So, I’ve been thinking about the daily grind.  We’ve created a society that values novelty and quick fixes.  Instant gratification and fast food.  Everything needs to be convenient and stress-free, or we feel disgruntled and unsatisfied.  This applies to our food, our bodies, our jobs, and our relationships.

Yet, we all know that real, meaningful results require real, meaningful effort and time.  How do we put in the time required to achieve excellence, but still keep it fresh?

Be present. Live in the moment.

It sounds like a bumper sticker cliche, but the practice of mindfulness is one of the foundations of Buddhism. And it keeps everything fresh.

I throw hundreds of kicks training and teaching each week.  I estimate that I threw over 500 roundhouses alone last week. Roughly multiplied, I throw about 24,000 roundhouses every year. Multiply that by 25 years… 600,000 roundhouses. You would think that I would be bored by the repetition.  But I still love it.  When you are kicking, you are required to be entirely present.  I breathe, focus on a single point, balance, contract my core for acceleration.  I appreciate every nuance of breath, the movement of my muscles, and the moment of freedom and power when I make contact with the bag.  I try to make every kick count.  And that love for every kick has parlayed itself into a life and career.

Focus on the moment.  Every moment is new, and the moments will create your future.

“The present moment is filled with joy and happiness.  If you are attentive, you will see it.” –Thich Nhat Hanh

Happy Chinese New Year!  

On February 10th, we usher in the Year of the Snake. “This 2013 year of Snake is meant for steady progress and attention to detail. Focus and discipline will be necessary for you to achieve what you set out to create.”

I like it.  If we are mindful and work hard, we will reach our goals.  

While some of those goals may be physical or career driven, I have been thinking about emotional goals.  Reaching new emotional goals requires one to filter through past pain and slough off unnecessary baggage like the proverbial snake sloughing off its skin when it outgrows it.  Sloughing off one’s skin is never an easy task!  It also requires that you are brave enough to feel raw and new for a bit.

Evaluate if you’ve outgrown some of your emotional baggage.  And if you don’t need it anymore, it may be time to let it go.  Wriggle out of those old emotional habits and embrace some new perspectives.

I think a fresh new skin will look fantastic on you!

The holiday season is upon us! We have a whole month before our 2013 arrives. There are 26 workout days at the dojo before the new year, so here’s the challenge: 25 workouts before Jan. 1, 2013. We are making JARS of FITSPIRATION at the studio. For every workout you complete, you get to put a dollar in the jar. The $25 you save can be put to something special for yourself or you can keep saving…

Bring your jar to the dojo with your name on it. Or I can make you one! We start our Fitspiration challenge tomorrow.

Let’s all start the new year feeling happy and healthy!

I just had “one of those” months– the kind that make you evaluate who you are, where you’ve been, and where the heck you are going.  I wanted to throw in the proverbial towel.  Then, Oprah spoke to me.

Yes, yes, laugh.  It was Sunday morning.  I was in a dark place.  I turned the television on.  There she was, in all her OWN Network glory.  And here is what she said: “When someone shows you who they are, believe them. And move on.”  Chorus of angels.  

Sometimes, we can’t let go of the past, because we simply don’t want to believe that the relationship/job/friendship could end like that.  Could he/she really be so selfish/narcissistic/mean?  So, we belabor the point and stay in relationships far longer than necessary.  We are afraid to move on.

Here’s what I know.  We are meant to be happy and healthy.  And we always have a choice.

Why do we choose to be unhappy, stressed, or unhealthy?  No idea.  Let’s choose happiness, clarity, and health.  

This past weekend, 18 Red Lotus students were tested and promoted for new belts.  As a group, they were focused, determined, and amazing. They demonstrated their passion for being martial artists and their support of each other as an ohana.  When people show you who they are, believe them.  Chorus of angels.

They reminded me that there is goodness and joy.  They reminded me to choose happiness and move on.  I am very, very grateful.

Happiness cannot be traveled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude. ~Denis Waitley

Thank you for participating in our March Red Lotus Happiness Project. What an amazing month we have had focusing on our daily happiness! We’ve made our Happiness manifestos, cleared the clutter, set physical goals, and channeled our inner Bruce Lee. I don’t want it to end!

