December 31, 2019　=========
☆  purpose 目的
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Hello dear readers of the Eigo Techo mini mail. As you will have read in the past few emails, not only is this is the final Eigo Techo mini mail for 2019, it will also be the last mini mail for now.
In 2020, I will be busy with a new project and purpose, and I’m afraid that I won’t have time to send this email out daily.
I’d like to thank you sincerely for reading my mini mails for all these years! The Eigo Techo daily planner is still available for you each day of 2020 and you can find it on Amazon Japan, if you don’tRead more about December 31 – purpose[…]

December 30, 2019　=========

☆  guidance 助言

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The question for our Q&A this month is, “What is your purpose for the coming year, 2020?” One of the sample answers is, “I’m not sure yet, I need some guidance.” If you need guidance, who do you turn to?

Would you ask your parents? Your partner? Your friends or coworkers? Your boss? I guess it really depends on the situation and what you need guidance about, right? If you have a dilemma at work, it might be best to get guidance from your boss. But then again, your friends might know you better than your boss, so they might be able to give you better guidance.

DoRead more about December 30 – guidance[…]

December 29, 2019　=========

☆  uncertain 不確かな

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Do you know The Doors? The Doors are an American rock band, famous in the late 1960’s. You might know their songs such as, Light my Fire, Love Her Madly, and Riders on the Storm. Anyway, their lead singer, Jim Morrison is quoted as saying, “The future is uncertain, but the end is always near.” He actually died when he was 27, just as they were becoming very famous. So, unfortunately, it seems he was right!

What do you think about his comment though, “the future is uncertain, but the end is always near”? I think although it seems kind of depressing, it’s a good way toRead more about December 29 – uncertain[…]

December 28, 2019　=========

☆  tense 緊張した

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The second useful phrase this week is, “Don’t be tense, just relax.” When could you use this phrase? If you are a teacher, coach, massage therapist, it’s easy! You could tell your client not to be tense and just relax.

When else though? If a friend is going for a job interview? Definitely, good advice, “Don’t be tense, just relax.” Or you could even use it as self-talk if you are at an interview, or an important meeting… or even taking the TOEIC or TOEFL test. It’s a good phrase to pep yourself up. “Don’t be tense, just relax. I’ve got this!”

Bye,

Chris

December 27, 2019　=========

☆  passionate 情熱的な

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One of this week’s useful phrases is, “You’re always so passionate!” Do you know anyone you would say this to? I have a friend I would definitely say this to. She works, she runs, she volunteers, she catches up with friends, she travels… and she is always busy. I have no idea when she sleeps!

The amazing thing is that she is always passionate about what she is doing. Last month, she did a running event to raise money for blind people. Half of the runners wore eye masks so that they couldn’t see where they were running. The other half of the runners were leading theRead more about December 27 – passionate[…]

December 26, 2019　=========

☆  grateful 感謝して

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So, here we are at the end of 2019… what are you grateful for? What has been the highlight of 2019 for you? Do you have a lot to be grateful for?

I’m sure we all have a lot to be grateful for, right? It might be hard to come up with a long list in a few minutes. But what about spending a little bit of time, creating a list of what you were grateful for this year? If you could write out a list of 100 things, that would still only be one thing every three days… It should be pretty easy to find 100Read more about December 26 – grateful[…]

December 25, 2019　=========

☆  happy 幸せな

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Happy Christmas!

Or, should I say, Merry Christmas? Well, it depends! In 1843, Charles Dickens published, A Christmas Carol, and apparently the phrase “Merry Christmas” became popular then, as a quick way to greet others at Christmas time.

However, in Britain, the word “merry” tends to be connected to being drunk and happy – being merry. So, the Queen always says, “Happy Christmas” not Merry Christmas! Interesting!

These days of course, it’s safest just to say, “Season’s Greetings” or “Happy Holidays” which are both non-religious phrases.

Bye,

Chris

December 24, 2019　=========

☆  positive 楽天的な

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If you are positive about things, you are hopeful and confident. You think of the good aspects of a situation, rather than the bad aspects. You are optimistic and happy-go-lucky.

