Take out your notebooks

posted by Melissa

statue on Westlake, Seattle

I am just starting the movie "The Curse of the Golden Flower" by director Yimou Zhang.  (a visually stunning movie)  I know all these martial arts movies I am watching this month, like the Bruce Lee one I started the other night, "Enter the Dragon", aren't about tai chi.  But these are movies I never would have watched and from what I can tell tai chi has it's place in martial arts, so I do feel like I am expanding my cultural horizon, in a way.  

I composed this the rest of this post earlier, taking notes from a tai chi book while listening to Jamie play some jazz music at a cafe, Forza, near the University district.  It was a family event, all three kids were there doing homework and the like....even Amy's husband, Bob, was there helping Tallulah with her workbook.  

As promised, I am going to offer my rendition of the history of Tai Chi, as well as some other important factors about the practice.  I stopped into one of the Seattle Public Libraries today to get some books on tai chi, and the only one they had at the branch was “The New Life Library Tai Chi, Flowing Movements for Harmony and Balance” by Paul Tucker. 

Since I am a novice at tai chi, I claim no authority as to the knowledge found in this book.  I assume since it is a published book with the title it carries that it does have some pretty accurate information…but you never know.  I am sure some hard-core tai chi-er (is there such a thing?) out there may have some better information.  Nevertheless, here you go:

Tai chi purports to give many benefits that bring people worldwide to its practice.  It gently tones and strengthens the organs and muscles.  It improves circulation and the posture.  Tai chi also relaxes the mind and body.  These wide benefits, along with its slow movements make the practice not only accessible to a wide range of people, but attractive to those people as well. 

The practice that Amy and I participated in on Saturday was Yang style short form.  This practice was developed by Cheng man-Ch’ing (1901-1975) and is the most common form practiced in the west.  But tai chi was around for much longer than just the past century. 

Some sources claim that tai chi started 6000 years ago.  More conservative estimates say it goes back a few centuries, and most people believe that Chang San Feng (b. 1247), of the Sung dynasty, was the founder of tai chi. 

The story quoted in many sources, not just the book I am citing this evening goes like this:

            “As a Taoist monk, Chang San Feng saw a crane attacking a snake.  He was inspired by the soft yielding nature of the snake, which out-maneuvered the hard attacking beak of the crane.”

SAHMWKIS (stay-at-home-mom-with-kids-in-school)

I started my new life as a SAHM (stay-at-home-mom. I have found that these acronyms are quite popular on-line in chat rooms or places where moms go for advice. DH - dear husband, and others are out there, seemingly just to annoy me.) Actually, I have not yet decided whether I am assuming the title of Stay-at-Home-Mom or unemployed mom.  Tallulah told our friend yesterday that I don't work anymore because I am "disabled."  Tallulah is 5.  "My mom doesn't go to work anymore, because at her job, they, um...she is, uh, disabled.  So she doesn't go there anymore, she stays home with me."

Today was day two without a new label, or cool acronym for myself...and apparently, according to my youngest daughter, disabled.  I did not make it to yoga, and was hugely disappointed about that. I really tried.  I got home from Levi's classroom and after making a long overdue call to a friend, while I packed my yoga stuff up, I had 30 seconds to decide if I could walk to the Sweatbox fast enough.  And not only that, could I also get everything else I needed to get done finished after yoga and before I had to get the kids from school? I decided no.  So, I sadly put my yoga bag down and went to the computer to finish the financial aid form for Lily's private middle school she dearly wants to go to. (We go to an interview tomorrow!)  It's funny how I could make it every singe day for 30 days, and then as soon as it was not the priority, it easily can seem impossible to make it there. Or easily seems possible to not make it there.   Very different perspectives with the same outcome.

Plus I have this new month to tackle.  And what a month it is!  Why did I pick business plan??? Researching isn't so bad, but there are aspects that I guess I knew were there...but always ignore.  And these have come up in just the first few days, I wonder what other surprises will be in store for this naive business lady?  My plan was to honestly write everything about my journey as being a total novice to starting a business.   And while I will still do that, it will look perhaps a little different than I had first thought.

I didn't know that it might not be a good idea to tell everything about the business as we blog.  I didn't think that anyone would possibly be out there scouting for ideas and steal ours.   I know I have an idealistic nature, and an aversion to the harsh business world as I think it is.  Sometimes I think it is that belief system that has kept me from my own success.  Maybe I think to be successful you have to play by "their rules" and I don't believe in their rules.  So, this will be interesting, to see how I can come to terms with that.  Do I play the game?   Do I write my own rules and assume if I follow my heart and passion it will all work out as it should?

As of now, I will heed the friend's advice and not give too many details to the business. We'll come up with some code words to disguise our master plan.  For now we have an "idea" and I found this website from the Small Business Administration to get a template and ideas for what we need to think about and get on paper.  I thought this seemed like a reputable place to start.  There are so so may websites out there for this kind of thing, and as  newbie, you just don't know who to trust.

You know, I kind of have a lot at stake here.  If this is something that takes off, the timing couldn't be better.  This month I have the time to put toward this and the motivation to make something happen.  I am tired of working for someone else and working hard to make more money to may for their life.  I am tired to not feeling inspired by my work and having that translate into lower and lower self esteem.  I am in a place in my life, since starting this blog, of growing and becoming stronger, and I am ready for that to translate into my career.

And, Happy New Moon, and Happy Year of the Rabbit!

Lily's art work, age 7

“Let there be peace -- and let it begin with me” is the Rabbit motto. The Tiger makes waves, but the Rabbit mends fences. Diplomacy reigns. If you want to improve your chances of success, negotiate and cooperate rather than force your ideas on others. It’s also a time to kiss and make up. Forgive and forget. Let’s all get along. Make love not war. If last year the emphasis was on excitement, it’s now is on harmony.  -from Astrology.com



So...negotiate and cooperate to improve my chances of success.  Looks like it goes well with my Moon in Libra.  Enough said.  Done and Done.  I am always open to listening to the signs.


and for now the signs and the clock and my eyes are saying...good night.
xoxomelissa