I HAVE DECIDED

I am going to Japan and I will make my name and fortune creating my animation.

I have also decided that I will leave no options behind me. Focusing on fall backs and what ifs has only served to keep me from going forward. I can see why Napoleon Hill says to burn all bridges behind you.

If my current business ceases to perform, I will get a job cleaning toilets, if necessary, as long as I am left with enough hours in the day to do my animation.

I will eat plain rice and ramen noodles for years if need be as long as get to do my animation.

This is not to imply I will do nothing to market my current products. Free content seems to be the buzz on the internet these days. My animation put up free on my websites may very well draw in thousands of viewers who could become customers, since my products mostly deal with how to make animation and computer graphics.

I will also do quick tips and tricks, little 5, or so, minute videos on how to do what I do, and post them everywhere in the CG and animation world.

My main focus though, shall be to get to Japan, do my animation and amass my fortune. I also say do my animation because I will do no one else's animation.

And I shall begin right now!

Hey Again Teruchan,

Some of the biggest breaks of my life came while I was cleaning toilets and vacuuming carpets in office buildings while the rest of the world slept. I had started my own music teaching business back in 1978 with NO IDEA of what I was doing. By 1981, my world came tumbling down and out of desperation I took the cleaning job, earning an awesome $4.00/hour! You should have seen how far I could make that single jar of peanut butter in my otherwise bare cupboard stretch!

I wrote my first - and arguably, still my best - song in the wee hours of the morning during the year I held that cleaning job. That song came to me all in one shot - melody and words together. It was pure inspiration.

One day, while I was trying to decide what to do with my last $5 bill - should I put enough gas in my car to get to work that day, or should I buy a loaf of bread and another small jar of peanut butter (decisions, decisions) - the phone rang.

I have to tell you, I was very hesitant to pick up the phone back in those days (before call display) because it was usually some kind of creditor wanting to know when I was going to come up with the money. I already had repo notices for my car and termination notices for my phone service. However, I picked up the phone anyway. The voice on the other end of the line told me that there was a job opening in Toronto for a person with my exact qualifications. In fact, the guy was so precise, he even specified the school from which I graduated!

I was single and living in New Hampshire at the time. With nothing left to lose, I checked out the job offer. It will be 29 years this October. Toronto has been very, very good to me. Mind you, it hasn't been a complete bed of roses since coming to the promised land. I still encountered many a bump in the road of life.

My point is, 1978-1981 was a very rough patch of time in my life. The ground shook mightily. There were many days I didn't even want to live anymore.

But to be where I am now, would I go through that experience again?

uuummm... did I mention that 1978-1981 was a very rough patch of time in my life?

Yeah, it was THAT rough. But to be where I am today COMPARED to what I went through; perhaps even as a RESULT of what I went through... you know I would do it in a heartbeat.

Yup, it's THAT good!

Oh, BTW - the thing that kept me going through that rough patch? Like yourself, I KNEW there was something better, and WHATEVER I HAD TO DO, I was going to get myself a better life! PERIOD!

It took a while to show... about six years in total, if my math is correct. Even after moving to Toronto, it would be a few MORE years before I completely erased all my previous debts (yes, somehow they followed me to Canada)

Like Wally says, "If one man can do it, it's proof enough that it works. ALL men can do it!"

Stories about overcoming all the odds sure makes for some very interesting reading, don't you think? Now, let's get on with YOUR story, my friend!

All the best from Toronto,
Russ

quote:

Stories about overcoming all the odds sure makes for some very interesting reading, don't you think? Now, let's get on with YOUR story, my friend!

All the best from Toronto,
Russ

I am so inspired, thanks for posting!

quote:

If my current business ceases to perform, I will get a job cleaning toilets, if necessary, as long as I am left with enough hours in the day to do my animation.

I will eat plain rice and ramen noodles for years if need be as long as get to do my animation.

