Attorney, Realtor, & Entrepreneur Jon Riki Karamatsu
Litigation can be time consuming and energy draining. It is going backwards in time fighting an incident.
I rather use my law and real estate practice and business and government experience to build companies, services, and products.
Nonetheless, litigation teaches me preventive measures that I can use in the offense with acquisitions, investments, real estate purchases, branding, start-ups, and product and service development.
I’m a business lawyer, realtor, entrepreneur, and retired elected official.
If you need services in business law, acquisitions, investments, real estate, or government affairs, message me and visit JRK Enterprises LLC at https://jrkenterprisesllc.com
Fight your anxiety, sadness, or anger through the Positive Masters universe at https://positivemasters.com for mindset practices, tips for your passion projects, storytelling, motivational podcast and YouTube channel, and apparel and accessories with inspirational designs and mantras.
I’m really enjoying writing on my whiteboards to track my personal and career goals. My friend Claire Niibu Akau gave me them while I was helping her move out of her house in Waikele, Hawaii.
The large calendar is tracking my exercise for the month of August 2022. The small weekly calendar is tracking my personal and business goals and events for each week.
Whiteboard calendars to track my personal and career goals and events.
My white board goal and events tracking system compliments my digital goals and events tracking and journal system using Google Calendar, Notion (journal), and Discord (accountability partner system).
It takes effort and time for these productivity systems; however, they keep me aware of my progress and show me what’s working and what’s not, so I can change things up for the better.
I’m a business lawyer, realtor, entrepreneur, and retired elected official.
If you need services in business law, acquisitions, real estate, government affairs, or Internet marketing, message me or visit JRK Enterprises LLC at https://jrkenterprisesllc.com
Fight your anxiety, sadness, or anger through the Positive Masters universe at https://positivemasters.com for mindset practices, tips for your passion projects, storytelling, motivational podcast and YouTube channel, and apparel and accessories with inspirational designs and mantras.
I took my 9th rest day for 2022 yesterday, Friday, April 8, 2022. I also rested most of Thursday, April 7, 2022 except for pro bono legal work I did for my client in my work as a business attorney. For my day to count as a rest day, I have to avoid all work and be present with my relaxing activities by myself or with loved ones. This past week and the week before, I spent 6 days with my entire immediate family since my sister Mia and her family were staying at my parents’ house in Pearl City, Hawaii for 6 days. They vacationed on their own for 4 days on the Big Island, Hawaii. Despite dedicating my time with my family, I still snuck in work and meetings mainly for my waste to energy and proposal writing ventures with my business partners; thus, those days were not truly vacation days for me.
When I rest, I often read books, listen to audio, and watch videos that help to improve myself physically, mentally, and spiritually. On Thursday, April 7, 2022, I watched and took notes in Google Keep on Marie Forleo’s YouTube interview of Tim Ferriss for 3 hours. The link to the video is here: https://youtu.be/h3X9OFzF6ds. I watched it before in 2017, but there are gems that I did not fully incorporate into my life practices, so it was great to re-listen to it. The following are practices that I will do to manage my anxiety with uncertainty:
Facing Your Fear of Risk
What if I …
Define – Write worse case column with at least 10 items.
Prevent – What can you do to prevent the worse case column, even if it’s 1%? Free subsidies, educational scholarships, work in a gig economy service, etc. Write them down.
Repair – What can you do to repair the damage in your worse case column, even by 1%? Write them down.
What might this look like if it were easy? When I face a challenging project or issue, I will ask myself, “What might this look like if it were easy?” Just by thinking in this way, makes me look at my audacious and time-consuming projects as doable, even easy. This action changes my perspective to a positive one.
I will add another practice that I came up with when facing challenging projects by asking myself, “What might this look like if it were fun?” because when you have fun working, you get into a flow. There is an element that makes it fun whether it is getting new ideas, solving problems, or feeling accomplished. This type of practice also changes my perspective to a positive one.
The books I read during my rest day are: American Seoul by Helena Rho, Quiet by Susan Cain, Daily Rituals by Mason Currey, Atomic Habits by James Clear, and The ABCs of Success by Bob Proctor.
Funny, on a day when I’m trying to relax, I am studying on how to be more productive and better with my mental health. Actively working on my well-being brings me comfort.
Also, reading books and articles by great writers helps me to improve my own writing for my business plans, proposal writing, contract drafting, legislative writing, business letters, copywriting, blogs, social media posts, screenplays, novels, nonfiction mindset book, and other writing projects. Writing is something that grew on me over the years since I was a child. I was never excited about the technicalities of writing when it comes to grammar, but over time, I embraced it. I still make mistakes. It is a craft I am constantly trying to get better at.
Experience the Positive Masters universe at https://positivemasters.com for mindset practices, tips for your passion projects, storytelling, motivational podcast and YouTube channel, and apparel and accessories with inspirational designs and mantras to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be facing.
I’m even more motivated to work because of this dreamy Van Gogh painting, “Cafe Terrace at Night” my friend @indirect.creative just gave me tonight, Sunday, January 30, 2022. This reminds me of the thousands of hours I spent writing my 2 unpublished novels and working on my legal and business work at coffee shops. I love Van Gogh’s art!
Use your body to manage your mind. Deep breathing, meditation, running, strength training, walking, and exposure to nature can help you when you feel stressed, anxious, or depressed.
In between my work sessions, I exercise to manage these emotional challenges. If I don’t, they drain me and cloud my vision and productivity.
