Jean Miki Nishimura

I attribute my success to special adults and peers in my life who saw value in the work I submitted and elevated me into a leadership role starting in my childhood years. As a quiet child, it amazed me to be nominated and voted by my class peers to be the vice president and then the following year, the president of the class. Also, starting in my early years, I was recognized by my teachers for creative projects that were submitted, including artwork and written compositions.

My family facilitated my ability to accomplish my goals by providing a safe and calm space to concentrate on my academic studies while providing the inspiration and the means to explore my love of creative expression. In addition, my parents provided a background that develops children's academic performance, a bilingual education and music lessons. A bilingual education develops cognitive thinking and music lessons increase math skills. My sister and I attended a private Japanese language school on Saturdays, and we both learned how to play a musical instrument.

Receiving a strong foundation for academic achievement in my formative years developed the motivation and persistence to work through challenging situations in order to accomplish my goals. Setting realistic goals that were attainable and putting in the time and effort to achieve them enabled me to have small wins that led up to bigger wins. Despite the outcome, the wonderful people I met along the way and the skills I gained were of tremendous value.

In my youth, one of my university instructors summoned me for an office visit. She encouraged me to continue to incorporate my psychology background into my writing. She ended our session by saying, "Your voice needs to be heard." Whatever career path I chose, the value she attributed to my words in my paper, inspired me to be an avid reader and develop the skills and confidence needed to share my thoughts and messages.

Many industries, including the education field and the financial industry, require the need to be open to change and continue to grow. Keeping up with the vast amount of information that is fed to us can be overwhelming. Gaining critical reading srategies that help us decipher the trustworthy and significant literature and sources from the invalid and less important ones is crucial.

Teamwork with another likeminded colleague or group is motivational. Holding each other accountable is helpful. From my studies in education, I learned that if you can teach someone the information you studied, you've mastered it.

Mastering anything that requires much practice, skill, and talent takes time. Find joy in the small gains you make along the way to attain a major goal.

Connecting with others in my work and personal life who are supportive and positive is so valuable. When we start and end our days feeling good we can accomplish more during the day. Sometimes these family members, colleagues, and friends are physically far away, but I set aside the time to call or write them. The messages we send and receive can bring added energy and wisdom to our days. Feeling that I had a productive day gives me a calming satisfaction. This is how I perceive a productive day for myself: Through a presentation, session, event, or written work, individuals or families feel a greater peace of mind about their financial future, and children or families embrace the messages of my books or songs.