A Journey through My Diverse Perspectives

  There is an old Japanese proverb by an unknown poet: “The more ripe the rice, the more the ear of rice droops.” Observing how heavy, ripened rice bends toward the ground, the proverb teaches that the more we learn and mature, the more humble we become—never forgetting gratitude and respect for those around us. Humility, grounded in curiosity, is a deeply rational quality, because it honestly acknowledges one’s limitations and continually seeks growth by absorbing new knowledge and skills. As a result, humble people tend to listen well, reduce friction with others, and build trusting relationships, making cooperation easier when it matters. This quality is essential not only for the young but also for those after retirement. An arrogant or overly proud elderly person may hinder their own re-learning in a new stage of life and struggle to form meaningful relationships, both of which are vital for a rich and fulfilling senior life. If we hope to continue growing spiritually until th...

  The past does not return, and the future does not arrive today. Although we often regret the past or worry about what lies ahead, our bodies live only in the continuous moments of the present. By focusing on what we need to do and what we wish to do today with a mindset of growth, and by living fully while also taking adequate rest, we begin to shape a brighter future. At the same time, past failures and regrets gain deeper meaning as lessons that have formed who we are now. Even though there is always a tomorrow, treating today lightly means wasting its precious gift. I am convinced that by appreciating what is around us and within our reach now, and by living today to the fullest, we can lead a happy life without regrets.

  When we face a problem and feel overwhelmed by anxiety, it can be comforting to hear someone we trust say, “Don’t worry, everything will be okay.” At first, this may sound unfounded, but it carries a deeper meaning: no matter what adversity we encounter, we can achieve positive results by facing it honestly, doing our best, and holding onto the quiet hope that things will work out—seeing the challenge not as a threat, but as an opportunity for growth.

  Even a small step will surely produce results. Of course, the time it takes for those results to appear varies, and they may become visible sooner or later depending on the goal. In the short term, for example, cleaning or doing laundry turns what was dirty into something clean, offering a modest yet meaningful sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. In life, we can reach our goals only by taking one step at a time. When viewed over the long run, there is no such thing as wasted effort, because we can always learn something valuable from it.

  Even when we read a passage that conveys an important lesson, we may not grasp its deeper meaning and may only believe we understand it on the surface. This is especially true when we are young or when the subject lies outside our own experience. Yet, as we accumulate similar knowledge and experiences to those that shaped the writer’s insight, we may one day reach the essence of that lesson and arrive at a similar state of mind. For this reason, even if a sentence does not fully resonate with us at the time, preserving what feels quietly important in our memory is never wasted. Someday, those words may return to us as confirmation of a lesson we have finally learned for ourselves.

  If the elementary particles that make up the macrocosm are the same as those that make up human beings, then humans can be seen as a microcosm—an integral part of the macrocosm itself. From this perspective, when we consult the universe about our personal worries and make it our ally—shifting from division to harmony—those worries can be transformed into manageable problems. Believing that such problems are solvable changes our state of mind from anxiety to a sense of security and allows us to approach problem-solving with a more positive attitude. This is the way I wish to think from now on.