A Journey through My Diverse Perspectives

The Japanese concept of "DOU ( 道 )" is a way of life that seeks to master the essence of existence, focusing on one's own specialty and striving for a higher level of humanity. To achieve mastery in this concept, one must embrace a spiritual state of nothingness, engaging in a lifelong learning process that involves practical trial-and-error and internal introspection. While this approach may not always appear rational, it is time-consuming and lacks a definitive answer book. Nonetheless, when aiming for unprecedented levels of achievement, this seemingly irrational process becomes essential.

A daily morning walk helps me become aware of my physical condition each time. Depending on my condition at the time, I usually adjust the number of steps I plan to take. Since my condition today was just as good as usual, I chose a paddy field walking course where I can observe the growth of paddy plants up close. Perhaps due to the unusually hot weather lately, rice grains have already begun to grow faster than usual. The newly harvested rice season will arrive before long. I sense that all living things on this planet are interdependent.

Acquired knowledge becomes truly worthwhile only when it is conveyed to others or put into practice. In other words, inputs can create genuine value only after being transformed into outputs. This transformation process often involves a form of relearning, which can be more significant than the initial acquisition of knowledge itself. Therefore, knowledge represents a state of potential that must be harnessed for specific purposes.

In my retirement, I have been spending more time on social media, and it has reminded me of its wonderful aspects. It is incredibly easy to connect with people from different backgrounds and with varying thoughts and expertise across borders. This exposure to diverse perspectives has broadened my own outlook. I have  also come to realize that this process is, in itself, a journey of self-discovery. The key here is to proactively engage with others, even though it might require a bit of energy and courage to dive into a completely new online world.

In a market economy, the prices of goods and services are predominantly determined by the interplay of demand and supply. As a result, it is easy for us to fall into the trap of assuming that a higher price corresponds to a higher value for everyone involved. Nevertheless, upon reflection, it becomes evident that these set prices do not consistently align with the personal scale of values held by individuals. Unquestionably, people attach varying degrees of value to different things. Suppose we shift our focus towards evaluating the significance of items based on their impact on our lives. By doing so, we can recognize that many items, whether seemingly inexpensive or invaluable, possess remarkably high levels of importance. In this light, cultivating a value-centered mindset empowers us to develop a greater sense of gratitude for the things in close proximity to us. This shift in perspective can ultimately contribute to a more enriching and fulfilling life experience.

The universe is made up of elementary particles, which possess the principle of wave-particle duality, as described by quantum physics. Therefore, effectively managing wave-like traits such as rhythm, balance, and resilience is highly significant for human beings, who are an integral part of the universe. This enables us to live vividly and harmoniously while interacting with everything amidst the constantly changing circumstances of the universe. As a result, our six senses may logically function to properly manage these aspects, even if we are not consciously aware of the underlying waves at play.

The concept of "Wa," which symbolizes a state of perpetual peaceful unity and conformity, has deep roots in Japan, dating back to the ancient Jomon period (13,000 B.C. - 300 B.C.). Over the ages, this value has been carefully passed down from one generation to another, becoming an integral part of traditional family values and society as a whole. While I don't consider myself an idealist, I can't help but indulge in occasional fantasies about the immense potential of "Wa" to make a significant contribution in addressing the destabilizing issues faced by today's international societies. Thus, the pursuit of understanding and disseminating this concept could prove to be highly worthwhile.

Having read several online advice columns on post-retirement life, it becomes apparent that a significant number of Japanese individuals who are close to retirement or have just retired are facing a common concern: how to live a fulfilling life. These advice columns are often hosted by financial institutions or insurance companies, and their experts focus on topics that can fuel anxiety, such as retirement fund management and the risk of diseases. While it is important to acquire basic knowledge in these areas, what we truly need is comprehensive guidance on living a fulfilling life after retirement, including effective narrative cases of individuals who have already experienced this stage of life. This kind of guidance can help us embark on a journey of self-discovery to create an individual post-retirement life based on our own values and beliefs, recognizing that each person's path is unique.

Life can be likened to an extended series of consolation matches, known as "Haisha hukkatu sen" in Japanese, each event unfolding along the journey. It's an inherent truth that nobody can maintain a continuous victory throughout the entirety of life's game. Generally, the act of winning or losing these matches doesn't carry profound significance within life. What truly matters is gleaning valuable lessons from wholehearted participation in each necessary match, adopting the role of an eternal life challenger. These lessons then serve as valuable measures to be applied to subsequent situations. Through this continuous process, we can lead a life without regrets, embracing every opportunity to the fullest. The modest existence of human beings is, undoubtedly, quite endearing.

