Ex-employment Help

Although I wrote several times about ex-employment people and their mindset, I wanted to write here again as an article. It is important for me that these people will not suffer, but enjoy the transit from employment to ex-employment.

I also uploaded video explaining about this. Here is what I said:

"I wanted to talk about what I have been thinking for long time. It is about "Mindset" of ex-employed people.

If you are a business owner who is ex-employment after long years of hard work for a company, either pink-slipped or stepped out yourself, do you experience some emotional difficulties which you cannot control?

Being your own, you must have felt strong, ambitious, anticipating, rigorous, expeecting all new challenges in front of you.

Yet, sometimes you feel depressed. You feel small, sad, lost, disconnected. Despite that you used to hate your employer, company, office, boss, you miss them. Feel isolated and lonely.

Even you feel only something worse will be coming after enough bad happened. You feel different in talking with people. You are afraid that people look down on you, laughing at you. You are afraid of calling, talking, taking challenges, though you were so much anticipated to be your own.

I felt that way. It took me long time to got out of this kind of condition.

Your strongest supporter in your new business challenge is your family. But you cannot talk with your family about it because it will make your family feel unsecured. You hope that your family feels strong about you, don't you?

Although I am not a doctor, nor therapist, nor psychologist, I found only solution to get out of this kind of depressed mental situation. You need to accept your problem and address it with people who you can trust. Get associated with the people who has same problem. Especially talk with someone who could recover this problem.

Being self-employed is so much different from being employed. Everything is new challenge for ex-employment people like me. Without getting help, your challenge may fail or hasten to conclude giving up. Only the people who have experienced same problems and challenges can help you.

I hope to be a help for your ex-employment problems. Contact me in any way you like. E-mail me, call me, Skype me, anything. Let's talk, address our problems. Let's help each other."


Check my websites to find out what I am doing:
http://funami.edcdiamond.com/
http://www.shawfunami.com/
http://zhenintl.ws/

Feel free to contact me:
shaw@zhenintl.ws
Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link

Fireplace

Here is a fireplace gives us warmth and peacefulness in our family. October this year, by moving in this house, we could get fireplace back. In the apartment my wife moved in 1999, there was a fireplace. We moved to smaller apartment later where we did not have a fireplace. This year, we could move in this house and could get our fireplace again.

It may not be a big deal for most of people. But it was great progress for my wife and I.

Feel the spirit of Holiday Season. Happy holidays everyone!




Check my websites to find out what I am doing:
http://funami.edcdiamond.com/
http://www.shawfunami.com/
http://zhenintl.ws/

Feel free to contact me:
shaw@zhenintl.ws
Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link

State Quarters

The below picture is the on taken in our living room. It is the State Quarter collection board on our wall in the living room close to our kitchen. This may be for elementary school kid. But it has special meaning to me.

It was Year 2000 when US Government started issuing State Quarters. That was the year when I was ordered to go back to Japan and decided to spin out from our previous employment.

This board was sent from somebody as a kind of promotion. We started to select state coins. That time, I looked at the board and wondered who we spend coming 8 years. Would I be here? Would we be together? Those questions used to bother me, discourage me, and annoyed me. When down, I used to tell myself that I will be here, I will collect all the state quarters, completing the board.

Now the board is almost full. It will be full when we get Hawaii quarter. Remembering those days, even when I worry, feel flue, or feel small in business or anything. Those fears are far smaller than the fear I was feeling I was fighting that time staring at this quarter board.

Do you have something which encourage you?


Check my websites to find out what I am doing:
http://funami.edcdiamond.com/
http://www.shawfunami.com/
http://zhenintl.ws/

Feel free to contact me:
shaw@zhenintl.ws
Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link

Muramasa and Masamune - 2

I posted Japanese version of my previous article "Muramasa and Masamune" on Japanese swordsmith. The Link is here:
http://zheninternational.blogspot.com/2008/11/muramasa-and-masamune.html

If you are interested in Japanese version, please visit to my Japanese blog:

San Francisco 100 Views - Youtou Muramasa *Coursed Sword Muramasa*
http://zheninternational.cocolog-nifty.com/xiaozhen/2008/11/post-b9eb.html



Check my websites to find out what I am doing:
http://funami.edcdiamond.com/
http://www.shawfunami.com/
http://zhenintl.ws/

Feel free to contact me:
shaw@zhenintl.ws
Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link

Muramasa and Masamune

Once upon a time in Japan, there were 2 students of a famous swordsmith. One named "Masamune". The other was "Muramasa". They both built very good Japanese Swords. Yet, their approaches were different. "Masamune" designed and built a swords which can conquer, but not kill. "Muramasa" wanted his swords to be sharp to cut anything kill anybody.

