Daily Yamabushi

Make a habit of practicing your native tongue

This sounds obvious, but it’s something I wish I did when I decided I wanted to be a translator: Practice writing in your native language.

A lot.

Interpreters are different, they also have to use their second language a lot, but translators, you’re paid to do well in your first language.

Even if you don’t publish, it’s very helpful to keep up your writing practice if you’re to do well.

The Devil is in the Details

If you’re fine where you are, then that’s great. Stay there. If you’re not, then there has to be changes that you are making every day to push things forward. These changes don’t have to be huge, but they do have to be.

It’s all fine and dandy to intend on changing, to intend on trying another method, or to intend on doing the work tomorrow. But for real change, there needs to be iteration. You need to be making tweaks to the way you go about things. Otherwise you get stuck in a feedback loop that isn’t really helping move things forward.

Even if you’re not making big changes, you need to at the very least be making tiny tweaks to the way you go about things. Sure this might ruin your progress in other areas, but if they’re only small tweaks it should be reversible, or if not, it means you may well need to find a new way to push forward to.

Plus, and importantly, this keeps things interesting. It keeps you on your toes, and it keeps people guessing, most importantly yourself!

Get out into nature as much as you can

Shugendo isn’t an answer to everything. Nothing is. But it does go pretty far in helping you come to terms with what is going on with your life. Sometimes that can be the best you can hope for, enough to tide things over. And Shugendo is a good, productive, way to do just that.

Get out into nature on the regular. You can thank yourself later.

Acceptance and Time

There are some wounds time can’t heal. However, time has the uncanny ability to make things feel better. If you let it. Some pain is always going to exist, no matter what. You just have to let it be. You have to accept it for what it is, and not let it get the better of you.

Keep on keeping on. Some feelings will stick, but they’re just that. Feelings. Whether you dwell on them or not is completely up to you. Don’t let time compound your bad feelings. Accept that some things you may never be able to accept. Seek solace there.

Resilience in the face of unpredictability

Before you do waterfall meditation, you have no idea what it is like. You have no idea whether you will be able to do it well, or whether you will not even last a few seconds. In other words, it is an unpredictable challenge.

Of course there are predictable parts to it. You know it will be cold, you know the water will hit hard. However, you don’t know just how tough it is until you’re under the water yourself.

That’s why it’s such a good tester of your resilience, of your ability to persevere through the hard times, and of your ability to focus in the face of what can be the most physically and mentally tough part of Yamabushi training.

Not only does it prove you have what it takes to get through waterfall meditation, it proves that you have developed at least some techniques at getting through the unpredictable.

We use any number of techniques to get through waterfall meditation. A good one is chanting the heart sutra, but another good one is, ironically enough, experience.

If you have experience getting through tough and unpredictable times, when you meet tough and unpredictable times, you will be better prepared. You will have the confidence to know, in spite of the unpredictability, that you do have what it takes to get through.

It can seem difficult in the moment, but difficult and impossible are two different things.

And waiting, and waiting.

That’s the thing. It doesn’t unless you do something about it. It takes constant effort and practice over a prolonged period of time. It takes perseverance and dedication time after time.

That’s the point of the discipline, and that’s exactly why you keep it up. Anything less and you’re just like the rest of them. Those who give up easy and don’t see the value in your determination.

But you see the value in your determination. It may be hard to put into words, but it’s there. It exists. And it pushes you forward, forever striving for better, forever demanding more.

But it comes through action. Not through waiting. Never through waiting.

Start there.

You have a project you’re working on. Only, you’re not working on it. Your sitting around with your thumb up your a*s waiting for some divine intervention to do the work for you.

You keep beating around the bush, busying yourself with tasks you know full well won’t get you anywhere closer to completing that project.

Or starting it, for that matter.

The 2,446 stone steps of Mt. Haguro are a hard climb. If you do it all at once, that is. The key to climbing the steps is extremely simple. So simple it just becomes a matter of doing.

Start with the one in front of you. Then take the next. Then the next. Before long, you’ll find yourself at the top.

That’s how projects get completed. By starting with the first step, and pushing on until the last step is done.

