I got home just after midnight from a very  busy, long day at work, my eyes tired and my mind exhausted. This had been going on since the past week. All these busy days have taken a big chunk of my time and I haven’t been able to connect with family and friends.

This is not a rant. I’m just saying that what I’m going through recently has made me feel quite down.

As I checked my Facebook news feed before going to bed, I came across this post by George Takei and somehow my spirits were lifted. It’s so awesome I just had to share it with you right away:

We ARE the stars. Listen to Astrophysicist Dr. Neil DeGrasse, and understand why he feels big, not small, as part of the universe. Something we should all remember when we feel alone, insignificant, or disconnected.

He was referring to the video below.

Astrophysicist Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson was asked by a reader of TIME magazine, “What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?”

This is his answer:

FACT: We are PART of the Universe.

FACT: We are IN this Universe.

But the Most Astounding FACT is the knowledge that: the Universe IS IN US.

We are the stars. We are all connected.

Now that you know, start sharing this to your friends! And remember to leave your comments below. I’m looking forward to hearing from you.

Watch Mike Maloney’s movie “Why Gold and Silver” and learn about all these:

Currency creation, the Federal Reserve, fractional reserve banking, how central banks steal our wealth, runaway deficits, the second wave of mortgage resets, Mike’s prediction of short term deflation THEN hyperinflation, New Media, Ron Paul, and the Constitution.

and more!

This is probably one of the most important movies you will watch, EVER.

Mike Maloney is one of Robert Kiyosaki’s Rich Dad Advisors and the author of  Guide to Investing In Gold and Silver: Protect Your Financial Future.

The question is, are your habits helping you achieve your goals faster or are they slowing you down?

Some people say it takes 21 days to form a habit. Others say it takes 30 days. While others say it takes a lot longer than that. Well, I think there are no hard and fast rules.

The key is to do these 4 simple steps:

1. Identify habits that prevent you from achieving your goals

You must recognize the habits that are slowing you down so that you can do something about it. So identifying them is very important. Think really hard, grab a pen and paper, and list them all down.

It could be anything, like watching too much TV, or being too lazy to exercise.

2. Start replacing those destructive habits with constructive ones

To be successful in life, we must continually form new habits that will reinforce our success and replace destructive habits. Start off with the ones that have a big impact on your progress.

For example, instead of watching TV, how about developing the habit of reading a new book, or learning a new skill that will help you achieve your goals faster. That’s how you achieve personal growth.

3. Be committed in exerting effort

For habits that have been with us for years, it’s going to require quite an effort to change at the start. Your dedication and determination to change yourself will be important factors to forming new habits. Practice makes permanent. Like learning to ride a bike or drive a car. The more you do it, the more it becomes automatic.

4. Do it now!

Start doing it now and reap the benefits as soon as possible!  As Darth Vader puts it: “The early Sith guts the Jedi”.

Once you start doing these simple steps, you will have changed your life, one day at a time. I hope this helps in your journey towards success.

Now it’s your turn. What habits would you like to change in your life? How do you plan on changing them? I look forward to hear from you!

It was a year of learning, taking control of my life and moving forward. It was a time of growth and self-improvement. And I am glad to say that I am happy with the way I have handled several challenges this year.

With that said, I would like to share with you 10 of my accomplishments in 2010:

10. Completed a year of Japanese lessons

After living in Tokyo for a couple of years, there have been several times that I had trouble doing even the most mundane tasks just because I couldn’t communicate well in Japanese. Sometimes it was quite frustrating and I had to do something about that.

I was so happy to find a great and fun way to study Japanese by listening to a lot of podcasts. I also had the opportunity to find my own online sensei (teacher).

9. Passed Japanese Language Proficiency Test (Level 3)

With all the effort I put into studying Japanese, it made sense to try out my skill level. So I took the JLPT exam at the University of Tokyo. And a few months later I got the certification in the mail and was so happy that I passed!

