I have so much I’ve been thinking about and wanting to write about.  And my life has been in a slight state of craziness with too many plans and projects on the go .. too many pots on the boil so to speak.  But amidst all the craziness have been some huge realisations that are liberating me from a cage I’d created for myself within my mind.

I’ve started this ‘post’ in my head, onto paper and into the computer multiple times.  I’m constantly writing down thoughts but they don’t usually make it to the public eye.  But I’m letting go of a lot of my concern around saying something stupid.  I don’t pretend to be any expert.  I’m simply expressing the truth of my life as I see it – with the intention of liberation, and minimal harm.  But since fears about hurting feelings or offending people were part of my reason for almost complete non expression – I won’t promise to not hurt feelings or offend – since I can’t control how others react – but I will write with honesty and respect.

I am somewhere beyond the middle of three quite intensive courses at the moment : Shine Your Light, The Art of Money and Certificate 3 in Individual Support (Aged care) .. and all three are helping me to look at my life in different ways.  So I’m in the middle of an inside out job of turning my life around .. redirecting the Titanic of my life.  And I’m doing psychological explorations and making exciting discoveries such as how I silenced myself as a form of freedom and ended up becoming trapped.

The importance of boundaries has come up as a really important tool to cope with life.  I’m learning about healthy boundaries and a big part of that is simply speaking up rather than avoiding.  So particularly in the sphere of aikido, I am setting some boundaries that I can live with, reinforcing the structure and the discipline that is fundamental to martial arts.  And in doing this yesterday, my message in terms of what I want to teach when it comes to aikido, is that it’s about feeling, and blending, and respect.  And the overly analytical and oppositional approaches can have a rest within the structure of the classes.  This is what I love about aikido and this is what I want others to experience.  It is the freedom that comes within boundaries – since there needs to be an understanding that we want to help the other person in order for trust to be present.

I’m may keep adding to this .. but am publishing as I go ..

When words become unclear, I shall focus with photographs.

When images become inadequate, I shall be content with silence.

– Ansel Adams

No man has the right to dictate what other men should perceive, create or produce,

but all should be encouraged to reveal themselves, their perceptions and emotions,

and to build confidence in the creative spirit.

– Ansel Adams