Tag Archives: sadness

Facing Your Fear of Risk


Facing your fear of risk.

9th Rest Day for 2022

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.

With Warmest Aloha, Jon

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Have a routine to launch your day with a good mood!


Have a routine to launch your day with a good mood!
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. ❤

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The way you see things depends on how you perceive them.


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.

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The strength you have built within you is amazing!


The strength you have built within you is amazing!
The strength you have built within you is amazing!

For all of you who gave it your all and have experienced sitting on the bench for sports, not getting accepted to the university of your choice, receiving rejections on your passion projects, and getting attacks by the haters, the strength you have built within you is amazing! 

You gave it your all and put yourself out there, which has made you more resilient and tenacious to keep moving forward! I know you got a lot of wins out of your journey, and you’ll get many more! Keep going hard!

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.

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40% off holiday sale for Positive Masters’ entire e-commerce store from 11/27/2020 to 12/8/2020!


40% off holiday sale for Positive Masters' entire e-commerce store from 11/27/2020 to 12/8/2020!
40% off holiday sale for Positive Masters’ entire e-commerce store from 11/27/2020 to 12/8/2020!

Happy Holidays! 

This has been a trying year with the challenges brought upon us by COVID-19. Some days are tougher than others. I go through my ups and downs too. Despite our challenges, we can still be grateful for many things in our lives. From the moment you wake up from your sleep, count your blessings throughout your day. At the end of your day, before you go to sleep, write down what you are thankful for. These gratitude practices can give you positive energy boosts throughout your day.

For more positive boosts, visit 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.

Pictured in this post is our 40% off holiday sale throughout our entire e-commerce store from November 27, 2020 to December 8, 2020. Live the best life you can! Together, we can make our world a kinder and better place.

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Now is the most important time.


Now is the most important time.
Now is the most important time.

Now is the most important time, not the past, not the future, but right now. We think we’ll be happier if something better should happen to us in the future. However, the grass is not always greener when we get there. So, let’s do our best to enjoy and make the most of what’s before us now. If we do this, we’ll have times of joy no matter what happens in our 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.

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Creativity makes me feel happy and free!


Creativity makes me feel happy and free!
Creativity makes me feel happy and free!

Creativity is the best place to be for my mindset and mental health. It makes me feel happy and free!

Our Positive Masters Dream Cloud Mantra Unisex T-Shirt is a great way to motivate you every day to take time to be creative in your passion projects! These t-shirts make great gifts for your loved ones who are striving for their dreams! You can purchase these shirts here: Dream Cloud Mantra Dark Unisex T-Shirts

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.

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Have you ever wondered how the most positive people keep spreading love and kindness even through their most difficult times?


Have you ever wondered how the most positive people keep spreading love and kindness even through their most difficult times?
Have you ever wondered how the most positive people keep spreading love and kindness even through their most difficult times?

Have you ever wondered how the most positive people keep spreading love and kindness even through their most difficult times, whether they’re dealing with the deaths of their loved ones, injuries, diseases, failure in their personal life or career, financial hardship, heartbreak, and other challenges? These amazing people are the Positive Masters!

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.

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For a boost of positivity in your life, keep in touch with your positive friends and family.


For a boost of positivity in your life, keep in touch with your positive friends and family.
For a boost of positivity in your life, keep in touch with your positive friends and family. Video conference with my friends via Zoom.

Zoom video conference with my friends: Scott and Maki Imaye; Scott and Tricia Murakami; Ryan and Jodie Sanada; and Grant, Elle, and Ethan Karamatsu on Friday, October 23, 2020. I’m super grateful for my loved ones and technology. For a boost of positivity in your life, keep in touch with your positive friends and family.

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“When we are no longer able to change a situation . . . we are challenged to change ourselves.” Viktor E. Frankl


"When we are no longer able to change a situation . . . we are challenged to change ourselves." Viktor E. Frankl
“When we are no longer able to change a situation . . . we are challenged to change ourselves.” Viktor E. Frankl

“When we are no longer able to change a situation . . . 
we are challenged to change ourselves.”
Viktor E. Frankl 

Rather than focus on the things that you can’t control, focus on what you can control, especially your thoughts, perception, knowledge, skills, and ideas. Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl who survived the holocaust in Germany during World War II made this great statement in his book Man’s Search for Meaning.

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.

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4: Positive Masters Show Podcast – Learn and Grow – Audiogram


This is a clip from Episode 4 of the Positive Masters Show – Matching Your Passions With Your Projects. The rewards you get from your passion projects are the wonderful feelings you get when you learn and grow.

In the picture is our Resilience Mantra Women’s Fit T-Shirt worn by our model, which you can purchase at www.positivemaster.com.

Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform and our Positive Masters Youtube Channel.

Enjoy the Positive Masters universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset and business practices, motivational podcast episodes and writing, and apparel and accessories with inspirational mantras to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger that you may be facing.

In the future, we’ll be offering online courses to strengthen your mindset using psychology, philosophy, mindset practices, and lifestyle practices. We’ll also have online courses to help you turn your passion project into your passion business using legal documents, government programs, and business tools.

Thank you!

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4: Positive Masters Show Podcast – Work on passion projects that make you happier & healthier – Audiogram


This is a clip from Episode 4 of the Positive Masters Show – Matching Your Passions With Your Projects. Below are a few mottos that you can apply to your exciting passion projects!

  • Work on passion projects that make you happier and healthier!
  • Work on passion projects that fuel your purpose!
  • Work on passion projects that make you produce more than you consume!

Pictured is our Resilience Mantra Dark Unisex T-Shirt and Dream Cloud Mantra Mug, great to motivate you to pursue your passions! You can purchase the Resilience Mantra Dark Unisex T-Shirt here. You can buy the Dream Cloud Mantra Mug here.

Subscribe to our podcast on your favorite podcast platform and our Positive Masters Youtube Channel.

Enjoy the Positive Masters universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset and business practices, motivational podcast episodes and writing, and apparel and accessories with inspirational mantras to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger that you may be facing.

In the future, we’ll be offering online courses to strengthen your mindset using psychology, philosophy, mindset practices, and lifestyle practices. We’ll also have online courses to help you turn your passion project into your passion business using legal documents, government programs, and business tools.

Thank you!

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This is a clip of Episode 1 of the Positive Masters Show – 3 Daily Gratitude Practices to Boost Your Happiness. I talk about the benefit of writing down what you’re grateful for.


This is a clip of Episode 1 of the Positive Masters Show – 3 Daily Gratitude Practices to Boost Your Happiness. I talk about the benefit of writing down what you’re grateful for. You can use a pen and a notebook or use an app like Google Keep on your smart phone or computer to perform this gratitude exercise.

