I am participating

         Whether it is performing in the dragon dance, the demo, the upcoming Tiger Challenge, one-on-ones, or just showing up to class, I am participating.  I am staying engaged with my instructors and my teammates, and putting my best effort in with the energy that I have.  There are times that I'm venturing out of my comfort zone, and those are the times that I tell myself to just do it and participate.  Embarrassing myself can't be worse than the regret of not trying right?  Hopefully that's the case.  Being the secondary for head of the dragon is a bit daunting.  People have to follow my lead and my cues, I have to set the pace, and I need to make sure the dance looks good.  As scary as that all is, I participate, I pick up that head and I try my best.  Same with the rest of my Kung Fu, I practice, and I try my best, and hope that I look good while doing it.

        Participating is more than just showing up though, most of the time,  it is about connection to those around you, and to what you're doing.  If we don't have a connection with what we're doing, then we're not going to put the effort in that is needed to get anything out of it.  At that point it just becomes some menial task that we do without much thought.  If we don't have connection to those around us, then we're missing out on opportunities to learn from others, we miss out on developing relationships, and it gives us less reason to want to show up.  Participating for me is also about having purpose in what I'm doing, and it's about interacting with people and sharing an experience.

        Going further with this train of thought of participating and connection or engagement; I think to participate, you need to be engaged.  Again, showing up isn't always enough.  It is not going to be equal either.  Some days I'll have a lot of energy and attention and engagement towards something, and other days I'll have less.  That's just how it goes.  We can't be one-hundred all the time.  The more important thing is that we are consistently trying to give some time and energy into what we're doing.  If showing up is the best you can do, then in that case, it is enough to just be present as a way of showing engagement or support.

        It's not just Kung Fu that I participate in.  I participate in my role at work by engaging with my staff and clients.  I participate in my relationships with my friends by communicating with them and spending time.  I participate in my marriage by putting in the work needed to maintain that relationship and stay connected.