Forum Replies Created

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  • Yuxing [Arigato Leader]

    Member
    January 27, 2023 at 6:27 am

    🍀A Happy Testimonial, Or Success Story🍀

    I hope the following can inspire someone’s day.

    So!! Two of the wonderful things I learned from Ken; and I am thankful that I made the choice to join this community to expand and experience more of life on the 23rd of August 2021.

    I think it was sometime late 2021 or early 2022 that I asked Ken on a topic call, what advice he has for young people who are not working. Frankly, I thought mine was a hopeless case, in the sense that, yeah, maybe one day I will get a job and that is it. Job is job and no chance at what I really would love to do in life.

    And, Ken told me, just go do what I love. Don’t worry about the money first. Next, he took out the first book he written, and told me that he never thought he would became an author. And that was 20 years ago.

    While I have faith in Ken’s teachings, my logical mind could understand nothing of it. What I did was, I always keep a look out to do what I love and recently I actually went into piano at the “old age” of 35. I have never been so happy about music and seriously!!!!!!!!!! And in all humbleness, I might really be a prodigy. I could play with both hands within days. I remember that a few of my school teachers had told me when I was a child that they did very seriously went into piano as adults and they can’t go beyond the first class. They all talked about grown up having “harden” fingers. I find out for myself that it is not true at all. I got no musical training either. Next was, I am seeing people of all ages from children under 10 to people over 70 being able to play the piano form scratch!!!!!

    For course, I also haven’t get any money from these. Yet on an energy/spiritual level, I notice so much about myself, perhaps in Ken-speak, I can recall many of my money wounds. I think by doing what makes me happy, I go into a higher energy that clears out my old gunky energy. I am super lucky, so many spend decades on self-help and here I am, in less than 2 months playing my piano keyboard, I accessed the depths of myself that I didn’t know. AND I AM HAPPY. Not in a Pollyanna way, just happy and able to feel waku-waku about life. Waku-waku is the Japanese onomatopoeia for feeling excited and looking forward to things.

    Another of Ken’s teaching that I at first couldn’t wrap my mind around was “feeling happy for others and saying that I will be next.” Well, seriously, the old me would rather roll up and cry than do the “new-age-stuff” of feeling happy for others and even saying that I will be next.

    Yet, again I thought, why not just try it, I am here because I want to learn from Ken right??

    Soon I forgot all about this until one of my idol released a book. It was on Japanese wine, which this idol had spent some years researching by traveling through Japan and going deep into everything. Sidenote: If you guys are interested, it is a compilation on Japanese Sake by Tachibana Kenchi, a performer in the group EXILE. Given his career and field of study, it is also amazing that Kenchi became an author.

    I was watching a video of him in a bookstore and suddenly I went all teary and in the purest way I want to hug him and congratulate him! I even developed the sixth sense knowing that he is so proud and happy and thankful for the whole thing.

    Immediate I remember Ken telling me the whole thing with doing what one loves and feeling happy for others.

    I can really say for sure now that my life have been greatly and abunduntly enriched at this point. Natural happy feelings that had been difficult for me to feel come naturally now.

    Thank you Ken!!!!! I am so thankful that you chose to put out all the good work you do. May even more of your dreams come true and moreeeeeeeeeee delicious salmon always. ARIGATO KEN SAN!!!!!! HONTO NI ARIGATO!!!!!!! I shall go cry happy tears now. Arigato.

    Love and blessings. Namaste.

  • Yuxing [Arigato Leader]

    Member
    January 9, 2023 at 10:47 am

    Whooopssss!! Sorry people!! I had kept this topic closed since the start!!!

    Please introduce yourselves now if you like~ 💖

  • Yuxing [Arigato Leader]

    Member
    January 2, 2023 at 10:29 pm

    🍀 Energy Exchange and Money 🍀

    I remember Ken sharing a really interesting thing from his university days.

    Ken and a friend would exchange gifts and one day his friend told him, how about they stop all these gifting? Since in the end the gifts even each other out, why not just save all the effort in preparing the whole thing?

    I think Ken still continued on his part.

    Yet, this left me wondering, in a way, Ken’s friend is very right. Isn’t he??

