July 31, 2019　=========

☆  modify  修正する

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Continuing on from yesterday, if the fortune teller had told me it was bad timing to move back to Australia, then I would definitely have modified my plans. That might sound crazy, to adjust my plans on the basis of what “might” happen, right? But, I do really trust this person, and I had consulted her many times before this time in 2011.

If you were given insight or advice about your future, and it was different to what you were planning or thinking of doing, would you modify your plans? Would you take different actions? Or would you just thank the person for the information andRead more about July 31 – modify[…]

July 30, 2019　=========

☆  complicate 複雑にする

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If you complicate something, you make it more difficult to understand or deal with. In some cases, knowing the future might actually complicate things, right? For example, if you were planning to move overseas for work, and a fortune teller told you that you should stay in Japan for the next few years… what would you do? Would this complicate your decision?

For me, it definitely would! Of course, I would want more information about exactly why moving to another country was not a good idea at that time… but if I believed in the accuracy and integrity of the person telling me, then it would definitelyRead more about July 30 – complicate[…]

July 29, 2019　=========

☆  conceptualize （将来を）思い描く

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If you conceptualize something, you form an idea of it in your mind. In other words, if we conceptualize our future, we visualize our future. When we conceptualize something, it involves lots of ideas and elements. So, it is not simply wanting to live in a big city, or wanting to be an author – it involves conceptualizing all of the different parts of that idea – what city? What kind of dwelling? Who with? And so. Or for the author – what kind of genre? Who is your ideal reader and publisher?

Interestingly, conceptualizing the future is something that marketers need to be good at –Read more about July 29 – conceptualize[…]

July 28, 2019　=========

☆  accuracy 的確さ

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The accuracy of information is the degree to which it is true, even in the small details. So, a fortune teller could be rated on their accuracy for example. Naturally, if you are going to spend time and money to hear about your future, you want a high degree of accuracy, right?!

The quote from this week is by Sir Terry Pratchett, an English novelist; “Ordinary fortune-tellers tell you what you want to happen.” I think this is true of many fortune tellers – without thinking about accuracy, they ask a few questions and learn enough about the person to tell them what they want to happen.Read more about July 28 – accuracy[…]

July 27, 2019　=========

☆  incident 出来事

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An incident is something that happens – usually just one time, and it is often unpleasant. When we use this word, it is generally a formal situation, such as a news report. However, it can be used in any personal situation too, especially when you don’t want to mention exactly what happened. Here are some examples to illustrate that:

The incident didn’t change her plans.
Their relationship was never the same after the incident.
He was worried that everyone knew about the incident.
She couldn’t get the horrible incident out of her mind.

So, as you can see, there is no specific information about the incident, so if someone said thisRead more about July 27 – incident[…]

July 26, 2019　=========

☆  mood  気分

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Your mood is your state or frame of mind. Your mood can change often, so it’s important to have some adjectives to describe the mood you are in. Here are some commonly used ones:

good mood
foul mood
aggressive mood
positive mood
unhappy mood
bad mood
festive mood

Do you think your mood affects your life in a big way, or are you able to be in control of your mood in general, and not let it change your day?

Bye,

Chris

July 25, 2019　=========

☆  fantasy  空想

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One of this week’s phrases is “It’s just a fantasy, it’ll never happen.” What do you think about this statement? Do you think that it’s true, and the good luck you are hoping or wishing for won’t happen because it is just a fantasy or dream?

Or are you more likely to believe in the Law of Attraction (LOA) style of thinking? In other words, it might be a fantasy or a dream, but you feel positive that it might happen, and that you can attract it?

I heard a good comment about the LOA: the law of attraction doesn’t work if you don’t. In other words, justRead more about July 25 – fantasy[…]

July 24, 2019　=========

☆  sense 感覚

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If you have a sense of something, you have that feeling. For example, you think that something is true, without having clear evidence for this belief. So, fortune tellers work a lot with “sense”… they might read our palm, or do a Tarot card spread, and get a sense of what might happen to us in the future.