Take that first step.

Perfection can wait

It’s not going to come. It’s literally and physically impossible. Good enough is good enough. Ready enough is ready enough.

Quit thinking about your next YouTube video, your next article, your next Instagram post. Get in the habit of producing something on a regular basis.

Really, that’s all you need.

Don’t get stuck in a perfection loop. Just get started. Then keep at it. Before long, you’ll find that you’ve been close to perfection all along. And importantly, that’s all you needed.

Perfection can wait.

The moment you let it get to you, you lose

There I was, about to make the turn at the 100m mark of an 800m set in the pool. Suddenly, the familiar sight of floral swimwear appeared in my peripheral vision. Normally, it’s fine to ignore. Normally, they are in the lane next to you and it’s your eyes playing tricks.

Normally.

Unfortunately, today was no normal day.

In spite of being the only person in the lane, meaning a wait of 5 or so seconds would suffice, in spite of almost reaching the end to make that all important turn, the old lady decided it was the right time to cut across my lane.

Cue my abrupt stop.

Cue the shocked wrinkled face instantly turning into an anime smile complete with upside-down triangle eyes.

Cue the customary ‘gomen’.

Cue my anger.

Or, nearly.

The anger was there. However, I’ve been here long enough to know that in Japan, no matter how right you are, anger is never seen in a good light.

The thing is, the moment you let it get to you, you lose.

This wasn’t the first time it’s happened. Far from it. This means in all likelihood it will happen again.

What are you going to do then? Get angry about it? What good would that do? I’ve learned it’s not necessary, and is actually a waste of time and effort. Best just to put your head down and get on with the swim.

When at a crossroads, go with one of the options

If you’re at a crossroads and unsure which path to take, choose something that gives you options. A few years back before I was finishing up one contract, I made the decision to do a Masters in applied linguistics, as that would allow me to do either translation and interpretation, or teaching at a university.

I ended up doing both in the end, but that’s because I enjoy both. I know I enjoy both because I’ve done both.

Even if you don’t have an option that allows you to try both, it’s not a final conclusion. Try one at random and if find you don’t like it, it was not a complete waste of time. Not at all, actually. It’s one more option you can take off the table.

Where it gets tricky is when there’s parts of the path that you like, but then again, if another option takes you even more than that, well, you probably have to give up those parts you like.

One, two, you know what to do.

Overwhelmed.

Under the pump.

Shocked.

Lacking confidence.

Confused.

Lacking direction.

Searching for answers.

Shut up and breathe.

Results are arbitrary. They’re not the driving force, the obsession is. –Tim Denning.

I subscribe to Medium.com for two main reasons.

First, is to have a back-up of my blog that will forever (I hope) be there that helps spread my ideas.

Second, is to read Tim Denning’s work. Medium.com for me is essentially the Tim Denning app. I don’t know what it is, but his work really strikes a chord with me. Besides having the best first name in the world, I find I can really relate to what it is Tim has to say.

(Plus a lot of medium.com is rehashing the same ideas of how to make money online, or at least that’s all that seems to come up in my feed)

His recent piece Go All In on Your Obsession. It’s What You Were Born to Do is a classic example. Especially when he says the results are arbitrary. It’s something I’ve found myself thinking about a lot recently. You aren’t doing it for the results, you’re doing it simply because you’re obsessed.

Which is how it should be.

The problem is when the results actually matter in a way that affects your livelihood. Or, your desired livelihood.

If you do it right, the results should take care of themselves. They should be a symptom of your hard work, or your obsession.

However, in order to do that, sometimes you need to do a little background work, the kind of stuff your obsession doesn’t cover. If you really were obsessed, you’d find a way past all this. Although, sometimes the obsession gets in the way.

I think what Tim is trying to say, and what I’ve been trying to tell myself, is that you should double-down on your obsession, and if you do that enough, the results will speak for themselves.

Everything until then is mere obsession.

There’s a lot to be said for simply showing up.