Early age, "Muramasa" swords were famous and popular rumored that his swords can cut even another swords or armor and kill anybody.

One day, a general, the master of Japanese Martial Art, visited them. The general wanted to try swords from both students. He held "Muramasa" sword first cutting edge up. His soldier dropped a paper on the cutting edge. The paper even was not appeared to touch the sword, cut in half and fell. Then the general tried "Masamune" sword same way. The paper stayed on the cutting edge of "Masamune" sword. The general told the sword "cut" silently, breathing lightly without moving any part of his body. The paper was cut and fell on the floor in 2 pieces.

The general selected "Masamune" swords to be equipped with his army including his master Shogun. Later the general's master, the shogun unified Japan. "Muramasa" swords were equipped with his enemy. The King was killed and his kingdom was perished.

This general's sword, "Masamune" was kept as his king's treasure, kept in a good shape, still exisiting as a national treasure of Japanese history. "Muramasa", instead, upon perish of his owner family, disappered and could not be kept.　　(There are some kept alledged to be "Muramasa", but it was not proven.)

If you were the general, which sword you selected. Which sword did you recommend to your master?


Check my websites to find out what I am doing:
http://funami.edcdiamond.com/
http://www.shawfunami.com/
http://zhenintl.ws/

Feel free to contact me:
shaw@zhenintl.ws
Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link

Managing Frear and Anger

30% of your anger and fear are from misunderstanding.
30% of your anger and fear are groundless.
30% of your anger and fear caused by yourself, not by anybody else.
Balance 10% are??? Well, you can shrug them off if you know 90% are meaningless.

It was last night I was reading my favorite Japanese mail magazine. It was called "Motivation Lessons". In his newest edition, he was talking about how to manage and control "Anger" and "Fear". First off, did you know that "Anger" is the back side emotion of "Fear"? You are "Angry" because you are "Fearful". 100% anger is based on fear. There are just 2 kinds of "Fear". First, fear to lose something you do not want to lose. Second, fear not to get something you badly want.

Now, how you can manage and control you fear and anger. He suggested that when you feel fear and anger, you should not try to avoid. You should analyze it. Think what does this fear and anger try to teach me. Think for 10 minutes, 15 minutes, until you get satisfactory answer to yourself what your anger and fear trying to teach you.

By the time you reach your conclusion, your fear and anger are gone. For example, your wife or girl friend is giving you tough time. And you are fearful and angry about your counterpart attitude. You think if you treated her right for past couple of months? Think there are something you promised but did not keep. Think there are something bothers her. You find that you did not even talk with her for long time. You decide to plan to talk and share time with her today. You fear and anger will be gone.

I thought this is a process to "Fill the Missing Link" between your bear emotion and realty. Process to "Fill" the gap between you and your counterpart.


Check my websites to find out what I am doing:
http://funami.edcdiamond.com/
http://www.shawfunami.com/
http://zhenintl.ws/

Feel free to contact me:
shaw@zhenintl.ws
Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link

My Japanese Blogs

It was this morning when I thought maybe introduce my Japanese blog sites to my readers of this blog. I have 2 Japanese blogs, mostly write about San Francisco information.

Here are the links:
http://zheninternational.cocolog-nifty.com/
http://zhenwu.cocolog-nifty.com/blog/

Some of my bilingual blogger friends write their articles in both English and Japanese. One article has both languages. Unfortunately I cannot do that. I tried to do as they do, soon I do not post new articles. I do not know why, but to me Japanese blogs are different from English. Different article, different language, different audience. However, some of my readers may be interested in learning that I do have Japanese blog sites. Please do not expect identical articles. Occasionally I post similar articles. But they are not translations of a particular article.

In this case of this article, I will post Japanese version and introduce my English blog. But, the contents cannot be the same, right?

For the people thinking about starting your own blog, please do. It is lots of fun. What I like best about blogging is that I can find new friends.

The picture posted here is the one I used in my Japanese blog. I write sightseeing in Sacrament, the town of "Old Sacramento" with good old America.


Check my websites to find out what I am doing:
http://funami.edcdiamond.com/
http://www.shawfunami.com/
http://zhenintl.ws/

Feel free to contact me:
shaw@zhenintl.ws
Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link

Faith and Comfort

I have been talking about "Fill the Missing Link". The largest Missing Link is "the GAP between *Conscious YOU* and *Your Subconscious Mind*". I am not a doctor, nor psychotherapist, but it seems to be a serious mental problem if your consciousness and subconsciousness carry a large gap.