Feel free to like and subscribe to our Positive Masters Youtube Channel.

Enjoy the Positive Masters universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset and business practices, motivational podcast episodes and writing, and apparel and accessories with inspirational mantras to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger that you may be facing.

In the future, we’ll be offering online courses to strengthen your mindset by using psychology, philosophy, mindset practices, and lifestyle practices. We’ll also have online courses to help you turn your passion project into your passion business by using legal documents, government programs, and business tools.

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Every day, take notes on the thoughts that go through your mind. This mindful practice can help you push away your negative, distortive thoughts about your past and future.


Every day, take notes on the thoughts that go through your mind. This mindful practice can help you push away your negative, distortive thoughts about your past and future. With a clearer mind, you can fill it up with the things you are grateful for and strategies that you can can execute on to move forward in your personal life and career.

Every day, take notes on the thoughts that go through your mind. This mindful practice can help you push away your negative, distortive thoughts about your past and future. With a clearer mind, you can fill it up with the things you are grateful for and strategies that you can can execute on to move forward in your personal life and career.

Every day, take notes on the thoughts that go through your mind. This mindful practice can help you push away your negative, distortive thoughts about your past and future. With a clearer mind, you can fill it up with the things that you are grateful for and strategies that you can can execute on to move forward in your personal life and career.

If you have a smart phone with you, this is very doable. Use a note-taking app and write your thoughts down. Personally, I really like using Google Keep. If you don’t have a smart phone, carry a little notepad and pen with you so you can write your thoughts down.

At the end of the day, review your notes. Are your thoughts normal or distorted? Are you doing any of the following cognitive distortions: (1) Having an all or nothing thinking; (2) Concluding that something bad will happen to you over and over again; (3) Filtering out all the positive things in your life; (4) Disqualifying your positive experiences; (5) Jumping to negative conclusions; (6) Blowing up things way out of proportion or minimizing them; (7) Believing your distorted emotions are the truth; (8) Scolding yourself for falling short of your standards; (9) Creating a negative image of yourself; and/or (10) Assuming responsibility for something negative when there is no basis for doing so. Be honest with yourself. If you can identify your cognitive distortions, you will begin to see your issues as they really are. By practicing this, your problems, as difficult as they may be, become challenges that you can picture yourself managing, even overcoming. Read our earlier social media posts and our blog at www.positivemasters.com about the 10 cognitive distortions mentioned above.

Next, fill up your mind with things you are grateful for. Write this down in your smartphone or notepad. Also, write down strategies that you can implement that will help you to improve your personal life and career. Finally, take immediate action on your gratitude and personal development. Do this every day. This exercise really helps me. I hope it can be a benefit for you as well!

Enjoy the Positive Masters universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset and business practices, motivational podcast episodes and writing, and apparel and accessories with inspirational mantras to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger that you may be facing.

In the future, we’ll be offering online courses to strengthen your mindset by using psychology, philosophy, mindset practices, and lifestyle practices. We’ll also have online courses to help you turn your passion project into your passion business by using legal documents, government programs, and business tools. ❤️

 

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Sharing a part of me with you is my medicine.


Sharing a part of me with you is my medicine.

Sharing a part of me with you is my medicine.

Sharing a part of me with you is my medicine.

It’s better than pushing myself to oblivion.

There’s no meaning when you don’t care.

So I write my purpose over and over with despair.

Everything I was comfortable with is spinning out of sight.

Maybe this is my last fight.

– Poem, Positive Masters, Jon Riki Karamatsu, 6/27/2020 –

I dedicate this poem to you if you’re feeling anxious or depressed or are helping a loved one who is. Talking to someone who can understand you can be very beneficial. Psychotherapy or talk therapy can boost you up. ❤

Experience the Positive Masters universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset and business practices, motivational podcasts and writing, and inspirational apparel to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger that you may be facing. ❤

Stay tuned, in the future, we will be offering online courses to strengthen your mindset and to turn your passion project into your passion business using legal documents, government programs, and business tools. 😊❤

Thank you!

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1: Positive Masters Show – Set Aside Time to Absorb the Beauty of Nature


In this clip of episode 1 of the Positive Masters Show podcast, I share with you on how good it is for your mindset to set aside time to absorb the beauty of nature. The full episode of “1: Positive Masters Show – 3 Daily Gratitude Practices to Boost Your Happiness!” is available on the Positive Masters Youtube Channel and on all major podcast platforms. Feel free to like this audiogram and subscribe.

Enjoy the Positive Masters universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset and business practices, motivational podcasts and writing, and apparel and accessories with inspirational mantras to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger that you may be facing.

Stay tuned, in the future, we will be offering online courses to strengthen your mindset and to turn your passion project into your passion business using legal documents, government programs, and business tools. Thank you!

With Warmest Aloha,

Jon Riki Karamatsu

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“Episode 2 of the Positive Masters Show – How Working on Your Passion Projects Can Increase Your Joy and Purpose!” is now available on the Positive Masters Youtube Channel and all major podcast platforms where you can subscribe to our show.


“Episode 2 of the Positive Masters Show – How Working on Your Passion Projects Can Increase Your Joy and Purpose!” is now available on the Positive Masters Youtube channel and all major podcast platforms where you can subscribe to our show. In this episode, I go over the following:

1. Defining Passion Projects
2. Different Types of Passion Projects
3. Reviewing the Things You’re Passionate About

Of the 70+ practices that I do, working on my passion projects give me a reason to look forward to the next day, even years ahead. It also fuels my drive to better this world in some small. And when I’m in darkness, it keeps me progressing with more knowledge, skills, and relationships. 😊

Click the Youtube link above to listen to this podcast episode on the Positive Masters Youtube Channel. 🎧

Experience the +positive masters+ universe at http://www.positivemasters.com for mindset and business practices, motivational podcasts and writing, and inspirational apparel to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger that you may be facing.❤

Stay tuned, in the future, we will be offering online courses to strengthen your mindset and to turn your passion project into your passion business using legal documents, government programs, and business tools. 💻
📝

Thank you!

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1: Positive Masters Show – Expressing Your Gratitude for the Process of Making Your Coffee


In this clip of episode 1 of the Positive Masters Show podcast, I share how you can be grateful for many things & experiences throughout your day such as the process of making your coffee.

The full episode “1: Positive Masters Show – 3 Daily Gratitude Practices to Boost Your Happiness!” is available on the Positive Masters Youtube Channel here: Positive Masters Youtube Channel & on all major podcast platforms.