6x Exercise for 2022: Ran 4.14 miles in Waikele (Ran 16.9 miles total for 2022). 🏃♂️
After darkness took over the world, a thousand birds embarked on a treacherous journey to find the rising phoenix to bring order and peace. After much suffering from the journey, only thirty remained. The rest gave up. The thirty birds realized that they themselves are the rising phoenix. 🕊🦅🕊🦅
Stories can transform your psyche. In turn, you can change the world. 😃
Pictured is my 6th exercise for 2022. I ran 4.14 miles in Waikele (Ran 16.9 miles total for 2022). 🏃♂️
I ran 4.35 miles on 1/3/2022. I love writing fiction and running. They complement each other.
One keeps me moving in my mind. The other keeps me moving physically.
One exercises my ideas. The other exercises my mind and body.
Both alleviate my anxiety and sadness.
Both increase my happiness.
One exposes my vulnerability, strength, fear, and hope. The other fights to delay my death, so I can share my stories of vulnerability, strength, fear, and hope to encourage you to live the best you can with love, compassion, and empathy.
One gives me a high from dopamine, serotonin, and endorphin. The other gives me a high from dopamine and catharsis.
It’s okay to cry. Tears of sadness. Tears of joy. Release the feelings you have inside. You were born crying. It’s part of being human. Let this “It’s okay to cry” Women’s Fit T-Shirt remind you that crying can be a part of your healing process. 😪❤️
Enjoy the Positive Masters universe at https://positivemasters.com for mindset practices, tips for your passion projects, motivational writing and podcast, and apparel and accessories with inspirational designs and mantras to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be facing. ❤️
20% Off Sitewide Holiday Sale until December 8, 2021! 🎄
We control our lives, not our distortions, nor our evil.
Carl Gustav Jung, a Swiss psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who founded analytical psychology mentions how we must confront our shadow, the darkness within the unconscious of all of us. If we can integrate it into our conscious and manage it, we can become better human beings.
By darkness, I include not only the evil in us but also our cognitive distortions that erode our peace. By practicing cognitive behavioral therapy daily, we are able to identify our cognitive distortions, face them, and manage them.
We control our lives, not our distortions, nor our evil. The almighty shadow can be put in its place when we light it up with our glowing desire for peace.
Enjoy the Positive Masters universe at https://positivemasters.com for mindset practices, tips for your passion projects, motivational writing and podcast, and apparel and accessories with inspirational designs and mantras to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be facing.
I’m a lawyer, small business person, and retired politician from Hawaii.
My passion projects are writing fiction and creating content about mindset and mental health.
This picture is from Patsy T. Mink Regional Park, Oahu, Hawaii on 11/19/2021.
6: Positive Masters Show Podcast (Clip) – Daily Action Plan
In this clip from episode 6 of the Positive Masters Show podcast, I talk about the importance of having a daily action plan and how having a theme sets your number one priority for the day!
Enjoy the Positive Masters universe at https://positivemasters.com for mindset practices, tips for your passion projects, motivational writing and podcast, and apparel and accessories with inspirational designs and mantras to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be facing.
I’m a lawyer, small business person, and retired politician from Hawaii.
My passion projects are writing fiction and creating content about mindset and mental health. Wishing you the best!
With Warmest Aloha,
Jon Riki Karamatsu
6: Positive Masters Show Podcast (Clip) – Daily Action Plan
13: Positive Masters – Study & Work with Me. Relaxing Rain. 1-Hour Study & Work Session.
Welcome to Positive Masters where we develop our mindset and passion projects. In this video, let’s study and work together for a 1-hour Pomodoro (study and work session) with the sound of soothing rain.
In the intro, I talk about the importance of managing your energy in order to be productive on your studies and work. Then we dive into our studies and work along to the sound of soothing rain in the background.
I’m happy to have you as my study and work partner. Together, we can push through our ups and downs in our quest to improve ourselves and create value for others. We can’t control outside influences, but we can control our effort to learn, develop our skills, strengthen our mindset, and bolster our relationships. That is my mission and the mission of Positive Masters.
Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products here at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing.
I’m a lawyer, small business person, and retired politician from Hawaii. My passion projects are writing fiction and creating content about mindset and mental health.
Wishing you the best!
With Warmest Aloha,
Jon Riki Karamatsu
0:00 Intro
5:24 1-Hour Pomodoro (Study and Work Session)
1:05:28 Outro and Information About Positive Masters
13: Positive Masters – Study & Work with Me. Relaxing Rain. 1-Hour Study & Work Session.
I dreamt I was driving a car through a nicer part of a dreary town in the Midwest of the United States.
In another scene, I was on a mountain where I met three Native American boys ages 11 to 12 who were wearing traditional outfits worn before the Caucasians forced their culture upon them. They had horses for their transportation. I joined them. We embarked on a quest to fight the resistance, the forces that beat humans down until they submit to the slavery of popular culture.
The boys and I quickly became friends. By being with them, the child in me fully returned. I was no longer an adult. Imagination was thriving in me again.
We fought off different elements of nature under control by humankind such as hay and manure. It attacked us like beasts. We fought them off and defeated them. When we were finally free from the control of humankind’s overwhelming culture. It was just the four of us on the top of the mountain with nature. Trees, shrubs, and breeze. It was wonderful!
When it was time for the boys to depart, they hopped on their horses and rode them backward down the mountain. I felt so sad. I could tell they were too by the looks on their faces. We watched each other as their horses slowly walked backwards down the mountain toward the great plains.
In the final scene, the three Native American boys were walking through a crowded sandy beach in Hawaii toward the ocean. People stared at them because they stood out with their old traditional Native American clothes. The boys walked by them as if they didn’t exist. I was there sitting on the sand among the crowd but I wasn’t. It was like I was a ghost. I started to cry.
The leader, the eldest boy entered the ocean first. He gracefully glided through the glassy water. His face said it all. He was at peace and free. I cried harder.
