Opportunity.
I had already been stressing out about the upcoming belt test, and then I got hurt. Pretty bad on my shin bone (that’s the one connect to my… knee bone! The knee bone’s connected to the… No seriously, it hurt.) But I didn’t want that to stop me from training, so I pushed and pushed. The minute I could put full pressure back on my leg – I already had the full pressure on my mind! – I hit the track and started wind sprinting… I was determined to not let this injury get the best of me. After all, a test was coming up. And then, BAMN! Hamstring gone. Back injury returned. In one fail swoop. (although I never really understood that phrase)
No, I thought. I can still beat this.
You can see where this is going, right?
How do we balance our lives? We have work, relationships, health, mental health...
...taxes, birthday parties, electric bills...
...books we never get around to reading, garages to clean, internet porn to download right after we figure out what a “fire wall” is...
...unresolved issues with our parents, fear of death, that extra five pounds we need to get rid of...
There is a prayer— a saying, really:
Lord, give me the strength to change those things that are in my power, and not to worry about those that are not.
So... I didn’t test. I had to swallow a bit of pride, maybe disappoint myself and other people. Look, we make life hard on ourselves. We fill our own heads with expectations and limitations. And what we often do not do is give ourselves a break. Tell ourselves, “Good job, you’re really doing great.” If you want that from your spouse or your family or your boss, why wouldn’t you give that to yourself? ALL the time?
And yet we don’t.
So... I didn’t test. And by the time the test came, I was literally sick. And injured all over. It was ridiculous! But I told myself it was okay to take a break. I told myself that I have been doing a great job in balancing all those things in my life, in prioritizing those things, and best of all, that everything was ALL RIGHT.
Might sound a bit cheesy, but that’s how it went down. I just gave myself a break. I let myself get more sleep, so I could fight the cold. And I concentrated on relaxing a little and eating a little bit better, so that I could heal my injuries. I refocused a bit on work, so that I could get caught up. And in doing those things, I was a little calmer, a little more like… me.
And then it occurred to me – Why was I putting so much pressure on myself?!
It’s not always easy to see when you’re in the middle of it.
Life can be in crisis. But often times, it’s perspective. That’s a great word. A powerful word. PERSPECTIVE. Because any crisis is just a measure between Danger and Opportunity. A glass, half with water and half without. It is in danger of becoming completely empty, but there is also an opportunity to make it completely full.
What is your goal and how do you want to get there?
Lastly, the first definition you’ll find in the dictionary for the word “stress” is: Importance or significance attached to a thing. Emphasis.