Often the challenge lies in simply being present, in simply showing up. Set yourself a deadline, however arbitrary, and stick to it. Stick to it even if it’s not your best work. The point isn’t that it’s not your best work, although it always should be in the moment, the point is that you showed up.

Even work you consider not your best can do surprisingly well, often other people are the judge of that. But if you keep working at it, and importantly you keep iterating for tiny improvements, before long you’ll thank yourself for stepping up when you really didn’t feel like it.

It all adds up. Give it something to add up.

And how to do your best work

That’s what your workplace needs to be. Away from distraction, away from everyday life, away from the hustle and bustle.

Your wokrplace needs to be a sanctuary of work.

When you’re there, you’re there to work. You’re there to put the pedal to the metal, and to pump out your best work. If you find yourself losing track of the work while you’re in your office, leave. Get out. Don’t ruin the sanctity of the office.

Then get back in there, and get to work. Do this enough, and you have yourself a factory of productivity.

There really is no other way to do it. There is the average way, but that only leads to average results. Best to dedicate time and space to your sanctuary of work. That’s how you produce the best results, and that’s how you get the most out of you.

Build yourself a sanctuary for work, whatever way, shape, or form that may be. Uphold the sanctity of the sanctuary, and get the work done. That’s how you do your best work.

Do something, anything, to fuel the fire

If you really wanted to, you could force out some work. You could force out an article like this one, you could force out a few laps of the pool, you could force out a few km on a run or a bike ride.

It wouldn’t be your best work, perhaps, but it would be work nonetheless.

You could, and the reason you don’t is because laziness is getting the best of you.

So you should.

You should do it just for the sake of doing it. You should do it to start something, or to keep on a roll. You should to stop laziness getting the better of you, and to prove that, no, you are a better person than that.

Even if it’s not your best work, work is better than no work. Keep it up, and this work turns into better work, which turns into your best work.

Don’t let laziness get the better of you.

Everything you do deserves your full attention

Art.

Searching for perfect.

Unreachable, perhaps.

A worthy pursuit nonetheless.

Every attempt a chance for better.

Every attempt a chance to grow.

But only if you give it your best.

Do what you’re passionate about, and it shows

If you’re doing something and you find there’s not much you like about it, either find a way to like something about it, or find something else to do.

In language teaching, as much as possible you try to involve the lived experiences of your students. The reason for this is simple.

The students become more animated.

This in turn (should, as the theory goes) leads to greater motivation and interaction with the content, and greater learning outcomes.

If you’re doing something you like, you’re more passionate about it, in other words. That passion helps when you inevitably hit a brick wall. And it also helps because it shines through in the work you do.

As much as possible, that’s the work you should be doing.

When things will never be the same again

Some big news that affects you directly has just dropped. Something happened that means a huge change in circumstances from now on.

When these things happen, it’s not the end of the world. It’s the start of a new one.

As soon as these things happen, they mark the start of your transition into a new life.

Uncertainty in these situations is a given. Don’t get caught up in uncertainty.

Instead, look ahead to the future. See these events as the opportunity they could be.

Yoga starts after you’re in the pose

Getting into the pose is only the start. Staying in it is when the real work begins.

It’s all fun and games until you hit the wall. But if you can learn to love the wall, love the challenge it gives you, and the opportunities for growth, then staying in the pose isn’t that hard at all.

You need both good ideas and good execution

There’s idea generation, then there’s the execution.

You need both. Ultimately you want good ideas and good execution.

Unfortunately, good ideas come and go like the wind. It’s why you need some way of recording them when they come.

Good execution, on the other hand, is a matter of practice. Practice execution as much as you can. Then when the good ideas come, it’s just a matter of pouncing on them.

Get out of the zone

They say life begins just beyond the comfort zone.

I’d believe it.

That’s the only chance you really have to prove your worth, to prove that you have what it takes.

Sometimes you don’t, yet. Sometimes you need a bit more practice at getting out of your comfort zone, so that when the time comes, you’re ready to meet it head on.

That’s why periodically practicing getting out of the comfort zone is so beneficial. Incrementally you get better at dealing with what you were once not able to deal with.

These increments all add up. Then before you know it, your comfort zone has shifted to just beyond your comfort zone.