I woke up from my dream in my bed at this point. It was as if I was really crying. The message was powerful.
Jon Riki Karamatsu writing about his dream “The Resistance” on November 5, 2021.
This dream represents our desire to break free from what popular society pressures us to do. We have become slaves to it. The three Native American boys represent a life that has become extinct after the Caucasians forced them onto reservations and into re-education systems to learn their culture and language. As history has shown, much of the old ways of the Native American culture has died and can only be relived through stories. This is how important stories are. One of my screenplays about Hawaiian culture has this same message. The pressure from popular culture has been making me feel doubtful about my love for writing stories.
The Native American aspect of my dream was likely influenced by an NHK television interview I watched last night with my parents at their house in Pearl City, Hawaii. It was about Larry Littlebird, a Navajo in his senior years who overcame his suffering to find himself and his culture under the overbearing pressure to conform to popular culture. He is a storyteller who founded Hamaatsa, a place to reconnect with nature with indigenous wisdom, by listening to nature and to each other in this challenging time.
The beach scene in Hawaii represents my desire to be with the ocean and sand, a place where I feel connected to nature. I am at peace there. The pressure of whether or not I should get back with the program of popular culture or continue to rebel against it has been weighing heavy on my shoulders.
6: Positive Masters Show – Improve Your Productivity
6: Positive Masters Show – Improve Your Productivity
My fellow Positive Makers in this episode we’re going to talk about the following 10 practices that you can use to maximize your productivity for your passion projects:
Have a daily action plan;
Prioritize your goals;
Count your wins and make it a game;
Time your work;
Make your environment fun and productive;
Read books and articles on how to improve your mindset;
Power yourself through your purpose;
Produce more than you consume;
Produce dopamine by pursuing your purpose; and
Take breaks and rest.
If you haven’t already, please subscribe to our show!
I’m an affiliate of Artlist and receive a small payment per order. If you enjoyed Artlist’s music in this podcast, you can hear more of their music and purchase their songs for your personal enjoyment or business here: Artlist
Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing.
9: Positive Masters – Mindset Clips – Daily Action Plan & Managing Your Expectations
Welcome to Positive Masters where we develop our mindset and passion projects.
For the first half of this mindset clip, I give more details on the importance of having a daily action plan.
In the second half, I emphasize the importance of managing your expectations on when your work can be achieved. By doing your best to do the work and understand the process from A to Z, you get a better idea of how much time and effort it takes to get certain type of work done. This understanding makes you kinder to yourself when you are doing the work or more empathetic when others are doing the work.
Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing. Wishing you well!
With Warmest Aloha, Jon Riki Karamatsu
9: Positive Masters – Mindset Clips – Daily Action Plan & Managing Your Expectations
In the past, I’ve talked about stacking our skills over many years and mixing our skills to cross over to other sectors and subsectors of our economy.
For instance, writing, research, reasoning, problem solving, transactional law, speaking, psychology, government affairs, and such can be used in entertainment, aviation, energy, and many other sectors and subsectors of our economy.
10,000 hours of work in one area can be applied to another. Even if your project did not bear the fruit you hoped for, the skills you developed are the true value from that experience. Moreover, the lessons you learned from the failure and process are added to your knowledge and experience. These are things that can only be learned from experimentation and iteration.
I love learning, trying, experimenting, and iterating. It gives me stress, but it can give me a huge dopamine rush when I get an a-ha moment.
The following text from Mastery by Robert Greene @robertgreeneofficial is very motivational:
“If we keep practicing, we gain fluency; basic skills are mastered, allowing us to take on newer and more exciting challenges. We begin to see connections that were invisible to us before. We slowly gain confidence in our ability to solve problems or overcome weaknesses through sheer persistence.”
Stay positive my friends. Don’t let your cognitive distortions ruin your momentum and abilities. You got this!
In this picture, I completed my 111th Exercise for 2021 on 10/10/2021 by running 3.38 miles in Waikele (Ran 337.15 mi. total for 2021).
In the past, I’ve talked about stacking our skills over many years and mixing our skills to cross over to other sectors and subsectors of our economy.
For instance, writing, research, reasoning, problem solving, transactional law, speaking, psychology, government affairs, and such can be used in entertainment, aviation, energy, and many other sectors and subsectors of our economy.
10,000 hours of work in one area can be applied to another. Even if your project did not bear the fruit you hoped for, the skills you developed are the true value from that experience. Moreover, the lessons you learned from the failure and process are added to your knowledge and experience. These are things that can only be learned from experimentation and iteration.
I love learning, trying, experimenting, and iterating. It gives me stress, but it can give me a huge dopamine rush when I get an a-ha moment.
The following text from Mastery by Robert Greene @robertgreeneofficial is very motivational:
“If we keep practicing, we gain fluency; basic skills are mastered, allowing us to take on newer and more exciting challenges. We begin to see connections that were invisible to us before. We slowly gain confidence in our ability to solve problems or overcome weaknesses through sheer persistence.”
Stay positive my friends. Don’t let your cognitive distortions ruin your momentum and abilities. You got this!
In this picture, I completed my 111th Exercise for 2021 on 10/10/2021 by running 3.38 miles in Waikele (Ran 337.15 mi. total for 2021).
Welcome to Positive Masters where we develop our mindset and passion projects. In this video, let’s study and work together for a 1-hour Pomodoro (study and work session) with the sound of calm lapping water in the background.
In the intro, I talk about the value of writing a daily action plan. By writing down your plan and executing it, you can predict your future for the day ahead of you. Not everything you predict you can do will happen because you and all humans often believe you can achieve more than is possible. You will see this happening very often in your productivity system. Therefore, when you ask others to do work, have empathy and understanding on the work you request to get done. Often times, the time you want to get your work done is not realistic.
