Expectations

I've been learning a lot about expectations lately. Having them and not having them.
 If you have expectations they can lead to disappointment, being let down. People can meet or supersede your expectations or fall short. Your expectations can be for yourself which could drive you to greater things, or for the people around you hoping more for them, or simply having expectations of food being tasty. Having expectations can lead to being hurt, or onto great and wonderful things. It is simply having faith in yourself or others.
  Not having expectations leads to great surprises, no pressure to please, no way of disappointment. If you don't expect someone to do something anyways. When they don't do it you won't be shocked by it. Oddly enough not having expectations of someone is exactly having expectations for them just your expectations are nothing.
In my own personal opinion I believe living with expectations will have better results. I do believe there's more pressure, and more responsibility when it comes to expectations. In the long run of things I believe if you can expect more of yourself you'll drive yourself to become better and do more things, if you expect more from your friends and family then maybe they will try more as well. Unfortunately it could lead to failure. Such as life. if our expectations are set too high and are unrealistic they are doomed to fail and you build resentment. If you build expectations that are achievable and attainable you can gain great achievements for yourself. If you build expectations within the realm of possibility for those around you they too can achieve greatness. I believe expectations can drive you to greater possibilities in life, but also hurt you. I've been hanging out with this person lately and they got hurt a lot by putting expectations on others then they failed them. The expectations they were expecting out of these people weren't that high, very doable, but the people felt such a simple task and it hurt them. Now I feel sad for them they don't want to live their life with any expectations, because you can't get hurt if you don't expect it. So when they do fail you saw it coming. I would like to change their mind about expectation someday, but that might take a bit of time.


Sifu Langner

My Journey

My life has changed so much since I came back to Kung Fu. I used to be an anti social, social phobic, anti life, and 310 lbs. I also used to hate and resent Kung Fu. I thought everything they did was a hoop to jump through. Any changes they made I thought they were just trying to make becoming a black belt an impossibility. I quit for 3 years.

 Later I realized any changes that were made in Kung Fu was to help and make a better black belts. I also realized I approached the whole situation incorrectly. I made getting the black belt a prize to be won. There goal was never to make it a prize to be had, but a journey to be on the path towards mastery. It was a journey towards becoming a better person, helping me get out of my comfort zone, pushing me to be better then the day before. Making me more self aware when mediocracy creeps in and how to expel it. 

  I now thankful and appreciate every day the miracle the fact I started Kung Fu at all. It has help me calm my anger. It has helped me become more social; finding new friends (great ones). I lost all my weight to now a comfortable 200. I do love life a more. Now I am learning Japanese. I have grown so much more this past year as well. Moving out on my own. It has changed both me and my parents for the better.
    All this was possible because Kung Fu and the I ho chuan has taught me to become the extraordinary and to appreciate the little things. I have learned to become more empathetic to others and myself. It is ok to like yourself. It has helped me in trying to stay in shape. It has helped me into always pushing the limits. It has also let me meet some crazy cool people.
   I thank you all for giving me the miracle of getting to know all of you, and for letting me grow into a better human being.


Sifu Langner