Pour your favorite hot beverage into our Positive Masters’ Spilled Pink Milk Logo Mug to launch your day forward with positivity! This mug is available for purchase here: Spilled Pink Milk Logo Mugs

Experience more of the +positive masters+ universe @ www.positivemasters.com for mindset practices, motivational writing, business development strategies, & inspirational apparel to boost your happiness & counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger that you may be facing. Stay tuned, in the future, we’ll be offering courses to strengthen your mindset to boost your happiness & courses to turn your passion project into your passion business using legal documents, government programs, & business tools to increase your joy & purpose.

Thank you!

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Episode 1 of the Positive Masters Show – 3 Daily Gratitude Practices.


Here’s a clip of Episode 1 of the Positive Masters Show – 3 daily gratitude practices. 😃

1. Express your gratitude from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep.

I give examples of how I practice my gratitude from the start of my day. I hope this episode can help you with your inner peace and happiness.

The full podcast is available for your enjoyment at Positive Masters Show, our Positive Masters Youtube Channel, and on all major podcast platforms.

The music I use in the podcast is from Artlist. You can hear more of Artlist’s music and purchase their songs for your personal enjoyment or business here: Artlist

Enjoy the +positive masters+ universe at http://www.positivemasters.com for mindset practices, motivational writing, business development strategies, and inspirational apparel to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be facing.

With Warmest Aloha,
Jon

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Together with love, compassion, and empathy.


Together with love, compassion, and empathy

Together with love, compassion, and empathy

With the police using excessive and discriminatory force that killed George Floyd on May 25, 2020 and the following unrest that has been felt around the world, I found myself falling deeper into sadness. My past experiences with racism on the U.S. mainland flashed back in my mind and so did my experiences with law enforcement abusing their power even here in beautiful Hawaii. Stuff I would rather keep tucked away in the back of my memory.

When a person wears a badge representing the law and carries a gun to enforce it, that’s extreme power, power that can go terribly wrong when the mindset of that person is filled with anger, fear, bias, or racism, and lacking empathy and a cool headed thought process necessary to address stressful situations. The easiest emotion to use in a stressful situation is anger, which can result in verbal and physical violence, or worse, deadly force. If police officers don’t have peace within their lives or their families, how can society expect them to enforce peace for our community.

As a former politician and deputy prosecuting attorney, I’ve worked with the police often. When my constituents contacted me about misconduct by police officers, I worked with the leadership of the Honolulu Police Department to address these issues with their rank and file. As a result, there were members of the law enforcement who didn’t like me.

I’ve also been mistreated by the police. As a young man, I took a young woman I was dating to see the ocean and stars at Diamond Head in Honolulu, Hawaii when an officer banged his large flashlight against my car’s window and yelled at us. In college, a police officer choked my friend and dorm roommate because while the police officers were arresting a fellow dorm resident outside for speeding on his motorcycle, other dorm residents on our floor started chanting, “Let Ed go.” The officer choked my friend while he was brushing his teeth in a bathroom of our dorm, but wasn’t able to choke all the dorm residents since they were in their locked rooms. Physical violence by the police officer on a college kid who made no violent threats against him was uncalled for.

When I had my driving under the influence (“DUI”), I asked the police about the results of the field sobriety test, the probable cause. They got upset and threw me in jail without giving me the opportunity to take the breathalyzer even when I asked for it. They lied to me when they said they didn’t have an officer operating the breathalyzer machine when they did as shown by their records. They charged me with refusal even though I didn’t refuse when I asked them to let me take the breathalyzer test, a law that was overturned by the Hawaii Supreme Court as violating one’s rights. When I was arrested for driving under the influence, I never told the police that I was a deputy prosecuting attorney and legislative liaison at the Department of Prosecuting Attorney of the City and County of Honolulu at that time. Nor did I mention any of my friends or family who were police officers because I didn’t want to be treated differently because of my position or relationship with other police officers.

African Americans face the harshest treatment and punishment by law enforcement and the judicial system. Many of them have died by it. African Americans also face more discrimination throughout our society. Facts and statistics prove this. It hurts that we’re still facing the same problems many of our ancestors and predecessors fought to improve.

A part of my soul feels beaten down; however, I will continue to work with you and others to to better our world. Working on +positive masters+ has been therapeutic for me, and I hope that some of the content I share can help ease any anxiety, depression, or anger that you may be undergoing.

Love,

Jon Riki Karamatsu

+positive masters+

Feel free to visit the +positive masters+ universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset practices, motivational writing, business development strategies, and inspirational apparel to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger that you may be facing.

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Get enough sleep to keep your mood in the positive zone.


Get enough sleep to keep your mood in the positive zone.

Get enough sleep to keep your mood in the positive zone.

Get enough sleep to keep your mood in the positive zone.

Yesterday, I worked from late at night until the sun came up. I napped for 4 hours and continued working. Even though I wanted to be productive, it was hard. My concentration wasn’t at the level I needed to progress steadily throughout my day.

Second, my resilience to outside negativity became weaker. Since the COVID-19 pandemic caused a shut down in Hawaii, I’ve been helping an older friend in her senior years who I met at a coffee shop a couple of years ago by having her come over my place so I can assist her with technology, government programs for COVID-19, & give her access to my Internet connection. She and I were business partners for a short while doing consulting work for a restaurant. Well, my friend’s personality is abrasive. The words she says can be offensive and her tone of voice can be condescending. With my lack of sleep, I found myself bothered by her negative behavior, to the point I couldn’t take it. If I had more sleep, I could’ve been more patient. I know it’s important to not be around people who drain your energy, but I feel that I can better handle negative people when I have enough sleep.

For me, I need 7 hours of sleep to be fully optimal in my personal life and business. Each of us is different. Some of us need more hours of sleep, some need less. How many hours of sleep do you need to be fully charged and ready to handle anything that comes your way?

The National Sleep Foundation has the following sleep recommendations based on how old you are:

  • Newborns (0-3 months): Sleep range narrowed to 14-17 hours each day (previously it was 12-18)
  • Infants (4-11 months): Sleep range widened two hours to 12-15 hours (previously it was 14-15)
  • Toddlers (1-2 years): Sleep range widened by one hour to 11-14 hours (previously it was 12-14)
  • Preschoolers (3-5): Sleep range widened by one hour to 10-13 hours (previously it was 11-13)
  • School age children (6-13): Sleep range widened by one hour to 9-11 hours (previously it was 10-11)
  • Teenagers (14-17): Sleep range widened by one hour to 8-10 hours (previously it was 8.5-9.5)
  • Younger adults (18-25): Sleep range is 7-9 hours (new age category)
  • Adults (26-64): Sleep range did not change and remains 7-9 hours
  • Older adults (65+): Sleep range is 7-8 hours (new age category)

Sleep well my friends!

