Do You Want to Be on a Leash?

Naomi was seriously ill when she was young. She was the second daughter in a family of five in the Russian-facing part of Japan, a cold and snowy region. At 23, she graduated from the local university and became a teacher. This was in the 1940s, and it was unusual for a Japanese girl to graduate from a university at that time. She said she was lucky to be sick, because she could keep reading books in bed while her sisters and brother needed to work in the rice fields. That was her attitude; it may have looked like sickness negatively affected her for a while physically, but it could not get her spirit down.

She became a teacher of the Japanese language. She had her own style of teaching, which her principal did not like. She had continuous problems with her principal and vice principal during her first year. She was just 25 years old, a new teacher, and she was not expected to disagree with her elders. She was expected to say "Hai - yes, sir" to her supervisors. She hated that feeling. She did not like to take orders that she did not agree with and did not understand. She thought many times that she might have agreed with them without arguing if they had tried to convince her, explain things to her, and made sure she was comfortable with their orders. However, in those days, things did not happen that way in Japan. Most of time, they just ordered her to either stop what she was doing or to do as they did. When she asked why, they just said to do what they told her. No explanation was given.

She started to explore possibilities for getting out of her difficulties. She began attending hairdressing school at night and obtained a national license to be a hairdresser.

When she received her license, she resigned from the school and took a train to Tokyo. She opened a small hairdressing shop in downtown Tokyo. While she was making plans for opening her shop, she met an architect who helped her design the shop and later married him. She had unleashed herself.

Her friends laughed at her because she had abandoned a respectable job as a teacher to become a hairdresser; however, she did not care. Her shop was busy because she opened it close to a geisha place, and many of the geisha girls went to her shop because it was close to their workplace. As her business grew, she hired two additional hairdressers. When her husband became ill with diabetes, she continued to work in order to support her husband who had to be hospitalized and to buy the proper medications. She saved enough money to buy her family a house in the western outskirts of Tokyo and decided to retire at the age 58. When she was 69, her husband passed away. Her savings enabled her to buy the property where her hairdressing shop had been located and build an apartment complex, which provided a constant income.

Today, Naomi is 87 years old and lives in Tokyo. When her son wanted to return to Tokyo to take care of her, she said, "No" because she wanted him to follow his dreams as she had done. In fact, she is the largest investor and most reliable partner in her son's company.





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Reactions From Others Are a Mirror Image of You

Human beings are weak creatures. Others easily upset us. They make us remorseful, fearful, or angry. We usually say he or she upset us. They made me fearful, or angry. Is this correct? Once a philosopher said, "When you give love, you will receive love. If you give hate, you will receive hate." If you give anger, you will receive anger. If you are thankful, you will be thanked. Although I cannot determine if this is a universal principle, this advice gives us useful tool to understand why we come across happiness or difficulties in our lives.

This is a story of a dog and an old owner. Once upon a time in Japan, there were two old men living in a nearby village. One was friendly and honest. The other was distrustful and unfriendly. The friendly old man was "Yosaku". The other was "Gohei". Yosaku's dog was "Taro". Yosaku was poor, but he loved his dog, Taro. Taro seemed to love his owner Yosaku, too. One day, Taro was barking like crazy in Yosaku's backyard. Taro was barking at a corner of his yard. It appeared that Taro wanted Yosaku to dig the part where he was barking. Yosaku dug his yard where Taro pointed. Yosaku dug out wooden boxes full of gold nuggets. He became rich.

Gohei was watching what happened with Yosaku. Gohei asked Yosaku to keep Taro for several days. Yosaku allowed Gohei keep Taro for several days. The second day, Taro started to bark. Gohei dug the place where Taro barked. He found two boxes. Gohei opened the boxes. There was no gold nugget. The boxers were full of sands. Gohei got angry and killed Taro. Gohei returned Yosaku Taro's body, the next day. Gohei told Yosaku that Taro died because he fell from a tree branch. Yosaku was sad. Yosaku cremated Taro's body and gathered his ashes. Yosaku noticed the next day that the place, where Taro's ashes were, grew beautiful flowers. He believed that Taro wanted to bring flowers to Yosaku. He scattered Taro's ashes amongst the trees in his backyard. Despite it having been the middle of winter and those trees were half dead, trees started to bloom flowers as soon as Taro's ashes touched them.

This is a story for Japanese small children. This story ends right there. It does not say what happened with Gohei, later. It does not say how Yosaku lived after that. It appeared to be teaching children that happiness never comes to bad people. Only happy people can receive happiness. Again, if one gives happiness, he receives happiness. People's reaction is the mirror image of your attitude. Next time when you are angry, you may want to think if you are not giving anger.