This week’s quote is, “No one we ever meet is a coincidence.” by Mimi Novic. I think this is a very positive way of looking at life. Back in August, when we talked about Troubles while Traveling, I mentioned a very scary thing that happened to my friend and I in Nagoya. That might seem like a very negative memory, but it’s actually quite positive. I survived, and so did my friend! But seriously, it showed meRead more about December 24 – positive[…]

December 23, 2019　=========

☆  creative 創造的な

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A creative person has the ability to invent and develop original ideas. Or they use something in a creative way to produce new or interesting results. I don’t feel like I am creative at all! If I buy a tool, I like to use it in the way it was meant to be used.

My son though, he is so creative. He is always looking at something and seeing what else it could be used for. Or finding a way to alter it, so it serves another purpose.

How about you? Would you describe yourself as creative? If so, in what way are you creative? If not, areRead more about December 23 – creative[…]

December 22, 2019　=========

☆  take action 行動に移す

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This week’s second useful phrase is, “Taking action is more important than just visualizing.” This is so true and I think it is why many people mistrust the Law of Attraction ideas. The Secret and other similar books made it seem like we just had to visualize the result we wanted and it would happen.

That’s a bit ridiculous really if you think about it. Sure, visualizing what you want is very important, I agree. But, if you don’t take any action, how will you ever get what you want? It’s like the person who visualizes winning the lottery. Every morning and night they meditate andRead more about December 22 – take action[…]

December 21, 2019　=========

☆  organize 体系化する

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Have you ever heard of the book, “The Organized Mind” by Daniel J. Levitin? (Note: in this case the word Organized is an adjective not a verb, like our word.) It looks like it might be interesting! It’s actually from 2014, so a “little” old, but in the book, he says that we are drowning in too much information, and yet we are expected make more decisions and faster decisions than ever before. So, how do we keep up?

In the book, he talks about the people who succeed in life and uses brain science to show how they do it. He sets out methods that weRead more about December 21 – organize[…]

December 20,2019　=========

☆  resist 抵抗する

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If you resist something, such as change, you refuse to accept it and try to prevent it. There is a famous saying by Carl Jung, who said that “What you resist, not only persists, but will grow in size.” This has been shortened and is often used in the Law of Attraction arena in this way: What you resist, persists.”

Why does this happen? Basically, if you are putting your energy into resisting something, then you are unconsciously putting all your focus on that thing. And the more you focus on something, the more you see it in your life.

So, what can we do? Jung says that ifRead more about December 20 – resist[…]

December 19, 2019　=========

☆  discover 発見する

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The word serendipity can be used to describe the “happy accidents” when someone discovers something by accident. For example, the Post-It note was discovered when the 3M employee developed a glue that was too weak for its actual purpose, so people started using it as a sticky bookmark instead!

As a young boy, Frank Epperson discovered how to make popsicles (ice-candy) after leaving his water and powdered soda mix outside in the cold San Francisco winter.

Do you know of any people in Japan who have discovered things by accident that could be considered a serendipitous happy accident?

Bye,

Chris

December 18, 2019　=========

☆  desire 強く願う

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If you desire something, you want it. This is a formal word, mostly used in writing. If you desire a different word to use when speaking, you can try any of these:

want
crave
hope for
long for
wish for
yearn for
set one’s heart on

It is OK to use the verb desire when speaking of course. It’s just a bit more formal than the words in the list above. So, it wouldn’t be unusual to hear the question, “What do you truly desire?” from a coach or someone helping you with goal setting. However, in your answer, you would probably choose one of the other words to reply. So, instead of saying,Read more about December 18 – desire[…]

December 17, 2019　=========

☆  connect つなぐ

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Have you ever thought about serendipity in real life and serendipity in the digital world? In real life, we connect with others naturally throughout the day. Each of these interactions could lead to a delightful and inspiring event, or it might not. We usually think of things that happening through this kind of connecting with others as a “happy accident.” Also known as serendipity. 

On the other hand, when we connect to things and people through the Internet, Google and other search engines are using algorithms to connect us with the people and things they think are important. When we enter search terms into the search engine,Read more about December 17 – connect[…]

December 16, 2019　=========

☆  appreciate 感謝する

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One of the useful phrases this week is, “I really appreciate what I have.” Is this phrase true for you? Do you appreciate what you have? Or are you more likely to compare what you have with what others have? Many people think that rich people are happy, but research shows that there are happy poor people and there are unhappy rich people. The amount of money is not important, what determines happiness is how much you appreciate what you already have.

