A Journey through My Diverse Perspectives

  For 38 years during my working life, I focused on practical learning, reading mainly books that helped me develop the knowledge and skills needed for my job. However, soon after retiring, I found myself gradually drifting away from reading. Over the years, whenever I moved to a new home, I would discard most of the books I had read, keeping only those I considered important enough to revisit. As a result, I do not own a particularly large collection. Even so, my bookshelves remain full, and I rarely take most of those books down to read. Now, four years into retirement, I have finally decided to part with books that I am unlikely to read again, especially practical books related to my career. I do so with a sense of gratitude for the knowledge and support they once provided. Most of these books are filled with underlines and notes I made while reading them, so used bookstores will not accept them. Although it feels somewhat wasteful, I ultimately dispose of them as recyclable pap...

  Since we cannot turn back time, we have no choice but to move forward and create new chapters in our lives. If we dwell on the past, we may lose focus on the ever-flowing present and end up planting the seeds of future regrets. The best path forward is to reflect on our mistakes, learn from them, and continue moving ahead.

  It is often said that the invention of writing and the printing press enabled humans to record and store information outside their brains, contributing to a decline in memory. At the same time, the immense benefits of these inventions—which greatly accelerated the sharing and dissemination of knowledge—cannot be overlooked. Likewise, the rapid advancement of AI in recent years has brought remarkable improvements in productivity, freed people from burdensome and repetitive tasks, and contributed to breakthroughs in science and technology. However, it has also raised concerns that humans may experience not only a further decline in memory but also a weakening of cognitive abilities such as information gathering, interpretation, problem-solving, concentration, and resilience. In particular, excessive reliance on external thinking tools like AI could weaken independent thought and even erode one's sense of identity. Therefore, it would be wise to use AI primarily as a supplement to h...

  Life has its ups and downs. In peaceful times, we often take stability for granted, yet unexpected difficulties can arise at any moment, and everyone will face them sooner or later. What matters is not panicking or falling into despair when challenges occur, but being prepared in advance. Preparation brings peace of mind, enables us to focus on what needs to be done, and allows us to live each day more fully. A Japanese proverb says, “Preparedness prevents misfortune,” a timeless lesson that remains relevant for people of all ages.

  Some people can spend $10,000 a day and still feel dissatisfied, while others find complete satisfaction and gratitude through the wise use of just $10 a day. Developing the ability to appreciate small things, like the latter, is one of the surest ways to achieve a fulfilling and contented life.

  Just as every object has its own natural frequency depending on its material and structure, human beings also respond to invisible “frequencies” shaped by experience and memory. When an external waveform matches an object’s natural frequency, resonance occurs, transferring energy and causing strong vibration. Similarly, memories stored in the cerebral cortex as electrical signal patterns resonate with the words and actions of others. When these waveforms align, neural circuits synchronize, deepening emotions and understanding while drawing out spontaneous energy and creative thinking from both sides. Ripples on the surface of water are visible to the eye, but the ripples created by human words and actions are invisible. Yet, through careful attention and concentration, we can sometimes sense something like hidden waveforms behind them. In today’s information society, countless irregular and unpredictable “noise”-like waveforms constantly swirl around us. Therefore, we should cons...