Forge Ahead

The road of life is fraught with peril, full of dips and bumps and twists and turns. You never know what lies ahead without the courage to round the corner and see. Though you can’t control what’s beyond that corner, you can choose the manner of your approach and your reaction. And that is your power.

Voice of Appreciation

A while back, I stumbled onto an inspirational video. It’s an oldie, but a goodie, about an “experiment” that studied a particular method of spreading happiness and joy. I won’t spoil all of it, but it begins with participants writing thank you letters to loved ones and ends up with happiness and joy all around.

It’s difficult to put aside ego and dignity and express appreciation for the ones we appreciate. Maybe this video is just what we need to pick up that phone or draft a new e-mail. If not, then allow me to provide the two to my one-two punch: it’s a website called See Your Folks. It estimates how many more times you will see your parents before the pass away. It’s a stark eye-opener that you don’t realize until you see an actual number in front of you.

Life is short, but happiness goes a long way.

The Great Passage

Life is a journey that takes us down many paths, each step a step toward the destination. And when we arrive, we see that happiness is not the end of a journey, but the journey itself.

Focus not on the destination; you might miss everything. Focus instead on the path.

It is with this realization that we must sometimes stop…and enjoy.

Japan Simply Complex

Japan is full of complexity, and as an advocate of simplicity, it’s as confusing as it is interesting. For example, the theme of dualities is one that I see prevalent within modern day Japanese culture. While they seem to conflict, they somehow coexist together in harmony, often seen side by side in the same place at the same time.