Growth mindset people and generalists are people who do their best to learn all they can in their business and craft, so when they ask others to do the work, they understand the amount of time and effort it takes because they’ve done the work before.
In contrast, barkers, people who just bark orders and other individuals who don’t do the work, have no clue on the time and effort it takes to finish work they request. Such people must understand the level of time and effort needed for the work to get done through those doing the work.
In this video, I didn’t mention the unique visual I have for applying my daily action plan for my audacious projects, but I thought I mention it here: In order to get across the dark, scary unknown of your vision of your future self, you have to connect the dots to get across it. Each dot will appear when you come up with the next small logical action to connect an existing dot with the new one. Sometimes the dots will connect. Other times, they won’t. At times, you’ll have to come up with another idea, which is your next new dot. Maybe this time you’ll connect the dots. In other scenarios, you’ll have to connect dots backwards and sidewards before you can connect dots that move you forward. This takes patience and persistence. There are no short cuts. Great achievements are possible only with a patient and resilient mindset.
Have fun in our study and work session! Let’s keep rocking it my friends!
I’m a lawyer, small business person, and retired politician from Hawaii. My passion projects are writing fiction and creating content about mindset and mental health. Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products here at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing. Wishing you the best!
With Warmest Aloha, Jon Riki Karamatsu
0:00 Intro
5:24 1-Hour Pomodoro (Study and Work Session)
1:05:28 Outro and Information About Positive Masters
For my productivity system, I like to write my daily action plan into the event details in my Google Calendar. This is the notes area. Then I schedule my daily action plan in my Google Calendar itself, blocking time out for each goal in my plan.
Next, I paste a copy of my daily action plan in my Notion app, a notes app that I use for my note taking, research, and writing – my second brain. I also paste a copy of my daily action plan in Discord with my accountability partner.
At the end of the day, I tally up my accomplishments for the day. My work is quantifiable by time and/or amount of work completed. I also give myself points – 2 points for every 45 minutes to 1 hour of deep work and 1 point for every task or light work completed within a few minutes to an hour. Treating my work like a game makes it fun and highly addictive!
If you already have a productivity system that works, awesome! If you want to try my system or a part of it, great! So long as something works for you. Have fun traveling further into your quest to better yourself and live a happier and more fulfilling life!
Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing. Wishing you well!
11: Positive Masters – Study & Work with Me – Stream Background Noise
Welcome to Positive Masters where we develop our mindset and passion projects. In this video, let’s study and work together for two 1-hour Pomodoros (study and work sessions) with the sound of a stream in the background. Click the link or visit Positive Masters’ YouTube channel to study and work with me! 😄
In the intro, I talk about the ups and downs we all face. Despite this, we do our best to show up and continue working towards our vision of our future selves. The fact that we can use technology to motivate one another and work together is amazing! Let’s do our best to keep our mindset positive. Together, we can keep progressing step by step.
I’m a lawyer, small business person, and retired politician from Hawaii. My passion projects are writing fiction and creating content about mindset and mental health.
Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing. Wishing you well! ❤
With Warmest Aloha, Jon Riki Karamatsu
0:00 Intro
2:23 First 1-Hour Pomodoro (Study and Work Session)
1:02:26 15-Minute Break
1:17:37 Second 1-Hour Pomodoro (Study and Work Session)
2:17:40 Outro and Information About Positive Masters
11: Positive Masters – Study & Work with Me – Stream Background Noise
Everywhere you work, you will see barkers and doers who rise to the top whether in companies, government, nonprofits, and start-ups.
Barkers are people who bark. They tell people what to do, judge, and take the credit, equity, and power. Often times, they are alphas or wannabe alphas. They can rise by organizing, speaking, and strategizing. They fill their void with people with knowledge, skills, and experience to get what they want.
Doers will do the work. They lead by example. If there is a problem, they will give it their all to figure it out. Doers can also be alphas, but their barking is mainly spoken through their actions. Many doers are also Sigmas, emotionally intelligent people who attract others with their caring personality. People follow them because they want to rather than have to.
I had a long talk with my close, longtime friend last night while on my run. I have a handful of high risk projects on my plate. All of my work for these projects take deep thinking, reasoning, and creativity. According to scientists and productivity experts, 4 hours is the amount of time most people can do such deep work uninterrupted in a day. After that fatigue makes it challenging to do deep work. It also reduces your quality of work. Therefore, time is extremely valuable.
My brand and creative writing has been pushed to the back lately in place of my other projects. I’m using a productivity app called Forest @forest_app that helps identify how many hours I am allocating to each project. I seriously need to dedicate more of my hours toward my brand and creative writing. I will use my Forest app to reach this goal.
Keep crushing it my friends! ❤
109th Exercise for 2021: Ran 4.15 miles & did 57th strength training – 200 crunches & 200 push-ups (Ran 329.64 mi. total for 2021).
Running is a super practice I have control over. It helps my mind, body, and soul. The deep breathing alleviates my stress and anxiety. Sometimes, it’s meditative. Other times, I get ideas. I especially enjoy listening to upbeat music while running to keep me motivated. The sunlight revives me. The sky, clouds, trees, grass, and flowers relax me. Everything about running makes me feel good. I’m super grateful to be able to enjoy this activity so much.
This is a picture of me on 9/10/2021 when I completed my 100th Exercise for 2021: Ran 4.08 miles in Waikele (Ran 296.8 mi. total for 2021). At home, I executed my 52nd strength training for 2021 with 200 crunches and 200 push-ups.
Non-attachment & cognitive behavioral therapy practices for your life.
What you believe is happening in your life is only your perception. It may be interpreted in a totally different way by someone else.
