Boost and Unleash Talents with Positive Thinking

“The saddest thing in life is wasted talent and the choices you make will shape your life forever” – Chazz Palminteri.

Nick Krygios lost cool again at Australian Open, and the issues are hot topics in the media and on talkback radio.

Then great and respected Almanacker, Malcolm Ashwood posted the quote above on the Rulebook’s Facebook page.

I haven’t seen the incident on any media platform, but was impressed with the quote. Because I have similar experiences in my life.

Producing and presenting school radio programs as a broadcast council at primary school were what I enjoyed and reflected on my talents.

On the other hand, I had struggles with playing soccer at primary school.

Then I was focusing a lot on academies at secondary and high schools. As wanting to go to university, I was put a lot of pressures on Japanese because I didn’t mark good scores. Otherwise I would fail to pass tough entry exams.

Therefore I seemed not to consider undertaking a media course at university. But I don’t think there is any university course in Japan specialising media. Many famous TV presenters have graduated other Bachelor courses such as Literature and English.

Only seeking high marking subjects and being feared of failing to pass the exams, I chose to study Engineering (electrical and electronic) at university.

My academic records were well at university so that my university fees were redundant.

But the challenge awaited after the graduation. Working as a railway signal electrician, I lost my confidence. I was so bad at using tools to maintain equipment. I didn’t have enough physical energy to loose big bolts and nuts when maintaining track points.

Also it was hard to read circulating in the railway signal systems, so I was almost hard to detect the problems when signal faults occurred.

Then I have been criticised for poor work performances and felt insecure.

Frustration and depression hit me consequently.

Krygios might go through such a pass? Or his anger issues ruin his talents?

My mistakes on choosing university courses and career path have been realised later in my life, at late 30s.

I have wasted my times for nearly 20 years. Even I haven’t done a right job, my New Zealand experiences brought me positive sides to create better and bright future, I believe.

Everyone seems not to be able to find what they want to do in adolescent and early 20s. I think seeing different things in such times would change minds in youth.

It’s okay, but we should have an opportunity to take a detour in our life and should not criticise ourselves. Also others should encourage young people, I think.

I admit I am one of them. But I cannot take my youth back. So I have to focus on creating better life path, even if I will turn 44 next month.

Having ruined positive stuffs and been single for whole life, I need to learn from the past and bounce back, like St Kilda did at the last one and half quarters whilst playing Bulldogs at Round 6, 2015.

Encouragements and compliments are needed to benefit from talents. And getting supports are important.

Sadly in Japan, criticism and pointing out weaknesses are to motivate others to improve, it’s said. But it is wrong, I think. Otherwise we cannot blossom our strengths, skills and talents.

I don’t want to be stuck with data entry and labour works. Instead I am chasing my childhood dream becoming a journalist.

My scores at the English exam I took on 7th January were a bit underachievement, but I will do the best to be a smart student and a good journalist. I have spent 17 years to reach current English levels, so I will be fine.

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Listening to SEN on Thursday, a filling in presenter Rohan Connolly interviewed the Essendon veteran, Brent Stanton. The Bomber made a good remark in the interview.

He prefers to see a senior coach coaching at the boundary line because it is good to communicate with the coach face to face.

Then players can sense what the coach wants them and his passions. I agree with Stanton.

Encouragements from coaches are important and keep talents positively.

Another reason I support bench coaching comes from the opposite. Having had most of communication over the phone with my boss at the current workplace, I find telephone communication within the organisation is hard, because the boss cannot see circumstances at the inn or what I have been doing. Then it’s hard to explain what is going on and I may not get good advice.

Let’s encourage and compliment others so that we both benefit from talents. Gather talents and skills to create the best performances.

About Yoshihiro Imagawa

Love, passion and pride are seen on the footy that is the biggest part of my life. 1. St Kilda Club member: I am a passionate and crazy Sainter. Just hope we will win the second flag soon, especially after Dogs and Tigers having ended long premiership draughts. 2. The Osaka Dingoes Player and Public Relations Officer: Player number 44 that I chose to honour Stephen Milne with my wish being like a small forward like him. Lenny Hayes' hardworking attitudes are adopted on my trainings and practices. Nick Riewoldt's great plays are in my player audiobook too. 3. Writing: Here on the Almanac and also on the World Footy News. My skills utilise on great footy websites.