Taking a walk has become a daily routine for me, but I intentionally avoid walking the same route twice in a row. This way, I prevent myself from falling into a monotonous routine and, at the same time, discover something new each time I set out. On hot summer days, especially when the temperature reaches around 33 degrees Celsius, I find myself getting easily worn out. To combat this, I prefer choosing a walking path that is lined with trees, providing a pleasant shade from the scorching sunlight. Only after retiring have I come to realize the true kind of a tree-shaded walkway for walkers. This realization serves as an example of how a change in one's life circumstances can unconsciously alter the objects of profound appreciation.

While in the midst of struggling to move forward towards our set goals, we may frequently feel that the distance between the goal point and where we are now can hardly be decreased at all. In fact, moments of adversity like this are the present golden opportunities for personal growth in terms of self-control and capability. If we take a step back and view ourselves from a higher level of consciousness, we can undoubtedly recognize the worth of such opportunities. This realization will undoubtedly arouse our motivation to diligently keep moving forward. We ourselves can become our own reliable cheerleaders in the game of life.

A frequently-used Japanese adjective phrase, “Mottainai,” has basically two meanings. The first meaning is an expression of regret for when things that are still functioning and useful are lost or discarded. It is similar to saying, "What a waste!" There are various situations in which we, as Japanese, frequently feel this sentiment even without explicitly putting it into words. This feeling may arise because we have been metaphorically taught that life or divine spirit resides in everything. The second meaning of "Mottainai" is akin to saying, "That's waste on me." In Japan, modesty is considered a virtue. For example, when we receive a gift from someone who outranks us socially, we say "Mottainai" to express that we feel the honor bestowed upon us is more than we deserve. As for myself, I strive to take good care of things to avoid saying "Mottainai" as much as I can.

Unless a determination to take on a challenging task is coupled with deep emotions such as desire, fear, or anxiety, it may not be strong enough to break an individual's long-cherished patterns of habitual thinking and behavior for achieving success. Consequently, to effect changes in these patterns without such a critical determination, the practical and effective application of the power of the unconscious mind becomes essential. In simple terms, integrating the necessary actions that form the core elements of conquering a challenging goal into our daily routines is highly beneficial. By doing so, the magic of a routine can lead us relatively effortlessly to positive outcomes.

When we become engrossed in an activity, the passage of time often escapes our awareness, allowing us to experience a sense of fulfillment and satisfaction. Conversely, when we constantly fixate on the passage of time while engaged in an activity, we naturally become distracted and feel unsettled. This suggests that consciously blocking the perception of time can lead to psychological fulfillment. In this sense, the more we dedicate ourselves to any activities, even the routine ones, the more we can cultivate a happier life.

After launching a personal post-retirement life project in the past two months, I have felt as if I were a small boat sailing into the vast ocean, struggling to navigate towards a distant destination. The initial stormy waves I am currently facing are significant enough to discourage me from continuing my journey. However, if I give up, that would mark the end of this challenging game. Therefore, I must motivate myself and persevere through the process of trial and error. In fact, I have come to appreciate that overcoming various difficulties while striving towards my goal is what makes life truly worth living. Nevertheless, I have once again realized that it is much easier said than done.

Overestimating one's capabilities when attempting new and challenging things, as opposed to routine familiar ones, often leads to discouragement. While this may seem logically obvious at first glance, individuals are prone to falling into this blind trap. What is crucial in this situation is taking the time to step back and examine the bigger picture, allowing for strategic transformation that aligns with the actual needs of the demand side. In this case, the saying "haste makes waste" is perfectly applicable. Apologies for changing the subject, but to put it simply, retirees who have spare time are said to have two freedoms: the freedom of doing nothing and the freedom of pursuing their passions. In my case, I choose the latter for self-realization.

If one nation could develop and expand a huge pool of human resources who set aside their self-interest and devote themselves to the betterment of their society and nature, how drastically would the world change for the better? This thought is rooted in idealism rather than pragmatism. From what I know, most higher educational institutions such as universities and colleges proclaim a human resources development policy similar to the one mentioned above. However, the results have been far from ideal. There are several measures to fill the gap between them. Ultimately, educators should be required to embody high integrity and respect in a pragmatic way, demonstrating their values through actions rather than mere words.

