Contribute Positively by using Coring, for Maximum Impact
When things are hard for us, or times are tough in general, that is the time to use the Coring Principle. One way we can apply it to our lives is by modifying the Ryukyu Kempo 18-inch rule. That means not chasing things that don’t contribute positively to our lives. Or not spending time on those activities.
Another way to use the Coring Principle is to get back to your center. If things seem out of control, or seem to be not as you’d like, that’s the time to get centered. First, make sure you are doing the basic things daily that you need to do for your health. Along with that, make sure basic needs are in place for your minor children and/or children you are responsible for. Then you can support your spouse or other capable adults in your nuclear family to do the same.
Get Back to Basics to Contribute Positively
If that’s all you can handle at this time, give yourself the grace to take a break from other activities. That may involve asking for help, or removing things that you or your children would like to do. If they are too much for you at this time, let them go. Your mental health and physical health are up to you. Your minor children’s mental and physical health are also your primary responsibility.
If you have the basics in place and are cored out, and you have more resources left (time, money, energy, equipment, etc.), then you can help and support others. Or branch out and focus on additional activities.
Sometimes we lose sight of the basics because life has such a wide variety of facets. We need to regularly focus on our personal coring and our family’s coring. When we make this a life habit, we can each be a force for good in the world.
We do not need to sacrifice our own health or safety to do so. In fact, we must support and prioritize our own health or safety in order to be our best and contribute positively to the rest of the world. You can read more here on how anyone can use the core principles of Ryukyu Kempo to improve many areas of life.
-Jenifer Tull-Gauger
Jenifer Tull-Gauger knows what it’s like to be an “old soul” and a painfully quiet kid struggling to fit in. Her journey to 7th degree black belt is a testament of how she found inner strength through traditional karate. Now in leadership for the international U.R.K.A., she heads up a private dojo with her husband.
Jenifer combined her passions for art and writing, with what she’s learned from 23-plus years of teaching karate, to create a children’s character-building picture book series. The Dojo Kun Character Books help children to find their own power in their lives. JeniferTullGauger.com