They have no real evidence, it is based on their sense or feeling. In fact, I tend to make a lot of decisions this way! A few years ago, when I was flying back to Japan, I had a feeling or a sense that something was wrong, so IRead more about July 24 – sense[…]

July 23, 2019　=========

☆  attitude 心構え

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Your attitude is the way that you think or feel about something. So, if you think that fortune tellers are all fake and you don’t believe in them, then this would show in your attitude toward them – you wouldn’t visit fortune tellers, you wouldn’t believe it when others tell you about what they learned or heard from one.

On the other hand, if your attitude toward fortune tellers is more open, and you are prepared to believe what they tell you then, then your attitude would be quite different. You might own your own Tarot cards, or you might visit a fortune teller every so often.Read more about July 23 – attitude[…]

July 22, 2019　=========

☆  turn of events 物事の節目

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A “turn of events” is a new development or a change in a situation.

This week’s useful phrase is “What a happy turn of events” meaning that there was a new development or a change in the situation which was happy or pleasant for the people involved. For example, maybe someone who was sick got better when they weren’t expected to. Or maybe you got a new job or a pay rise, when you were feeling down about your work situation. So, the “happy” part means that there was a change from the sad or negative situation you were in.

You can also use adjectives suchRead more about July 22 – turn of events[…]

July 21, 2019　=========

☆  unexpected 予想もしない

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Every year, there are festivals for various things in my city. Just like in Japan; food festivals, music festivals, art festivals and so on. One of the funniest things I’ve seen regarding a festival was the sign for the Psychic and Fortune Telling festival. There was a big poster advertising the festival, and then over the top of the poster, there was another small poster saying that the festival had been canceled.

It had been canceled due to “unexpected circumstances.”

Ha ha! Do you see the funny side of that? If they are really true psychics and fortune tellers then they should have known about the circumstances, soRead more about July 21 – unexpected[…]

July 20 2019　=========

☆  miraculous  奇跡的な

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Last month, we had to put down our 16-year-old dog. He had lived a long, and miraculous life, but it was time for him to rest. You might be wondering how his life was miraculous… well, he was a dog, but it was like he had nine lives, like they say a cat does.

Five years ago, our friends looked after him while we were away, and he escaped – he was blind in one eye, but he managed to run across a very busy road and not get killed! Miraculous!
Four years ago, he had a stroke and couldn’t walk… the next day, when we were aboutRead more about July 20 – miraculous[…]

July 19, 2019　=========

☆  lucky 幸運な

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Someone who is lucky seems to always have good luck. Do you think you are lucky? If a fortune teller told you that you were going to be very lucky in the future, would you believe them?

I remember a client of mine talking about his mentor who was in the business of “Luck management” … it was an interesting concept – that you could manage your life and determine events so that you could be lucky in the future. Of course, it wasn’t talking about being lucky and winning the lottery, but more about attracting happy and lucky events in to your life.

I want to beRead more about July 19 – lucky[…]

July 18, 2019　=========

☆  underlying  潜在的な

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This week’s useful phrase is “What is the underlying problem?” The underlying features of something are not obvious, and it may be difficult to discover them. However, without revealing the underlying problem or underlying cause, it can be difficult to solve the problem or change the situation.

For example, if you want to work in a company where you can use English, but you haven’t been able to find a job, you might feel like the underlying problem for you is a lack of English skills. However, the interviewer might think the underlying problem is a lack of experience. So, as you can see, you need toRead more about July 18 – underlying[…]

July 17, 2019　=========

☆  present 現在の

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We can use the word present to describe something that is existing here and now, for example this present moment, or current moment. You probably know this word from learning English grammar, talking about the present tense, however there are many other ways to use it:

Our present method is not working, we need to make some changes.
We are still looking for her; her present whereabouts are unknown.
Our present life is all that matters.
I don’t want to discuss it while you are in your present frame of mind.
The present moment is all we have.
If you are not happy with your present situation or present life, then it’sRead more about July 17 – present[…]

July 16, 2019　=========

☆  memorable  忘れられない

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Something that is memorable is likely to be remembered because it is special, or there is something unusual about it. For me, my visit with the fortune teller during my university days was memorable just because she said I’d visit Spain… and I still haven’t! Ha ha.