Comments

  1. Neil Anderson says

    Another well-written piece Yoshi. I will be interested to see if you end up at Deakin Uni eventually, our new Almanac sponsor. My wife has worked there in recent years in the library and now she is part of a new initiative to work with students preparing them for life at uni. The serious stuff academic stuff not the party-life. The program would be ideal for you particularly coming from overseas.
    I know what you mean about encouragement and good mentoring to get the best out of your studies and employment. I never received any until I was into my twenties so I wasted at least eight years of progressing with employment and further study.
    It’s never too late to study and work in your chosen area. Even with my late start compared to most people, it has led to a very satisfying writing- hobby in middle-age.
    I will look forward to hearing about your next step towards journalism.

  2. Good stuff Yoshi ( yep love any 1 to like The Rulebook face book page feel free to invite your friends)
    I think Nick Krygios frustrates us all and the key may we’ll be he does not enjoy tennis what so ever and it’s the last thing he should be doing,while the perfect job of course does not exist every one should be trying to do something at the very least which interests them while it is not easy and there are bills to be paid etc at least we all should have a crack good luck,Yoshi

  3. G’day Neil and Rulebook,

    Thanks for your nice comments!

    Neil – Thanks for your warm compliment and wishes for the future. I’m sad to hear you were not able to access high education until twentieth. But I’m glad that you have unleashed great talents in writing eventually. I admire your great skills and like your playwright of the SCG game in 2016. And it’s good to hear your wife is helping students at Deakin University. I will see what happens for the further education.

    Rulebook – Thanks for your nice compliment and allowing me to use the quote here. Yes sadly Krygios frustrates Austraians. He is playing for the country too so he should take responsibilities. As you say, playing tennis may not be reflected to his talents. Even you know, he is not willing to train so much. Then he says he needs to change a coach. Maybe he hasn’t got a right coach, but he should have reasonable thoughts. And thanks for your kind wishes mate.

    Cheers

    Yoshi

  4. Hi Paddy,

    Thanks for your warm wishes in the summary of the story.

    I wish you all the best and hope you have a good weekend.

    Cheers

    Yoshi

  5. Paddy Grindlay says

    Yoshi,

    Great piece.

    Love your positivity! The power of encouragement is always underestimated.

    Good luck with your dream of being a journalist.

    Paddy

  6. Paul Spinks says

    Thanks, Yoshi:

    I agree with you that encouragement is better that criticism, particularly criticism of the unconstructive kind.

    I watched the movie Whiplash recently and it presented a counterpoint – that true talent will rise above ridicule and discouragement. I disagree with that premise – there are many things, environmental and biological, that make up a talented individual. Of course there are always times a ‘kick up the bum’ might be required to spur someone on, but in my opinion it will work better with a carrot attached.

    In Thai Buddhism mindfulness meditation is common – a simplistic analysis of it is that thinking precedes emotion and through practice we can become aware of negative thought processes and pre-empt them. Does Thai Buddhism relate to Japanese practices?

    As for Kyrgios – I tuned into the match when he was in control and needing to finish it off. It was as if previous behaviour became an expectation he had to live up to. At the moment, I reckon he’s using his indecisiveness about whether he loves the game as an excuse for failure. But we love a redemption story, and his day may yet come.

  7. jan courtin says

    Hi Yoshi
    Good luck with your journalistic endeavours.

    I feel it is a pity that you feel “I have wasted my times for nearly 20 years”, as, surely, our past experiences help us to achieve our future ones – assuming we are able to learn from the past.

    Personally, I don’t think that any of our experiences are wasted – even if they are sad and unfulfilling ones – and as for “achieving our dreams”, well, I’m still searching for mine…!

  8. Hi Paddy, Paul and Jan,

    Thanks for your comments and warm wishes!

    Paddy – I appreciate you for your compliment and I am happy that your thought of encouragements is the same. All the best mate.

    Paul – Wow! It’s interesting that the movie Whiplash presented with the opposite methods. It seems the movie reminds us how encouragements and positively are important to bloom talents. I’m not sure about our meditation, but we have Buddhist temples so we might be able to have such meditations, especially here in Kyoto? I agree with your opinions on Krygios. He has to motivate himself and train hard.

    Jan – Your points of views are great and I agree. Regretting and feeling to waste my 20 years come from negative criticisms and comments. Then I think what ifs, such as if I undertook a journalism Bachelor course in Melbourne in my youth. Sadly or luckily I discovered my talents on my own by seeing failures. I need to get back regrets and past sadnesses by having great times in the future. I have saved a lot of money and it’s time to draw to be rich – as a metaphor.

    Thanks all.

    Yoshi

  9. Nice work mate

  10. Earl O'Neill says

    Hey Yoshi
    Must be something about the railways. After many years as a gardener, I sold my soul to the infernal bureaucracy of NSW Railways for a train guard’s grand salary. Two years later, an epiphanic moment, I was back on the tools and I’ve been self-employed since. Best career decision I’ve made.
    Stick to it, mate.
    Earl

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