#UnBlockYourself

You Are Where You Are Pt.1

In the now, this moment in life, you are where you are. But here is a little secret. You don’t have to stay where you are in the next upcoming moment. Every decision you make changes the outcome of the rest of your life. 
Also, looking at some in a different way can change how you approach it. 
 
At the beginning of the year we set our goals. How’s that going? Don’t feel bad if it’s not going well, let’s change how we look and approach things. Let’s select one that would have the most impact with the least effort.
With this one thing, let’s re-label this goal and call it a project. 
 
What do you need to complete a project?
First, preparation! Project prep is the preplanning for project. Making a plan, setting a timeline, and getting the tools and materials will make this a success. 

Moai: Connected for Life

In Okinawa, it’s customary to form close bonds within local communities, and for many these bonds become part of their ikigai. 
 
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Moais (模合, Mo-ai) are social support groups that form in order to provide varying support from social, financial, health, or spiritual interests. Moai means "meeting for a common purpose" in Japanese and originated from the social support groups in Okinawa, Japan.
 
From the book “ikigai”, moai has its origins in hard times, when farmers would get together to share best practices and help one another cope with meager harvests. 
 
These connections of friends provided support for each other during tough times emotionally, encouraging one another to be the best they can be individually, and also collectively as a group with a common purpose. 
 
I feel when God puts certain people in your life, and moai is formed, no matter how long between the times you see each other nor how much time has passed, when you get together, there is a core connection that reacts to each other. We are spiritual beings, and the spirits are not really bound by time, just the physical body. 
 
Meeting with truly connected friends brings impact. Something always changes for the better, the world is a brighter place because of people like you connected to people like me, making each other shine in our own special ways. 
 
When we are together it is truly an ichigo ichie, which loosely translates to one time one moment (once in a lifetime), the cultural concept of treasuring the unrepeatable nature of a moment. 

Lighten the Load

“Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing more to take away” - Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
 
When I first moved down this way I didn’t have a job, so to feel important I pretty much did anything and everything to stay busy. When you open your calendar, everyone will usually fill it for you. I had meetings here, odd jobs there, church program here, youth event there... feeling really important! Scheduled too packed to sit down.  But it really meant that, just busy. No real impact. No meaningful relationships, just busy looking like I was downing something. 
 
When you fill your life with so many unimportant things, they pile up and block the way of the important things. More like this:
when you are always moving, you never get the chance to be still and know. 
When you are always talking and giving your opinion, you never get to listen and hear a word 
When you are always thinking of past wrongs, or always plotting the future for yourself, you will miss the now moment. 
 
Reminds me of the story of the zen monk. 
 
We weigh down our lives with so many projects that have nothing to do with our purpose, many times just chasing fame and fortune. But what impact does that have on your ikigai? Or is the impact you are having even positive? Sometimes we sacrifice the people close to us on the way to the top. 
 
Reminds me of Hiro Obayashi 
 
List some things that weigh you down. 
Ask how this can be lifted. 
Our environment and lifestyle greatly impacts our mind, our being, our judgement. 
 
Don’t try to take it all on at the same time. 
Set a goal. 
Create baby action steps (mini goals) to get you there reasonably. 
Go for the next one!

Impact Your Circle

Your circle of influence is your community. In the community everyone plays a part. You fulfilling your part is your ikigai. 
 
The importance of of your view of your role in this world will have a great affect on how your ikigai will impact it. The better you understand your role, the better you will function in being a light to your community. 
 
Studies show that those who have a strong sense of ikigai also have positive social skills, are usually helpful to those in need, eat healthier, and live longer. 
 
Connect to yourself and listen. Know this: God will fill his people with resources and know-how to fulfill their purpose. The more tuned in you are, the more you will be able to scale up your impact. 
Tune in to God and People
Ask questions
Communicate ideas
Keep it going!
 
Keep the connection!