Non-attachment, a Buddhist practice makes you leave your perception in order to see an event as it is or a person as he or she is without judgment. You feel the good or bad feelings caused by the event or person; however, you don’t become attached to them, so you don’t react irrationally through your emotions.
Instead you see the event or person at a higher level of consciousness. By practicing this, you can see through the clouds of your emotions to see all angles of your situation to act in the best way possible.
Combine this practice with cognitive behavioral therapy to see past your cognitive distortions as shown by the book Feeling Good by Dr. David Burns. ❤
I do my best to implement these practices in my life. It’s challenging but totally beneficial. Have a great day my friends! 😃
In this picture, I completed my 97th exercise for 2021 by running 3.51 miles in my neighborhood on 9/1/2021. Then I did my 49the strength training at home with 200 crunches and 200 push-ups. 🏃♂️
The compound effect applies to everything we do! It applies to learning, reading, writing, skills, exercise, relationships, investments, and more. A little hard work every day on your goals add up over time. In a year, you will be a different person from last new year’s day.
Sure, we humans want things immediately. That’s why we give up when things don’t happen right away.
Even brilliant people like Einstein took many years, even decades to reach their goals. There are no shortcuts for audacious goals. Such goals are always difficult.
All great things require perseverance and patience. Your big project will be overwhelming. Therefore, diligently work on one small logical step at a time. Over time, you will put the million pieces of your puzzle together. The picture for your finished puzzle, your vision that turned into reality will look and feel amazing because of the stress, anxiety, and tears you went through.
I love the creative process as I work to overcome good problems such as a blank page for my next screenplay or executing ideas on how to overcome obstacles for the start-up ventures I have with my business partners. The struggles are real, but I love the process! 💻
Enjoy your creative process my friends! We can support each other through our struggles.
Break up your huge audacious goal into small pieces.
Break up your huge audacious goal into small pieces. Dopamine, a feel-good chemical will be released within you as your work on these small manageable tasks. The anticipation of what could happen when you work on your project is key for the dopamine production inside you. Celebrate your small #wins !
Your happy chemicals will drop to base level after you finish your small #goal , so repeat the process to keep your #mood positive! ❤
Break up your huge audacious goal into small pieces.
Break up your huge audacious goal into small pieces. Dopamine, a feel-good chemical will be released within you as your work on these small manageable tasks. The anticipation of what could happen when you work on your project is key for the dopamine production inside you. Celebrate your small #wins !
Your happy chemicals will drop to base level after you finish your small #goal , so repeat the process to keep your #mood positive! ❤
So much of our anxiety comes from what we can’t control.
For artists and entrepreneurs, we worry if others will choose our projects.
For attorneys, we worry if opposing counsel and their client will meet us at a reasonable middle ground or if the trier of fact will rule in our favor.
For athletes, we worry if the coach will pick us for the team.
And on and on . . .
However, we do have control on our effort to develop our knowledge, skills, experience, and relationships day in and day out.
There are also ways we can use technology to share our work and bypass the gatekeepers.
Like my soccer coach Ron Mata at Pearl City High School told us in the locker room. Play with tenacity like how a bulldog bites and never lets go.
Keep doing the best you can for your mind, body, and soul. ❤
Keep spreading kindness, empathy, and compassion.
When you do this you are already a winner regardless if the powers that be choose you because as one of my favorite entrepreneurs and writers James Altucher @altucher says, you already chose yourself.
And as I like to say when we work on our passion projects, “Let’s rock!”
In this picture, I completed my 89th exercise for 2021 with 200 crunches and 200 push-ups (44th strength training for 2021). I also ran 3.51 miles in my neighborhood (Ran 267.69 miles total for 2021).
Exercise & mindfulness are 2 practices I do to manage my stress, anxiety, and occasional sadness. Add listening to music to these activities and you have a triple threat against your cognitive distortions.
I enjoy admiring the beautiful #landscape of trees , flowers, plants, and grass as I #run ! Exercise and mindfulness help me to care for my mental and physical health. Add listening to music to these activities and you have a triple threat against your cognitive distortions.
On July 14, 2021, I executed my 82nd #exercise for the year by #running 3.52 miles. I ran 250.09 miles so far for 2021. When I returned home, I completed my 40th strength training for 2021.
Have a routine to launch your day with a good mood!
To manage my monkey mind (worries, racing thoughts, fear) as shown on the Monkey Mind Unisex T-Shirt I’m wearing (available for purchase at Positive Masters e-commerce store at https://positivemasters.com), I start my day by journaling my wins from the previous day, sleep, any dreams, action plan for the day, and ideas for my most important project or two for the day. I love to do this while listening to electronic dance music, my happy music! I also express my thanks to my tech toys for being a huge part of my life! 🤪
Have a routine to launch your day with a good mood, so you’re ready to rock your work on your hustle day or spend quality time with people your love on your rest day. 😃🌄
The mission of Positive Masters at https://positivemasters.com is to encourage you to strengthen your mindset and develop your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any stress, anxiety, depression, and/or anger you may be facing through its blog, podcast, videos, designs, and merchandise. ❤
9: Positive Masters – Study & Work with Me. Two 1-Hour Pomodoros. Forest Wind Background Noise.
9: Positive Masters – Study & Work with Me. Two 1-Hour Pomodoros. Forest Wind Background Noise.
Welcome to Positive Masters where we develop our mindset and passion projects.
In this video, let’s study and work together for two 1-hour Pomodoros (study and work sessions). Be sure to make your work space your happy place with technology that increases your productivity, a comfortable chair and desk, and trinkets and lights that brighten your mood.
