There have been so many transformations within myself, this blog’s appearance, and the content I produce that people continue to be drawn to that it seems almost impossible to pinpoint them all. However, despite all of those facts, the truth is that this blog, in and of itself, is a physical example of what it means to exist according to “a heartfelt, relentless effort” or, as it means in Japanese, isshoukenmei. So, instead of just bragging about the present, I will share past entries that I have written over the years that will hopefully reflect why the ISKM blog has a reason to be celebrated.

Isshoukenmei: Live Well: This entry I wrote during the midpoint of my Osaka stay really is what cement the basis of how I live and why I maintain this blog. Would be foolish to not start off with such an important entry.

IsShouKenMei Reaches 30K Hits!: It was early October 2007 when this blog reached 30,000 hits. According to the me from back then, ISKM had begun around a year and two months ago. That would mean that this WordPress iteration of my blog has been up for a total of three years and two months. My small hope was that this blog would “pay off for more than just a self-growth hobby.” Seeing as how I didn’t bother celebrating the next two 30K that somehow occurred much more rapidly, I can tell that something changed in what/how I wrote and in what I desired this blog to become.

Four Steps To Fix Blog Miscommunication: This entry marks the start of ISKM’s transition from separating my anime/manga/otaku interests and focusing on the values I had initially established. I put some time into making this happen, and I can say that now it was a right decision, even if my visual culture blog couldn’t be maintained well enough. However, my “serious business” entry continues to be the most visited, which I find utterly ridiculous.

Reflections of an ‘06 Kansai Gaidai Student: In my own desire to express my longing for my Osaka days a year later, this entry was written which sparked the most response ISKM had ever seen. As commentary from concerned prospective KGU abroad students came in for two consecutive summers, I realized how pivotal my honesty about my memories and struggles were in giving encouragement and motivation to others – the very intent that drives my content today.

Prelude: The first official entry that I wrote. I was in a rush to launch this place because I was to leave for my Osaka abroad study two days later. In the beginning, ISKM’s first purpose was as my Kansai diary, which became a major foundation for what it is today.

I Am A Blogger: This pre-dates my lifestyle of isshoukenmei and the ISKM blog (I began on Blogger.com). This is the first time I seem to grab hold of what it means to blog with purpose. In truth, it was just the first of multiple, sad attempts to justify how few comments and hits I received. Though I didn’t know that term back then, I was still trying VERY hard to show that I was worth paying attention to. My motives for blogging were selfish and ego-building, and my focus was anything but established as seen by my four reasons. I was no blogger, and I still am not, regardless of how I carry myself and the ISKM blog today.

ISKM Blog Update ‘09: Though 2007 into 2008 was a high point in exercising my creativity, the start of this year and this entry showed a distinct shift in how strongly I ‘live by faith and not by sight.’ Isshoukenmei as a lifestyle began to spread into the business aspect of my mind – a part of me that I thought I’d never establish. Not only that, but prior to this entry, I had finally rid myself of a major distraction hindering my ability to blog with integrity. Upon looking at my dated Archive dropdown list, you will notice an unconscious pattern has formed in my blogging frequency.

Then, if one looks at each of my entries for this year, that person will be looking at the crystalizing of the years of soul-searching, frustration, personal growth, and all-out delving into what this blog was meant to reflect and stand for. I no longer blog for hit count. I no longer write for you to leave a comment. I don’t care to become a blog celebrity.

The ISKM blog exists to record a transparent example of a life lined with uncertainty, shaped with purpose, and driven by faith. I lived years with zero people encouraging me in what I loved. Years of believing that my existence was meaningless. No more. So, in all of this, my hope is for at least one visitor a day to be encouraged or motivated to live their life well, upright, and not give up on their lofty dreams.

If you are one of the 100K visitors reading this, thank you for returning and I hope you were encouraged. If you aren’t one of the 100K, I don’t care. I hope you are encouraged today.

Your life is a unique legacy waiting to be acknowledged by the unknown. I pray that yours and mine are the ones engraved into this very fabric of the world and spoken fondly of for generations.