My Blog

Reframing Uncertainty: Finding Clarity in a Chaotic World

REFRAMING UNCERTAINTY: FINDING CLARITY IN A CHAOTIC WORLD Lately, nearly everyone I talk to has been experiencing some level of anxiety. The world feels heavy. Change is constant, and uncertainty is the norm. Many Americans are deeply anxious about the economy,...

Bridging Faith and Mental Health – For My Mother

BRIDGING FAITH AND MENTAL HEALTH - FOR MY MOTHER Earlier this year, I had the honor of receiving a contract from the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health for a project titled “Healthy Communities: Faith and Wellness.” The mission of this initiative is to...

Confront Imposter Syndrome With These Strategies for Self-confidence

  Confront Imposter Syndrome With These Strategies for Self-confidence By Amy Collett Have you ever felt like a fraud, despite your accomplishments? You’re not alone. Imposter syndrome is a common experience where you doubt your abilities and feel undeserving of...

Unplug for Mental Health

UNPLUG FOR MENTAL HEALTH   Since November, I have completely unplugged from all news outlets. Fifteen years ago, I cut the cable TV and stopped watching the news, except for the occasional major sports game on regular TV channels. Five years ago, I stopped using...

Intersection between Cultures and Mental Well-Being: Insights from Southeast Asia

     INTERSECTION BETWEEN CULTURES AND MENTAL WELL-BEING: INSIGHTS FROM SOUTH EAST ASIA In December and January, I had the privilege of exploring and traveling through Southeast Asia, specifically in the Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand. This...

A Fresh Start: Wishing You Health, Wellness and Self-Care in the New Year

  A FRESH START: WISHING YOU HEALTH, WELLNESS AND SELF-CARE IN THE NEW YEAR! Wishing You a Happy New Year Filled with Health, Wellness, and Self-Care As we say goodbye to the past year and welcome in the new one, it’s a great time to reflect on all that we’ve...

End of the Year Reflection

END OF THE YEAR REFLECTION As this year comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on a journey filled with challenges, growth, learning, and transformation—both personally and professionally. This year has been a testament to the importance of balance, purpose, and...

Random Thoughts

RANDOM THOUGHTS My mind is struggling to form singular, cohesive thoughts right now, so this blog will be another collection of different half-baked ideas and questions I've been reflecting on and trying to sort out lately. Storytelling Theater. We have officially...

How Do You Man UP? Seven Ways to Man UP!

HOW DO YOU MAN UP? SEVEN WAYS TO MAN UP! This blog is inspired by a conversation I had with one of my readers, a male immigrant who has lived in the U.S. for decades. He asked during our discussion, “How do you actually man up?” This blog is my attempt to answer that...

Storytelling Theater for Healing

STORYTELLING THEATER FOR HEALING   In August, we delivered seven Storytelling Theater’s Red Doors performances/workshops. Since early this year, I have been mentioning Storytelling Theater and Red Doors. Some of you/my readers might still be wondering what...

Compassion/Empathy

COMPASSION/EMPATHY   Back in February, through the just keep living foundation, I facilitated a mental wellness workshop at Venice High School in Los Angeles. Using blank kites, I asked the students to draw things on them that gave them joy and hope. After...

Home Renovation and Mental Health

HOME RENOVATION & MENTAL HEALTH I’ve entered a whole new phase of “adulting.” It’s called home renovation. This year, due to various semi-urgent reasons, I started renovating my place. I have years of work experience in both residential and commercial...

Stress Management

STRESS MANAGEMENT Stress is a word, a feeling, and an experience that I have been hearing a lot about. Lately, I have to admit I’ve noticed that my stress level has skyrocketed. Back in March, I wrote a blog titled “Why Am I So Stressed?” about the internalized...

Happy Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month

Happy Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month   May marks the convergence of two significant observances in the United States: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month and Mental Health Awareness Month. This intersection presents a...

Trauma-Informed Care

Trauma-Informed Approach  The last time I ran a team was six years ago. This year, I have the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to produce and direct the Storytelling Theater for Healing and Social Justice and work with a team of eight amazing individuals. They consist...

Storytelling Theater Ensemble

Andrew Nishimoto Andrew Nishimoto is a dedicated family man with a passion for coaching soccer and making a positive impact. Andrew finds joy in both his personal and professional life with his high school sweetheart and wife of 16 years by his side, along with his...

Why Am I So Stressed?

WHY AM I SO STRESSED?   One of the benefits of solo traveling internationally is the ample time to dive into my own thoughts and deeply reflect on my beliefs, my emotions, and my life. The trip to Southeast Asia in January provided me with this unique...

Anxiety Episode Out From Nowhere

ANXIETY EPISODE WHILE TRAVELING IN VIETNAM Part 1 I was very blessed to have the opportunity to spend a big chunk of January in Vietnam and Cambodia. Instead of writing about Vietnamese and Cambodian foods and cultures (there are already tons of these blogs out...

Japan – The Hidden Rules, Food, Cultures

I had the opportunity to spend about two weeks in Japan last month. I was in and out of Tokyo for six days, in Okinawa for four days, and in Kyoto/Osaka for four days. Japanese culture has had a significant influence on my life. Since I was a young lad, I’ve studied...

Men and Mental Health

“It takes more courage to reveal insecurities than to hide them, more strength to relate to people than to dominate them, more 'manhood' to abide by thought-out principles rather than blind reflex. Toughness is in the soul and spirit, not in muscles and an immature...

Panama

I was fortunate to visit Panama in January with a friend and spent about eight days exploring the country. To my surprise, I really love Panama and I can see myself spending more time down there. Here are some of the highlights from Panama and my thoughts and...

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Lifting Your Spirits Through the Pandemic

This blog is by CoffeeWithJR guest blogger, Tina Martin. Lifting Your Spirits Through the Pandemic As the pandemic has progressed throughout the last 18 months, people have begun to give more consideration to their health and well-being. Many have created healthier...

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Environment – Doing My Part

Happy New Year, my friends! As we move into 2022, I’ve been asking myself how I can do my part to make the world better. Instead of trying to overwhelm myself with all of the challenges the world is experiencing, I am focusing on a specific issue, the environment....

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Mexico City

I went to Mexico City in November. I stayed with my two friends and had a full Mexico City experience. I really enjoyed and loved the culture, food, and people there. I am extremely thankful for my friends that showed me around their favorite local spots and...

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Virtual vs. In-Person

In October, for the first time since the pandemic, I have finally started giving in-person trainings. After staring at my screen for almost two years, my first reaction while giving my first in-person workshop was, “Who are all of these people and why are they here?”...

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Seasonal Affective Disorder

Since I was young, every fall I’d experience and suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Over the last ten years, I have worked really hard to heal and recover myself from this form of depression. After years of hard work and support from my former therapist,...

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Watching Myself on a Big Screen

“Coffee Talking Mental Coffins” was screened at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival last month at the Regal L.A. Live movie theater. This new cut of “Coffee Talking Mental Coffins” is over ten minutes long and I divulged more about the connections between my...

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How to Launch Your Denver-Based Business

This blog is by CoffeeWithJR guest blogger, Eva Benoit. If you’ve been thinking about relocating or starting a business in Denver, the time has never been better. In addition to being one of the most picturesque places in the country, Denver is also known for its...

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