In selecting and conducting your own business, if you are not comfortable about your business, you cannot be faithful to the business. If you are not faithful to your business, you can never be able to be successful. I do not have to be rocket scientist to understand this.

You cannot be skeptical to your own business to be successful. You hope to make money. But do you want to do things which you hate to make money? This will create a missing link between your consciousness and subconsciousness. Be careful. Here is a trick from tons of advertisement and advises in the market place. I do carry a business. But if you do not like my business, I do not push you to carry my business. It will make you unhappy and mentally unstable.

There are ways to Fill the Missing Link, in this case. You can build your understanding, confidence, and faith to your business. If you conclude that you cannot do. I will suggest you to find something else.

Do you have a faith and comfort to your business? Discussing your problem with innocent third party can be good hellp. It is not filling the missing link, yet. But it will be the significant first step. If you discuss it with me, please do so. Feel free to contact.

Check my websites to find out what I am doing:
http://funami.edcdiamond.com/
http://www.shawfunami.com/
http://zhenintl.ws/

Feel free to contact me:
shaw@zhenintl.ws
Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link

How did I end up in San Francisco - 3

I could use my company and my company money to experience NY and US. But, I needed to wait for another opportunity to bring me back to US. In 1996, my previous employer decided to send me to San Francisco for business development of Multimedia type of business. Business was not easy, but I was enjoying the assignment.

3 years later, end of 2000, my company decided to send me back to Japan. I did not feel like going back to Japan. I asked my boss if there is ANY way to stay in US. He said I have no other choice. I was cornered and thought that my company can ask anything to me, an employee, but the choice should not be theres, but be mine.

I told to my management that time that I did not want to go back to Japan. I was thinking to be independent, but I have not done anything, yet. So, it caught me totally unprepared. I ended up doing several major things together at the same time. I needed to sponsor myself for staying status in US. I needed to look for another job. I needed to be prepared to divorce ex-wife who did not join in San Francisco. I did not have time to think them over. I kept taking actions. I kept "Fill the Missing Link", keep taking even "Imperfect Actions".

Now that almost everything is over, I am now Green Card Base, owning my own humble business, and family who I could rebuild with my wife's support. Looking back, I feel it was crazy. I could have ended up back in Japan working full time under bad condition. It was crazy, no doubt. But this experience gave me important lessons:

1. Power of Dream - if you do not give up on your dream, it will continue to be yours. It will be given to you.
2. Taking Actions - You cannot just sit and day dream something good will come. It will not, guaranteed. You need to take actions to achieve your dream. Interestingly, actions do not have to be perfect or accurate. You will make a lot of mistakes, but still can achieve if you keep taking actions.
3. Fill the Missing Link - You take actions, make mistakes, did not get a result you like. You can think what was missing and what can Fill the Missing Link. Next action will be closer to be perfect and accurate.

Now my next dream is to be successful and grow my company to be major.

Check my websites to find out what I am doing:
http://funami.edcdiamond.com/
http://www.shawfunami.com/
http://zhenintl.ws/

Feel free to contact me:
shaw@zhenintl.ws
Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link

How did I end up in San Francisco - 2

I started to develop a dream. Dream to be fit myself to be out of Japanese culture, land, definition, way of thinking. I started to study English harder than ever. I studied everything what I could bring myself to be out of Japan. I was a boy in colledge age. So, I was seriously thinking about studying abroad.

I wanted to to go to New York. I had no reason. Maybe I was driven subconciously from the American movies and TV Programs which I used to enjoy as a young boy. I was so damn serious. I could get high score in TOEFL and ready to apply for American University.

Then, my father got sick. My mother asked me to stop my plan of studying abroad and simply finish Japanese University. She wanted me to start working as soon as possible. I needed to give up studying in the US. I could not leave sick father and lonely mother behind.

That could have been the end of my dream and stop studying English. But, I did not do that. I do not know why I did that and who I could that, but I studied Academic Debate. I got a job in Japanese electronics company and assigned to International Operation. My mother still remembers around that time I kept saying that I use company money to study and work abroad. That might be better. I did not give up.

In 1985, I was sent to New York as a participants to International Business Training Program. I enjoyed New York one year. I kept working for 15 more years in the same company until I met my real change and challenge.

What happened?


Feel free to check my websites to find out what I am doing:
http://funami.edcdiamond.com/
http://www.shawfunami.com/
http://zhenintl.ws/

Feel free to contact me:
shaw@zhenintl.ws
Shaw Funami
Fill the Missing Link