Do you count your blessings and take time to appreciate what you have? I don’t think I do appreciate what I have as much asRead more about December 16 – appreciate[…]

December 15, 2019　=========

☆  language 言語

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One of the useful phrases for this week is, “What your language, you might attract something you don’t want.” This idea is directly from the Law of Attraction idea, right? If you are continually complaining and using language that expresses your disappointment, then that is what you will attract.

So, by being mindful of your language and the words you use, can improve your well-being and increase your enjoyment of life. Instead of reacting, we need to breathe in deeply, take your time to reflect and choose your language carefully before responding.

It’s not easy though! Especially as a parent, I find it hard to not react immediately!Read more about December 15 – language[…]

December 14, 2019　=========

☆  synchronicity 同時性

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The dictionary definition of synchronicity is the simultaneous occurrence of events that appear to be highly related but do not seem to have any causal connection. It’s also a concept, that Carl Jung first used in psychology to refer to “meaningful coincidences”, where things seem to be related but also don’t seem to have a connection.

Do you think this is similar to the meaning of serendipity as being a “happy accident”?

I used to think that the two were similar, however, a coincidence is quite different from an accident… and to be honest, not all synchronicity is happy – meaningful, yes, but not always happy. So, allRead more about December 14 – synchronicity[…]

December 13, 2019　=========

☆  blessing 祝福

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A blessing is something good that you are grateful for. For example, “The recent rains are a blessing for the farmers.” Or, “Her new baby has been a real blessing.”

There are a couple of idioms that use today’s word, too. Firstly, “Count your blessings.” This means that you think the person should be grateful for what they have and think about how lucky they are, instead of complaining.

Secondly, if something is “a blessing in disguise” you mean that something caused problems and difficulties at first, but later you realized it was the best thing that could have happened.

And thirdly, if a situation is a “mixed blessing”Read more about December 13 – blessing[…]

December 12, 2019　=========

☆  well-being 幸福

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Your well-being is your health and happiness. It is the state of being happy, healthy and contented. There are many things that can influence your well-being:

– enjoying your work
– enough money
– regular exercise
– healthy food and water
– quality sleep
– good relationships with a partner and friends

And of course, all of these things interact with each other, to create a high level of well-being. What else do you think affects your well-being?

Bye,

Chris

December 11, 2019　=========

☆  vibration 振動

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In recent years, there has been a lot of information about our vibration, and how it can affect what happens to us. For example, the Law of Attraction idea is that if we raise our vibration, then we can improve our lives and attract better things into our lives.

I found quite a few results on Google about increasing your vibration in order to increase your serendipity. There are many videos and articles by Joanna McEwen, who is a qualified Sound Therapist. She refers to Emoto’s book, The Secret Life of Water, to show the differences between positive and negative sound and how those vibrations can affectRead more about December 11 – vibration[…]

December 10, 2019   　=========

☆  momentum 機運

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If you start to gain momentum, then what you are doing starts happening more quickly, and is less likely to stop. You can use this word to describe projects at work, or goals that you are working on, or even to describe a small side business you have started for example. Here are some examples:

The project at work is really gaining momentum.
I started a small hobby business, but if I can maintain the momentum, it might become a full-time job for me!
His election campaign has been losing momentum since the interview last week.
As I get closer to my goal, I can feel my momentum increasing.

CanRead more about December 10 – momentum[…]

December 9, 2019   =========

☆  secret 秘密

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In western culture, it’s usual to make a wish as you cut your birthday cake. The thing is though, you are supposed to keep your wish a secret. You’re not allowed to tell anyone what you wished for.

Most kids wish for more things, but they’ve already had their birthday presents, so it’s unlikely that wish will come true! And, then if they make a wish for something other than “things”, it’s a secret, so again, it’s unlikely for that wish to come true!

Strange, really. It would be better to tell everyone your wishes and goals, right? If you keep them a secret, who is goingRead more about December 9 – secret[…]

December 8, 2019      =========

☆  magnetic 人を引きつける

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If you describe someone or something as magnetic, you mean that it is very attractive to people, usually because it has unusual, or exciting qualities. For example, you might describe a person as having a magnetic personality – meaning that they pull people in, people are drawn to them.

