Tag Archives: stress remedy

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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Use your body to manage your mind.


Use your body to manage your mind.

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.

#exercise #health #mentalhealth #mindset #stressremedies #anxietyrelief #anxietyremedies #depressionrelief #innerpeace #stressrelief #depressionrelief #depressionremedies
#psychology #neuroscience #personalgrowth #positivemindset #positivemasters #selflove #personalcare #hawaii #hawaiilife #hawaiilifestyle #positivevibes #productivity

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Running is a super practice!


Running is a super practice!

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.

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Focus on what you can control.


Focus on what you can control!

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).

#mindset #mentalhealth #anxietyremedies #stressremedies #anxietyrelief #anxietyremedy #stressremedy #stressrelief #mindsetpractices #positivemindset #perception #cognitivebehavioraltherapy #psychology #philosophy #personalgrowth #personaldevelopment #howtobehappier #enjoythejourney #onelifetolive #dailyeffort #habits #consistency #dailyhustle #goals #dailyhabits #habits #passionprojects #stepbystep #tinywins #smallwins

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Exercise & mindfulness are 2 practices I do to manage my stress, anxiety, and occasional sadness.


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.

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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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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
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! 

With Warmest Aloha, 

Jon Riki Karamatsu

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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.
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

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4: Positive Masters – Mindset Clips – Growth Mindset


4: Positive Masters - Mindset Clips - Growth Mindset
4: Positive Masters – Mindset Clips – Growth Mindset
4: Positive Masters – Mindset Clips – Growth Mindset

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!

With Warmest Aloha,

Jon Riki Karamatsu

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1: Positive Masters – Mindset Clips – Focus on Now!


1: Positive Masters - Mindset Clips - Focus on Now!
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!

With Warmest Aloha,

Jon Riki Karamatsu

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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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Stay positive and keep moving forward!


Stay positive and keep moving forward!
Stay positive and keep moving forward!

You have no control over your opposition, critics, and haters, but you have control over yourself to stay positive and keep moving forward!

As a former politician and deputy prosecuting attorney, I’ve experienced my share of negative people. Instead of going down to their level, I’ve made a commitment to behave in a positive way so those witnessing the duality will choose happiness and inner peace over anger and suffering.

In this picture, I’m wearing Positive Masters’ Angry Explosion Logo Dark Unisex T-Shirt in royal blue, which is available at www.positivemasters.com. We have a 40% Off Holiday Sale until December 8, 2020. Angry Explosion is a cute character in the Positive Masters’ universe who reminds us that most things in our lives are not worth getting angry about.

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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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. 💻
📝

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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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The full episode of “1: Positive Masters Show – 3 Daily Gratitude Practices to Boost Your Happiness!” is now available on the Positive Masters Youtube channel and all major podcast platforms!


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

3 gratitude practices that you can do daily to boost your happiness!

1. Express your gratitude from the moment you wake up until you go to sleep.
2. Identify things to be grateful for during your good times and badtimes.
3. When good things happen, write down how grateful you are for those wonderful moments. Also, if you use something you’re grateful for, write it down.

As mentioned in the podcast, I’m an affiliate of Artlist. You can hear more of Artlist’s music and purchase their songs for your personal enjoyment or business here: Artlist

Per the podcast, I use Google Calendar, Google Keep, Gmail, and Google Drive in Google’s G Suite for my business and personal life, which is linked here: G Suite

If you haven’t already, please subscribe to our show on your favorite podcast platform and on our Positive Masters Youtube Channel!

Experience more of 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. Stay tuned, in the future, we will be offering courses to strengthen your mindset to boost your happiness and courses to turn your passion project into your passion business using legal documents, government programs, and business tools to increase your joy and purpose.

Thank you!

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My wish is for angry people to find happiness.


My wish is for angry people to find happiness. Highlighted is our Angry Explosion Flip Flops that was created as a fun way to remind you to play a role in ending anger for anger.

My wish is for angry people to find happiness. Highlighted is our Angry Explosion Flip Flops that was created as a fun way to remind you to play a role in ending anger for anger.

My wish is for angry people to find happiness.

Here’s a practice that you can do to help end the cycle of anger for anger. When a person lashes his/her anger at you, stay calm, walk away, and sincerely wish that person happiness from within your soul.

Here’s our Angry Explosion Flip Flops. We made this character cute for a reason – to remind yourself to play a role in ending the cycle of anger and violence. Inside every angry person is a vulnerable soul that is deeply in pain. You can purchase these flip flops from Positive Masters here: Angry Explosion Flip Flops.

Enjoy 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.

Enjoy our podcast on developing your mindset and passion projects that is available here: Positive Masters Show, and it will be available soon on all major podcast platforms.

Under development is our mindset course on how you can build a positive mindset so strong that you’ll be happier despite of outside negative influences and our course on making your passion project into your passion business through the use of legal documents, government programs, and business tools – a way to increase joy and meaning in your life.

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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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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!

Enter 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 you may be facing.

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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!

Enter 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 you may be facing.

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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.

Enter 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 you may be facing.

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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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Go hard on your dreams, but don’t burn yourself out.


Go hard on your dreams, but don't burn yourself out.

Go hard on your dreams, but don’t burn yourself out.

Go hard on your dreams, but don’t burn yourself out. Break up your goals into bite-size tasks, take breaks between your work, and reward yourself for executing on your tasks for the day, such as your favorite TV show or a tasty snack.

Have fun attacking your goals!

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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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+

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 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+

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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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.”

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 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.

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.


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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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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