Blood, Sweat and Tears

They are told it will be hard, possibly the most challenging thing they have ever done or will do. They are told it will be long, 12 to 16 hours to be exact. They are told it will be rough, possibly resulting in cuts, bruises, bleeding, even broken bones or a concussion. They might be scared, but they are ready, and they are strong. They are the amazing people who test for a Black Belt in martial arts, who work hard and use all that they have, their strength, skill, determination, discipline, heart, soul, blood, sweat and tears to earn the rank of First Dan. Today, my brother Austin, 15 years old and 7 years of karate strong, earned that impressive rank, and became Sensei Austin. I am beyond proud of him and I know that rest of our family, as well as his karate instructors, feel the same way.

Austin started karate, excited and enthusiastic, wearing his first gi, all white and with a white belt. Over the last seven years, we have seen his natural talent manifest itself, his skills become honed and his confidence, strength, and "inner black belt" shine. He carries himself with the confidence of someone who knows he is strong, mentally and physically and and as his studio's Student Creed says, with a positive attitude. He has developed into not only a student of his chosen art, but a teacher as well, setting an example for other students as well as for others around him in his everyday life.

After a grueling 2 day test of not only his strength and skill , but his discipline, his desire, and his character, Austin is an official Black Belt, proudly the rank of First Dan. His body is bruised and sore and his mind is exhausted, but he stands tall, proud of what he has accomplished at the age of 15. Proud probably doesn't describe what our parents, grandparents, and other brother feel, but whatever it is that we feel for him today, we all show it with huge smiles and lots of hugs for our newest Sensei.

There is another someone special who is also feeling extra proud today, Austin's teacher, Sensei Amy. She is a wonderful woman, someone I am lucky to know. Amy is an amazing karate instructor, but is so much more to many of her students. As she said at the ceremony today, through tears of joy and pride, her students, the other instructors, and so many of us as well, are like family. She supports her students as well as their families as they journey towards their karate goals. She definitely looked proud to present Austin with his Black Belt today, and I know he was proud to have earned it alongside her.

There may have been more bruises and scrapes, rather than blood, but I know both sweat and tears flowed freely over the last 2 days. Sweat from hard work, sweat of anticipation, tears of pain, tears of frustration, tears of pride, tears of exhaustion, tears of joy. I am so proud of Austin and his accomplishments. He is truly strong in so many ways. Here's to you Sensei Austin!

Yes, I Give Myself Pep Talks, Well, Kind Of

Have you ever had one of those days when you feel as if nothing is going right and no matter what you do, you can't seem to get rid of the little grey cloud above your head? Well, I know I have those days and I have found that just doing something little for myself, no matter how small it may be, can make it better. Instead of counting on others and outside forces to make the day a bit sunnier or less stressful, I have found a way to give myself a little pep talk, a reminder that I can handle anything. 

On one of these most challenging days, a few months ago, I was out purchasing program supplies for work, and randomly sitting on a shelf in the kiddie craft section, completely out of place was this little gem:

Being the shoe lover that I am, I knew it was a sign. I purchased it for myself (who doesn't love random gifts for no real reason, even if they are from yourself) and upon my return to the office, quickly placed it on my desk, not out there for everyone to see, but right where I can see it when I need it. I always say that wearing fabulous shoes can bring an improvement to your attitude, so now, on those most trying of days, I sneak a peak at this little picture, then look down at the soles I chose that day. Then, I take a deep breathe and I swear I can feel my soul smile. 

What little things bring you joy when you are feeling down or overwhelmed?

Tell Me Something Good

As odd as it sounds, I have a thing for lists. Not just lists to keep me organized, but lists of things, places, people, you know the Top Ten of (fill in random category here) or Things to Do Before You Turn (insert age here), or Places to Visit Before (insert life changing event here). Lists, to-do lists, grocery lists, directories, baby name books, yes I am enthralled by them all. When I was a kid my mom would sometimes let me write the grocery list for her before we went to the store. I am sure part of it was just to keep me occupied and to shut me up, but I guess I did have to practice my spelling and handwriting at the same time. Who knew such a mundane task could be so educational? Little did I know my mom had her list, in her near-perfect mom handwriting, already in her purse, ready to go since the night before. Oh well.... As I got older, reading anything I could get my hands on, I started to come across quotes, words of wisdom from others, authors, politicians, actors, sports starts, saints; just about anyone who is anyone has been quoted sometime. I began to write my favorites down, wanting to keep them for myself. I am not sure if it was so much for inspiration or if it was because it was a new list, hmmmm.

Well, the obsession with quotes continued and I srated looking for ones to fit certain situations, for certain people, even for me. I used them in everyday conversation, in greeting cards, in school papers. I was a quote machine! Today I have many many many notebooks full of quotes I have collected on just about any topic imaginable. Over the years as I added a new quote to the books, I would sometimes mark some as favorites. It is fun to look through them now and see what I marked as faves back then, especially considerig what I might consider as faves today. I definitely have my faves and often use them, be it in a card to a friend, or just something I have for me, written on the corner of a random page in my dayplanner or address book, somewhere where they will pop up when I least expect it, or someplace I can turn to inconspicuously when I need a reminder of something good. I still love lists and make them for everything. I still love quotes, reading through old favorites and discovering new ones, like a treasure in my day.

I am sure we all have a quote or two we hold dear to us as a personal favorite. What are yours? Share them with me as I would love to see what words you are inspired and and who said them as well. Sometimes the sources are just as surprising!