8. Switched to Mac and iPhone

For many years I have been using my old laptop that I got back in 2005. I’ve upgraded it to its maximum capacity and always thought: Hey I don’t need a new computer, this one is still working! But eventually I stopped kidding myself because it was really slow and I couldn’t do what I needed to do on it. So I bought a MacBook Pro.

As for the phone, I have been using a Japanese phone for a couple of years. It has all the hi-tech gadgetry that Japanese want: mobile HDTV, mobile wallet (FeLiCa), hi-res screen, and more. At that time I was also using an iPod touch. But when the new iPhone came out, I was glad that I could now carry one device instead of two.

Plus I get to share a lot more goodies via Twitter and Facebook even when I’m on the go.

7. Learned how to make simple videos

This was actually one of the main reasons why I switched to a Mac. I wanted to make short, bite-size “pocket movies”. So I started learning how to use iMovie. It was easy and I had fun doing some experiments. Next time I will learn to do training videos using screencast software. So stay tuned!

6. Moved out of my comfort zone a lot

Sometimes people mistake me for being aloof or snobbish. This cannot be further from the truth. I am actually a shy guy and it takes me a while to warm up to new people.

In the past months I have gone out of my comfort zone much more than usual. I attended a lot of events, parties, photo shoots, get-togethers and so on. In those occasions I have talked to dozens and dozens of people from all over the world (Japan, UK, US, Australia, ) from different backgrounds (photography, education, technology, entertainment, and a lot more).

It’s great to connect with other people. I highly recommend it!

5. Started studying about online marketing and social media

As more and more people go online, the shift from traditional media (like radio, TV, newspapers) to social media, it is changing the way people do business at a rapid pace. That’s why I have taken interest in studying about online marketing and social media.

4. Started my own blog

Thank you to my mentors for teaching me how to start my own blog. From buying the domain name, to choosing the web hosting, to installing WordPress, installing and configuring themes and plugins, to adding social media elements.

For 2011, I will share with you how I built this blog from the ground up.

3. Read a lot of books and articles to increase financial intelligence

For me, the thing that will give the highest impact to my future is increased financial intelligence. As I mentioned in my previous post, education is very important. With a higher financial IQ, there is a higher chance to make better decisions and recognize opportunities where others normally don’t see it.

2. Started investing in precious metals

Just to be clear, I am not a financial advisor and what you do with your money is for you to decide. I am just sharing with you what I am doing with my money right now. I have invested a lot in gold and silver this year, for many good reasons which I will share in future posts. If you asked me, I would highly recommend that you have some kind of physical gold and silver in your portfolio. But don’t take my word for it. Do your own homework (or as other people would call it, due diligence).

1. Completely stopped smoking, the easy way

This is probably one of the biggest challenges I had to overcome: escaping from the tight grip of nicotine addiction. I’ve been a smoker for a little over a decade. I am so glad it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Thanks to Allen Carr’s Easy Way to Stop Smoking.

Well there you have it. Now it’s your turn. What things have you accomplished in 2010? Please share them by leaving some comments below. I look forward to hear from you!

Now if you would excuse me, I have to prepare for a countdown party in Shibuya. Happy New Year to everyone!

As I walked through the streets of Tokyo tonight, I saw that most of the leaves on the trees on the sidewalks have fallen to the ground. It’s getting a lot colder these days.

Goodbye autumn. Hello winter.

Time sure goes by so fast. It’s been more than two years since the Lehman Shock hit the globe.

Since then, the economy has been crawling. It’s been a slow and painful process. Despite all the stimulus packages the government gives out, people aren’t spending as much.

People from all over are trying to reduce their spending, cutting back on expenses.

The same thing goes for businesses. They are not expanding.
They have been trying to run as efficient as possible with smaller workforces. Unemployment is up.

A lot of people have lost their jobs. A lot of people have lost their homes. Others have lost even more.

And here’s Tony Robbins. He’s a man who has been coaching some of the top financial people in the world for almost 2 decades.

If you were that close to such a group of people, obviously you would have picked up a thing or two about business and finance stuff.

