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English School Articles · December 17, 2008

I am Glad

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To all Smith’s school of English franchise owners.

Last night I was caught out suddenly and had to sleep the night in a business hotel far from home. I had no book and so asked the T.V. to keep me company that was depressed me so much I had to find a way back to feeling my usual optimistic self. Here is what happened.

These days I hate sleeping away from home and always do my best to make it back to my own bed. Some things can’t be helped and there I was alone in a hotel I had never slept in before and far away from my family. No book and not much to watch on the box in English and so I tuned in CNN. As I watched CNN the news of yet of another financial disaster in the order of 50 billion $US came rolling in, Incredible. I watched as some person hurled a shoe at the president of the United States once again incredible.  I saw the British Prime Minister appealing to another sovereign nation to please try and quell the flow of terrorists blowing up his country and killing its citizens. I was saddened to watch overflowing refugee camps. I was appalled at the lack of basic sanitation in yet another well known nation. By the time I switched the T.V off my heart was heavy with the flood of financial and humanitarian disaster.

I know we can’t just shut out these tragedies and we must all do whatever we can to help. But right there and then I needed some help to lift my own spirits after all the bad news. Then I remember the glad game. It’s a game I learned as a child watching Eleanor Porter’s Pollyanna on Walt Disney and still works for me today. Whenever you feel bad think of something you are glad about. Once I was in the mode the glad list started to grow very quickly.

I am glad am Married to Yuka and father to worlds most beautiful little girl.  I am glad I live in this safe country. I am glad the country I chose to live in, Japan, has plenty of food, clean water and emergency services. I am glad I decided to work to create independent wealth among foreigners in Japan and now all work at Smith’s school of English. I am glad I can wear jeans to work and am not worried about being sacked. I am glad that my business income is derived by receiving a little from many franchisees in return for a fair days work. I am very glad Smith’s franchisees receive their income by receiving a little from many in return for a fair days work.  I am glad that neither Smith nor its franchise group is dependent upon any single large income stream that is tumbling over in these uncertain times. I am glad to see more franchisees joining the Kyobashi school and bringing in more than 10.000.000 yen a year with such a light business profile. What an enormous number for such small businesses! Congratulations to each of you, well done. I am glad that we see so many loving married couples, babies and partners within the franchise T.E.A.M. these loving units represent the decency and depth of moral integrity of our system. Congratulations to each and every one of you.

This little list is just a small sample of my important “gladness” and I am of course also glad about many other smaller personal achievements as well but will not bore you with those.  Suffice to say that by the time I finished my little glad game I was no longer depressed. I was happy.

Thank you one and all for helping my family and I to live a happy life here in this wonderful country. I promise to continue to work hard for you all as a group and for each of you as individuals. I love my job and you can expect to see Smith’s continue to improve as we have every single year since we opened in 1996.

Congratulations Smith’s franchisees. You are fantastic. Have a wonderful year end and another great year in 2009.

Mark.

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Comments

  1. Ken says

    December 17, 2008 at 7:31 pm

    I am glad Mark that you had some spare time to write “I am Glad”. It was a great prompt for me to think about the year that’s gone and plan for the year ahead.
    May all the head office staff, students and their families have a magnificent 2009.

    Reply
  2. Martin says

    December 19, 2008 at 7:56 am

    Mark –

    Thank you so much for that nice letter. Your words are insprirational and set an appropriate tone for the holiday coming up and for the start of a happy new year around the corner.

    2009 will be a year of opportunities for my darling wife Yoko and I to move forward. We are well poised to create even more reasons to be glad just as many in other rich and advanced countries may not be.

    We should certainly all be glad about living in free and safe Japan. There are very few countries in the world that allow us to do what we do so easily and so profitably. There are no places safer or more tolerant than right here, and with the JPY aiming at all-time records across the board, it may be a great time to think about how easily we can profit from this new world order we have come into, just as others elsewhere may be struggling. Isn’t it time to increase sales at your Smith’s Franchise next year? Maybe you can send more money to loved ones back home and make them happier. Perhaps you can easily afford that trip home after all?

    Whatever you do, let’s all have a wonderful and safe holiday break and plan for a banner year in our fine business next year! Merry Christmas to you all!

    Martin

    Reply
  3. jim says

    December 23, 2008 at 2:30 am

    Hey Mark!

    I am GLAD I found YOU! Thank you and have a good holiday!

    jim

    Reply
  4. Derek says

    January 22, 2009 at 11:41 am

    Thanks Mark. You are most welcome. I am very glad that I met you and joined the Smith’s franchise system!

    Derek
    SSE Tsukaguchi

    Reply

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