For this study and work with me video, we have forest wind to make you feel like you’re in the middle of a forest. Imagine yourself working at a table on the porch of a cabin in the mountains or at a picnic table in a park surrounded by trees and cool breeze. Aaahhhh.
I’m a lawyer, small business person, and retired politician from Hawaii. My passion projects are writing fiction and creating content about mindset and mental health.
I’m happy to have you as my study and work partner. Together, we can push through our ups and downs in our quest to improve ourselves and create value for others. We can’t control outside influences, but we can control our effort to learn, develop our skills, and bolster our relationships. That is my mission and the mission of Positive Masters.
Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing. Wishing you well!
With Warmest Aloha,
Jon Riki Karamatsu
0:00 Intro
0:50 First 1-Hour Pomodoro (Study and Work Session)
1:00:53 15-Minute Break
1:16:03 Second 1-Hour Pomodoro (Study and Work Session)
2:16:07 Outro and Information About Positive Masters
5: Positive Masters – Mindset Clips – Happy Place & Tech Toys to Boost Your Productivity
5: Positive Masters – Mindset Clips – Happy Place & Tech Toys to Boost Your Productivity
Make your work space your happy place! Also purchase tech toys that improve your productivity.
I love my desk set-up with my 2013 MacBook Pro, 27-inch LG monitor, Keychron K1 V4 Keyboard, Logitech MX Master 3 Mouse, GameMax Mousepad, Rode NT-1 Microphone, Rode PSA-1 Arm, Elgato Key Light, Sony ZV-1 Camera, Elgato Mount System, and L8star Smart LED Strip Light. Make your work your play!
Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing. Wishing you well!
8: Positive Masters – Study & Work with Me. Cinematic Music. Two 1-Hour Pomodoros.
8: Positive Masters – Study & Work with Me. Cinematic Music. Two 1-Hour Pomodoros.
In this video, let’s study and work together for two 1-hour Pomodoros (study and work sessions). If you’re stressed with your job and have a mean boss and demanding clients, pivot yourself by working on your passion projects with me on the side during breaks, after work, and on weekends. Make your passion project into your passion business and get out of a work situation that can ruin your health, mentally and physically. Your life is too valuable to be abused by those who are greedy and lack empathy. Let’s crush our passion projects!!!
I spent hours combing through cinematic songs that I purchased the licenses for as I studied and worked. The songs I chose really gave me that right mood. I hope you like them as well. I’m a lawyer, small business person, and retired politician from Hawaii. My passion projects are writing fiction and creating content about mindset and mental health.
I’m happy to have you as my study and work partner. Together, we can push through our ups and downs in our quest to improve ourselves and create value for others. We can’t control outside influences, but we can control our effort to learn, develop our skills, and bolster our relationships. That is my mission and the mission of Positive Masters.
Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing. Wishing you well!
With Warmest Aloha,
Jon Riki Karamatsu
0:00 Intro
0:50 First 1-Hour Pomodoro (Study and Work Session)
1:00:53 15-Minute Break
1:16:03 Second 1-Hour Pomodoro (Study and Work Session)
2:16:07 Outro and Information About Positive Masters
Let’s do all we can to maintain a growth mindset. Together, we can encourage each other to always believe that we have the ability to learn and grow. Every day, let’s improve ourselves by at least 1%.
Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing. Wishing you well!
7: Positive Masters – Study & Work with Me. Rain Background Noise. Two 45-Minute Pomodoros.
7: Positive Masters – Study & Work with Me. Rain Background Noise. Two 45-Minute Pomodoros.
In this video, let’s study and work together for two 45-minute Pomodoros (study and work sessions). Don’t you love getting cozy and working on your passion projects on those rainy days? Well, in this study and work session, we have rain for you.
I’m a lawyer, small business person, and retired politician from Hawaii. My passion projects are writing fiction and creating content about mindset and mental health.
I’m happy to have you as my study and work partner. Together, we can push through our ups and downs in our quest to improve ourselves and create value for others. We can’t control outside influences, but we can control our effort to learn, develop our skills, and bolster our relationships. That is my mission and the mission of Positive Masters.
Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing. Wishing you well!
With Warmest Aloha,
Jon Riki Karamatsu
0:00 Intro
0:44 First 45-Minute Pomodoro (Study and Work Session)
45:47 15-Minute Break
1:00:57 Second 45-Minute Pomodoro (Study and Work Session)
1:46:00 Outro and Information About Positive Masters
3: Positive Masters – Mindset Clips – Gratitude for the COVID-19 Vaccine
I’m so grateful for everyone who helped to make the COVID-19 vaccine possible. Let’s put our appreciation into our work to provide value for others. Every day is precious. You are precious.
Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing. Wishing you well!
6: Positive Masters – Study & Work with Me. Peaceful Guitar & Instrumental Music. 1-Hour Session.
6: Positive Masters – Study & Work with Me. Peaceful Guitar & Instrumental Music. 1-Hour Session.
In this video, let’s study and work together for an hour. The soundtrack for this study and work session is acoustic guitar and instrumental with a peaceful vibe.
I’m a lawyer, small business person, and retired politician from Hawaii. My passion projects are writing fiction and creating content about mindset and mental health.
I’m happy to have you as my study and work partner. Together, we can push through our ups and downs in our quest to improve ourselves and create value for others. We can’t control outside influences, but we can control our effort to learn, develop our skills, and bolster our relationships. That is my mission and the mission of Positive Masters.
Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing. Wishing you well!
With Warmest Aloha,
Jon Riki Karamatsu
0:00 Intro
0:51 One Hour Study & Work Session
1:01:17 Outro and Information About Positive Masters
2: Positive Masters – Mindset Clips – Count Your Wins!
2: Positive Masters – Mindset Clips – Count Your Wins!