    *****

    In a couple of the topic calls, Ken talked about it isn’t just about doing something and then expecting the money to come in. He used the example of how we can’t just go blog a post and then think that money is coming in from there. There are other things to it.

    And what is the “other things”??

    Frankly I am not very sure about it myself too. I would say it has to do with real value to others and sincerity to it. For example, Ken mentioned that his late mentor Wahei Takeda used to gift people GOLD coins. One time Ken asked if that is too pricey a gift, Wahei told Ken, nah, he bought a happy smile from these people. I don’t think Wahei mean it from a narcissistic point, more of, Wahei is happy to bring joy to others. What is a gold coin compared to causing others to be joyous? And no wonder money flows to Wahei!

    *****

    And then today I watched the episode of Lei meeting a group of Pakistan workers in Dubai. Lei is a Chinese guy from Shanghai traveling the world on a budget.

    After seeing that there are many foreign workers in Dubai, Lei decided to go talk to them. He met a group of Pakistan workers wrapping up furniture to be exported to Africa. Being the playful fun person Lei is, he helped with the wrapping and showed off some Pakistan language he learned during his trip there some time earlier.

    The workers took a liking to Lei and told him things like they are wearing traditional pants from their home town made from 5 meters of fabric and all those. At the end, the likely low-wage folks bought a bottle of water for Lei.

    Lei was so appreciative of that gesture he gifted them 20 US dollars.

    Immediately and in the same beat, my mother and I exclaimed that LEI IS GIVING MONEY!!! Now, Lei is not a miser, he just has a strict set of principle on that. There were many instances where local hooligans in other countries threatened and intimidated him for 1 US dollar, all times he refused to back down and returned with sincere explanation and a smile at the end. Lei never even spend money on gourmet! And all times he stayed in hostels and some were in terrible conditions.

    The spontaneous friendship the workers showed to Lei got Lei wanting to contribute to their well being, cash being the most practical form this situation.

    I think there are English subtitles to Lei’s Adventure.

    https://youtu.be/vTfJjsa9tZs

    *****

    During my working days, in Singapore, a drink is often used by people to show appreciation. They are often affordable $1 coffee, tea and things like that. Anything too fancy is considered a show off. Unless it is bubble tea for the youngsters. I am not sure of the background history, I am guessing that it has a lot more to do with the effort than the monetary value and need to to be hydrated.

    And yup, it always seem like it is the boss or the higher ups who is “rich” enough to do so, and again, they are rich so they can give? Or because by first giving, they got into the energy of receiving more??

  • Yuxing [Arigato Leader]

    Member
    January 2, 2023 at 4:05 am

    Hello Dolores,

    Thank you for sharing with us a personal part of your life.

    I am also glad that you decide to go through this with support from others.

  • Yuxing [Arigato Leader]

    Member
    January 1, 2023 at 3:14 am

    🍀Ken’s audio books in Japanese accessible from outside Japan!!!🍀

    Ok peeps, I don’t know how long these books have been up on Audible and it seems really recent to me!! At least recent enough for me!! Hehehehehehe~~~~

    While writing this post, I realise one thing that makes Ken a great teacher, or just simply a great person. I notice that Ken lift people up from a point where we are already enough. For sure Ken talked about money wounds, and if you look carefully, he is very much on moving forward and awakening all the latent potential we all have.

    I value healers, yet many times people unknowingly stay stuck on old hurts.

    I LOVE YOU KEN!! I am so thankful for your work in this work!!!

    And one more note. I only started learning Japanese as an adult and I never listened to well-intended people saying that language can only be mastered by starting as children. One reason why Japanese might seem intimidating to new learners is because well… textbooks are just boring while they do pass us the essential knowings. Don’t take them too seriously, chat with Japanese speakers, watch some subtitled Youtubes and soon you are good!

    Namaste.

  • Yuxing [Arigato Leader]

    Member
    December 28, 2022 at 7:21 pm

    🍀 What We Are Really Giving Out 🍀

    I remember reading about this account of a women traveling in South East Asia and she talked about the vibe that people give out. She was in this poor town where 20, 30 children all rushed to tourists to sell hand-woven bracelet. This lady asked, why is that only ONE kid seem to get all the sales while others went around and got nothing??

    She said it is the vibration, the feeling that particular child gave out.