Very recently, I had occasions to visit two completely different types of hospitals in terms of the quality of operational management. Both hospitals are commonly big, spacious, and clean. However, the former one seems systematically patient-unfriendly due to frequent unnecessary patient waiting, ambiguity in medical staff's responsibilities, and a lack of informed consent by doctors, despite a solid credo being affixed to a wall here and there. To my surprise, patient-friendly medical care is one of the pillars of the credo. On the other hand, the latter hospital puts patient-oriented care into practice, even if we can't find any credo inside the hospital. The chief medical doctor makes efforts to care for the feelings of patients and their families, and other medical staff seem to be inspired by the doctor and work closely with them. ' Show with your attitude rather than words ' is applicable to the point of difference in the management cases of the two hospitals.

In order to acknowledge things objectively and correctly, a rational analysis is necessary. This analysis involves checking the relevant facts in chronological order, developing assumptions, and assessing the evidence that supports these assumptions. It is preferable to include numerical data whenever possible. However, one disadvantage of a rational analysis is that it can be time-consuming. Given our hurried modern world, we often lack the patience to take the time required for proper acknowledgement. Consequently, we tend to acknowledge things incorrectly by relying on fleeting intuition based on fragmentary information that comes our way. It is a characteristic of the human brain that the initial acknowledgement tends to persist, even if it is later challenged or proven wrong.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. To reach such a far distant destination through both arduous and smooth paths, where we have never ventured before, we sometimes cannot avoid facing difficulties and challenges along the way. In such cases, I prefer to approach it with the mindset of enjoying each step rather than being overwhelmed by setbacks. Always keeping an open mind seems to be a magical ingredient for overcoming difficulties and challenges, as I embrace the idea that life itself is a game.  

I feel time flies faster and faster year by year. To tell the truth, before retirement, I merely thought time would go slowly during the post-retirement life because I had heard that most Japanese male retirees do not know what to do with their time and have too much free time on their hands. However, upon looking back at the past year, this thought has been completely opposite. Given this situation, I have decided to continue pursuing my clueless and challenging post-retirement project at my own pace, but more steadily. Although I was feeling a bit discouraged by the higher hurdles I am currently facing, I am determined to overcome them.

When I see those individuals working diligently for the betterment of people and nature, regardless of their job types, I am occasionally affected by their dedicated appearance. They shine brightly in my eyes, inspiring me at the very core of my being. This phenomenon unfortunately seldom occurs for various reasons. It might happen when my mind becomes prepared to detach itself from worldly desires and worries (kind of ego), by some fortunate chance.

Whether it's an individual or community problem, we, as the persons concerned, can't solve the issue without taking physical actions. Moreover, being imperfect beings, we sometimes have to struggle through a trial-and-error process to find the proper solution. During this process, if the problem is inescapable, psychological pressure tends to increase as the deadline approaches. In such difficult situations, positive and optimistic thinking becomes significantly helpful in mobilizing us till the end, enabling us to overcome psychological pressure and find a solution. On the contrary, if our mindset is occupied with negative and pessimistic thinking, the results of problem-solving would be evidently unfavorable.

When observing the current social situations in the world's leading nations, many people feel that ethical lapses have increasingly worsened year by year. Undesirable changes in traditional and cultural values, which cannot be acquired with money, have negatively impacted the fundamental principles upon which society is deeply based. Japan is certainly not an exception in this regard. Therefore, the emergence of new leaders, who embody a solid philosophy and thoughtful approach, is greatly needed in various domains. In order to meet this demand, institutions specialized in human resources development are expected to consistently produce a new breed of leaders from the international community.

When we completely lack new ideas, whether it's related to work or problem-solving, it becomes extremely challenging to come up with a groundbreaking idea that meets our requirements. In such situations, freely generating new ideas that are related to the existing ones can sometimes help us develop a concrete idea that satisfies our needs. Once we have found that idea, the process of implementing it is not as difficult as it may seem. In fact, this method can also be applied to my task of consistently writing a short essay on this page.

