fight

In the literal sense, that's what I've been training to do in my karate class. Just the idea of going to class get's me excited. I even trained today. I do this obscure exercise I created back when I was in highschool - I put leg weights around my ankles, place a stool or chair about two feet in front of me, and do roundhouse kicks over the chair. The motions have to be slow and controlled. It has always helped me with my form, but it ultimately helps with power. The point of the exercise is not to touch chair, obviously, but also extend out to a full roundhouse, and return back to starting position. It trains an obscure part of your body - the sides of your gluts - which many people overlook (and laugh at). In fact, it's one of the most important muscles for effective roundhouses. I abused that kick in tournaments, and it always caught people off guard.

Obviously, I'm glad I started karate again.

But I'm "fighting" in a more general sense as well. I've been having a tough time at work for various reasons, and I knew in my head that I needed to start my day with strong daimoku, but I never got myself to get up on time to chant. Of course, when it dawned upon me too late that I could simply ask my SGI fam for support, a men's division leader extended a helping hand. So I got up at 5am, drove to his place, and chanted for an hour. I thought that the first day would be difficult, but actually, I had so much more energy today than I've experienced for quite some time. I even got to exercise, like I said before.

And maybe it's the combination of the two happenings I mentioned above, but I'm not stressing out about my ambitions. I have this bad tendency to fret over things that I want to achieve - which, objectively, seems ridiculous now that I say it. Shouldn't I enjoy pursuing things I want? But that's I feel right now.

For example, there are a handful of firms I would love to work for around D.C., and I have no problem with the fact that I may have to provide free labor for them before I can land a job with them. It's actually exciting - the idea that I would be building experience and earning some survival money on the side waiting tables. I figure, I'm young, I'm reckless, and I should embrace the struggles in my professional life.

But that embrace is only possible because, I guess, I am doing what I need to do now. Which reminds me that I need to save money in case I am jobless for a bit :)