    While I can picture what this lady mean, I have no idea how this whole thing was being done.

    I think Ken said the same thing, that his mentor, the late Wahei Takeda had audio recording of children singing Arigato as baby candy was being made in his factory. Wahei chose the best ingredients for his food and although there were competitors, these competitors never got ahead of Wahei. And one time Wahei got a new product which was actually not popular with people, yet business owners kept buying this product from him!!! Wahei was surprised and visited these buyers only to find they were unable to sell this unpopular product and they buy all because they want to support Wahei!!!

    Recently I started watching Lei’s Adventure on Youtube. A guy from Shanghai, China, exploring the world. He used to be a dance choreographer from a modest household.

    For the first time I see how the mindset of people make their own economy.

    When Lei was in poor countries, people were demanding change from him and trying to cheat or outright steal from him THE WHOLE TIME. And being that learned and cultured man he is, Lei pretty much never gave in to these. Except for the rare times when young children led him to food store and he bought them a snack.

    And then Lei reached Japan. He saw homeless old people and even drunk one lying around and he was surprised that none of them begged. One time he was surprised to see a shabbily dressed grandma walking around the street at night in Shinjuku, Tokyo. At times this old woman would greet and talk a little to passerbys.

    Now, grandma totally don’t look like a someone related to the many shady night clubs trying to get customers and Lei was very, very curious. He walked up and learned that grandma had a small cloth bag and she was trying to sell handmade mochi (sticky rice cakes) and pickled cucumber. As Lei was filming the whole time, the grandma got a little uncomfortable and stopped talking to him, she also don’t understand English when Lei asked how much are the food.

    Frankly, Lei got his footage and he don’t seem like a fan of those food either, yet, this man with his strongly held principle on money, gave 2000 Yen (about 20 USD) to this grandma later on and randomly chose the pickled cucumbers. The grandma also gave him a few hundred yens in change. Lei didn’t complain about paying so much for pickled cucumbers, he did asked himself why, but he was at peace with it. I was very surprised too. While Lei is not a miser, it is just not him to give money like that.

    I can’t confirm the following for sure, I just got the feeling that eventually the grandma was ok with charging that much for a few stick of cucumbers because she was also aware that she had given Lei more value than just pickled food.

    For me, a wonderful real life example of vibe and material money exchange.

  • Yuxing [Arigato Leader]

    Member
    December 23, 2022 at 7:17 pm

    🍀🍀 Giving and then Receive More 🍀🍀

    During the November topic call Ken mentioned give and you will receive. BUT!!! Only do that if you are comfortable with this idea.

    Ken then talked about how many years ago he wrote a little booklet to share his knowledge on money and that eventually led to him being a writer and having sold some 8 million copies later on.

    After that call, I decided to try doing something like that. I posted on my SNS that I can help with translations. AND!! I got a friend who had published a great book asking if I want to do the Chinese translation for her, and she was very, very willing to pay me!! She actually asked how much I am charging.

    I was really, really surprised at how fast the universe works and after thinking about it, I don’t want to give up my free time for this project.

    At the end of the day I am very grateful for my friend giving me a reminder on when to say No and choose for ourselves.

    It is Christmas Eve here in Singapore, wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!

  • Yuxing [Arigato Leader]

    Member
    November 26, 2022 at 7:37 pm

    🍀 Happy Money: Housing Loans 🍀

    It was the 20th of April 2012. Ten years ago.

    Something happened in school and right about immediately I went to the nearest bookstore, got a copy of “The Secret” by Rhonda Byrne and that was quite how I started on self-help books.

    Of course, I didn’t understand a lot of what all those spiritual teachers was talking about, yet, this one thing from Rhonda really stood out and it is still clear to me after all these while.

    So, Rhonda said, be grateful to loans because if not for them, we won’t be owning things like houses and cars. We would have to save and save until we are old and then has little time remain to enjoy these goodies.

    It was an immediate AHA-moment.

    Growing up people all lament about rents, mortgage and all of that. All of them seemed like evils of the world. Something that binds to one for decades and even takes a juicy slice of profit from the tormenting~~~!!! I remember being in the car of this date and despite being able to own a car in his 20s, he was basically stricken with great despair every second of it, each time he has to pay for parking or gantry gates, he literally disappeared and entered the abyss of money-worry.