Being moderately attached to things has great advantages. This is because it enables us to take better care of our belongings and continuously derive benefits by making the most of them for as long as they remain functional. From the perspective of both our possessions and ourselves, such behavior greatly enhances their value. In Japanese culture, where the belief in spirits dwelling in all things is traditional, we have been taught the importance of taking care of our belongings since childhood. The 5S activities – Seiri (sorting), Seiton (organizing), Seiso (cleaning), Seiketsu (standardizing), and Shitsuke (sustaining) – which are practiced in the manufacturing and service sectors, can serve as effective routines for fostering attachment to our belongings.

When I was in my 20s, I had a precious chance to visit the den of two individuals whom I highly respected. Their dens were very clean and simple, with only a few pieces of furniture and no unnecessary things. During that time, I had a sudden realization that such a comfortable space, where minimalists habitually maintain order, was a crucial element for their productivity and capability. Since then, I have tried to emulate their habits in my private room as much as I can, although there are still unnecessary and unused things around me. What I realized by emulating them was the true value of the necessary things around me and the sense of richness that comes with having a comfortable space. As a result, I no longer make impulse purchases and I take better care of my belongings. I now believe that unnecessary things tend to trigger worldly desires. Thus, my ideal goal for a place to stay is to create and maintain a simple space, similar to those found in Shinto shrines and Buddhist temp

To my shame, after retirement, I can still be aware of what day of the week it is today, but sometimes I can't answer a sudden question like "What day of the month is it today?" This is because taking out each type of trash, scheduled accordingly throughout the week by the city government, has become an important routine task. However, the same cannot be said for knowing the day of the month. Therefore, out of necessity, I find myself asking at least once a day, "What day of the week is it today?" Thus, in my case, every day is neither Sunday nor a holiday, even after retirement.

  Information about various social issues, often accompanied by sensationalism, has inundated the global mainstream and social media. Moreover, negative comments and criticisms related to these issues offer little in the way of constructive solutions and tend to exacerbate the situation. In general, people are naturally drawn to fear-inducing content, which stimulate their curiosity about the severity of these issues. However, constant exposure to such negative information can have a detrimental impact on our well-being. As the saying goes, "Who keeps company with the wolf will learn to howl," it is crucial for us to engage with media outlets and individuals who adopt proactive, problem-solving approaches to these issues.

When searching for 'Life after retirement' in the Japanese language on a search engine, websites related to retirement funds are highly ranked. This seems to be the result of a commercialized negative campaign stirring up uneasiness about post-retirement cashflow requirements. There is a dark joke in Japan that goes, 'Japanese elderly tend to save a portion of their pension money just in case they need it in the future.' As a result, this negative sentiment has dampened consumer spending. On the other hand, when searching for the same topic in English, websites related to tips for enjoying a happy life after retirement, mostly originating from US websites, are highly ranked. Thus, the perspectives on post-retirement life and saving or spending in both countries are markedly contrasting, regardless of whether it is good or bad.

After retirement, I have proudly written about tips and tricks for solving problems and achieving goals on this page in a logical manner, drawing from my experience in the working life. Some of these might be valuable for others. However, I am aware that dedicating oneself to executing such tips and tricks until successful completion is not as easy as I initially thought. There is evidence to support the fact that my motivation and determination recently don't always last long enough for me to follow through with them.

  The person I was five years ago appears to be younger than I am now. The person I am now will definitely appear to be younger than the person I will be five years later. If we think about it in this way, we are always young no matter how old we get.

Looking back, the day of my retirement was obviously a turning point when I suddenly became increasingly aware of the surrounding nature. In parallel, my health consciousness has gradually risen since then. Before retirement, I didn't take any special care of my health. But now, in addition to simple physical exercise, I try to maintain a healthy intestinal environment by taking a bifidobacteria supplement. The gut, often referred to as the second brain, is closely connected to the brain and the heart through biochemical signals, playing a crucial role in keeping our body healthy. Anyway, the allocation of time and areas of focus have drastically changed before and after retirement.

Before I knew it, taking photos of flowers has become one of my favorite outdoor habits since this year's Sakura (Cherry blossom) season. It's truly unbelievable behavior for the person I was just a year ago. Back then, I didn't pay any special attention to flowers, even when they came into view. Until recently, flowers were just ordinary elements of the passing scenery. But now, I've developed an appreciation for the way flowers beautifully and vividly decorate any landscape, which brings me a sense of healing.

