Hay fever

The hay fever season has started again this year.

I have been sick since I came home from abroad two days ago.

My right hand is severely inflamed, my eyes are itchy, my nose tickles, and I have hives.

I haven't taken any medicine except for eye drops and ointment.

I wonder whether I should see a doctor or just stick to eating healthy food?

Lunch box

What do you eat for lunch at your workplace?  Eating out, buying lunch box, or bringing lunch box?

I have been bringing lunch box since last May.

There are three advantages for bringing lunch box:

1. I can eat healthy food.  My lunch box is  usually filled with brown rice and different side dishes such as seafood, boiled vegetables, and fruits.

2. Bringing homemade meals helps save money.  

3. I have got accustomed to getting up early in the morning to make lunch box, which is good to keep fit.

I cooked nimono (boiled broccoli, carrot, and oage) for today's lunch box.

External motivation vs. Internal motivation

According to the following article, Softbank will start to give 300,000 yen to those who will score 800 or higher on the TOEIC test to boost the employees' motivation.

http://www.japantoday.com/category/technology/view/softbank-offers-employees-y1-mil-incentive-to-master-english?utm_campaign=jt_newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_source=jt_newsletter_2013-01-14_AM

This approach may increase their "external" motivation and have some positive effects for a short period.  

However, Venom claims that "the rewards can greatly undermine intrinsic motivation."

Choice theory maintains that motivation is intrinsic, and suggests that rewarding to control is considered as "seven deadly habits."

Every leader should consider what kind of reward will boost their employees' "intrinsic" motivation.

I believe that a gift from the heart from employers to employees will be one of the best ways to motivate others intrinsically.

This morning I took a Skype English lesson.

Today's topic was "Random acts of kindness."

The material which my teacher introduced was quite exciting in that it includes both listening and reading activities.  

One of the good points of this material is that it takes only 6 minutes to listen to the story and we can listen to it focusing on the provided question.

Another good point of this material is that it was my favorite topic.  I am grateful that my teacher chose this topic for me beforehand.

In this topic, students were encouraged  to perform small and simple altruistic acts to their classmates such as hugging and sharing their lunch with their classmates.

The results showed the following positive effects:

1. Random acts of kindness boosted the students' happiness.

2. The atmosphere of the classroom has changed.  That is, each student became popular among the classmates.  Furthermore, it helps to discourage social problems like bullying.

It is good idea for me to share this topic with my students and ask them to work on "random acts of kindness" as their projects.

"Happiness" is the fundamental issue for everybody.  

I hope this material will be of great help to you too.

The Icarus Deception

Yesterday I started working on 2013 reading challenge.

As the second book for this challenge, I chose the following book.

The Icarus Deception: How High Will You Fly? (by Seth Godin)

You can see the term "art" many times in this book.

What is "art" then?

Seth Godin defines "art" as follows:

"Art is what we do when we're truly alive."

"Art is who we are and what we do and what we need."

"An artist is someone who uses bravery, insight, creativity and boldness to challenge the status quo."

"Art isn't a result; it's a journey.  The challenge of our time is to find a journey worthy of your heart and your soul."

This book encouraged me to be an "artist" in the field of my workplace as well as my private life.

The industrialized age was over, and now we are in the new age where "connection" is indispensable.

I wonder how much people will miss me if I'm not back here again tomorrow.

A beautiful quote by Hinohara Shigeaki taught me how to lead my life this year:

"Spending your time for others will bring you new encounters." 

（時間をひとのために使うと、新しい出会いが生まれます。）