    It is quite sad that he was not enjoying his car, his ride, his freedom and all of the good things that his car got for him. And how about, he was obviously RICHER than a lot of people for the fact that he can afford a car at his age!!!

    Just by seeing a loan as it is… It really is just is. People attached so much trouble to it. Mainly with, what if I lose my job, the bank will hunt me down. What if you don’t lose your job and actually earn more??

    This whole thing about loans remained as a intellectual understanding to me until as an older adult now, I see how the misconception of it can totally ruin lives.

    In summary, house in Singapore are small and expensive. It is very common for adult children to live with their parents until they get married and usually couples pay for their housing together. However, some adult-children has such a hatred towards having to pay a loan, they would get their spouse to live with them with their parents. And when they got their own children, the grandparents has that obligation to help out. Nahhh~~~ to all grow children with children, please do not force seniors to take up your child-care responsibilities.

    Sounds like a good living plan until everybody start to hate everybody due to the jammed living environment. ^^;; Saving that bit of money in the short term ended up the most pricey thing in the long term.

    Of coz I am not advocating that people jump into loans, and also there are many happy large families. Speaking of which, I recommend Angie Scoble’s “It is Vegan Except for The Eggs – Life With adult Children Who Come Back Home.” Angie is a woman in Australia where her FIVE grown children came home, some with their partners, due to a various reasons. Some rent out their house in order to save more in this uncertain time, some was staying put before they can get better financing for their house and things like that.

    When we give thanks to money going out, we are able to enjoy the presence, the what is and the benefit of the material good.

    This again got me back to Morgan Sensei, the spiritual mentor I mentioned above. When he finally paid off his housing loan near 60 years of age, he gave thanks. He went, WOOHOOOO~~~ finally paid off, he put his palms together like those in a prayer and told me that he is thankful to God for all of these. He didn’t went into how banks were vampires and all. His investment and trust in a housing loan had his whole family safe and well. Sensei’s son got a condominium on his own, daughter a high flyer in Australia and wife safe with Sensei.

  • Yuxing [Arigato Leader]

    Member
    October 15, 2022 at 9:25 pm

    🍀 Exploring Ken’s “Happy Money” Book Again🍀

    I read Ken’s Happy Money about a year and half back and recently I got the audio book of it.

    Halfway one part of the book said, “If money were a person, how will the person be like?” Immediately I jumped up from my bed and start a celebratory march around my home throwing confetti into the air.

    I remember the first time I read these question, which is just a year plus back (!!!), I immediately dug a hole and buried my head in the sand. I felt so bad about my relationship with money, I was basically crying out that I am deeply traumatised by Ken’s simple question.

    A story by an Indian sage goes that when the fruit comes into form, the flower drops away gently, there was no fight no nothing.

    Little did I know that my willingness to look at my finances eventually got me to today where I feel SO MUCH better about money.

    The other day I was still musing over how incredible Money is, an invention and tool for the exchange of goods and services. I could easily get ebooks with one click and they greatly enrich my life. And just be a few tabs on the screen of my phone, I got delicious food delivered to my doorstep. AM I CRAZY RICH OR AM I CRAZY RICH?!

    It is so crazy to blame a tool of exchange for one’s own inner issue. Just like TV is a tool for mass communication and yet there are even spiritual teachers claiming that TV is a bad thing and people should quit it to be happy and fulfilled. I love TV and my life is so enriched by TV!!!! In case of a fire I will save my TV and then buy back my burnt books sometime later. I am not going to let the TV burn and then wait a couple of days for replacement. LMAO!!!!

    Further on in Happy Money, Ken talked about how some clients had told Ken that they are worried that people are out to get their money and there had been instances where people got employees stealing huge sums off their companies.

    And towards this, Ken told them that they have a problem WITH PEOPLE and RELATIONSHIP, **not** a problem with money.

    And this is it people, my instant enlightenment came and my life time worth of money issue was resolved.

    Growing up I quite have a “rich kid’s life.” I had my first airplane ride when I was 7 or 8 and dinned in hotel restaurants. I didn’t had to work part time unless I want to and I could even tithe my pocket money to religious places as a teen. I don’t have a lot in common terms, I just could figure things out and use what I have!! Money have always been looking after me and I lived a life always in flow. I went for solo trips to “expensive” Japan and money always worked out for me!!! I can totally join the people who wonder why they are always abundant.