When you talk about your goals or dreams, you want them to have a magnetic quality, so that they kind of pull you toward them, and make reaching those goals and dream easier. You can make your goals more magnetic by visualizing them as though you have achieved them – kind of like making a movie inRead more about December 8 – magnetic[…]

December 7, 2019 =========

☆  confusing 混乱させるような

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This time of years is a bit confusing for me as a parent… especially as my kids get older. I love everything about Christmas except for two things – firstly, everyone spends way too much money and buys things they don’t need, and secondly, basically the Elf on the Shelf and the whole Santa story are made up, not real.

This is confusing for me, because I don’t want to lie to my kids, but I also want them to believe in the magic of Christmas, even if it is me that makes the “magic”… It’s also confusing for the kids, because of course some ofRead more about December 7 – confusing[…]

December 6, 2019　=========

☆  believable 信じることができる

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So, on the topic of being believable, when Bubbles our Elf “arrived” magically at our house from the shop… I mean, from the North Pole. Ha ha! I wasn’t sure that my kids would find him believable. I mean, it’s a tiny doll, that is supposed to have magical powers and fly to the North Pole each night?? Really?? It doesn’t sound very believable, right?

But my kids love Bubbles the Elf, and they love finding him in a different location each morning. It’s funny to watch them run around the house looking for him. I try to keep his new location believable, and luckily when IRead more about December 6 – believable[…]

December 5, 2019　=========

☆  persuasive 説得力のある

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We have an “Elf of the Shelf” in our house during December… Have you heard of them? It’s a small elf doll, that comes from Santa’s home to watch over kids, and make sure they are being good. Each night, the Elf (ours is called Bubbles) becomes magical, and he returns to the North Pole, to let Santa know if they kids have been naughty or nice. Then Bubbles comes back by morning time…

Believe it or not, this is a very persuasive way to get kids to be good! Unfortunately, his “magical” powers need some “help” from me each night! When he comes back from theRead more about December 5 – persuasive[…]

December 4, 2019　=========

☆  attentive 注意深い

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Being attentive means that you are paying close attention. I think being attentive is a great way to make sure you notice all the serendipity going on around you, right? Do you have a friend that seems to be really lucky and always getting what they want? Are they really luckier than you or are they just being more attentive, and therefore noticing more of the good things?

This is one of the reasons people suggest keeping a gratitude diary, right? Because in order to find one or two or three things to feel gratitude for each day, you need to be really attentive. And once youRead more about December 4 – attentive[…]

December 3, 2019      =========

☆  magical 魔法のような

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A place, object, or thing that has happen is magical when it has a mysterious quality that makes it seem wonderful and exciting. When something happens through serendipity, it generally seems magical, right?

A happy coincidence that you bumped into a friend you had been thinking about.
A phone call from your mom when you knew you should call her.
Finding the exact dress that you were looking for – on sale!

What magical things have been happening in your life recently?

Bye,

Chris

December 2, 2019      =========

☆  emotional  感情的な

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This week’s useful phrase is, “It’s important to have an emotional connection to your goal.” Many self-help gurus talk about this idea; it’s great to have goals, but without an emotional connection to them, it’ll be hard to continue with the goal if you hit a block.

In fact, you’ve probably heard of SMART goals, but what about CLEAR goals? CLEAR goals include the emotional side of goals.

Collaborate
Listen
Empathize
Adapt
Reward

The SMART goals idea is focused on results, but the CLEAR idea adds the human – in other words, emotional – element. Achieving goals usually requires the help of others, so that is why Collaborate, Listen, and Empathize areRead more about December 2 – emotional[…]

December 1, 2019　    =========

☆  manifest  明示する

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The dictionary meaning of manifest is that something – a quality, feeling, or even illness – manifests itself, and becomes visible or obvious. However, in more recent times, it has been more about manifesting changes that you want or things that you want in your life.

Have you ever watched the movie or read the book, The Secret (2006). After that book became so famous worldwide, it was clear that a lot of people were using the word, “manifest” to make positive things happen in their lives. So, for example, to manifest a new job, or to manifest a new boyfriend, and apparently, it’s possible toRead more about December 1 – manifest[…]