Count your wins! This video clip is from 6: Positive Masters – Study & Work with Me. Consistency is key. Whether you’re working on your mind, body, or soul, put a little bit of effort daily. Over time, it adds up.
Schedule your work and exercise in your calendar and in an app that you can share with your accountability partner. At the end of your day, count your wins and journal it. I journal mine in the notes section of my Google calendar that syncs with my MacBook Pro and Galaxy smartphone. I also write it in my Day One journal, a private journal on my MacBook Pro. Third, I write it in apps with my accountability buddies such as my friend’s Discord server and my other friend’s Google Sheets.
I make my productivity a game to make it addictive in a good way! I add up my wins every day. I give myself one win for every accomplishment. For projects that takes deep work, I give myself 2 wins for every 45-minute to 60-minute session of work. For light work that doesn’t take too much brain power, I give myself 1 win for every 45-minute to 60-minute session of work. Also, I give myself 1 win for any work that takes takes less than 45 minutes to complete. Importantly, I give myself a win when I spend quality time with my loved ones as well. I limit myself to only 1 win with my loved ones regardless of the amount of time I spend with them. I dedicate a day a week for my loved ones. By the end of the year, I’ll have thousands of wins. Last year, I accumulated 4,337 wins.
I also have a list of monthly goals that I tackle. I quantify my monthly goals with a percentage of goals I accomplished. My monthly goals keeps me on track with my annual goals.
When I attain a certain amount of wins or a high percentage of monthly goals, I reward myself with a treat like a great celebration meal for short-term goals and a fun product for my long-term goals. I’m constantly adjusting my game. You can set the rules for your productivity game, but make sure it’s challenging. Have fun!
Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing. Wishing you well!
1: Positive Masters – Mindset Clips – Focus on Now!
1: Positive Masters – Mindset Clips – Focus on Now!
Focus on now, not your past or future. Put all your effort into now!
This is a video clip from “5: Positive Masters – Study & Work with Me.”
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a lawyer, small business person, and retired politician from Hawaii. My passion projects are writing fiction and creating content about mindset and mental health.
Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing. Wishing you well!
4: Positive Masters – Study & Work with Me. Lapping Water Noise. Two 45-Minute Pomodoros.
4: Positive Masters – Study & Work with Me. Lapping Water Noise. Two 45-Minute Pomodoros.
In this video, let’s study and work together for two 45-minute Pomodoros (study or work sessions). Step by step, let’s get closer to our goals!
For sound, I chose lapping water. The sound of water has always been calming for me. I hope you enjoy it as well.
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a lawyer, small business person, and retired politician from Hawaii. My passion projects are writing fiction and creating content about mindset and mental health.
I’m happy to have you as my study and work partner. Together, we can push through our ups and downs in our quest to improve ourselves and create value for others. We can’t control outside influences, but we can control our effort to learn, develop our skills, and bolster our relationships. That is my mission and the mission of Positive Masters.
Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing. Wishing you well!
With Warmest Aloha, Jon Riki Karamatsu
0:00 Intro
0:26 First Pomodoro – Study or Work Session
45:54 Break for 15 Minutes
1:09:44 Second Pomodoro – Study or Work Session
1:45:42 Outro and Information About Positive Masters
2: Positive Masters – Study & Work with Me. Rain Noise. Three 45-Minute Pomodoros.
2: Positive Masters – Study and Work with Me. Rain Noise. Three 45-Minute Pomodoros.
In this video, let’s study and work together for three 45-minute Pomodoros (study or work sessions), so we can take another step toward our goals!
Since I was working in the afternoon on Saturday May 8, 2021 after watching the University of Hawaii Men’s volleyball team win the NCAA National Championship against Bringham Young University, my energy level wasn’t at its peak. Plus, for afternoon work and studies, I usually dedicate light work that don’t take too much brain power such as technical and logistical work. Yet they are very important work. Therefore, for my three Pomodoros (study and work sessions), I worked on branding copyright and behind the scenes text, tags, and links for my Internet content.
I chose rain as the background noise for this video because it gives you that soothing sound that helps to calm your worries and keep you focused on your work.
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a lawyer, small business person, and retired politician from Hawaii. My passion projects are writing fiction and creating content about mindset and mental health.
I’m happy to have you as my study and work partner. Together, we can push through our ups and downs in our quest to improve ourselves and create value for others. We can’t control outside influences, but we can control our effort to learn, develop our skills, and bolster our relationships. That is my mission and the mission of Positive Masters.
Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing. Make the most of your life, and enjoy your loves ones and the simple pleasures in your life!
With Warmest Aloha,
Jon Riki Karamatsu
0:00 Intro
0:23 First Pomodoro – Study and Work with Me
45:26 First 15-Minute Break
1:00:36 Second Pomodoro – Study and Work with Me
1:45:39 Second 15-Minute Break
2:00:49 Third Pomodoro – Study and Work With Me
2:45:53 Outro and Information About Positive Masters
Study and Work with Me. Lofi and Chill Music. Three 45-Minute Pomodoros.
Click this Youtube video to study and work with me. Lofi and Chill Music. Three 45-Minute Pomodoros.
Aloha!
In this Youtube video, let’s study and work together for three 45-minute Pomodoros (study or work sessions), so we can get a step closer to our goals!
In the first two Pomodoros (study and work sessions), I worked on the fourth draft of my sci-fi and fantasy screenplay. In the third Pomodoro (study and work session), I created audiograms from my fifth podcast episode “5: Positive Masters Show – Get Better Sleep.”
I spent hours handpicking each song in this video from the catalogs of music I purchased the licenses for while I studied and worked on my passion projects. The vibe I got from the lofi and chill songs had to blend well with my concentration on my studies and work – soothing tunes and steady rhythm that play in the background while I crush my passion projects.
