To recap the year of the horse is an interesting one for me. I could say that I failed because I didn't reach many of my physical goals. However I don't look at succeeding and failing just based on the numbers alone. I look at what the year has done for me personally and I feel that I have become a better person than who I was a year ago. Because I choose to look at the past year this way, I have succeeded. The goal of the I Ho Chaun to me is to live a life of mastery and through that improves ones life in a way that is sustainable for the rest of that life. I'm happy in that I have improved aspects of my life that I feel are sustainable for the rest of my life. I have put into practice habits that will serve me long after I can't complete the physical aspects of my Kung Fu.
Some of the specific things that I have grown in this past year is definitely empathy. This is an area that I really focused on this this past year. To step back and really try and understand what people are going through and how that affects them as well as me. Another area of growth has been with blogging and sharing my thoughts and feelings. I have never blogged so much like I have this year. In some ways this was the only thing keeping me going and engaged with the program and with my teammates.
I am looking back on this year with a positive attitude and taking that positiveness right into the year of the Sheep. We had a very good Horse team and I'm looking forward to the sheep team.
Mr. Ian Repay
Student Of Silent River Kung Fu
Stony Plain, Alberta Canada