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Express your gratitude from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep.


Express your gratitude from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep.

Express your gratitude from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep.

Gratitude is a powerful practice that can protect you from external negativity and your own internal distorted darkness. By expressing your gratitude from the moment you wake up, you can jumpstart your day on the right foot. Continue expressing your gratitude throughout the day for the many good things you experience, whether small or big. By strengthening your gratitude muscle, you’ll remain strong when you come across negative events and people. In future posts, I’ll share the various ways I express my thanks.

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Listening to a loved one going through hardship can make a positive impact on that person’s life.


Listening to a loved one going through hardship can make a positive impact on that person's life.

Listening to a loved one going through hardship can make a positive impact on that person’s life.

Listening to a loved one going through hardship can make a positive impact on that person’s life.

Have you ever been through those tough times when you had someone to listen to you. It wasn’t about being told what to do or how to solve your problem. Many times, you know what you have to do, or you have strategies on your next moves. Just having someone there listening to you felt comforting right.

Wishing you well!

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Cognitive Distortions 10 – Don’t assume responsibility for something you’re not responsible for.


Don't assume responsibility for something you're not responsible for.

Don’t assume responsibility for something you’re not responsible for.

Cognitive Distortions 10 – Don’t assume responsibility for something you’re not responsible for.

For example, you have a friend who is abusive towards his girlfriend, so you have a talk with him on ways to resolve an issue without resorting to violence. After a number of heart-to-heart talks, your friend hits his girlfriend again. This crushes you, and you tell yourself, “I must be a bad friend.” No, you did the best you could to reach out to your friend to change his behavior, but he didn’t. What your friend ultimately does, is his responsibility, not yours.

Maybe you’re helping your little cousin to do her homework. However, she still doesn’t complete her homework. Don’t put blame on yourself. You can only help her so much. Your little cousin has to make an effort on her own to learn from her studies and finish her homework.

Stay positive my friends!

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Financial peace is about having enough money to happily live the life you want to live.


Financial peace is about having enough money to happily live the life you want to live.

Financial peace is about having enough money to happily live the life you want to live.

Financial peace is about having enough money to happily live the life you want to live. You define your happiness level and the amount of money you need and desire. Avoid social comparison. Focus on your needs and desires. If you have a family, include your family’s needs and desires.

Highlighted in this picture is our Financial Peace Unisex T-Shirt in white. One of our main characters in the +positive masters+ universe is Master 5 who’s shown on the design of this shirt in the middle of the money bill because he’s the master of positive wealth and financial peace, a practice of managing income, expenses, and investments to have a healthy cash flow. He’s also a practitioner in creating multiple streams of income through businesses, real estate, stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and other sources of income. Master 5’s goal is to see you eliminate your money problems and thrive financially so you can spread your positivity even further. You can purchase this shirt at www.positivemasters.com, a universe for mindset practices, motivational writing, business development strategies, and inspirational apparel to boost your happiness and counter any anxiety, sadness, or anger you may be facing.

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Be happy by yourself. Take action on your curiosity to spark joy in your life. A relationship is a bonus only if it’s a positive one.


Be happy by yourself. Take action on your curiosity to spark joy in your life. A relationship is a bonus only if it's a positive one.

Be happy by yourself. Take action on your curiosity to spark joy in your life. A relationship is a bonus only if it’s a positive one.

Be happy by yourself. 
Take action on your curiosity to spark joy in your life.
A relationship is a bonus only if it’s a positive one.

When you’re happy by yourself, you’re less reliant on outside influences to be happy. I apply many of the 70+ mindset, lifestyle, and financial practices I’ve gathered to maintain a positive mindset. Taking action on my curiosity has been a huge factor in increasing my desire to learn and gain more skills that I can apply to ideas I have to develop a service or product to hopefully add value to the lives of others. Thus, by taking action on my curiosity, I go on adventures in my life that have a purpose beyond me, to positively impact others and the greater society. This helps me to be happier and more fulfilled. There are a slew of other actions I take daily, several times a week, or monthly, to keep my morale positive, which I’ll share with you in the future.

Once you’re happy by yourself, you can allow a relationship into your life. As studies have shown, a good relationship can make you happy, and a bad relationship can make you miserable. In the latter, your life would be much better if you were single. I strongly believe that you must shield your happiness from people who are moody, angry, jealous, selfish, and cold-hearted. Such negative people can suck out all of your good energy up in seconds so interact with these people only when you have to.

You may feel pressured to date, get married, and have children because your family expects this, or you believe this is what everyone is suppose to do. Again, if you’re happy by yourself, then it’s a bonus when you date or marry someone who is positive. However, if you date or marry someone who is negative, your life will be worse than if you were single. Personally, I believe your happiness shouldn’t be sacrificed to family and societal pressures of getting married and having a family.

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Don’t negatively label yourself or others.


Don't negatively label yourself or others.

Don’t negatively label yourself or others.

Cognitive Distortions – Part 9
Don’t negatively label yourself or others.

When you create a negative label on yourself such as “I’m a loser” you degrade yourself. It’s a hostile attack on yourself. It dehumanizes you. Likewise, name calling another person dehumanizes that person. Stay in the light my friends.

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I hold the warmth of your lonely soul – Part 2


I hold the warmth of your lonely soul.

I hold the warmth of your lonely soul.

I hold the warmth of your lonely soul.

Let your fears go.

Let them fly away and dissipate.

That’s how we’ll make our escape.

– +positive masters+, Jon Riki Karamatsu, Poem, 6/22/2019 –

You can be physically lonely, and you can be mentally lonely. Your fears can control your mind. You may keep them within you because you don’t want anyone to see your vulnerability. However, by talking about your fears to someone who is understanding, that person may be able to help you to take the necessary steps to push away your perception of your fears, which are often distorted. Talk therapy or psychotherapy with an understanding person can help you break out of your blown out of proportion perception.

In nonattachment, a practice developed in Buddhism, feel your negative emotions but don’t let them be attached to you and bring you down. In the Eightfold Path, the first of the eight practices is to have a right understanding, which is to do your best to understand the truth. Ask yourself, “What is the truth to your fears?” Are your fears real, or are you imagining them? For example, if you’re telling yourself you’re not good enough to succeed, is that really true? No, you’ve succeeded before. Yes, you’ve failed in the past, but that was a part of the process of your growth that led you to succeed again. When you look back in your life, you’ll identify how you’ve made your comeback from your failures. You see, your fears are often filled with things that aren’t true. Don’t let your fears be attached to you. Understand your fears, and let them flow through you so you don’t get held back by them.