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Musashi, the Strongest Swordsman in Japanese History

Musashi Miyamoto is this swordsman's name. He fought sixty times in his life and never lost one. There were so many famous fights. There is an infamous one, too. He killed thirteen years old son of Sword Master whom Musashi killed in earlier duel. The students of this Dojo brought this thirteen years old boy, son of the late master, into the duel. Musashi killed the boy to confuse thirty Dojo students. He killed more than ten swordsmen in the duel including the boy and escaped. It might have been the only way for him to survive. Later, Musashi was writing to regret that he killed the boy. He explains that he was the head of this Dojo's group, thirteen years old or not. He must have killed the head to win.

The most famous duel is the one against his rival, Kojiro Sasaki who was famous for skills and speed of steel art. Kojiro used six feet long sword with no problem and could cut fast flying swallow twice during the bird was flying in front of him.

In the duel, Musashi was late about 2 hours to appear in the place. Musashi was waiting for the time when he could position behind Sun so that Kojiro's eyesight would be hampered by sunlight. Kojiro tried not to be upset. However, he could not control his emotion. When Musashi appeared, Kojiro rushed to him and pulled out his six feet long sword and threw out the sheath. Musashi said to Kojiro "You are already lost. Your sword has no place to be back in." In addition, Musashi to fight effectively against long sword of Kojiro's prepared the seven feet wooden sword which he made from boat oar. Musashi kept his sword behind putting the tip of it into the ocean water so that Kojiro could not see the length.

When Kojiro approaching, Musashi was measuring the distance. Musashi figured the moment and distance, which is too long for Kojiro's sword to reach Musashi, but short enough for Musashi's wooden sword to strike Kojiro. Musashi took that short moment and swung down his wooden sword. After two hours wait for Musashi appeared on the duel scene, the fight ended in one second.

Musashi won the duel despite that Kojiro's skill might have been better than Musashi's. Musashi's strategy was to deprive Kojiro of his stability of mind. Kojiro did not expect Musashi would use longer blade than him. Musashi knew his own weakness and covered it by mind control and physical preparation. Musashi was the one who kept his stability of mind including the time preparing for his duel. Despite of his skill and speed, Kojiro lost because he could not maintain "Status of Peace" in his mind. There is something, which one can learn from the fight. The stability of mind is essential to be successful.

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When You Hurry, You Detour

When I started working for my previous employer, I used to be overwhelmed by the amount of work I need to process. There were a lot of paper works, correspondences, telephone calls, meetings, etc, etc... After a while, I learned that I need to speedily process any work brought to me no matter how the result could be, good or bad, satisfactory or not satisfactory. In 10 years, I found myself to be pretty good at doing this to the extent that my boss tells me that he likes my speed putting results aside. I still wonder he tried to praise me or insult me, I do not know.

An age of Personal Computer and Digital Technology has come. People started to like speed. There are management people who even teach their subordinates that it is more important to speedily finish their works despite that the output is good, OK, or no good. My previous employer liked my approach of outputting in speedy way in the shorter time than anybody else. I myself have thought that being speedy is important factor in business. It still may be true today.

In reading spiritual books, many blogs, and mail magazines, I started to doubt if being speedy ignoring output result is right approach or not. I heard some people say that his answer is "No" if you need his answer "Now". I believe this is good answer. If so, doing something or thinking something taking some time is important factor in doing business.

There is a Japanese saying that you should take your time thinking and doing when you are in hurry finishing an important work. "If not hurry to go, you would not have been wet by rain, rain finishes after you ran into the rain." is one of them. Another one goes "when hurry, you detour".

There were 2 main route to reach to Tokyo from West 500 years ago. One was shorter using boats to go across a big river. The other was the way to go across the river by detouring over a bridge. The route over the bridge was about 2 miles longer and people liked to take boats. But, the history tells that so many people drowned to death by boat accidents or storms. Instead, there are no people died going over the bridge.

Looking back what I have done, there is almost nothing left from my speedy outputting style work. Instead, I gained a lot from long slow training of languages and Martial Arts. Sun Zu, an ancient strategist in China, once also wrote that if you find your enemy strong, take your time. Is not it the time now to think again if the speed is everything?

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Karate Forbids First Strike

There are several translations of this Japanese. "Karate is for defense only." "Karate is not for attack." "Karate is not for fighting." "There is no first strike in Karate." All translations are correct. As a principle of teaching, learning, and practicing Karate, it is safe to say Karate does not allow first strike. Karate is for defense. It has a long history of defense.

The origin of Karate is Ryukyu Kingdom's Martial Art, "Te". The pronunciation of this word, "Te" is almost same as "tea". Historians believe that, in 15th - 18th century, Ryukyu Kingdom, now Okinawa Prefecture, Japan gave birth to their original martial art, Te. Te means "Hand" in Japanese. It was Martial Art focusing human body to be a weapon. Te started to gain an influence of "Kung Fu" in China around 16th - 17th centuries. They started to call "Te" "Karate" in 18th century. The word, Karate, consist of 2 Chinese Characters. First one means "China". Second one is "Hand". Originally, Karate meant a Martial Art from China. Later, it meant Martial Art with bare hand. As famous, it now means Martial Art without using a weapon.

