Humans keep hurting one another physically and verbally. Anger, greed, and jealousy fuel their flames of destruction. Yet through it all, love and compassion maneuvers though the smoke and ashes and picks up our spirit so we can see above the gloomy gray and into the light blue skies where our dreams and ideas flourish.
Below is “Tenderness” by General Public.
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My sisters are princesses. My nieces are now princesses. They rule the world. Since I was young, I’ve wanted to save everyone from evil. I keep coming up with ideas and mix them with other ideas – some good and some bad. Then I pursue them until I live my imagination. But every now and then, my fantasy comes crashing down. Like a child, I create another dream and do it all over again.
With my nieces Sophie and Elyse on the early morning of March 7, 2016, just before flying from San Francisco, California to Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
My niece Elyse with Princess Belle of Beauty and the Beast at Disney World on March 8, 2016.
My sister Mia, Elyse, and Sophie with Princess Anna of Frozen at Disney World on March 10, 2016.
My niece Sophie in her Princess Snow White dress and younger sister Lara at the hotel in Disney World on March 10, 2016.
My sister Lara holding my niece Sophie at Disney World on March 10, 2016.
My niece Elyse and I in the dining hall of Princess Belle and the Beast at Disney World on March 11, 2016.
A fun song fitting for this journal entry called “Crushin’ My Fairytale” by Celeste Buckingham.
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Every child is born into this realm with innocence. As we progress through life, we try to make sense of everything. Good people keep tying to do good, while those with anger, greed, jealousy, and the like, move around them like demons thirsting for power – all validating their actions, all thinking they’re right. In the end, death chases all of us down. By then, the children of tomorrow have become the next wave of love and hate. We’re all just part of this crazy cycle.
So which side are you truly on?
This song projects my frustration with the darkness of this world – “Breathe” by Eric Prydz ft. Rob Swire.
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“500 Days of Summer” is one of my all-time favorite movies. I like it because it’s so real, filled with all of life’s strengths and weaknesses. As much as we want our heart to act, sometimes it won’t, no matter how hard we try. On the opposite side, sometimes we fall in love, but the other person just can’t feel the same no matter how much that person cares for you. In the end, it hurts so much between the two of you. This movie is based on an experience that the screenwriter went through. The song “Sweet Disposition” by The Temper Trap really hits you in the right emotional spot and matches the movie.
Multiple projects and issues are jumping around in my head while calls and messages keep coming in. So much so that I made an error the other day on one of my tasks. Studies have shown that multi-tasking reduces our performance. It’s much better to focus on one task at a time to maximize our output and results.
With all the different projects and goals that I have to accomplish, I think my mind is going as fast as this song “Alone” by Marshmello.
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On Sunday July 24, 2016 at 2:00 p.m., I served as the MC for my Great Aunty May Fumiko Akimoto who is my mom’s baby sister’s mother-in-law. The service was held at Hosoi in Honolulu, Hawaii. My cousins Chelsea and Jill gave a nice remembrance speech, and it was touching to see the little ones, Tatum, Zoe, and Parker say their “Thank you” to the guests and “I love you” to their late great grandma, May Fumiko Akimoto. I will miss her.
With the latest wave of passing of my family and friends, including my cousin Brad Tanaka, great aunt May Akimoto, and Congressman K. Mark Takai, at times, my heart floats into a realm of nothingness. While there, I gain clarity, and then return here to keep trying my best to live with all I’ve got.
To all my friends, my heart is with you. There will never be anyone like you. Keep striving for your dreams. Most importantly, I wish you happiness. I dedicate this song “Surprise Yourself” by Jack Garratt & remixed by Griffin & Manila Killa.
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I’m saddened of my cousin Brad Tanaka’s passing on June 29, 2016 from Type 1 Diabetes. He was only 46. The cause of Type 1 Diabetes is unknown. My cousin had it since he was about 9 years and from then on, he had to administer shots into himself every day in order to stay healthy. I really hope there will be a cure for Type 1 Diabetes in the near future. I pray to him in hope that he is happy and at peace. When I close my eyes, I can see him smiling.