Hey Teruchan, who says you have to starve? Being willing to do whatever it takes, HELL YEAH! But you might be pleasantly surprised if you keep doing things in the Certain Way. I attracted a customer who became a benefactor. She paid for my house insurance for a year, and has ordered hundreds-actually thousands of dollars of merchandise. She's also become a good friend.

Good for you for making the decision, YIPPEE!

julia I will be her friend too!

If it weren't for the kiddies, I would have walked away and never looked back years ago. Shrinks and society do frown upon a mom who deserts the family, and I believe guilt would do me in. But golly do I envy you. If it was just about following your bliss and eating rice, I'd be on my way too.

Best of old fashioned luck to you.

annievt said

quote:

If it weren't for the kiddies, I would have walked away and never looked back years ago. Shrinks and society do frown upon a mom who deserts the family, and I believe guilt would do me in. But golly do I envy you. If it was just about following your bliss and eating rice, I'd be on my way too.

Best of old fashioned luck to you.

Annie, you GOTTA find a way to get okay with right where you are, hubbie, kiddies and all. Otherwise, you will only create resistance. Been there, done that.
@ CaptJack: LOL! Actually, what's interesting is that the friendship sort of evolved on its own, and really had nothing to do with all the stuff she orders from me. I'd still be her friend even if she stopped ordering, as she is a most interesting lady. Surely if I can attract such a benefactor, you can too.

How come Teruchan doesn't have to make it right where he is at? Or doesn't Napolean Hill's advice apply to everyone?

quote:

How come Teruchan doesn't have to make it right where he is at? Or doesn't Napolean Hill's advice apply to everyone?

Huh?

What do you mean by this?

(And what does Napolean Hill have to do with SOGR anyway?)

quote:

If it weren't for the kiddies, I would have walked away and never looked back years ago. Shrinks and society do frown upon a mom who deserts the family, and I believe guilt would do me in. But golly do I envy you. If it was just about following your bliss and eating rice, I'd be on my way too.

Well, you know what, annievt? Flat out: I don't believe this. It seems to me that your life is exactly the way you most enjoy it. If you did NOT enjoy -- in some way, at some level -- complaining and making yourself out to be a victim of all this -- your boss, your family, your situation -- you wouldn't keep doing it.

And when you -- or any of us -- keep doing it, you keep creating and attracting more of the same. So because you know that and you choose to stay with the status quo instead of changing your approach and attitude, then you are definitely getting SOME kind of payoff.

Beyond that, who cares what "shrinks and society" think? That's not the real reason you stay; that's shifting the responsibility for YOUR life onto others (which, of course, can't really be done).

Actually, "it" really is just about following your bliss. And eating rice if that's part of your idea of bliss or just how you choose to do things.

Everyone is choosing, one way or the other, all the time.

quote:

I HAVE DECIDED

Good! You've made your decision. Now make it right.

I personally would let go of focusing on the cheap food and toilet-cleaning ideas -- unless you want to attract those experiences. (Been there, done that. Cleaned a LOT of toilets and now I am grateful to know there is a much better way.)

Congratulations on the decision!

quote:

Originally posted by annievt:
How come Teruchan doesn't have to make it right where he is at? Or doesn't Napolean Hill's advice apply to everyone?

Annie,

The Napoleon Hill comment aside (Rebecca already responded to that) I wonder how your mind comes up with questions like this.

Why isn’t it obvious to you that MANY people change their circumstances in order to succeed?

But, in another sense, if Teruchan succeeds it WILL be because he succeeds “right where he is at,” if you mean by that, he develops a Success Consciousness, right where he’s at.

Phil

Julia, correct me if I've misunderstood, but I took your comment ("... you GOTTA find a way to get okay with right where you are, hubbie, kiddies and all") to mean make peace with your current circumstances and whatever has led up to those circumstances.

If that IS what you meant -- rather than just some sort of geographic reference -- then I certainly agree. As long as we are pushing against anything, we are GLUED to it, our thoughts are POWERFULLY focused on it, and so we keep attracting more and more of the same sort of thing.

rebecca said:

quote:

Julia, correct me if I've misunderstood, but I took your comment ("... you GOTTA find a way to get okay with right where you are, hubbie, kiddies and all") to mean make peace with your current circumstances and whatever has led up to those circumstances.