So here he is, giving us a word of warning about what lies ahead. Just when you thought the economy was getting back on it’s feet.

If you think that the worst is over, and we’re in for some good times ahead, then think again. Now, I didn’t say that to make you feel bad.

I said it because I want you to be informed, so that you can prepare and protect yourself and your loved ones from what could be a harsh winter ahead.

Check out his video below:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9HLTZdXCu8

Here’s part 2:
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5nDDtVcHck

The one thing you can take away from this is that, with every great adversity comes great OPPORTUNITY. It’s not all gloom and doom.
Yes, you can prosper in a down economy.

So here’s 7 steps you can take to help you thrive, and not just survive, through this economic winter:

1. Decide NOW to Get smart
Know the overall trend so you know how to react. I totally agree with Tony on this point. You gotta know the rules of the game so you can play to win. Get smart now!

2. Start to educate yourself
I cannot stress this enough. Education is key to successfully navigating through this crisis. Learn and understand how to take advantage of the current situation.

3. Find your role model
The best way to learn is to find a role model. Find a mentor. Seek out successful people. Learn from them.

4. Get a strategy going
Figure out where the money is, how to get in the game. But most importantly, think about your exit strategy.

5. Make a plan and get it in action
Once you figure out your strategy, plan out what actions you will do to execute that strategy. Most important part: TAKE ACTION!

6. Measure it
There has to be a way for you to know that you are on track. You have to measure your progress against your plan and make adjustments along the way.

7. Add more value to people
I believe in karma. The more you give away, the more will come back to you. The more value you give to others, the more success will come your way.

There you have it. I hope it helps. Stay tuned for the next post!

Hope you would share this to all the people you consider important in your life. Kindly click on the Facebook Share and Twitter buttons at the top of this post. Click on the Like button too!

Do take time to leave your comments. I am looking forward to hear from you!

Oh, and if you are new here, why don’t you join us by subscribing to the mailing list? Just enter your name and email on the form at the top this page.

I noticed how more and more movies are coming out in digital 3D these days.  Watching them in 3D makes me feel like I’m “inside” the  the movie. The images just pop out of the screen and it just seems so real. That’s an amazing thing about how we see things.

People look at things from their own perspective.

In almost any aspect of life, how we perceive things defines our reality. There’s always more than one way of looking at any experience. How do you perceive your experiences?

Do you find opportunity in every difficulty? Or do you find difficulty in every opportunity?

Focus on Finding Solutions

Often times, we dwell too much on our mistakes. That invites a lot of self-doubt and it’s going to affect you emotionally in a negative way. It’s like watching a 3D movie without the 3D glasses. All you can see are blurry images. That can be quite a frustrating experience. My point is that there are different and better ways to see things.

Instead of whining about the blurry movie, try wearing those 3D glasses! Instead of focusing on mistakes, focus on finding solutions and how you can do better next time. Change your perspective!

Recognize that there is No Easy Path

Everybody encounters problems in life. Especially in business. Trust me, there will be a lot of unforeseen obstacles that you will bump into. It is important to recognize that there is no easy path to success. We are always going to encounter obstacles. But it’s how we confront those obstacles that makes the difference between failure and success. It’s important to look at them from the right perspective.

Perception is Reality

You create your own reality. If you perceive that you have all these opportunities in front of you, that you are growing to be a huge success, then that’s what your reality is going to be.  On the other hand, if you merely focus on all your mistakes, and setbacks, all you get is a feeling of anxiety and frustration.

How do you perceive your world?

When faced with a setback, how do you respond? What have you learned from those setbacks? How will you respond to your next challenge? How do you perceive your reality now?

I hope you are perceiving a great quality of life. Great health. A booming business. Onward and upward!

Please remember to post your thoughts on the comments below. I would love to know what you think. And if you liked this post, please click on the Tweet, Like, and Share buttons too!

Ever wonder how other people in the blogging community get to add their photo consistently and automagically on whatever blog they are commenting on?

They use Globally Recognized Avatars. Or simply Gravatars.

