I do a lot of writing, but these days it’s mostly on the computer. When I actually write by hand, it is usually so messy that only I can read it! This is probably true for most people; there just isn’t much need to actually write by hand any more. This is unfortunate though because the physical movements we make when writing by hand can actually help us change our lives.

Two interesting books that I read on this subject are Your Handwriting Can Change Your Life by Vimala Rodgers and The Power of Your Other Hand by Lucia Capacchione. The first book says that when we write by hand, our writing reflects our personality and our deepest feelings. By changing our handwriting we can change ourselves. For example, if we change the way we write the letter “T” we can gain more self-confidence to reach our goals.

The second book talks about accessing your creativity and inner wisdom by writing with your non-dominant hand. In other words if you normally write with your right hand, then you should write with your left hand. If we use our other hand, it seems that we bypass the thinking part of our brain, and get to the creative part. So if you have a problem or a question, then writing with your other hand may be the way to get your answer.

Obviously people who get paid to write, such as authors and journalists, get benefits from writing. However, you don’t need to get paid for your writing in order to get a lot of benefit from it.  So, tell me, “How can you use writing to your benefit?”

Back at the beginning of the year I remember seeing an article about Pajama Jeans™. The reason they were called pajama jeans was because apparently they are comfortable enough to sleep in just like pajamas, and yet they are stylish like jeans… Have you heard of them? It seems to me that they are just like yoga pants made to look like jeans instead of like… yoga pants.

I think comfortable, yet stylish jeans, are a great idea, but I’m not sure about the naming! I know that in the past few years there has been a huge increase in the amount of clothes that are for wearing at home when you want to relax. However, I don’t really see anybody wearing these kinds of clothes out when they go shopping or run errands and so on. Perhaps this is why someone thought pajama jeans would be a good idea because they are supposed to be stylish enough for going out.

Should there be a distinction between the clothes we wear when we relax at home and the clothes we wear when we’re out and about? Would you wear Pajama Jeans™? If not, tell me, “What kind of clothes do you relax in?”

July 2010 Family

It’s hard to say which of my family influenced me the most because in fact, throughout the different stages of my life each member of my family has been influential at different times. For example, my mum was very important to me during my teenage years. One of my older sisters was a great friend during my university days. One of my other sisters and also my brother influenced me a lot when I first started working.

However, I would have to say the most important thing that my family has given me is a love of reading. Everyone in my family reads. We all read different genres, but we all read… a lot! If you go to any of my family’s homes you would see that their living rooms look a lot like a library! There are full bookshelves everywhere.

I don’t have a lot of space in my little Japanese-sized apartment, but I still have a lot of books! The man who delivers my books from Amazon knows me very well now. Luckily I recently discovered that the library near my apartment has expanded their English book section, so that’s good news for my wallet. J

 I would have to say that every member of my family has influenced me, because they all instilled in me a love of reading. And for that, I must say “thank you.” So, tell me, “Which family member has most influenced you, and why?”

June 2010 Hope

It’s important to have a few strategies for feeling more positive again after a tough day. Something simple like a long bath really works for me.

When I lived in Australia though, I never had baths; I only ever took showers in the morning. So I was trying to recall what I used to do to feel upbeat again after a hard day…

One thing I used to do was write in a journal each night. This was a private notebook that no one except me ever read. It was a great place to write down thoughts and feelings. Writing things down was a kind of therapy!

I stopped using a journal a few years ago and started a blog instead. However, I think the actual physical movement of writing, as opposed to typing, actually helped me process my feelings… so at the end of my journal writing I always felt so much better.

Also, my blog ended up being a way to keep in contact with friends and family, so it kind of became a different purpose than my private journal.

During the summer months in Japan, it is really too hot to stay in the bath for too long, so perhaps I will start a journal again… So, tell me, “How do you stay positive after a tough day?”

May 2010 Energy

Ten years ago, I spent Golden Week in Niijima, one of the small islands near Tokyo. It was a little cold so I didn’t swim but the beaches were beautiful. There is also a great outdoor onsen, with a wonderful view of the ocean. You have to wear your swimsuit and everybody bathes together. Since it’s outside, it’s free and many people were drinking beer and eating bentos while they were bathing.

One night we went to a small izakaya and my friends ordered that smelly fish dish, Kusaya… Yuck!! It was so smelly! Naturally I didn’t eat any of it – I don’t really like regular cooked fish, let alone smelly cooked fish!

I have many great memories of that trip and I often think about going back for a short holiday… In fact, I was thinking it would be fun to go for a kind of “10^th anniversary Niijima trip.” So I was surprised when I got an email recently from a friend saying that she was organizing a camping trip to Niijima during Golden Week. It sounds like synchronicity to me! I guess I’m going to Niijima this weekend. I am curious to see if it has changed at all in the last 10 years. I’m sure it has.

So, tell me, “Do you have anything fun planned this weekend?”

I would have to say that I am the kind of person who makes decisions based on gut feelings rather than logical reasoning… Of course, my instincts tell me that this is sometimes not the best way to make a decision!!

When I worked as a manager and had to hire staff, I always had trouble deciding who would be the best candidate based on the resumes I received. However as soon as I met someone I could get a “feeling” about them and that made it very easy to make a decision about who to hire. While I worked as a manager in my last job, I hired over 20 people, and I never had to fire any of them. I would have to say that trusting my instincts worked well in that job!

I also chose my apartment by trusting my instincts… I looked at one apartment in the building and got a terrible “feeling” about it – it had a very negative atmosphere, so I refused it. Then a few weeks later another apartment in the same building became available. My real estate agent didn’t think I would like it because it was exactly the same layout as the previous one I had refused. However, when I went to look at the apartment – I knew it was the right one for me as soon as I opened the door. I have now lived here for over 3 years, and I’m very happy! Maybe I should decide things in a more logical way, but for now, I am happy trusting my instincts.

So, tell me, “Do you trust your instincts?”

I have a Canadian friend who has lived in Japan for more than 10 years now.

When I first met him, he couldn’t speak any Japanese at all.

His Japanese is now very good and for some reason he usually speaks to me in Japanese!
I actually find this kind of weird… I think of English and Japanese and any other language as just tools for communicating, so you should use whatever tool is best for the situation. In my opinion, if two native English speakers are speaking, then English is the best tool.

So recently I decided to ask my Canadian friend why he always talks to me in Japanese instead of English.

I thought maybe he just wanted to practice his Japanese – in which case, I would be happy to practice my Japanese too. But do you know what he answered?

He told me that he feels he can best express himself using Japanese.
At first I thought this was strange, but then I thought about my Japanese friends and my students, and I realized that there is often a difference in the way many of them express themselves when they are speaking English.

I wonder if they find that they can be more direct or more honest or more relaxed when they are speaking English?
What’s your experience? Do you find it easier to say some things in English rather than Japanese?

Tell me, “How do you best express yourself?”