Frustration Through the Lens of Gratitude

I meant to write and publish this blog earlier to keep in line with getting back on track with doing weekly blogging,  but my schedule changed very last minute and I had the opportunity to go camping for the first time in over a year, and I had to get a bunch of things organized, and then I was actually on the trip and there was no time to spare to try to write it and then I got home late yesterday and was super tired and had to unpack, and then I worked today and came almost straight to the YD2 class, and …

We talked in last week about making excuses, and holding ourselves honest and accountable, and if I write out that whole excuse to try to justify why I missed my blog last week, I’m entirely missing the point of what was said, so I write this instead. I did not prioritize writing my blog so it was not written. This is late, but at least it is not missing. Anyways, onto what I actually wanted to write about.

I really really liked a specific idea from our meeting last week. I have it written in my notebook as “you need to change your mindset when you’re frustrated and look at it through the lens of gratitude instead.”

That idea is very powerful to me, the fact that I have something I am so passionate about that when I am not able to make time for it, or do it to the level I am aspiring towards, it makes me frustrated. The fact that I have peers and mentors that I care about disappointing, people who’s opinions I value so deeply that when I am not able to show them who I want to be it makes me frustrated, and that frustration becomes a promise to do better the next time around. The presence of my frustration proves that I believe I can make myself better than the day I was before, that I believe I can push myself to do better, and when I fall short I am frustrated at my ability and can use that frustration to drive my training in the future, as a force for positive change rather than self-deprivation. Some of the frustration grows from my ego, but now I’m realizing some of it grows from my adoration for kung fu, and that if I am able to be aware in those moments of frustration, I can use them as an opportunity for gratitude and a force for change.

Current Total

Should Be At

Push-ups

15844

20520

Sit-Ups

17302

20520

Hand Form

108

380

Weapon Form

137

380

Blogs

11

19

Sparring

71

380

AOK

309

380

Steps

1163

589

Repair Relationship

12

19

Mastery Blogs

2

10

Digital Journal

3956

Words

Jaw Exercises

186

35

1-on-1's

13

19

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