Yes, that's exactly what I meant; making peace with your current circumstances, and whatever has lead up to them.

Congratulations on your decision Teruchan!

I've spent time in Japan, my wife is Japanese and has family there. I do enjoy being there and could live there but prefer to visit. I do know that anamation is very big there; you will do well. If it takes a while to get your animation going I would teach English instead of cleaning toilet bowls! Everyone in Japan wants to speak English better!

Interesting note; they enjoy all things American! A frind was refurbishing Air Stream Trailers several years ago and found a big market in Japan; not to pull around but to use as extra space!

quote:

How come Teruchan doesn't have to make it right where he is at? Or doesn't Napolean Hill's advice apply to everyone?

I would think Teruchan did, he got it right in his mind first. Success begins right where you are. And if you KNEW you are already successful, you would be right wherever you are! geographically or otherwise

Wow, this is so exciting!

Teruchan, I've been waiting for you to do this! Yay, for believing in your success! Besides, this isn't really a leap of faith for you, is it? You've done this before. No sweat, right?

Have a GREAT time!

Love and Blessings,
Rachel

quote:

Originally posted by Rebecca:

quote:

I HAVE DECIDED

Good! You've made your decision. Now make it right.

I personally would let go of focusing on the cheap food and toilet-cleaning ideas -- unless you want to attract those experiences. (Been there, done that. Cleaned a LOT of toilets and now I am grateful to know there is a much better way.)

Congratulations on the decision!

Thanks. Trust me I have no plans to focus on toilet cleaning or cheap food. My vision is walking around the best districts in Tokyo, sampling the most amazing restaurants, when I am not in my awesome pad animating.

I am, however, prepared to stick to my decision whatever may come at me. You know, like how some bands believe in their music and what they do so much they are willing to live in the back of a van and tour small, unknown clubs, as long as they can follow their passion.

quote:

Originally posted by Rebecca:
As long as we are pushing against anything, we are GLUED to it, our thoughts are POWERFULLY focused on it, and so we keep attracting more and more of the same sort of thing.

I really love this comment. It reminds me of martial arts teachings that one must flow around things rather than push against them.

Wally says do not tell of your past troubles, and even not to think of them at all! If you consider this, our concept of our "current circumstances" are likely based on memories of how it was, even if that was an hour ago. We can choose to approach things differently at any moment.

When we say, I'm angry because my partner does this, or my kids do that, that's actually what they did. Why keep focus on that and bring it up again and again?

quote:

Originally posted by Rachel:
Wow, this is so exciting!

Teruchan, I've been waiting for you to do this! Yay, for believing in your success! Besides, this isn't really a leap of faith for you, is it? You've done this before. No sweat, right?

Have a GREAT time!

Love and Blessings,
Rachel

Good point. I have actually done this before, and my animation was much better received in Japan than anywhere else last time. It is exciting.

quote:

Originally posted by Tom Strong:
Congratulations on your decision Teruchan!

I've spent time in Japan, my wife is Japanese and has family there. I do enjoy being there and could live there but prefer to visit. I do know that anamation is very big there; you will do well. If it takes a while to get your animation going I would teach English instead of cleaning toilet bowls! Everyone in Japan wants to speak English better!

Last year I was in Korea and the Universe really worked powerfully for me in that regard. I didn't have the papers necessary to get into an academy for teaching English, but the Universe kept walking me right into, usually rich, private clients who wanted English lessons for as much as $100 per hour.

Considering the concept of natural growth and always moving closer to the goal, If such opportunity were to pop up again, especially seeing that Korea is only an hour away from my goal, I would gladly take it up. The other great thing is I had a lot of free time doing that work.

quote:

Teruchan

Go for it, follow your dream and I know it will work out for you. I did just that said good bye and walked out the door of my JOB and never looked back.

Noel