Another mindset practice that we mentioned in previous blog posts is the middle way practice that was also developed in Buddhism, which is to stay in the middle of your life’s journey. In this case, by staying in the middle way, you’ll be able to see your extreme perceptions of your fears at a distance to the side or both sides, but you can move past them as your proceed down the middle path.

Combine the middle way practice with psychotherapy, cognitive therapy, nonattachment, and right understanding as an arsenal of tools to overcome your fears.

I wrote the poem pictured in this blog post over a year ago. In it, the protagonist tells his lover to let go of her fears after she bravely reveals them to him (psychotherapy and non attachment). He not only keeps her warm physically, but mentally and spiritually.

With Warmest Aloha,
Jon

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Write down all the good things that happened in your day.


Write down all the good things that happened in your day.

Write down all the good things that happened in your day.

Write down all the good things that happened in your day. By doing this, you’ll get boosts of good feelings. This daily practice also reminds you of all the wonderful things in your life.

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Kill your enemies with kindness.


Kill your enemies with kindness.

Kill your enemies with kindness.

Kill your enemies with kindness. This is a cliché, but it’s extremely powerful and very successful in the long-run, as shown by the Positive Masters before us such as Siddhārtha Gautama (Buddha), Mahatma Gandhi (Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi), and Martin Luther King Jr. Their nonviolence practices have amassed multi-millions of nonviolence practitioners.

You can expand peace in our world by your actions. If you grew up in a verbally and physically abusive family, you can end the cycle of violence with yourself so your children don’t continue it.

When someone yells at you at work, you can remain calm and professional. By doing so, that person will look like a fool. Those observing the event will see two styles of leadership. Show them the peaceful path.

When the haters attack you and enjoy you being knocked down in the gutter, don’t seek revenge in their dirty ways. Many of them are jealous and spiteful because they’re living miserable lives. By seeing this view of them, you’ll be able to have empathy for them. Either they’ll die miserable or change to find peace within themselves. Hopefully, it’ll be the latter.

If someone wants to kill you, don’t retaliate. Transcend the pettiness of humankind’s desire to destroy one another. Physical form may be killed, but a peaceful soul never dies.

Spread peace my friends. When a majority of us are at peace, the world will be at peace!

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Enjoy a floral lei to lift your spirits!


Enjoy a floral lei to lift your spirits!

Enjoy a floral lei to lift your spirits! Pictured is a white plumeria flower lei.

Enjoy a floral lei to lift your spirits!

May 1, 2020 is Lei Day in Hawaii. Enjoy a floral lei to lift your spirits! With its beauty and sweet smell, flowers evoke your sight and smell, which can be therapeutic if you’re feeling stressed. Also, giving a lei to someone is a way to show your love to that person. As we say in Hawaii, May Day is Lei Day!

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Don’t scold yourself or others for falling short of your standards.


Don't scold yourself or others for falling short of your standards.

Don’t scold yourself or others for falling short of your standards.

Cognitive Distortions – Part 8
Don’t scold yourself or others for falling short of your standards. 

Do you find yourself telling yourself, “I should’ve done this” or “I should’ve done that”? These type of words and the tone of them can create unnecessary frustration in your life. When you have goals, it’s human to fall short at times. No one achieves everything they want. Take a closer look at your journey and all the knowledge, skills, and relationships you’ve gained. Don’t you think all of them are wins? They are!

Now, the same goes for how you judge others. Don’t scold them for falling short of your standards. I repeat “your standards,” which could be blown out of proportion (another cognitive distortion). Instead, look at all of their gains, which you may have overlooked because of your frustration. Again, as humans, we won’t achieve everything we want to accomplish, but we all can grow from our journey. Appreciate yourself and others for the journeys we undertake.

Sending love and positive energy to you!

Pictured is our Monkey Mind Logo Dark Unisex Hoodie in the color black to remind you to be mindful and to control your cognitive distortions such as scolding yourself and others for falling short of your standards. Like the Positive Masters say, “Be present at all times to be constantly aware of your thoughts so your mind leads you to your best actions.” You can purchase this hoodie here: Monkey Mind Logo Dark Unisex Hoodies.

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Creativity makes your soul happier.


Creativity makes your soul happier.

Creativity makes your soul happier.

I recently watched The Florida Project on Netflix, a movie by Sean Baker about the innocence of kids making the most of their lives despite being poor. I cried. No matter what problems you have, there’s so many other people facing tougher challenges. What an amazing movie, with both playful humor and heart-wrenching drama!


My heart melts for the children going through so many difficulties. Resiliently, many of these kids are still able to find ways to have fun. In my second novel, I wrote about the adversities the children in Iraq faced after the invasion by the U.S. I’m still pitching this story to the literary industry.

I feel for all of you going through tough times. I believe some of your greatest work can come from your emotional pain. If you have something creative you enjoy working on, whether it be drawing, creative writing, craftsmanship, fixing-up vehicles, acting, singing, filmmaking, music production, interior decorating, making crafts, cooking, developing games, photography, software programming, sculpturing, pottery, or anything that sparks joy in your soul, keep doing it when you have time. In fact, make time for it. Creativity makes your soul happier. I love you guys!

With Warmest Aloha,
Jon Riki Karamatsu
+postive masters+

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Don’t believe your distorted emotions are the truth.


Don't believe your distorted emotions are the truth.

Don’t believe your distorted emotions are the truth.

Cognitive Distortions – Part 7
Don’t believe your distorted emotions are the truth. 

Don’t believe your distorted emotions are the truth. For example, you make a mistake and tell yourself, “I feel like an idiot; therefore, I am an idiot.” No you’re not an idiot. You made a mistake. Everyone makes mistakes. In that case, everyone is an idiot. Please. That’s simply not true.

Let’s say you broke up with your lover, and this is the third time you’ve had a serious relationship. You tell yourself, “Since this is my third break-up, no one will ever love me.” Again, your emotions are grossly exaggerated. You have many potential partners out there, and if they had an opportunity to know you, many of them could fall in love with you.

Stay positive! You are wonderful! Sending positive energy to you!

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Try tweaking your personal life and business to make a pivot.


Try tweaking your personal life and business to make a pivot.

Try tweaking your personal life and business to make a pivot.

Try tweaking your personal life and business to make a pivot.