So how can you get one? I found this really great video from Katie Freiling where she teaches you how to easily create your own Gravatar. Check out the very informative training video here: http://katiefreiling.com/gravatar/

So what did you think? Wasn’t that fun? Yes or yes?
Share your thoughts in the comments below and show off your own Gravatar now!

If you like this post, please click on the Tweet and Facebook share buttons at the top of this post so you can share this to your friends too. Go right ahead and click the Facebook Like button below, too! Enjoy!

Yes, I admit that I’ve had my share of crappy moments in my life. I didn’t realize it then, but I was actually attracting all that crap! Unbelievable! But then I found out about a way to turn things around…

There used to be a time when nothing seemed to go my way. Everything I did didn’t seem to work.

Then a good friend of mine introduced me to a great book about how to master the inner game of wealth. It’s called Secrets of the Millionaire Mind, by T.Harv Eker.  And I’d like to share some valuable things I’ve learned.

I read about a lot of wealth principles, and the first one I learned was this:

“Rich people believe “I create my life.”
Poor people believe “Life happens to me.””

If you want to attract wealth into your life, you have to believe that you are in control. Think of it this way. If your life were a car, you are the one holding the steering wheel. If it were a boat, then YOU are the Captain of your Ship.

This reminds me of a poem by William Ernest Henley: Invictus

“It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll.
I am the master of my fate:
I am the captain of my soul.”

If you don’t believe this, then I guess you think that your life is not in your hands, and of course that includes your financial life as well.

Playing the role of “Victim”
People who believe they are not in control often play the role of victims. So how do you know if you’re “playing victim?” There are signs…

The Blame Game: “It wasn’t me!”
Victims blame either something or someone else. They blame the traffic, the weather, the government, the bad economy, the market crash, the recession… They blame the boss, the manager, the co-worker, the subordinate… the neighbor, friend, parents… And the list goes on and on!

Justify This: Rationalize til you drop
Financially-challenged people often rationalize their situation by something like “Money is not really important”
If that’s the kind of relationship you have with money, do you think money will stay with you?

If you said this to the one you love, “You’re not really important,” would they stay with you for long? Well, guess again. It’s the same thing with money. You may think that “love makes the world go ’round” but you still need to pay the bills/rent, buy food and clothing, etc etc.

Sidenote: OK, I suddenly remembered a song that goes: “When we’re hungry, love will keep us alive” Guess what kind of mentality that sends out? Anyway, moving on…

Complaining: Bad for your health and wealth!
According to the Laws of Attraction, “like attracts like“.  What we focus on, expands. If we keep on thinking about the bad things, the more we complain about what’s wrong in our lives, we are actually attracting more crap. Imagine turning into a living, breathing crap magnet! When the sh*t hits the fan, you have to steer clear from people who complain a lot. Because when that crap lands, some of it is gonna hit those nearby.

Holy cr@p! I did a lot of blaming and complaining in the past. The people closest to me were not happy about it at all. My colleagues thought I was irresponsible. My boss thought I was a real pain. My friend once told me that I “exude too much negativity.”  So I said to myself: Stop! Wait a second. This isn’t me. This isn’t what I want. I’ve gotta turn things around!

After learning about this wealth principle, I have struggled day in an day out to do the following:

• avoid blaming by take responsibility for my actions
• always keep myself accountable for my life
• keep complaints out of my mind and out of my life
• protect my mindset from people who play the role of victim

Because I strongly believe that the mind is very powerful. I believe that this works. And I believe that I can do it.

Take Control
I create everything in my life, and everything that’s not in it. I create my wealth, non-wealth and everything else in between. I choose to be rich and not to be a victim. And I invite you to take control. Grab the wheel and steer your life towards wealth and happiness.

So which do you choose?  I’d like to know about your thoughts and insights. Please do take time to leave some comments. I would like to hear from you soon!

P.S. If you like to share this to other people, kindly click on that little Tweet button or the blue Facebook button (or both) at the top of this post.  Thanks!