Intention

By Conrad Ho, 26 October 2017, Hong Kong

In the programme booklet of the first Greater China Kinesiology Conference of 2016, I entitled my opening remark as “Be Known”. The gist is that if average consumers in the region have generally heard of the term “Kinesiology” and know about “internationally authorised licensed kinesiology instructors”, I would be satisfied. It was written from the perspective of consumers.

In the programme booklet of the second Greater China Kinesiology Conference of 2017, I entitled my opening remark as “Firm Intentions”. This was written from the perspective of instructors.

Today, Matthew Thie, Claudia (Mrs. Thie), Amy Choi and I had lunch together. Over lunch, we talked about the market situation of the Kinesiology Conference and the pre and post conference workshops. Amy Choi noted that some instructors of personal growth courses market themselves as experts in solving clients’ problems, and have been quite successful in their business. She thinks that if we were willing to use this strategy in marketing Kinesiology and ourselves, the market situation could have been very different for us. But we did not do that. Why? Because we have different intentions.

I am not interested in solving other people’s problems. I cannot even solve all of my problems! Recently, I conceded on the internet that I am faced with certain problems. Some participants responded immediately: will you still attend courses by this instructor?

Yes! I frankly admit that I am not God. I am not perfect and I have my own problems. However, I feel comfortable and fulfilled as an instructor. I believe the message I bring out is very valuable to many people. My message is not how to become perfect. I don’t even know what “perfection” is. My message is how to enjoy imperfection, and to find a way to become more perfect within imperfection because I only understand “more perfect”.

Facing my problems, my first reaction is not to solve them. What I do wholeheartedly is to enjoy them. To enjoy, one has to sense, face, experience, appreciate, feel, value, experience and use them. Can problems be used too? In essence, problems are phenomenon only. If you view them from a problem perspective, you will find problems; view them from a resources perspective, you will find resources. Just that simple! For example, parents of autistic children see that their children face many problems: they are not sociable, throw tantrum easily, are violent prone, have bad temper…etc. However, the world is fair. Autistic children usually have talents which “normal people” do not have. For example, they can see minute details with just a glance; or they are particularly attracted to numbers and quantities. If parents pay attention to such resources and nurture them, their children can be successful such as becoming outstanding mathematicians.

Facing my problems, my second reaction is still not to solve them. I would try my best to understand or even see through them. They are my mirrors, reflecting my space for growth. Furthermore, they may reveal my undiscovered potential or gifts. If one always stays in one’s comfort zone, doing things within one’s ability, where do problems come from? When problems arise, it means one has already stepped outside one’s circle of effectiveness to experience something new, to have adventure, to play, to learn, and to improve. This is a rich and wonderful life! Life without problems is dull and poor!

Facing my problems, my third reaction is still not to solve them. I would thank them with all my heart. When I step outside my comfort zone to explore unfamiliar and even brand new territories, problems will become my guiding light. If the problems are too difficult, completely unmanageable, or too boring, utterly unbearable, that means I am not on the right path. I should turn and find another way. If the problems are challenging, interesting, offering prospects, then they are my “cup of tea”. That means it is a promising route that I should continue to pursue.

Facing my problems, my fourth reaction is still not to solve them. I experience the problems with my whole person. A goal is like a destination, and problems are the distance and condition between my current location and the destination. If you see problems as problems, and target the destination in advancing, then everything before arriving at the destination are not only unimportant but are obstacles that should be eliminated or overcome. If you see problems as experience, you do not place importance not only on the consequence of arriving at the destination, but are also aware of the process of reaching the destination. As an experienced backpacker, I share a golden rule of backpackers: half of the fun of travelling is the journey! Life is a tour, the fun of which is made up equally by the journey and travelling.

If we are travellers in our life, and have our own destination and routes. If some passers-by encounter “problems” at the cross road of life, I am willing to offer help as a guiding light, road sign, and tour guide. I can tell the other party the conditions of the routes that I have travelled so they have reference in making their own decision. I believe everyone has sufficient resources and wisdom to face any kind of situations in their own life. We do not need to solve problems for those who seek help or try to change them to adapt to the problems. It would be sufficient to enable those who seek help to discover their own resources and wisdom. This philosophy matches that of the “educational model” as described by Kinesiologists. I do not promote all streams of Kinesiology; I only promote the Kinesiology stream under the educational model. This includes Touch for Health, Educational Kinesiology, Developmental Kinesiology, and Qinesiology that I have designed together with Amy Choi.

At the end of the last Greater China Kinesiology Conference, Renate Wennekes came over to congratulate me and Amy Choi. She was happy to see that Kinesiology under the educational model was thriving in the lands of Greater China. I was happy to hear Renate say that because she was the senior and peer whom I respect, and she could see right through my intention.

I am determined to do my best in Kinesiology under the educational model. Those who share the same mission, please join me on the trip! The scenery along the way is wonderful.