Knowledge

So monday night bsbn asked us some of the knowledge base stuff and some I knew before but i now forgot so what i need to do is practice all those and know all I need (maybe even more). But just so I get great on the stuff I need to know I will stick to that first.

saturday

Saturday was kind of a crazy, exciting and fun day for me. 

The crazy happened at belt testing. Chandler and I volunteered to help with the lil warriors and there were only four of them.  We stuck around for the jr warriors/kids and there were 12 of them... total!! KJN/BKJN had put the junior dtd black belts to work, so we stuck around again for the adults... only 4.  How crazy is that? 

It was so exciting to break our boards and bricks in front of individuals who don't see us on a regular basis (at the studio and at home).  I'm always nervous, like everyone else, and I must have a trigger inside my head that says... suck it up and do it (lol), because when I got up there, I was fine.  Now if I had to talk... that might have been a different story!  lol :D

The day ended with getting dressed up and attending the Amy Roloff charity event.  It was so much fun being a part of the AH table and having CGN Jessica there as part of the Edwards Center table.  We even got to see/visit with a parent whose son used to come to the studio!  It was so great to see Michelle! 

A Saturday of Growth

Wow, what a Saturday. I'm really happy about how everything turned out, and I feel genuinely relaxed right now. My leg is propped up on some pillows, and I'm lounging on the couch listening to some of my favorite mellow music.

Saturday morning I woke up with an expectation of how everything was going to work for the block party...and then I got a couple calls from KJN and BKJN. It was raining--we needed to figure out a plan for dealing with it. Of course, plan B for the block party in the case of rain has always been to move things inside OGA, so I already knew that was going to be fine. However, this year we had a lot of BIG things, and I wasn't sure how everything was going to work.

During my initial conversation with BKJN, the stress overwhelmed me a little, and I had to hang up with him so I could cry. I was already flustered by trying to bathe and get dressed while hobbling around on my crutches; already had the normal anxiety that comes with the responsibility of running an event; already wondering how my breaks were going to go, and the rain just had to come along and add that final straw. Like I said in my letter to next year's candidates, I'm a 30 year old woman who cries when under stress. I'm not ashamed. Once I cry, I feel better, my head is clearer, and I can move on with the task at hand.

Moving the event inside was a good decision, and the event progressed very well. There were so many helpful people--I'm trying to make a list of all the people so I don't forget to thank someone. The exhibitions were amazing! The raffles and dunk tank were more successful than previous fundraising attempts at the 2009 and 2010 block parties, and we still have sponsorship dollars left over! Both Aim High and OGA will share the funds to make gymnastics and martial arts available to kids with special needs and at-risk youth.

I am so proud of all of the DTD testers for board and brick breaking awesomeness! I surprised myself a little with the front kick...not sure if everyone could tell, but I wasn't quite sure how to position myself for that break...I felt so off-balance. I loved that so many people were watching us!

The night ended with an amazing time at the Amy Roloff charity dinner. It was great to finish a successful event and then get "dressed up" and spend the evening with great friends and some very interesting people supporting a wonderful cause.

I feel great about everything that happened yesterday. I know that if I can get through a day like yesterday and allow myself to trust others to get things done when I can't, then I have truly grown as a professional, and as a person. I owe much of this to my training as a black belt at a place like Aim High.

Now, I'd like to say that I am so glad the block party is over! :o)

From CGN Sarah

Dear 2012 Black Belt candidates,

First of all, CONGRATULATIONS. You have worked so hard to get where you are now and it’s well deserved. Coming up, you will be faced with some challenges that might make you doubt yourself and your totally awesome skills. No matter what, you must remember that if you set your mind to it, you will succeed. Your instructors would have pulled you out by now if they didn’t think you could handle the test.

During the test, you are going to have to make some sacrifices. For me, I had to give up a few soccer games and practices to attend some training. But sports aren’t the only things that are sacrificed. I had to give up a lot of time with my family and friends for my test. My friends would ask me to come over or spend the night and I repeatedly had to say that I was busy. Or my cousins were having a sleepover but I had special training the following morning so I left early. Spend all the time you can with your loved ones and make good use of your nights off.

Don’t fall behind on your numbers. Once you’re too far behind its hard to catch up and you’ll end up with tons of pushups/sit-ups/rows to crank out at the end. Try keeping a chart in you binder and fill it out after each day. Whether you had P.E. or you rode your bike to work, everything counts.