Our Great Wall of Happiness!

While trying to help you get happy, I got happier, too! What an awesome “side effect.” Happiness is meant to be shared and a project that should last a lifetime. So, I’m creating the Red Lotus Daily Happiness Challenge. Everyday, I’ll post a small challenge– could be emotional or physical–on our Facebook, Twitter, and Blog. “Like” the post if you complete the challenge. Let’s make our happiness project viral!

Today’s challenge is: Smile at a stranger!

I smiled at the cashier lady in Longs.

xoxo

Me and two of my besties, Amy & Jess, who always make me smile.

“Manifest plainness, embrace simplicity, reduce selfishness, have few desires.”–Lao Tze

This week, I was going to focus on creating long term happiness goals. Then, I realized that happiness is not about planning, it is about living in the moment.

So, it’s time for some spring cleaning. Get rid of emotional and physical clutter so you can enjoy the moment. What are you holding onto that prevents you from being in the now? Old resentments? Fears? Sad memories? What about the clutter in your house? Boxes filled with junk, old clothes that don’t fit…Let’s get rid of it! Purge, baby! Stop the emotional and physical hoarding.

First step this week is to clean out your closet. Get rid of those jeans that you’ve been saving for “just in case.”

Then, meditate on what you can throw out of your emotional “closet.” Take a breath, acknowledge it, then let it go.

Simplify, let go of the unessential. When you clear the clutter, you’ll have a space to appreciate the moment and be happy.

“Wherever you fly, you’ll be the best of the best.
Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so
but, sadly, it’s true
that Bang-ups and Hang-ups
can happen to you.”  –Dr. Seuss

Life can be full of challenges.  For the next few minutes, I give you permission to vent, moan, whine, and complain about the things in your life that DON’T make you happy.

Yes, that totally sucks.

Now, take a breath.  Acknowledge the negative, accept it, and let it go.  A year from now you probably won’t remember what you were venting about today.  Unfortunately, bad things do happen that we cannot control.  However, life is short. We can control how we react and use the experience to enrich our view of the world.  Learn to re-frame and re-focus your perspective.  

This week we are going to focus on the things that DO make us happy. Our homework this week is to create our “Happiness Is…” List.  What are 5 things that always make you smile? Big or small.

Here’s my list:

Happiness Is..

1.  Picking up Cade from school and having his favorite snack, ramen, and talking about our day.

2.  Feeling fit and healthy–practicing my martial arts everyday

3.  Enjoying time with my family and friends

4.  Creating art–directing, performing, writing

5.  Helping a student succeed.  Love seeing a student smile because they “got it!”

Now take action.  This week, DO all 5 things on your list.  Focus on taking responsibility for your daily happiness.  We’ve only got this one life.

If not you, then who?  And if not now, then when?

(Sometimes, Happiness Is…a bowl of ramen!)

“A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality.”–John Lennon

This March, our little dojo turns five years old, and we are celebrating our rebirth as Red Lotus Hawaii. The journey has been filled with challenges, but whenever I think about the studio and all it’s students, I am filled with amazement, pride, gratitude, and quiet joy.

In honor of our anniversary and to define our new Red Lotus life, I have decided to start the Red Lotus Happiness Project, inspired by Gretchen Rubin and her fabulous book.

This month, we are going to focus on creating our happiness and increasing it tenfold. Yay us!

First, we all need to create our personal manifesto –our Happiness tenets. Here’s mine:
1. Be passionate– work hard, play hard, do what you love, be with the people you love
2. Take time to enjoy the moment and laugh
3. Hug Cade and enjoy him as much as possible, childhood is fleeting
4. Embrace mistakes and imperfections as opportunities for growth
5. Give and receive in equal measures
6. Say “no” or create a boundary sometimes, so that there’s space for the important stuff
7. Be mindful, present, and truthful in the moment
8. Practice listening and being still in order to hear more clearly
9. Try something new everyday
10. Eat well, rest well, and eat chocolate once in a while

What are your 10 commandments of Happiness? Take a moment to define your personal happiness manifesto. And please share them in the comments below or on our Happiness wall at the dojo. Your manifesto may inspire others!