I think it is kind of interesting what our brains choose to remember, don’t you? I wonder how we decide what is memorable and what is not? I have some events in my life that I remember very well, that I don’t consider to be special or unusual, and yet my brain remembers them clearly! Strange!

How about you? What kindsRead more about July 16 – memorable[…]

July 15, 2019　=========

☆  specific 具体的な

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Do you think that a fortune teller than can give you more specific information is more believable? For example, if they said “you will move house in the future”, this is not very specific and could easily come true. However, if they said, “you will move house before the end of the year” and it is already the middle of July… that’s much more specific and if you weren’t thinking about moving house, this might be shocking to hear!

I think I’d prefer to get specific information. Anyone can give out vague and general information about “the future” but information that is specific to me, would beRead more about July 15 – specific[…]

July 14, 2019　=========

☆  insight  洞察

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So, it might sound like I don’t really like fortune tellers, but that is not true! And if you do or don’t like them, that’s OK with me too! What I don’t like is the fake ones that try to scam people out of their money promising to tell them their future.

However, even the fake ones can have some insight, I think. If you seek help from anyone, a fortune teller, a counselor, your boss, or a friend, just having a chance to talk about the situation, can help you think things through – and from that chance, you can gain insight into your situation muchRead more about July 14 – insight[…]

July 13, 2019　=========

☆  relationship  人間関係

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So, once you’ve heard about your love, your career, and your success in the future, it’s only natural that you’ll want to ask about your relationships, right? Ha ha. This might be a tricky one for fortune tellers to answer.

Imagine if they told you that your relationship with your spouse will come to an end. Or that you will have a big fight with your best friend and the relationship will be over. It would be devastating to get this kind of information from someone who says they can see the future!

Bye,

Chris

July 12, 2019　=========

☆  success 成功

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Another popular question for the fortune tellers! Will I have success in my life? This might actually be a difficult question to answer, because really, success is different to each of us, right?

For some people, success might mean lots of money, for others success might mean travelling the world and living in different places. And for others it might be a happy family, with a few children, and good friends. Or it could mean all of these things!

I guess that is actually why fake fortune tellers can be believable – because although the small details of success are probably very different, the big picture of successRead more about July 12 – success[…]

July 11, 2019　=========

☆  career  キャリア

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This week’s useful phrase is, “Will I have success in my career?” What would you do if the reply was “no”? Would you ask for more information, such as “should I change careers?” or “Why not? What will go wrong?”

Or maybe, you’re not in a career that you like right now, so a “no” would be a good result, because it would mean that you could focus on changing careers.

When the fortune teller I saw years ago said I should go to Spain, I went to Japan as an English teacher instead… I wonder if I would have had the same career if I had goneRead more about July 11 – career[…]

July 10, 2019   　=========

☆  family 家族

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Another popular topic for the future is family. Will I have a family? How many children will I have? How about my parents and siblings, will they be healthy and live long lives?

What sorts of questions would you ask a fortune teller? If you knew they were authentic and not fake, what sorts of things would you want to know about your family’s future? About your love life? What topics interest you for the future?

Bye,

Chris

July 9, 2019   =========

☆  love 愛

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I think love is probably one of the most common questions that people ask fortune tellers! Will I find love? Will I be successful in love? What is my love fortune?

Did you know that instead of paying money for advice from a fortune teller, you can look online for free fortune tellers on any topic? I found a funny one, which was a “fortune cookie” like the Chinese fortune cookies, except it was just an image of a fortune cookie, and you click on it, and it gives you a fortune about your love. Mine said, “Open your mind and your heart to good things.”Read more about July 9 – love[…]

July 8, 2019      =========

☆  future 未来

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The future is the period of time that comes after the present. This can be the immediate future, or more long-term, but anything that is not “now” or in the “past” is technically the future.

