A Journey through My Diverse Perspectives

  Flowers soothe our hearts, yet we often overlook the serious survival strategies behind their bloom. For instance, why do spirea shrubs produce such dense clusters of delicate white flowers in early spring? Spiraea thunbergii relies on insects like bees for pollination, and by blooming profusely alongside cherry blossoms and many other flowers, it appears like a blanket of white snow—highly visible even from afar, though it blooms low to the ground. In the same way, each of us should strive to develop our own unique qualities and express them in a positive, meaningful way, just as flowers do.

  Many of us have experienced the frustration of seeking a clear answer to an important question, only to find that the question itself is too vague to be properly understood. When the core meaning is not effectively conveyed, even the most capable person may struggle to provide a precise response. In such situations, a third party can play a valuable role by clarifying and rephrasing the essential points in simpler terms. This not only leads to more accurate answers but can also help the responder recognize overlooked aspects or blind spots. Ultimately, this reminds us of the importance of asking well-crafted questions.

  Looking back on my life, each year has brought goals and challenges that demanded focus and effort, and I have done my best to meet them. At times I succeeded, but there were also many failures along the way. From my early forties onward, I made a conscious decision to learn from those failures and use them as fuel for the future, rather than dwell on regret. Even now in retirement, challenges continue to arise, whether I welcome them or not. While it is possible to drift through the days without setting clear goals, I feel that doing so quietly stifles growth and erodes one’s sense of purpose. To live without regret, it is essential to actively pursue what needs to be done—and what we truly wish to do—here and now.

  There is an old Japanese proverb, said to originate from Buddhist thought, called “Aien Kien.” “Aien” refers to a bond formed through natural affinity or love, while “Kien” describes a mysterious coincidence. In other words, whether people meet and connect harmoniously may depend on an unseen force of “Innen,” or fated connection. If this holds true, then encountering someone on social media with whom we share an immediate sense of chemistry—and building a lasting relationship of trust—can be seen as a rare and meaningful coincidence, almost miraculous in nature.

  In my youth, I had no deep awareness of the Buddhist concept of cause and effect in life, which states that “what you say and do comes back to you.” However, around the age of 42, I experienced a painful setback and a period of deep despair, through which I came to understand the true meaning of cause and effect—something that had never crossed my mind before. Furthermore, I realized that unless I changed myself, similar events leading to major setbacks might occur again. I am not a particularly superstitious person, but in Japan it has long been believed that men who turn 42 (by traditional Japanese age reckoning) enter a period of great misfortune, when the consequences of past good and bad actions return to them. In my case, after passing that age, I could not help feeling that I, too, was experiencing such a period. In terms of personal growth, however, these arduous experiences gave me a valuable opportunity to understand myself more deeply and ultimately helped me grow as a...

  Knowledge and experience gained through effort can be seen as intangible intellectual assets that rarely disappear. We never know when they may prove useful—sometimes immediately, and sometimes, in my own experience, even thirty years later. At other times, they emerge in completely unexpected situations. In such moments, we may even feel a sense of destiny, realizing that the intellectual assets we built through past efforts were never in vain.