Like evaluating the financial position of companies using profit-loss statements and balance sheets, it is important to apply the same evaluation to the government. Some Japanese economists have consistently claimed that the financial situation of the Japanese government is good, citing substantial assets that exceed liabilities, including government bonds. Interestingly, these economists are in the minority. The majority, often seen as financial authorities, tend to focus only on the liability side while neglecting the asset side, thus emphasizing internally the poor financial condition. This approach raises doubts about whether such tactics are used to tactfully shape public opinion and justify increasing the burden on taxes and social security. On the other hand, externally, it has been publicly announced that the Japanese government's financial position is good in terms of the balance sheet, driven by the fear of a sovereign bond rating downgrade.

  Sustaining an untrapped or open mind and a healthy interest in various things around us makes us grow immensely as human beings. It's truly worth practicing this approach daily, though we tend to be trapped in laziness. In fact, if such a person of integrity asks us any questions, we would generally be very willing to answer in a polite and best way.

Everyone has different points of view and values regarding working life because everyone's situation is unique. With this understanding, I dare to offer you (before reaching retirement age) two pieces of advice from the perspective of living a fulfilling post-retirement life. The first advice is: Try to pursue what you truly desire in your professional work, to the best of your abilities. Even if you fail, you won't have regrets such as, 'I should have tried it!' This approach brings peace of mind after retirement. The second advice is: Think and act proactively in any tasks. Examples of this include daily Kaizen (improvement) and initiating projects. These positive mindsets and behaviors will undoubtedly help you engage in activities you love, given the freedom of choices after retirement. Needless to say, this will also help you avoid feeling depressed due to retirement syndrome.

Looking back at the period from being a student to a salaried employee, all I needed to do was follow the given path, just like the majority of people. Of course, there were ups and downs along the way and several difficult occasions where I had to make important decisions at crossroads and navigate uncharted territories. However, on the whole, I may have passively led a life within a limited comfort zone, without venturing much beyond that. In other words, I have become accustomed to being served set meals instead of choosing à la carte from a menu. In contrast, after retirement, I am no longer provided with a set menu; instead, I have to choose à la carte from the options available. In this way, it becomes crucial how effectively I utilize this newfound freedom of choice to fulfill my life.

  The Japanese verb "Akirameru" is generally translated into English as "give up" or "resign," possessing a rather negative nuance. However, in Buddhist terminology, it is loosely translated as "truth" or "clearly see the truth," originating from the Sanskrit word "Satya." When faced with a crossroad in life, "Akirameru" is the most important action to take before making a decision.

The words “The strongest and ultimate cheering supporter for you is yourself” struck my heart the most in my early 40s. The opposite is also true, that is to say, “The strongest and ultimate discouraging opponent for you is yourself.” Unless you consciously invite a supporter into your mind, you might unconsciously open the door of your mind to an opponent who enjoys being beside you at all times, wherever you go. If that's the case, it would be a smart choice to let your supporter in.

Riding a big wave of economic miracles (a role model of economic development for emerging countries), Japan surprisingly became the 2nd largest economy (GDP) in the world next to the USA in 1968. However, after the 21st century began, China surpassed Japan in 2011, and it is now predicted that Germany and India will surpass Japan in 2023 and 2025, respectively. When it comes to GDP per capita, Japan rose to the 2nd highest rank in the world in 2000, but since then, it has steadily declined to the 27th largest in 2022. Furthermore, concerning the number of unicorn companies, as an index of leading economic potential indicators, only 12 Japanese companies were listed in 2022, while those of the USA, China, and India were 539, 174, and 64 companies, respectively. From the perspective of this data, the role model of Japan, a mature country with a declining population, may become a thing of the past unless Japanese economic resurgence occurs.

It is mostly true that both happiness and unhappiness are determined within us, by our hearts. In other words, if we approach everyday life with a humble mindset of gratitude, which implies a sense of fulfillment, we can more easily find happiness in the present moment. However, it is common for human beings to possess various levels of desires, which can sometimes leave us feeling unsatisfied and stressed due to the stark contrast between our desired ideals and reality. Desire is an essential element for personal growth and the progress of society. Therefore, in order to navigate this paradoxical situation, it is better to channel our desires into driving forces that help us achieve healthy, productive, and reasonable goals, leading to a sense of happiness and fulfillment. As an extreme example, excessive greediness without any worthwhile goals is an endless pursuit, regardless of what we achieve.