If, like last week’s phrase, you believe that your actions can influence your future, then it is important to actually take time out to think about what the future holds for you, and what you want from the future. Once you have done this, you can make plans for your future – and become your own fortune teller! Take action and see how accurately you can predict your own future!

Bye,

Chris

July 7, 2019 =========

☆  evoke 喚起する

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To evoke something, such as a memory, an idea, emotion, or response, means to cause it to occur. I once heard that fake fortune tellers evoke a sense of trust by telling us things that are true about ourselves, before they move on to telling us about our future.

For example, they “read” our situation and tell us we have a happy marriage, or are not happy in our job, and so on. These suggestions evoke a response from us – a nod of yes, or a shake of the head for a no. And this is the clue for the next thing for them toRead more about July 7 – evoke[…]

July 6, 2019　=========

☆  take care 気をつける

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Have you ever been to a fortune teller or psychic? Did what they tell you change how you acted or make you take care in a situation which you might not normally have taken care? That is definitely one benefit from seeking advice or counseling from this type of person, don’t you think?

If they suggest that you might get sick in the future, then you might take care of yourself better. Or if they say the house you live in is not safe, then you might do some work or renovations and take care to make it safer. And, then those actions will definitely influenceRead more about July 6 – take care[…]

July 5, 2019　=========

☆  visualize  思い描く

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Today is the beginning of winter school holidays for my kids. It’s just a short two-week break, but each year, we get a lot of rain and it’s hard to do anything outside. Visualizing is usually used for long-term visions and setting goals for your future, but I am going to use it for the short-term goal… I want to visualize the perfect weather for our school holidays!

Cold weather is OK, just not too much rain! And I want us to spend time together as a family, but also for the kids to have playtime with their mates. I’m also going to visualize my kids goingRead more about July 5 – visualize[…]

July 4, 2019　=========

☆  influence  影響を与える

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This week’s useful phrase is, “Your actions influence your future.” I think this is a much better way of thinking about fortune-telling, don’t you? In this way, you know that you can influence and change your future.

In fact, if you think about it, your doctor could be called a “fortune-teller” too! Many doctors say things like, “If you keep eating in this way, you’ll get heart disease.” That’s like they are predicting the future! But, in a positive way – because they are giving you the information you need to influence your future – change your eating habits, stop drinking or smoking, or exercise more.

There areRead more about July 4 – influence[…]

July 3, 2019     =========

☆  predict  予言する

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In the article I mentioned the other day, the psychic said that it was not possible to predict the future, because there are multiple realities and futures that could come to pass. When she first started as a psychic, she told people what she saw – she predicted illnesses, and trouble with tenants, and so on. Amazingly, those things happened.

However, this was when she said that it wasn’t possible to predict “the” future, because there are so many. Instead she decided to focus on telling people about the power of the subconscious mind to anchor in suggestions about the future. Her main suggestion: don’t letRead more about July 3 – predict[…]

July 2, 2019      =========

☆  mirror  映し出す

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And the second part of the quote from yesterday is that fortune-telling “mirrors the present”. I read an interesting article that suggests this is true. The psychic or fortune-teller can gather information about us, from the way we are dressed, wedding rings and so on, and then they suggest ideas that might mirror or reflect that.

If we already have that belief in our subconscious mind, then being told it by a fortune-teller makes us believe it even more. And then similar to the Law of Attraction we end up making that “future” come true for us. So, is it really fortune-telling? Or just mirroring ourRead more about July 2 – mirror[…]

July 1, 2019　    =========

☆  reveal  明らかにする

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This month’s topic is Fortune Telling, and the opening quote is “fortune-telling doesn’t reveal the future, it mirrors the present.” This is a quote by Charles de Lint, a Canadian author. Do you know the rest of the quote? It says that fortune-telling basically “resonates against what your subconscious already knows and hauls it up out of the darkness so you can get a good look at it.”

What do you think about this idea? Do you think it’s true that fortune-tellers are just revealing what we already know?

Once, when I was in university, I went to a psychic festival and saw a fortune-teller, she toldRead more about July 1 – reveal[…]