Given to be given away

The concept of how wabikigai is simple. 
First half comes from Wabi Sabi: appreciating and finding perfection in imperfection. 
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” 
2 Cor. 12:9 
 
How we see ourselves can only take us so far. When we discover that God makes up the difference, meaning He takes us to higher levels when we depend on Him, we are able to take this odd, unique, and meaningful drive to live out our purpose and live life to the fullest. 
 
After all, He came to give us life and life more abundantly. 
 
The other half of wabikigai is ikigai: finding the reason for being, and allowing that to be the source for a long, fulfilled life. 
“Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he.”
Proverbs 29:18 
 
Everyone and everything has purpose. We are all at our peak existence when we our serving and doing what we are designed to do. 
 
I don’t want to twist scripture, but I do want you to see it in a way like this: The vision we hold for our lives keeps us, like a law we abide by. Where there isn’t one, or lose it, we have nothing to hold us down, so we start to whither away and perish. 
 
So the main purpose of wabikigai is to:
Unblock - remove the hindrances from you living your life to the fullest. 
Uncover - reveal the things that will help you live your life to the fullest. 
Discover - how to use the things you have uncovered to propel your purpose, passion, and mission to maintain your level of living your fullest life. 
 
If you were wondering about the title, the gifts we are given are given to us to be given away by using them through our Ikigai. “We’re blessed to be a blessing”

Wabikigai: My metaphorical tea room

Wabikigai is something I’m developing that blends a few of philosophies together, kind of like a room where these ideas get together and have a conversation to collaborate. 
 
This wabikigai: an abstract philosophical tea room. 
In this tea room you find:
place that has frozen time
an escape to find calm
Listen to your deep inner thoughts and bring them to the surface
 
It’s a tea room for friends:
Where they find connection points
Have a place to share ideas
Have a place to find inspiration through each other
 
It’s a spiritual tea room:
A place to meditate on the goodness and greatness of God
A place where you can be ministered to mind, body, and spirit
A place to connect and find yourself in God’s purpose 
 
Wabikigai is the name given to my ikigai.
My current passions for living is to have a place for this tea room to happen.
As we all grow together and enjoy experiencing life, I’m praying my ikigai will intertwine with yours and we go on many great adventures together as we learn from each other! 
 
 

Extra: Let's have tea together!

Let's take a time out and have a tea break together!

Japanese Style Home Tea Ceremony

An Overview of a Japanese Style Home Tea Ceremony
Tea is considered an art form, and the tea ceremony is focused on serving, your guests, the surroundings, calmness, attention to details, simplicity, and the appreciation of ichigo ichie.
 
Preparation:
The most important preparation for the host is to be focused only being in harmony with their soul. Conflicts, anxiety, worry, everything that pulls into the past or the future, needs to be dealt with. Focus will have to be in the now.
 
For the guest, they will need to leave behind all the material thoughts and concerns and focus on absolving their hearts of all the negativity of life.
They wait for the host to announce they are ready to receive them.
They wash their hands to symbolically remove all the dirt and dust of the outside world.
They enter in and bow to the host as a sign of respect. 
 
The ceremony starts with cleaning the matcha teaware involved. The host will clean the utensils in front of your guests, and then aesthetically set them. The cleaning and setting of the tools need to be done in a graceful way so that the procedure is aesthetically pleasing to look upon. No unnecessary movements or conversations are allowed in the ceremony and everything from cleaning to how the guests are treated has to be in harmony.
 
The Matcha is prepared and served in a bowl.
 
The bowl is presented to the main guest, they will admire it, and rotate it before drinking the tea. They will wipe the bowl and offer it to the next guest who will repeat the process until everyone has had the bowl. 
 
The host will clean the tools and teaware, and the guest inspect the teaware as a sign of respect for the host. They carefully examine and handle everything with care.
They bow one last time while leaving.
 
Details, products, and more can be found on Teaologists website:
https://teaologists.co.uk/blogs/teaologists-health-habit-blog/how-to-run-a-japanese-tea-ceremony-at-home-the-steps