Frustration

How do you inspire people to push themselves? That is the question I was asking myself tonight after the I Ho Chuan practice session.
Not very many people were there and many of the people that were there were not training.

We are always telling our students "Less yack and more smack" but I think we need to remind ourselves of that as well. I for one have been guilty of this. Why come at all if you are going to be on your cell-phone or just hang out at the back? We are not going to get where we need to be by missing opportunities like tonight. Tonight is one training session we are never going to get back, it's gone forever.

I'm trying to figure out how to get everyone to bring it to the next level. My first thought was to just work as hard as I could and lead by example....but I don't think that makes a difference to those I'm trying to reach. I thought about confrontation...but again, is that going to inspire anyone? How am I supposed to inspire anyone anyways when I'm struggling myself?
The problem is that I see so much potential in our group, but that potential is being wasted...sometimes because of an unwillingness to put in the hard, sweaty work. I see so much greatness just waiting to come out, if people would just stop talking so much and start doing.

I think part of the problem is we don't have a demo coming up in the near future. Demos give a sense of purpose and focus that is very immediate. Summer time, when our demo season usually starts, can seem a long way away so it is easy to put off your training goals. I'm going to talk to Sifu Brinker, but I think we need a demo sooner. I'm going to organize one if he gives the go-ahead.
That will hopefully light a fire under all of us and give us something to work towards.

I'm not trying to sound like a jerk...I just found tonight a little frustrating. Time is so precious...we only have a year (minus a month or so now) and I want to make sure that no one looks back and thinks, "man, if I had only trained a little harder..."

Today I consumed: a bran muffin, 2 pastries, some instant noodles with 2 peices of bread, 2 chocolate chip cookies, a chicken breast and rice, 3 cups of coffee, 2 cups of earl grey tea and 5 glasses of water.