Okinawa is now part of Japan. It was an independent kingdom until feudal domain of Satsuma attacked and occupied Ryukyu Kingdom. In 1613, the occupation army of Satsuma gave an order to prohibit to possess and use any and all weapons. Satsuma was afraid of potential power of Ryukyu would defeat Satsuma to regain independence. The people in Ryukyu needed to develop Martial Arts, which do not use any weapon. This was the reason Karate was developed in Okinawa, then Ryukyu.

The reason why the people in Okinawa developed bare hand Martial Arts was not fighting against then ruler, Satsuma. The real reason was to defend themselves from violent treatment from Satsuma soldiers. Satsuma soldiers were armed. Okinawa people were not armed due to the no-weapon order. Okinawa people needed to develop an art, which can defend them from weapons. They trained their own bodies to be the most reliable weapons. This is the reason Karate training includes "Shi Wa Ri", trial hits and kicks to check they are strong enough to break woods, ice, and roof tiles. Karate hits must be strong to break and defeat enemies. If the first strike is not successful, he would be the one killed by his enemy. Their attack must be strong enough to shut up their enemy.

Karate became deadly art to kill with one stroke of arms or legs due to their ruler's weapon prohibition order. It may be only Martial Art, which was designed to fight in bare hands against enemies with weapons. There is no wonder that masters in early age of Karate banned to use Karate for attacking. They banned the first strike to destroy their enemies. Karate is for defense only. Therefore, Karate does not allow the first strike. This is the first lesson and the last lesson of Karate.






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Be Helpful, Useful, and Friendly

Do not make mistakes like many do in carrying out your own business. If you are ex-employed person, you must be aware the difference between self-employed and being employed. The difference is you make a decision instead of taking orders from your bosses. Being a self-employed requires whole lot different approaches from being employed. Typical example is Risk Management. Established companies try to avoid risks. If more than 5% risky, they would not go ahead on a project. But, being self-employed must take risks. Otherwise, nothing happens.

In this way, taking a successful employee person and try him to carry his own business may not work. Successful self-employed may not be continued to be successful for leading a big organization for this reason, as well. It is not good or bad. They are simply different. Their qualifications and requirements are different.

However, there are some common elements as long as you carry out a business, any business. It is very basic. It is "Spirit of Help". When your pick up your phone and call a company for service. First thing you hear put through to across live person is "May I help you?" This person may not sound helpful at all. But, this is not just a saying. It is basic about business. It is the core spirit.

It is important to know about this and not to forget in carrying out business. Why does your customer pay their money and buy your products and services? It is because your products and services help them. So, this is a top of my business principle list. "Being Helpful". "Being Useful" and "Being Helpful" are the face and tail of coin. If you are useful, you can be helpful. But, if you are not friendly, nobody wants to talk with you. So, adding "Be Friendly" to these factors could complete outer triangle. 3 factors are "Be Helpful", "Be Useful", and "Be Friendly".

Now let us talk about inner core triangle. Almost all of successful entrepreneurs talk about mental strength. What forms mental strength and maintain it? "Vision" and "Passion" do.

Even if you have a map to the top of Mt. Everest, you do not expect yourself to be able to reach the pinnacle. You will never know how difficult it could be to actually reaching to the mountaintop, without climbing it. Your map can show roads, rivers, woods, elevation of land, but it does not show you when it rains, snows, blizzard, or sand storm. You may come across a bear or fierce animals. You will never know these just by staring at your map.

In order to cope with all these unknown factors and reach to the summit of the mountain you are climbing, you need to train, gain, regain, and maintain the mental strength. If you have "Vision" of your business, and promote it with "Passion", you will be able to gain "Mental Strength" and maintain it.

3 factors in gaining and maintaining control of your business are "Vision", "Passion", and "Mental Strength". All these changes or get thinner and vague over time, you need treat them as dynamic and continue to revisit.





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Psychological Barriers

When one challenges something new, there are many difficulties and obstacles he needs to overcome. If one is starting own business, the list of action items is miles long. What should be the trade name of his company? What products or services the company is engaging? Where can he get the money? How shall he spent the money? How many employees shall he hire? He cannot list them all. In exact meaning, they are not difficulties or obstacles. Those are action items. His mental obstacles might be bigger than those exciting action items.

He doubts if he is making a right decision. He fears if he fails. He worried what is their family or friends reaction. He worries if he can get enough money. He worries if he could develop the products he wanted. His worries are endless.