For those of you who don’t know me, I’m a lawyer, small business person, and retired politician from Hawaii. My passion projects are writing fiction and creating content about mindset and mental health.
I’m happy to have you as my study and work partner. Together, we can push through our ups and downs in our quest to improve ourselves and create value for others. We can’t control outside influences, but we can control our effort to learn, develop our skills, and bolster our relationships. That is my mission and the mission of Positive Masters.
Enjoy Positive Masters’ blog, podcast, videos, and products at https://positivemasters.com to strengthen your mindset and build your passion projects to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be experiencing.
Make the most of your life, and enjoy your loves ones and the simple pleasures in your life!
With Warmest Aloha,
Jon Riki Karamatsu
0:00 Intro 0:23 First Pomodoro – Study and Work with Me
45:26 First 15-Minute Break
1:00:36 Second Pomodoro – Study and Work with Me
1:45:39 Second 15-Minute Break
2:00:49 Third Pomodoro – Study and Work With Me
2:45:53 Outro and Information About Positive Masters
This beautiful orchid was given to me as a gift for one of the opening of the Hawaii State Legislative sessions when I served in the Hawaii State House of Representatives from 2002 to 2010. It’s the last of the many flowers and plants gifted to me back then. My dad has been caring for it since I live in a townhouse on the second floor. It’s vibrant and thriving!
This is an audio clip from episode 5 of the Positive Masters Show podcast – Get Better Sleep in which I go over 7 strategies to sleep better.
Sleep well with a good bed. When I was in law school, I had a futon that would give me pain at the pressure points on my back. When I returned home in Hawaii, I bought myself a place and a new bed. I had to return the bed because it was causing me so much back pain. Instead, I bought another bed for twice the cost. I’ve never had back pain since. Eighteen years later, I still have it. It’s so comfortable.
A good bed can make your life happier and more productive. It’s worth the investment.
Enjoy the Positive Masters universe at http://www.positivemasters.com for mindset practices, tips for your passion projects, motivational writing and podcast, and apparel and accessories with inspirational designs and mantras to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be facing.
How many hours of sleep do you need to be productive?
How many hours of sleep do you need to be productive?
This is an audio clip from episode 5 of the Positive Masters Show podcast – Get Better Sleep in which I go over 7 strategies to sleep better. How many hours of sleep do you need to be productive? For me, I need 7 hours of sleep to be able to crush my goals for the day.
Enjoy the Positive Masters universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset and business practices, motivational writing and podcast, and apparel and accessories with inspirational designs and mantras to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be facing.
This past week I started watching Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba, an anime about a boy Tanjiro who begins his quest to fight demons after a demon slaughters his family and turns his sister Nezuko into one.
Pictured on my computer screens is Nezuko to inspire me to keep writing my screenplay and novels on top of my legal and business work. So far I’ve written 3 spec screenplays (sci-fi and fantasy, competition and lifestyle, and erotic thriller), and 2 unpublished novels (paranormal thriller and historical action and adventure).
Years don’t mean as much as the days. What you do daily is what makes your years.
Consistency is key. Whether you’re working on your mind, body, or soul, put a little bit of effort daily. Over time, it adds up.
Schedule your work and exercise in your calendar and in an app that you can share with your accountability partner. At the end of your day, count your wins and journal it. I journal mine in the notes section of my Google calendar that syncs with my MacBook Pro and Galaxy smartphone. I also write it in my Day One, a private journal on my MacBook Pro. Third, I write it in apps with my accountability buddies such as my friend’s Discord server and my other friend’s Google Sheets.
I make my productivity a game. I add up my wins every day. I give myself one win for every accomplishment. For difficult long-term projects that takes deep work and is challenging to sustain for 60 minutes, I give myself 1 win for every 30 minute-session of work and 2 wins for every 45-minute to 60-minute session of work.
Give yourself a win when you spend quality time with your loved ones as well. I dedicate a day a week for my loved ones.
By the end of the year, I’ll have thousands of wins. Last year, I accumulated 4,337 wins.
I also have a list of monthly goals that I tackle. I quantify my monthly goals with a percentage of goals I accomplished. My monthly goals keeps me on track with my annual goals.
When I attain a certain amount of wins or a high percentage of monthly or annual goals, I reward myself with a treat like a great celebration meal for short-term goals and a fun product for my long-term goals. I’m constantly adjusting my game. You can set the rules for your productivity game, but make sure it’s challenging. Have fun!
Visit the Positive Masters universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset and personal growth practices, motivational writing and podcast, and apparel and accessories with inspirational mantras to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger that you may be facing.
I’m wearing my 2020 Honolulu Marathon finisher shirt and medal! The race was virtual in December 2020 due to Covid-19. I love the teal colors, my campaign colors when I was a politician. Running outdoors is my favorite exercise. It’s a great way to relieve stress, sadness, and anxiety. I’m going to wear this shirt today as I undergo my work sessions on my latest project that I’m excited to work on every day! Have a great day! ❤
The way you see things depends on how you perceive them.
MINDSET. The way you see things depends on how you perceive them. Be present and observe people. Those who can see the good in every situation are happier than those who focus on the bad stuff. Even when a situation seems terrible, people who believe there are ways to grow from a bad event aren’t locked to the past, but working towards better things in the future.
Enjoy the Positive Masters universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset and business practices, motivational writing and podcast, and apparel and accessories with inspirational mantras to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger that you may be facing.
Exercise and mindfulness help me to care for my mental and physical health. Add listening to music to these activities and you have a triple threat against your cognitive distortions.
JON RIKI KARAMATSU 