    Yet for a long while my identity was that poor girl having to prove my worth with academic results and wit and stuff like that. I can finally see clearly now that, while it was from my parents that I lived out a lifestyle that doesn’t work to what I truly want to experience in this life time, I can’t blame others forever. Because in doing so I would have to keep living out the live of a victim and true healing would require me to move into another better consciousness.

    I see now that I never had a “money problem,” it was how I interpreted the whole thing that troubled me to no end. This is why I am sooooooooooooooooooo taken in when Ken talked about Money EQ.

    Bless Ken Honda~!

    I am sooooooooooooo happy to be here. At times I feel like I died and got to live again, isn’t it wonderful that I get to have a new life without literally dying?

    Last and not the least, Ken has also mentioned that well-liked people tend to get more money as people would prefer to engage them for work.

    This really hit deep because other than tapping into the wealth part, I am likely to live past 100!! Given my family history and modern nutrition and healthcare and all, if I don’t start bettering my relationship with people and invest in myself (like what a friend likes to put it), I would be spending the next 70ish years unhappy and that is a long time.

    I am soooooo grateful and thankful to realise these and have another go in life.

    Namaste people!!!!

  • Yuxing [Arigato Leader]

    Member
    October 11, 2022 at 3:24 am

    🍀🍀 Charging for Our Work 🍀🍀

    I just finished Anita Moorjani’s book “Dying to Be Me” and it is fantastic!!! I went back to the Happy Living and Dying group here to check out the live recording of Anita talking about money. She had at one time felt bad with charging money for her talk after a woman wrote to her and say Anita is as good as exploiting people if she shares her divine gift.

    I want to add this story to the whole thing with charging others for our passion work and/or gifts:

    Many years ago I followed this entrupurner, Danny Choo, who work and lives in Japan with a passion. He is an inspiration to many young folks who love Japan because he literally worked his way there with joy and dedication. Many did made it to Japan, but became miserable salaried workers.

    Danny was originally from the UK with Malaysian immigrant parents. Danny’s Japanese learning itself was an interesting one, he took part-time jobs in his hometown’s Japanese restaurants so he can use Japanese with the local Japanese expats. Many of us would not even speak Japanese in class due to fear of making mistakes!!!

    He learned as much as 50 Kanji daily.

    And after a series of ventures, Danny decide to follow his dream and produced Smart Dolls from scratch. Learning about 3D printing, plastic moulding and all those. I was following his blogs and SNS closely during the whole process and I still get teary thinking about them now. You guys can check the post out on his website archives.

    Danny famously said that it was not about the money. Should he win the lottery, he and his dear wife would still continue on what they are doing.

    Of coz people started mobbing Danny’s work. One of it being, Danny is one terrible hypocrite, because if it is not for the money, why isn’t he doing everything for free?

    Our mighty Danny said, while this is an interesting question, it is also a silly question.

    Simply… a company always need money to run. ^___^;; Whoever think otherwise needs a serious reality check.

    The best thing I love about Danny is, while he is such a dreamer (+doer) who think and feels deep, he is balanced and practical with money.

    An important point to add is, with enough digging, people will realise that Danny has a famous father. He didn’t get money support from him, evident in his chronicling of his life.

  • Yuxing [Arigato Leader]

    Member
    October 9, 2022 at 7:10 pm

    🍀 Genius leaves clues: Ken on building relationships 🍀

    One of the first thing I remember wanting to follow after Ken was him having 52 friends whom he can rely on.

    Why 52??

    Ken had said that should one day he need help, he can stay a week with each friend, help out maybe with changing a light blub and after year he can be on his feet again.

    This whole thing on building relationship was again emphasised by Junki Yoshida. Junki simply said invest in building relationships instead.

    *****

    In my mind, I get it intellectually that of course!!! It is eventually human contacts who link us to jobs and loyal buyers who contribute to our income source. BUT, I am also sure that Ken and Junki are not just suggesting human relationships for the sake of securing monetary gain.

    Then I thought back on some of the meanest “bad” people I met in my life.