But the thing is, by then you’ve learned that you have what it takes to push even further. You’ve learned that you have what it takes to get through. It may not be much consolation in the moment, but it’s enough consolation to get you just beyond your comfort zone.

The perennial question for consulting

I’m not a consultant, nor do I claim to be. However, I do have an opinion and I think a bit of insight as a non-Japanese in Japan. Also, due to being the token foreigner who also happens to speak Japanese, a lot of the time I get dragged into conversations about how to ‘attract’ the foreign audience or the like.

In these cases, one question that turns up time and time again:

‘Where am I being naive?’

Or, put another way ‘Where is there a hole in my knowledge, and how can I fill it?’ ‘What am I potentially overlooking?’.

Answer this, and you’re well on your way to a solution.

You have the world at your fingertips. Show them what you’re made of.

You have a media studio in your pocket. Chances are you’re using it to read this.

This means two things.

First, you have the means to create something worthwhile, something remarkable, something memorable.

Second, you have the permission. You have the permission to create what you need to show the world what you’re made of.

No more petitioning. No more begging for recognition. No more tryouts.

No gatekeepers, unless you decide there are.

Just you, the work, and the world at your fingertips.

That’s all the permission you’ll ever need.

The difference is stark

I have to work. I get to provide value through my services.

I have to watch my child’s ballet recital. I get to see my child grow with my own eyes.

I have to get up early to get to the airport. I get to go on an adventure.

Obligation or opportunity,

You choose.

There are boundaries to your standards.

Setting high standards for yourself is a prerequisite, it’s how we ever get anywhere. If you’re disappointed in your current self, or in your current situation, it means you need to be stricter on yourself. You need to give yourself more concrete boundaries, and to stick to them.

But at the same time, there are boundaries to your standards. You can’t blame yourself too much when you fall short. You did the best you could in the situation, there isn’t much else you can ask for. All that’s left is to set new standards, and start again.

Keep on keeping on

To play the whistle means to keep going until the whistle blows. To play what’s in front of you, and keep on keeping on, until the game dictates you can’t go any further. That’s what it means to play the whistle.

Let us do our job

When it comes to native checking of translations, you only change what absolutely must be changed. As much as possible, you don’t change the style of the translator, as frankly, it’s unnecessary. All you’re doing is giving yourself extra work unnecessarily.

On the same note, when you’re watching someone interpret or guide, never butt in, even if you think your interpretation or guide is better. Not only is it not necessary, it’s also a matter of opinion, and worse of all it can have a detrimental effect on the person’s performance. This stifles their own growth, which is worse than simply being rude.

If you must give feedback, at the very least wait until the person has finished, and even then don’t do it in front of a group of people. Enjoy the interpretation or guide for what it is, don’t get caught up in the nitty gritty.

And whatever you do, don’t butt in. Show a little restraint.

An avengeance, if you will

Go on the offensive. Be outgoing. Be aggressive. Be willing to fail just to prove you’re willing to try.

The fleeting nature of the cherry blossoms teaches us life is short-lived. If recent trends are anything to go by, they also teach us that life happens earlier than we expect too.

Let it. Give yourself in to life’s proclivities. But don’t let it get you down.

Undesirable things are going to happen, that’s the nature of life. We can choose to simply accept them, to merely accept them, and we can live a good life.

But there’s so much more to it. Since we have been given this rare opportunity, we ought to take it by the horns. We ought to do things for the sake of doing them.

Back with a vengeance. As if we were ever away.

Don’t even worry about making a move

Don’t make a move until you really have to. Don’t even worry about making a move until you really have to.

Just yesterday we were waiting for a delivery and we heard what sounded like a truck pull up. My wife told me that our delivery had come and that I should get up and go get it.

I wasn’t so sure, so I stayed put.

Turned out it was our neighbour coming home.

While in the big scheme of things this may not seem like a big deal, when you worry about things that haven’t eventuated, and may well not eventuate in the first place, you waste precious time and energy.

Best to wait until you have something definitive to work with. In the meantime, enjoy the peace.