It’s been over a year since I walked. For ten days after my walk I was hella sad. Klaus explained it best, something like I had lost the identity of “walking across Japan” so needed to go through a grieving process.

Plus I was angry. Oh shit now I have to write a book??? Fuck that.

Robert Golden patiently encouraged me to write, saying correctly that the memories would fade. Heck I knew that as a 17 year old; that is how I started my handwritten journal.

I have learned a lot since my walk. I spoke at TEDx Ogikubo about the joys and benefits of barefoot walking.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJzb5n9ldP8

While researching for the talk, I asked my physiotherapist friend Yuji who spoke for 30 minutes about the benefits of walking barefoot. Suddenly I realized I had to expand my number of barefoot walking events. It wasn’t just a feel-good thing; there are benefits beyond just “it feels good.”

Balance is improved; gait is improved; long term safety is improved; short term safety may go down slightly but can easily be mitigated with eyesight or walking in areas known to be safe for bare feet.

I had been doing monthly events, and now as of this writing, I’m leading 7 events per month. Seven! That’s great! That’s great except for one or more things.

Actually, in some cases, one or fewer things.

I am a chronic underearner. Of the Twelve Symptoms of UA on https://www.underearnersanonymous.org/, I often ticked about 9 of the proverbial boxes:

1. Time Indifference – We put off what must be done and do not use our time to support our own vision and further our own goals.

2. Idea Deflection – We compulsively reject ideas that could expand our lives or careers, and increase our profitability.

3. Compulsive Need to Prove – Although we have demonstrated competence in our jobs or business, we are driven by a need to re-prove our worth and value.

4. Clinging to Useless Possessions – We hold onto possessions that no longer serve our needs, such as threadbare clothing or broken appliances.

5. Giving Away Our Time – We compulsively volunteer for various causes, or give away our services without charge, when there is no clear benefit.

6. Undervaluing and Under-pricing – We undervalue our abilities and services and fear asking for increases in compensation or for what the market will bear.

7. Isolation – We choose to work alone when it might serve us much better to have co-workers, associates, or employees.

8. Misplaced Guilt or Shame – We feel uneasy when asking for or being given what we need or what we are owed.

9. Not Following Up – We do not follow up on opportunities, leads, or jobs that could be profitable. We begin many projects and tasks but often do not complete them.

See the full list of 12 here https://www.underearnersanonymous.org/about-ua/symptoms-of-underearning/

I’ve been spending a lot of time leading events, but not making enough money to live my life. I have a 1/4-time job that I do online and then 6 hours per month of other paid work. It’s not enough to do more than scrape by.

I love my free time and yet it’s sometimes too free. I have given a lot of my time away free and end up resenting people who I think should be paying me for my time. It’s my own dang fault, and I have the ability to do things differently.

I have been leading these events at an overall loss for a few months; my transportation costs and other expenses have not been covered by donations from the events.

I’ll probably increase the recommended donation from 500 yen to 1000 yen, especially after I get the custom bamboo barefoot thingies I plan to have designed and made soon. I’ve semi-started that process by asking Yoko if she can talk to her friend who makes things with bamboo.

24 May 2022

Just quickly to write your innate talents are the most valuable thing you undervalue because they are innate. You overlook them because they come so easily to you. What do people keep coming to you for? Continue to do those things more often. (see you’ve got talent)