A couple of days ago, I walked around my neighborhood with my friend Claire Ann Niibu @bizcoachclaire who I’ve known since our time as students at Pearl City High School. She’s a business coach who consults in person and offers online courses such as accounting at www.bizcoachclaire.com. We shared our latest happenings in our lives. “I feel like I reached my limits,” I explained. Throughout 2020, I’ve been feeling so overwhelmed and worn down with my business projects and personal challenges. To top it off, like many of you, the Coronavirus has made things worse. How can I feel like this when I apply so many psychology, philosophy, and mindset practices in my life? I share these practices on my personal blog here at www.jonriki.com, on +positive masters+ blog at www.positivemasters.com, and on +positive masters+ and my social media platforms. Yes, I still go through my ups and downs. In my most challenging times, even with the full force of all the mindset practices I utilize, sometimes all I need is a motivational comment from a friend to snap me out of my dark cloud.

Claire told me to try to make some tweaks in my life and business. Using the word “tweak” total shifted my perception of what I needed to do. Rather than being overwhelmed by the huge mountain I have to climb that’s way out in the distance, I started seeing the different trails in front of me. Maybe, I’ll take a different path, or heck, I should go off of these paths and travel where no one really goes. I’ll wear different shoes with more support. As I hike, instead of only listening to music, I’ll mix in some motivational podcasts. Hmmm, these tweaks are making the journey more fun! I’m noticing the little yellow flowers in the green meadow swaying with the breeze and the puffy white clouds floating across the light blue sky. Reaching the top of the snowcapped mountain is just a bonus. It’s the journey that makes life interesting.

Likewise, I need to see the beauty of my journey in my career. I love learning. Therefore, I have to uncover exciting knowledge that will spark fresh ideas. I get a high off of building new skills. Thus, I need to push the boundaries to try different things that will develop the skills that I need to execute on my ideas. Yup, trial and error, that’s how we evolve. Numerous of iterations and tweaks – that’s what we need to do to keep moving towards our dreams.

Wishing you the best in your journey of personal growth!

With Warmest Aloha,
Jon Riki Karamatsu
+positive masters+

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Embrace obstacles as something that normally occurs. So when something does go wrong, you’re calm and ready to take it on like it’s no big deal. Tell yourself, “I will become better because of this obstacle.”


Embrace obstacles as something that normally occurs. So when something does go wrong, you're calm and ready to take it on like it's no big deal. Tell yourself, "I will become better because of this obstacle."

Embrace obstacles as something that normally occurs. So when something does go wrong, you’re calm and ready to take it on like it’s no big deal. Tell yourself, “I will become better because of this obstacle.”

It always amazes me when people get upset by an obstacle, like when someone rejects their work or business proposal. They start blaming the messenger. They dumb down the system. They attack the other party that rejected them. This is wasted energy. They could use their precious energy for their next moves.

Don’t be surprised when something goes wrong because it will. Those who wish obstacles never get in their way will always be upset when they do. Those who wish everything is suppose to be perfect will always get upset for any imperfection that occurs. If they don’t blame themselves for the obstacle, they blame others.

No, not you, for you are ready for the good days and even more ready for the bad days. You embrace obstacles as something that normally occurs. So when something does go wrong, you’re calm and ready to take it on like it’s no big deal. You tell yourself, “I will become better because of this obstacle.”

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Don’t blow things up out of proportion or minimize them.


Don't blow things up out of proportion or minimize them.

Don’t blow things up out of proportion or minimize them.

Cognitive Distortions – Part 6

Don’t blow things up out of proportion or minimize them.

When you fail, don’t exaggerate your errors and imperfections. Don’t blow them up way out of proportion because doing so will cause you unnecessary grief. Everyone make mistakes. Failure plays a huge role in your learning process; however, you may fear it as you get older. Constantly remind yourself that failure is part of your growth. If you fall down, you can get back up again stronger by learning from your mistakes. When you tried to walk as baby, you would fall down often, sometimes getting injured; yet, you kept getting up and trying again until walking became second nature.

Products, services, and philosophical and scientific theories are proven through trial and error. Thomas Edison went through thousands of prototypes before he was able to successfully create the light bulb. Henry Ford became financially broke 5 times and was advised to stay away from the automobile industry. He persisted until he successfully developed automobiles for the commercial market.

Even Albert Einstein struggled. As a student, he performed so poorly that he nearly decided to drop out and sell life insurance. After graduating from the Swiss Polytechnic Institute at 21 years old, Einstein had to work many odd jobs to sustain himself. His father died believing he was a failure. Einstein was emotionally crushed. Eventually, he became employed as a patent clerk. He would review patents and analyze mathematical equations daily, and he loved it. Einstein’s passion for math led him down the path to becoming one of the greatest scientists in world history. This example shows how failure can lead you to your passions.

Some failures are out of your control such as a car exploding and crashing into your vehicle, causing you to miss an important meeting that that ended badly with the investor leaving. Or, like our current situation with the Coronavirus, a pandemic spreads, causing the economy to shut down, which leads to you losing money. In these situations that are out of your control, don’t exaggerate the errors and imperfections. Instead, always have gratitude for the positive – you are still alive.

Neither should you exaggerate the errors and imperfections of others. By doing so, you will lash out undue judgment. This is where having empathy for others can tame your distorted view on the failure of others. Remind yourself that you could fail just as bad or worse. If you place hell on others, be ready to receive the same wrath from people when you fail at the same thing.

When I was a litigation attorney, I was once stuck in traffic for almost 2 hours on the freeway, on my way to Honolulu District Court from West Oahu because of an accident ahead of me. I arrived at the courtroom with 5 minutes before it was to start; but the judge was already sitting in her chair gaveling the start of the hearing. She berated me without giving me a chance to apologize. A year later, that same judge was almost a half an hour late to another court hearing. She sat down and oversaw the hearing like nothing happened. She didn’t even apologize to any of us. In this real life example, the judge blew things way out of proportion for me even though I had 5 minutes more before the court was to begin; whereas, she treated her tardiness like it never happened. Moral of the story, don’t blow things out of proportion for the errors of others either. You will cause unnecessary stress on your target and others around you. When you make the same mistake, shit will start flying back at you, whether it is uncomfortable stares or more. People like that also seem to have less friends because they hold high standards on others that doesn’t apply to themselves.

Lastly, when it comes to your strengths, don’t minimize them. For instance, when you achieve a nice score on your test, don’t minimize your success by telling yourself that you were just lucky when you studied your butt off. When your third attempt at a start-up company finally succeeds, don’t pass it off as simply being lucky. No, you worked darn hard for many years to get where you are. You sacrificed by living with little money to build your business. Embrace your success. Don’t shrink them. Nor should you minimize the success of others. They also sacrificed a lot to achieve them. Be happy for them. If you’re minimizing yourself now, let me say this, “You’re great, and you deserve those wins! Keep crushing it!”

