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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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.
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Besides this list, there are many more benefits of reading fiction. These benefits are some that have been beneficial for me. I hope they helpful for you as well!
5 Benefits of reading fiction: 📚📖
(1) Fiction expands your imagination. You visualize the characters & scenes. 😃
(2) Fiction motivates you to be the hero in your life. In most novels, the protagonist faces obstacles to become a hero. Win or lose, you respect the protagonist for his/her tremendous efforts. Likewise, you can do the same in your journey. 👊
(3) Fiction helps you empathize for others. When you read fiction, you empathize for the characters undergoing hardship, an important quality to have in your life and career. ❤️
(4) Through fiction, you learn different styles of writing that aren’t usually shown in nonfiction books. 🖋️
(5) Fiction reduces your stress by taking you into other worlds and into the lives of unique characters. 😊
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Technology has made working anywhere possible! I love my @apple Macbook Pro, my R2D2, an extension of me. It’s been with me since November 16, 2013. My buddy has been with me through the ups and downs, but we’ll keep moving forward everyday.
Here’s a shot of my workplace while I stayed with my sister and her family in the Bay Area, California.
– Jon Riki Karamatsu, Haiku Poem #138, 6/27/2018 –
No matter how hard life gets, whether it be financial hardship, a death of a loved one, or a broken heart, we have to do our best to see all the good we have in our life. Day by day as we work at our projects, we get better and a bit closer to our dreams. In person and through social media, we can support one another. We’re in this together.
I took this picture in Waikele, Hawaii on 10/30/2018.
This morning of Saturday September 2, 2017, I’m trying hard to build energy and motivation to analyze another redline of our agreement for a land deal for a company my partners and I are building. I have a birthday party tonight, and tomorrow I have a Jodo Shu service and board meeting, a community event with my family, and my weekly Skype with my sister Mia and 2 young nieces, thus, I want to try to get it done in 3 to 4 hours today. I had about 7 hours of sleep, so to add to the energy I got from my sleep, early this morning, I exercised at 24 Hour Fitness in Mililani, Hawaii – weightlifting and running the treadmill. Then I cooked up some breakfast: bacon; omelette with 3 types of cheddar cheese, onion, bell pepper, and my homegrown green onions; brown rice with furikake; and Ka’u coffee. I keep telling myself for nearly 2 years on this project that the sweat, tears, and struggle will be worth it. I’m grateful to have this opportunity. Let’s go!!!
JON RIKI KARAMATSU 