Tag: gratitude

We got that attitude! – 26th September 2019

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Yesterday I showed some resilience. Small things upset me in the morning and everything felt overwhelming again. After school, I went to the dentist. I think sitting under the drill settled me down again. At home, Amy was quite negative about being here in Thailand but I was the one telling her things aren’t that bad. I realised I had some strength and resilience I need to draw on more.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful that other people have shown an interest in working with me. It shows me that I am valued for my contributions.

Gratitude Journal

Today I’m looking forward to a job interview with another school. I’m looking forward to Hayden coming to visit in a couple of weeks’ time. My friend, Ellen, will also visit from China with lots of yummy Sichuan sauce. I’m looking forward to getting away from some people in this school where I work. I’m looking forward to time hanging around at home with Amy and our friends. I’m looking forward to the cooler weather of winter. Damn! I’m looking forward to a lot of things.

23rd Feb 2021 – Looking back on this looking forward is interesting. Some of the things I was looking forward to, didn’t necessarily turn out for the best but it was definitely the right way to approach all those things. I know some folks who anticipate the worst of the future and then feel pleasantly surprised when things turn out better than expected. I think I used to be like that but not these days. I’m much more of the thinking that even difficult tasks, events and situations are just occurrences and they will be over after a certain period of time regardless of what my thoughts are about them.

We got that attitude! – 25th September 2019

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

I dreamt I couldn’t find my socks so that I could go to school/work. Mum was there, although, I didn’t see her. She made me feel calm and I understood to work methodically to find them. I think my mum taught me patience – I surely tested hers.

Hayden will come to visit soon. I hope he can take away some life lessons from me. I should plan some things to talk with him.

Gratitude Journal

I learnt today that the sun still rises. No matter what. The old adage ‘it will pass’ is consistent, even if it doesn’t feel like it at times. I am grateful to the kids in my class. Day to day they don’t give a shit, yesterday’s problems are forgotten.

18th Feb 2021 – Sometimes I need an ego reset. Resume child-like wonder! This time was tough for me and I’m reminded now of one girl in another class getting really upset and angry at another student who made fun of her skin colour. I comforted her and told her she was a beautiful person and not to ever forget that. She looked up to me a lot after that. But now, I look up to her, as she and the bully run around playing together still.

Candle lights begin to glow – 24th September 2019

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

I dreamt about fire…and friends. We did our best to keep each other safe.

I still wake up during the night thinking about working with kids and how to get my mojo back and get rid of this dark cloud. It’s slowly lifting but I still need to do something to move it along. I want to learn to deal with this kind of feeling better.

Gratitude Journal

I smiled today when a P1 student came and gave me a hug.

15th Feb 2021 – Kids can be so perceptive sometimes. I obviously needed a hug.

Three things I am grateful for:

My friends who can show me support and the positive way. They make things feel better.
My wife who is a strong independent woman with a beautiful heart.
My cats who make me smile every day!

Peru resh! – 23rd September 2019

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

Chiang Rai, Thailand. Don’t forget where you are and everything it took to get you here. It’s been an amazing journey. But now you are here – what next?

“In enlightenment, there is no pleasure, no pain – just nameless ecstasies.” – Sadhguru

Hmm – enlightenment seems like something to aim for.

Learn to meditate.
Learn Thai.

Gratitude Journal

I am so happy and grateful to meet Laetitia because she has a lot of energy and strives to do what she wants to do. I hope it can inspire Amy too.

14th Feb 2021 – Laetitia was a bright and bubbly French lady who was teaching at the same school as myself (and fell foul of the same stupidities that I did). She was in Thailand with her husband and two of her four kids. She had a can-do attitude and worked really hard and always came up with new ideas. Amy and I met with the family once to discuss a possible business proposal but despite their enthusiasm, we couldn’t see a way things would really work out. Soon after, I left the school and we didn’t see them so much. They seemed to have a lot of financial issues and eventually, if some stories are to be believed, they fled the country to Burma to avoid repaying their debts and this is what had led them to Thailand from France in the first place. Who knows where the truth may lie but I was even more grateful that we didn’t get involved in any business dealings and defer to Amy’s judgement on these things, that working with other people and their money will only lead to trouble.

23rd Mar 2021 – Along with starting the music podcast I also started reading more about Stoicism and discovering various email lists and blogs that dealt with mindfulness and self-help but with deeper thought than just the usual quotable influencers. I started this gratitude journal on this day and with very few exceptions haven’t missed a day where I have found something to be grateful for. Looking back to this time I can see a big change has happened in the things that I do day to day. Trying new things and testing myself in new ways. Whilst I guess this is inevitable across any 18-month period of time, this time it feels more like a serious decision to make some changes.

Keep up with tenzenmen – 17th September 2012

~ shaun tenzenmen ~ Leave a comment

What is tenzenmen?

About a year ago I asked newsletter subscribers to tell me what they thought defined tenzenmen. I got many nice comments such as these,

“a label with a conscience, bold, supportive of its artists, non-commercial, genuinely interested in having its artist’s music heard, the type of label that puts out music which my friends make…above all, I see tenzenmen as an exploratory label where you bring aural treasures from a variety of places and styles and offer them up – we may not have heard them, but trust you and give them a chance based on the fact that you’ve come up with the goods for us before…” – Maris

“tenzenmen represents the unending pursuit of discovering new, relevant and good music that is generally overlooked by ‘majors’, as it doesn’t fit into their particular ‘sales strategy’. There is nothing like music discovery and labels like tenzenmen consistently bring it” – Justin

It’s very heartening to receive these kind words because I often wonder if people understand what I try and do. The back catalogue is rich and diverse and probably overwhelming to most casual browsers. The reason for this diversity is simply a reflection of my own interests in music that has obviously expanded over the years of my life. I can happily listen to some Chinese neo-folk alongside Malaysian screamo, experimental Aussies and Vietnamese death metal! The key factor is the passion and the creativity that has gone into the production of this art, sometimes in exceptional circumstances. I do understand that not everyone else will have such varied tastes and want to buy their own complete collection of tenzenmen releases. Please, if you have a chance, take a few minutes to check out some other releases on the label that you may not have heard before. Go old school and take a chance just by checking record covers (like flicking thru the vinyl bins) – easily done at the bandcamp index page here.

tenzenmen will continue along its merry way, defiant of success and profit, motivated by the love of our music shared. Thanks for your support.

Advance Warning

tenzenmen will be overseas from the beginning of October until the middle of November so no orders will be able to be shipped during that time. Balls will still be rolling with plenty going on in my absence and a big run-up to the end of the year and no doubt another huge one in 2013!

Whilst I’m away I’m a little disappointed to be missing a show I’m organising on Saturday Oct 13th at Black Wire featuring many good friends including crazy Japanese two-piece Mekare-Kare who will have a split 7″ out on Heartless Robot in time for their full Oz tour. That tour and split 7″ is with Perth gonzo’s Bamodi who will have their LP out on tenzenmen by then too! Listen to the split 7″ tracks here (released by our good Perth buddies at Heartless Robot). Rounding out the show will be the ever wonderful Dead China Doll and ever incredible Making.

Nikko tour dates
20 September The Empress, Melbourne (acoustic)
21 September The Old Bar, Melbourne
22 September The Metro, Adelaide

Bamodi tour dates
7 October The Bakery, Perth
9 October Metro Hotel, Adelaide
10 October Bar Open, Melbourne
11 October Gasometer, Melbourne
13 October Black Wire, Sydney