Rely on your team. They are your family for this test and they will support you no matter what. Aim High, Dream Big, and never give up.

With love and best wishes,

CGN Sarah :)

Doesn't get any better then this...

Last night we were at the Roloff dinner - separate tables for EC and AH but still with the crew from the studio. Sam, Brandy, Chelsea and I posed for our "black dress" picture and I was reminded of posing with Cheryl and Tammy for the "black belt" picture. Out of the dojo and into the world ladies.....Smokin' hot. Chelsea get ready cuz you're next! LOL ~ CGNJ

Bricks

So I broke all 3 of my boards but not my brick. I honestly thought I could, but for the wrong reason. I thought that, even though I'd never broken one before, that we'd have the instructors pretty much hovering over us telling us how to stand, how to position our hand, twist into it, hit down through it to the floor, etc. I knew all that going into it. I know how to do that with a board. But then it was just like, go for it. Seriously? Just me? Where's my support system telling me what to do? After I failed at breaking it, THEN they tell me what I did wrong. I remember thinking: 'No kidding, I know it was wrong.'

Then why did I do it wrong if I KNEW it wasn't right?

Because instead of going in with the confidence of knowing I could go through the brick, I went into it with the confidence of knowing the instructors would help us break them. That's what they've always done. I can't expect to have someone else break through the difficult things for me. I'm the one that has to do that.

However, now I'm still left with an unbroken brick. Now what? Well, tomorrow I spend my entire day mute, so I guess I can use the time to figure it out. Nothing like failing to break it in front of a hundred or so people to make you second-guess yourself. Oh well, if I can do half of the stuff we've all done so far, then it's right back to it all on Monday and pick up where we left off. Think I'm going to throw myself a 2 hr pity party complete with a consolation movie: Murder By Death.... Hilariously funny. Do I smell Nestle' Tollhouse cookies? :)

Never Give Up

The last few days, that's what I've been thinking: Never give up. Of all times for me to get an injury that interferes with my ability to stand, walk, run, etc., this is probably one of the worst times it could have happened...or one of the best.

I do have to say, the first thoughts immediately after the injury happened and I got the pain under control were angry and centered on how this is the worst thing that could happen. However, as I laid on the floor in the back office, I realized that I could either be angry, or I could have a positive attitude and work through this. While at the hospital, I was certain they were going to say "just stay off it for a couple weeks and take it easy after that until it feels better." When the two doctors came in looking serious and told me what happened, my heart did sink a little, and it took me a minute to get back in that positive state of mind. I can tell you, it is a struggle...especially with all that's going on.

The Block Party is tomorrow, I'm hiring a new manager and a new graphic design/website person at work this month, prepping for a manager to go on maternity leave (who also was assigned to bed rest recently for a short while, and I had to cover for her), getting ready for 2012 budget process, helping out more at Aim High, and oh, did I mention the Dare to Dream test?

So, how is this good for me? Well, now I have get creative with my test and figure out how things can be modified and still satisfy my requirements, ask for help and let people help me (something CGN Brandy ordered me to do), delegate more things I normally do to others and trust they will get them done, sit and let others handle things at the block party when I really want to be walking around helping, and take care of my injury properly because I know if I don't, it won't heal right, and that will affect the rest of my life. All of this requires a large amount of growth.

I see this injury as a test. How much can I adjust my perspective to keep from getting super-stressed? So far, I think I'm doing rather well. I haven't cried yet over the stress, and I feel rather calm right now. My ankle is hurting me, and my leg/foot is swollen and uncomfortable, but I think I'm managing the pain well, ignoring it most of the time, and taking ibuprofen only about once per day. I'm busy delegating at work, and I'm working with KJN and BKJN to come up with ideas to continue training and hopefully test next month.

However, I do know that there is a slight chance I will not test with everyone next month. The board/brick breaking is solved, conditioning can easily be modified, it's the curriculum that I'm most concerned about. If anyone has any ideas, I'd love to hear them. I don't want to give up.

My appointment at the fracture clinic is next Wednesday afternoon, and I'll find out if I need surgery or just some rest and intense physical therapy. I'll come to training that night with a full report from the visit. :0)

Hope everyone is having a good night!