    Interestingly they all have terrible relationships with others.

    I had worked for a DISTRIBUTOR and my ex-boss and her minions were so bored with their jobs and lives, they would not stop interfering with creative direction of the company we distribute goods for. My old company could have their way due to century-old relations and ironically with each drama they are chipping at that very asset. And meanwhile my old company was also in fear that they can be replaced any time, so they tried to add value by giving unsolicited advices. I understand that worry and as an employee back then, I saw how 95% of our business came from this main principal.

    However, no one actually set on other ventures despite being graduates form good Universities and having relative business experience and capital. Instead, my ex-boss did this really insane thing. There was this troubled young man who get into conflict with everyone. He was practically addicted to it, he can march into the office picking random fights with another. It might had given him some twisted sense of pride if this guy manage to win every time, just that people inside and outside of the company gave him his taste of his own pie and so many times he got so defeated. And since he was evil-genius at his product knowledge, our boss would literally throw him like a Pokemon to battle the principal company.

    I thought it was so odd to live like that.

    I used to hate on this warrior guy so much, I made sure I had allies even outside of the office to deal with him. However, looking back now, I only have compassion. It is an utterly sorry situation to be in during the prime of his youth. I hope he had already changed his mind and thus changed his life. It is so awful to have no friends and people using him like that.

    Peace is better than being right.

    *****

    Meanwhile, Starbucks is one of my most favourite companies. Never mind the “overpriced” office, I am happy to pay for the whole chain of ethical coffee distribution. When I was going on a budget in Japan, I would chose to spend my meal money to be in a Starbucks because it made me feel at home. Calorie wise, I wasn’t starving myself as I got a high calorie Frappucino with all the whipped cream.

    Howard Schultz, the backbone of Starbucks, first managed to convince a bunch of people just selling good coffee beans by the bag (no coffee shops yet!) to hire him after “failing” his interview. He had mentioned before that he had been nervous and would walk around the building until he settled down, and then he would go up and meet with those he had an appointment with. I actually copied him on this and walked around one of my office as I had some overwhelming things going on. IT WORKED!!!!

    Howard is such a legend and envy of many entrepreneurs because he has no external investors, he was just straight on bringing in the kind of wonderful coffee shop experience he had in Italy.

    One of the best stories about the whole building of Starbucks is, at one point Howard was operating coffee chains under another name and came a crucial time where he has to acquire the Starbucks roastery and the whole coffee bean chain. Of coz Howard had exponentially less money than all the big time bidders and guess why it was sold to him?? His relations and exceptional commitment.

    And last but not least, Ken is building this community! I am sure people would pay 10 times or more to hear him speak, yet his made this affordable so we can have this space and happy people, happy money and A WHOLE HAPPY WORLD!!!!!!

  • Yuxing [Arigato Leader]

    Member
    January 17, 2023 at 6:18 pm

    This is super awesome Gina!!!

  • Yuxing [Arigato Leader]

    Member
    January 9, 2023 at 9:56 am

    I am so happy that you like it!!

    Actually quite a lot of people told me to write a book. I don’t really feel a calling on my side, maybe some day I will get guided to get going!!

    💖

  • Yuxing [Arigato Leader]

    Member
    January 2, 2023 at 7:13 pm

    Wahaha!! I remember this guy who can speak 27 languages!!! Crazy!!!

  • Yuxing [Arigato Leader]

    Member
    December 30, 2022 at 6:26 pm

    The above also got me to remember this one thing Wayne Dyer (American author) said in one of his books. One time he was driving through a neighbourhood with low employment rate and was surprised to see the streets filled with trash. Wayne said, given that these people have time on hand, and yet they don’t clean up, it adds to the cycle and prolonging of low energy.

    I thought that was very interesting because, did poverty caused the poor environmental condition?? Or the mentality of the people eventually created the what is??

    Singapore is a successful country and guess what was one of the first thing our first Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kwan Yew, did when Singapore was filthy and poor?? He took a broom and started cleaning the streets. And also planted plants. He set the example himself!!!

    Now, this leads me to Shoukei Matsumoto’s “A Monk’s Guide to a Clean House and Mind”. I read the book a while back and it seems to say the same thing, our inner world creates our outer world.

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