Enter the +positive masters+ universe at http://www.positivemasters.com for mindset practices, motivational writing, and apparel with inspirational mantras and designs to boost your happiness and counter any stress, anxiety, sadness, or anger that you may be facing. ❤️

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To live in the present, you must move with time. The magic happens when you consistently move with time.


To live in the present, you must move with time. The magic happens when you consistently move with time.

To live in the present, you must move with time. The magic happens when you consistently move with time.

I came up with the following quote early in the morning of April 2, 2020 when I thought about how important it is for your conscience to be moving in step with time and to not be stuck in your depressed past or ahead in your anxious future:

To live in the present, you must move with time.
The past does not move. Neither does the future.
Whatever you experienced in the past, stays there.
As for the future, it remains still, waiting for you.
The magic happens when you consistently move with time.

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To live in the present, you must move with time.


To live in the present, you must move with time.

To live in the present, you must move with time.

I came up with the following quote early in the morning of April 2, 2020 when I thought about how important it is for your conscience to be moving in step with time and to not be stuck in your depressed past or ahead in your anxious future:

To live in the present, you must move with time.

The past does not move. Neither does the future.

Whatever you experienced in the past, stays there.

As for the future, it remains still, waiting for you.

The magic happens when you consistently move with time.

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Flower Therapy & Color Therapy!


Orange Kalanchoe flowers for flower therapy and color therapy!

Orange Kalanchoe flowers for flower therapy and color therapy!

On Sunday, February 23, 2020, I won these orange Kalanchoe flowers from playing bingo at an event hosted by the Jodo Shu Hawaii Fujinkai, a women’s organization within Jodo Shu Hawaii. It’s a beautiful succulent plant for your home or garden.

When you care for other living things such as flowers, you get a good feeling and a sense of accomplishment. A dopamine rush lifts your spirit.

Orange can be an uplifting color with its attention-grabbing brightness, which is perhaps why it is often used in marketing. Orange can make you feel happy and energized!

What are your favorite flowers? What are you favorite colors? Use flower therapy and color therapy to alleviate your stress, worries, depression and/or anger.

Enter the +positive masters+ universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset practices, motivational writing, and apparel with inspirational mantras and designs to boost your happiness. ❤️

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I seek savior in ages of critical thought.


I seek savior in ages of critical thought.

I seek savior in ages of critical thought.

I’m so lost.
I have one foot in the living,
while the other foot is out.
I seek savior in ages of critical thought.

– poem, +positive masters+, Jon Riki Karamatsu, 3/3/2020 –

At times, you may have conflicting feelings that pull you in opposite directions. In this poem, I refer to your feeling of wanting to get away from everything; yet, you’re still wanting to be a part of it. You’re frustrated with the bad things in the universe; yet, you greatly appreciate the good. If you’re feeling this, I understand. I go through these periods too.

Critical thinking – philosophy has helped me to calm my racing mind and fears. For example, Stoicism and Buddhism has been beneficial for me when managing any suffering I face because these practices help me to accept that suffering is a part of the process of living as a human. By accepting it, I’m more able to direct my mind to work on things that I have control over and to appreciate the good things in my life. Also, reading about the tremendous suffering that a number of philosophers had gone through, some of which were for speaking their thoughts and hypotheses, has motivated me to endure my own suffering.

Enter the +positive masters+ universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset practices, motivational writing, and apparel with inspirational mantras and designs to boost your happiness and counter any stress, anxiety, sadness, or anger that you may be facing. ❤️

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No event, good or bad, defines you. You’re a continuous flow, constantly learning and evolving.


No event, good or bad, defines you. You're a continuous flow, constantly learning and evolving.

No event, good or bad, defines you. You’re a continuous flow, constantly learning and evolving.

 

No event, good or bad, defines you. You’re a continuous flow, constantly learning and evolving.

Enter the +positive masters+ universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset practices, motivational writing, and apparel with inspirational mantras and designs to boost your happiness and counter any stress, anxiety, sadness, or anger that you may be facing. ❤️

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To counter your anxiety or depression, take one small action at a time, and reward yourself for taking these actions.


To counter your anxiety or depression, take one small action at a time, and reward yourself for taking these actions.

To counter your anxiety or depression, take one small action at a time, and reward yourself for taking these actions.

To counter your anxiety or depression, take one small action at a time, and reward yourself for taking these actions.

When you’re anxious or depressed, you may freeze-up and find it difficult to do your work or even your basic tasks. Instead, you think about your worries or painful memories. When you’re unable to do anything to help yourself progress, your worries or sadness increases because now you have added stress for all the things you haven’t been able to keep up with. As a result, your anxiety or depression compounds, pulling you deeper and deeper into darkness.

People expecting your work, may take it out on you, not knowing the struggles you’re dealing with: death of a loved one, major illness, financial troubles, separation from your lover, failure of a project, etc. When such people put you down or attack you, you fall faster and faster into what seems like infinite darkness.

By taking one small action at a time, you start putting the brakes on your free fall into darkness and begin to boost your energy to counter the negative forces so you can move upwards. By taking small actionable steps, you’ll distract yourself from that internal dialogue of self denigration. With each small action you accomplish, you’ll feel a burst of dopamine, a happy chemical in your brain that gives you pleasure for your accomplishments. Your self-worth returns. You begin to dispel your distorted thoughts. Now, you’re rising upwards, away from the black hole of anxiety and depression.

When I say, “Do a small action,” I mean break down a task into smaller bite-size actions, scheduling a half-hour for each action in your calendar. Over the course of your day, these bite-size actions add up, and by the end of the day, you’ll see a bunch of stuff you accomplished on your calendar. Use your calendar as a tool to ignite your booster engines that will push your momentum upwards. Personally, I enjoy using my Google calendar, which syncs with my laptop and smartphone. It’s an excellent tool for my productivity practices and reigniting my progress when anxiety and sadness freezes me.

My friends, if you’re going through anxiety or depression, I feel you. I hope this article or some of my other ones can be of help. Sending positive energy to you.

With Warmest Aloha,
Jon

Enter the +positive masters+ universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset practices, motivational writing, and apparel with inspirational mantras and designs to boost your happiness and counter any stress, anxiety, sadness, or anger that you may be facing. ❤️

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Don’t jump to negative conclusions.


Don't jump to negative conclusions.

Don’t jump to negative conclusions.

