Doodle Card

 

Know what drives you.
自分を動かすものを知ろう。

 

Why do you wake up every day?

What drives you today?

Probably that’s because you do what you should do. Go to work to make a living. Take care of your family. Or do whatever you are told to do or you feel obligated to do.

Probably that’s because you do what you love to do. Do a job you think is your vocation. Create something you love. Meet people you like.

Or both. Sometimes you do what you want to do, and the rest of the time, you do what you have to do.

It’s not a matter of which is right or wrong; no matter what we do, we better understand why we do it. If you become conscious of why you do what you do every day, you begin to have power and influence on them. And that’s the first step of changing your life for the better.

 

 

Promote yourself.
自分自身を売り込もう。

 

At some point in your life, you have to promote yourself—until it pays off. Otherwise, you’ll lose an opportunity, trust, money, or self-esteem.

And here’s what could happen when you promote yourself:

• People ignore you,
• People think you bother them,
• People think you have an inflated ego and appear arrogant,
• People think you trample on other’s feelings,
• People get mad and remove you from their life; or
• People get inspired and support you.

When you are passive and don’t affect other’s feelings, you’ll get ignored. If you affect someones’ feelings, he or she may get upset; but that’s also the only way to get someone inspired.

 

 

Be fearless.
大胆不敵になろう。

 

All creation begins with a spirit of boldness and fearlessness.

When I got started, I was not a professional. I was not even a novice either; I was nothing.

That’s because it was quite easy to start drawing again—after an absence of almost 30 years. That also made me quite easy to start writing in English, which is my second language. I was unable to judge or evaluate the quality of my work, and that’s why I was able to keep creating every day. If I were able to do so, my inner self would force me to discard my work before sharing it with someone, even with my wife. And you would never see my work on Instagram or anywhere on the Internet.

However, here’s what actually happened: I’ve shared more than 500 doodles and illustrations with the world, connected with entrepreneurs and writers I admire and made friends with like-minded people across the globe.

That’s the power of doing something like a child—with a spirit of boldness and fearlessness. Children do what they want to do without worrying about what other people think of them, or whether their work is good or not—until their mind are polluted by the social norm.

We all adults—or anyone who forgot the child’s spirit—have to regain our hidden talents and skills. Doing something like a kid is one of the best ways to make it happen, and you’ll start discovering what your true self is. Love it, embrace it, and live with it. No matter what it is, it’s much better than living with your fake self.

Once you choose to start living with a spirit of boldness and fearlessness—the child’s spirit—and your true self, your life will change. Like my life did.

 

 

Set a bar high.
基準を高くしよう。

 

A common mistake most of us make is to start from far too behind. It’s not about our abilities to make things done; it’s about our mindset.

We often underestimate ourselves. What we think is our standard can be quite lower than the standard that is suitable for us. And we settle for that—less than what we deserve—because it’s comfortable. Because we don’t have to challenge ourselves. Because lower standards quickly give us a sense of accomplishment. Comfort is a sign of starting from far behind.

When we start from the right place, we feel a sense of excitement. Some may also feel slightly uneasy. Because the right place to start is almost always outside our comfort zone, which is slightly above our standard.

So when you plan to start something, try to make yourself a bit uncomfortable. Set your goal a bit higher than the one you feel comfortable. Demand more of yourself. Believe that you are more capable than you think. If you do so, even when you fail, you can learn much more than what you get from an easy challenge.

 

 

Burn with curiosity.
興味津々になろう。

 

What is the one thing you can do ‘like a child’?

When I decided to create a book of my Doodle Cards, I had another look at them and thought about what they meant to me.

I have to admit that I didn’t have a clear goal when I started. I was just devastated and looking for something I can feel I’m alive. Then it turned out that drawing—and later, writing as well—became my daily creative practice and also helped me purify my soul.

I’m neither a professional artist nor a professional writer. I just draw and write something every morning like a child. Out of pure curiosity, I try to find something positive and useful from negative experience of my own. It helps me understand who I am and how I am, regardless of the number of Likes I get on Instagram or other social media.

Doing something like a child helps you discover your true self. For me, drawing and writing did the work. What is your thing? What makes you forget about time, money, reputation, or anything all adults care?