This song “Ka Pilina” churns my heart. It’s a romantic Hawaiian song about a woman attended by native Hawaiian birds that are singing beautifully. The song is accentuated when danced by hula dancer(s).
When I hear this song, my imagination is as follows:
I move through the forest and hear the elepaio chirping. As midnight approaches, the ‘apapane sings with his beautiful voice. At dawn, I listen to the song of the ‘i’iwi polena. Now approaches the woman attended by the birds. Our eyes meet and we smile. Our love and intimacy.
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Ideas are like love. When we work on them daily, fruits of joy explode.
-Jon Riki Karamatsu, July 12, 2016-
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My heart is with you. At times, dark clouds follow us – the loss of our loved ones; shattered images of romance; and attacks by negativity. Yet through it all, we keep progressing forward with our efforts, hour by hour towards what we envision. I dedicate this song to you called “Higher” from one of my favorite bands, The Naked And Famous.
What is, is.
What will be, will be.
We can’t dwell on what has happened, and worry about what will happen.
If we do, it will depress us, slow us down, and even kill us.
Good things will happen and so will bad things.
We have to appreciate what we have and focus on what we can control.
By accepting what is and what will be, we can keep moving forward.
To help us overcome our hardships, I dedicate this song to you called “Light It Up” by Major Lazer ft. Nyla and Fuse Dog.
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This morning, Sunday July 3, 2016 from 8 AM, we put up the Otoba for Jodo Shu Hawaii’s 2016 Obon services to honor our ancestors in Honolulu, Hawaii.
From 10 AM to 11:15 AM, my business partners Lucy Liao, Zhang Xun and I will greet an immigration lawyer at a Chinese restaurant, who is based in New York City and was famous for helping the protesters of the 1989 Tiananmen Square incident to immigrate to the United States, even spending time in prison for such work.
After my meeting, I have to chair the Jodo Shu Hawaii board meeting as its President from 11:45 AM.
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This morning I found out one of my great aunties through marriage had passed away yesterday. I saw her at our many family gatherings on my mother’s side. I’m saddened and will miss her.
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My 2013 Macbook Pro is my best friend like R2D2 is to Luke Skywalker in Star Wars. I accomplish work through my Macbook Pro everyday and it comes with me everywhere so I can work anywhere. All my ideas, plans, analysis, documents, and agreements is in it and backed up in 2 or 3 locations. I do all my business and legal work on it. I also do my banking and investments online so I can play the world’s markets through my computer. Through my Macbook Pro, I can learn new things by researching writings and data on the Internet, watching educational videos, and listening to stimulating audio talk shows or music. I need to come up with a name for my Macbook Pro. I think I’ll name it JR5 – JR because it’s my first and middle initials, and 5 because it’s the fifth computer I’ve owned. Like Luke Skywalker and R2d2, we’re doing our best to play our part in making our universe more peaceful, loving, and compassionate.
I dedicate the remixed version of “Star Wars – The Force Theme” by DJ AG located on the bottom of this article to you and your computer companion in your efforts to better our universe. May the force be with you.
Remixed “Star Wars – The Force Theme” by DJ AG.
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When I listen to this song, I can picture us in the worlds where only my characters exist – Walking through a Japanese garden filled with white and pink cherry blossom trees and a trickling stream with a crystal clear waterfall; Dancing to a song on a cliff overlooking the dark blue ocean with two small islands placed in it; Swimming in the warm ocean as the shooting stars streak across the sky; Admiring the snow capped mountains from the white palace’s balcony; and Running and stumbling through the snow past the glowing ice sculptures and into the forest so we can lie on our winter coats to gaze at the stars beyond the evergreen trees.
“Oceans Where Feet May Fail” by Without Words: Synesthesia
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Ask me just how much I love you.
You are starlight, I’m Galileo.
“Galileo,” one of my favorite songs by Amy Grant.
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JON RIKI KARAMATSU 