Although he can worry about almost everything, there are only 3 significant psychological barriers for his challenge:

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1. Fears for new decisions
2. Objections from friends and families
3. Middle of success obstacles

No matter what one is trying to do, the first large barrier to prevent one to start is himself. He thinks it is a terrific idea. He thinks it works. However, he cannot be sure. He cannot be confident to make it happen. He first needs to address his fear based on himself.

Second psychological barrier is one's family and close friends. When he talks with his family and close friends, 95% of the people show opposition to what he wanted to do. Because they are his family and close friends, he will be strongly influenced. Some objection comes with emotional background. It can depress the one, even.

Last barrier is the hardest for one to overcome. After a while, he could come over those barriers. He started his business. He struggled for a while. He made all the effort. Finally, he was leading the business successfully. He was happy and satisfied. He would be ready for the next challenge. Then, something happens. It is almost always something terrible. For example, your trusted accounting colleague ran away with your money. Your engineering key person got seriously sick and would not be able to come back to work. He could be sick and would not be able to work for next 3-4 months.

Even for people who could successfully overcome the first and second barrier, it is not easy to come over the last obstacle. It happens with serious emotional impact because it happens in the middle of the smooth operation. Unfortunately, however, it will happen. The one needs to be prepared for this difficulty and ready to cope with it.



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Tokyo Is Like Heaven in Spring

Japan is a beautiful country in many ways. The Japanese islands are surrounded by the ocean, which is always good for relaxing our eyes and brains. Japan has many different types of ocean scenery, from the tender warmth of the beaches to the powerful, masculine rock ridges. Mountains cover 60% of the land. The mountains form picturesque scenery filled with trees, forests, lakes, and even volcano activities. Japan's 2,000 years of civilization has provided many historical places. Thousands of temples and shrines could be found in all over Japan, and all have historical meanings. Unfortunately, the capital city of Tokyo is usually not so pretty. However, there is one time that all of Japan, even Tokyo, becomes like a part of heaven.

That time is springtime, specifically a period from the end of March to early April when cherry trees come into full blossom. Wherever you go in Japan during this time, you cannot avoid seeing cherry flowers. All the flowers are pretty, but cherry flowers are unique. Cherry flowers have a light pink color that is almost white. When they blossom fully, the trees have flowers, but no leaves. There are some popular places to see cherry flowers in full bloom.

Good places to view cherry flowers in Tokyo include Ueno Park near Ueno Station, Somei Graveyard in northeastern Tokyo, Asukayama Park in the north, Yasukuni Shrine in central Tokyo, and the Imperial Palace in central Tokyo. In addition, there are many other popular places that have cherry flowers in Tokyo or other areas in Japan. Japanese schools usually have between three and ten cherry trees. Many students always remember the cherry blossoms at the entrance, especially at the beginning of a new semester or at graduation.

My mother lives in the western outskirts of Tokyo in a town called Fuchu-shi. The city has more than 1,000 cherry trees that blossom fully each spring. There is a road that has cherry trees lining both sides. When these cherry trees blossom each spring, they form a tunnel of cherry flowers. This is the only time of year when even Tokyo looks like heaven in Japan.




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Do Not Be Afraid of Making Mistakes

One fundamental reason for people not to do something new is a fear to make a mistake. If one made a mistake, he would be embarrassed. He would consider his friends laughing at him. His boss would reprimand him for his mistake. Making a mistake would be embarrassing on top of all these. Please take a moment to think about these factors, which made him afraid. These were things that he imagined. These were things that had not happened yet. These all might not happen. One may not make a mistake doing something new and different. His supervisor may admire him trying something new, instead of being angry.

One has no way knowing what will happen in the future, as long as he is not a psychic. If one was busy enough to take care of things happening today, he should not worry too much about tomorrow. Tomorrow is another day. He may be glad he did it tomorrow. The first suggestion for not being afraid of doing something is to think positively. Do not imagine anything negative may occur.

The second noteworthy suggestion is that one should know that making mistakes is just a learning process. According to a reliable source, a human being cannot learn something without making mistakes. Especially, one is learning something complicated, such as selling process, marketing process, engineering studies, computer usage, or foreign languages. If one recognized making mistakes as a learning process, it would not be so hard to make a mistake. One can tell himself that it is reasonable to make a mistake, since he is in the learning process. He could be even willing to make mistakes, since he would be one step closer to mastering it.

It is especially true in learning languages. It is impossible to master foreign or second language without making mistakes. If one did not want to make any mistake in learning a language, only way for him is not to use the language. If one does not use the language, he cannot master the language. Remember children make a lot of mistakes, but as a result of their mistakes, they gradually develop their speaking and writing skills. In a language school, the ones who acquire language skills are to be 5 - 10% of students, they say. These 5 - 10% students are the ones who sit in the front row of their classroom and intervene the lesson by asking questions in the language they are learning. They are the ones who gain the language skills.




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