Cognitive Distortions – Part 5

Don’t jump to negative conclusions.

Sometimes you mind read people when you’re not a mind reader. For example, you may jump to a conclusion that a person doesn’t like you when in fact that person finds you interesting.

Neither are you a fortune teller. For instance, you may jump to a conclusion that no one will like reading your book before you even attempt at writing it. How can you predict that? You may have a masterpiece that people love.

Enter the +positive masters+ universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset practices, motivational writing, and apparel with inspirational mantras and designs to boost your happiness and counter any stress, anxiety, sadness, or anger that you may be facing. ❤️

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The highest calling for a human is to live a virtuous life.


The highest calling for a human is to live a virtuous life.

The highest calling for a human is to live a virtuous life.

The highest calling for a human is to live a virtuous life. One can reach this way of life through mindset practices, psychology, philosophy, and/or religion. There is no single right way to reach a virtuous life. All that matters is that one is able to reach it.

To be virtuous or morally excellent, one is compassionate, empathic, patient, and loving, among many other great qualities. Virtuous people handle adversity in a calm and collected way because of their heightened awareness of their every thought and every action. We can attain this by holding ourselves accountable, not because of fear of any repercussion, but because it is the right way to live. By working on ourselves daily, we can maintain our mind with right thoughts that leads our body to do right actions since we are constantly aware that everything we do will affect ourselves, others, and our environment.

On the other hand, for many of us, it can be overbearing to exert a lot of effort every single day on numerous mindset practices, deep analysis of the cognition and behavior of ourselves and others, or critical thought. It is so much easier for some of us to be told what is right and wrong through our fear of the wrath of a god or gods, the fear that good and bad things will happen to us depending on how we behave, or the fear on whether or not Santa will bring us gifts based on our past behavior. You see, religion can play a huge role on directing the masses to live virtuous lives just as well as practitioners of positive mindset, psychology, and philosophy. Social science and physical science are increasingly answering more and more questions and replacing religions; however, religion can still work together with science to help more people live virtuous lives. After all, the end goal is the same – for all of us to be happier, kinder, and better humans.

Enter the +positive masters+ universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset practices, motivational writing, and apparel with inspirational mantras and designs to boost your happiness and counter any stress, anxiety, sadness or anger that you may be facing. ❤️

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Happiness comes to those who want it.


Happiness comes to those who want it.

Happiness comes to those who want it.

Happiness comes to those who want it.

– +positive masters+, Jon Riki Karamatsu, 2/26/2020 –

How badly do you want to be happy? If you want it badly, you’ll work at it every single day until your last day alive in this realm. You are your own hero. You can save yourself from yourself to get out of the depths of darkness, which we fall into from time to time. Scroll through our social media posts and our blog at www.positivemasters.com to see practices, quotes, poems, and writings that may be helpful for you to be happy a great majority of your life. You got this!

Pictured is our Dream Cloud Mantra Dark Unisex Hoodie to motivate you to be happy. This hoodie and other merchandise can be purchased here at www.positivemasters.com!!

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Play the ultimate game, in which you can go anywhere.


Play the ultimate game, in which you can go anywhere.

Play the ultimate game, in which you can go anywhere.

They say, “Go to college, get a job.”
“Be clean cut, don’t be a slob.”
So many people showing off what they’ve got.
Some of it’s real, some of it’s not.

Why not be who you are?
Work from your heart and follow your own chart.
Long hair or short hair, who cares.
Play the ultimate game, in which you can go anywhere.

– poem, +positive masters+, Jon Riki Karamatsu, 2/27/2020 –

Are you feeling pressured to do what you think society expects you to do? What do you want to do? You’ve got one life. Before you know it, you’ll be dead.

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You don’t have control over external things that happen to you, adversity or fortune. The only thing you have control over is how you react to it.


You don't have control over external things that happen to you, adversity or fortune. The only thing you have control over is how you react to it.

You don’t have control over external things that happen to you, adversity or fortune. The only thing you have control over is how you react to it.

You don’t have control over external things that happen to you, adversity or fortune. The only thing you have control over is how you react to it.

Observe how people around you react to good things. This is an easy observation, they’re generally pretty happy, or at least pleased.

The true test on their abilities is when things go badly. Do they panic? Do they yell? Do they take out their frustration on others? On the other hand, are they calm and collective? Do they move forward in a constructive way? Do they make others around them feel like everything will be okay?

Which type of experience do you enjoy more? Now take a look at how you react to good things and bad things. How do you behave? How are you making those around you feel? Choose your practice, for it will determine your legacy.

Enter the +positive masters+ universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset practices, motivational writing, and apparel with inspirational mantras and designs to boost your happiness and counter any stress, anxiety, sadness or anger that you may be facing. ❤️

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In order to see all the wonderful things around us and dispel our cognitive distortions, we must fully live in the present.


In order to see all the wonderful things around us and dispel our cognitive distortions, we must fully live in the present.

In order to see all the wonderful things around us and dispel our cognitive distortions, we must fully live in the present.

In order to see all the wonderful things around us and dispel our cognitive distortions, we must fully live in the present. 😊

– +positive masters+, 2/23/2020, Jon Riki Karamatsu –

You have to be fully present if you want to go into your mind and dispel your distortive thoughts that make you anxious, sad, and angry. You have to be fully present if you want to consistently see all the great things in your life.

Pictured is our Angry Explosion Beanie in navy color to encourage you to fully live in the present and manage your anger. Life is too short and too important to be angry, most of which aren’t worth getting angry over. You can purchase this beanie at www.positivemasters.com!!

Enter the +positive masters+ universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset practices, motivational writing, and apparel with inspirational mantras and designs to boost your happiness and counter any stress, anxiety, sadness or anger that you may be facing. ❤️

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Every day, when I wake up from my sleep, I tell myself, “I’m so happy to have another day in this world!”


Every day, when I wake up from my sleep, I tell myself, "I'm so happy to have another day in this world!"

Every day, when I wake up from my sleep, I tell myself, “I’m so happy to have another day in this world!”

Every day, when I wake up from my sleep, I tell myself, “I’m so happy to have another day in this world!”

Gratitude is my favorite practice. If you can master it, you’ll see yourself being much happier.

———-

Enter the +positive masters+ universe at www.positivemasters.com for mindset practices, motivational writing, and apparel with inspirational mantras and designs to boost your happiness and counter any stress, anxiety, sadness or anger that you may be facing. ❤️ The hoodie in the picture above is available for purchase at https://positivemasters.com/collections/hoodies-sweaters/products/angry-explosion-logo-dark-unisex-hoodies.

 

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