  When feeling insecure and lamenting about the poor conditions in achieving a certain target by a specific deadline, there is no choice but to take time to calm down and then concentrate on the necessary tasks we have to tackle one by one. In the meantime, a favorable tailwind may blow, helping us in our journey towards achieving the target.

Since the significance of lifelong learning has been widely publicized in Japan, several decades have already passed. Moreover, it has recently been emphasized on a large scale again, as it is often said that this era is known as the 100-year time period. Looking back at my career, there is no doubt that the continuation of self-learning and additional supervised learning helped improve my job capabilities. Considering the likelihood of the technological singularity occurring in the not-too-distant future, it might be better to find and specialize in the areas where human intelligence can surpass artificial intelligence. Of course, the approach to lifelong learning will definitely change with ongoing accelerated technological innovation.

After rising to the top position of an organization, some clever person contributes to the harmonization and prosperity of the organization by exercising the power of right leadership, while another clever person contributes to the disorder and indebtedness of the organization by exercising the power of misdirected leadership. Both of them seem to possess a similar level of cleverness. So, what makes such a big difference in steering the organization? One of the appropriate answers to this question might be a difference in the state of their minds in contrast to one another. In decision-making, the former clever person places a high value on selflessness, while the latter is prone to place it on self-centeredness, whether consciously or not. Self-centeredness clouds our decisions and often leads us in the inappropriate direction.

"Doing immediately what I can complete right now at this moment" and "Never put off until tomorrow what I can do today" were two of my job mottos created by learning from past nasty lessons. In fact, I used to earnestly put them into practice without exception. The greatest benefits of following these mottos are that I can efficiently tackle many tasks one after another and free myself from the mental stress of constantly keeping them in mind. A pile of unfinished tasks labeled as "Not dealt with yet" or "Left incomplete" would have driven me crazy.

In the course of autonomously materializing something never experienced before or higher targets, we often face bothersome hurdles that are likely to cause procrastination. This is because we are not restrained by any external compelling force or pressure but rely solely on our own willpower and self-motivation. As a result of such procrastination, we can't help but suffer a setback. To overcome this unfavorable situation, a sensible level of psychological pressure, slightly forcing yourself to keep working, is necessary. Setting affordable deadlines for tasks is one example of a countermeasure. Additionally, to consistently put your plans or ideas into action and work towards your targets, forming a habit of rationalizing necessary tasks in your daily routine is important. As we all know, these countermeasures should be implemented while harnessing the full power of your mind. And if you find yourself behind scheduled deadlines, don't reproach yourself, but instead make a resc

Traditionally, Japanese people attached significance to meals as part of a sacred rite, influenced by the beliefs of Shintoism, which holds that life or divine spirits reside in everything through the influence of nature worship. Even today, before starting to eat any food, it is habitual to say, "Itadakimasu" (Let us eat), signifying our gratitude for the lives that have been sacrificed to become our nourishment, as well as expressing appreciation for all those involved in the laborious process leading up to serving the dishes. This tradition was also originally influenced by the concept of Buddhism known as "Engi" (Dependent Origination), which religiously asserts that everything, including human beings, exists in a conditioned state and is dependent on something else. When concluding a meal, we say, "Gochiso sama" (Thank you for the meal), once again expressing our gratitude.

The Boiling Frog is a well-known phenomenon that describes the state of not perceiving danger until it is too late to deal with, due to being unaware of the slow process of marginal changes in both internal and external situations. Without being sensitive to detecting these changes in a highly conscious manner, it is difficult for us to realize the course of change, similar to the intellectual salami slicing tactics. These changes have demonstrably been occurring in various unrestricted corners of Japanese society and are gradually becoming apparent only to those who are truly attuned to marginal changes until now.

As can be clearly implied by Buddha's quote, "The mind is everything. Our life is shaped by our mind," the power of the mind is mysterious and beyond all modern scientific explanations. Similarly, an American motivational speaker, Earl Nightingale (1921-1989), stated in his book that "We become what we think about most of the time, and that's the strangest secret." Here, we must pay considerable attention to the fact that our perceptual habits can imprison or liberate us without even noticing. Thus, when pursuing personal goals in life, if our perception is negative or passive, supported by less passion, it's hardly possible to achieve them, no matter how far we go. On the contrary, if our perception is positive and healthy, supported by burning desire, it naturally leads us to desirable results. Therefore, it is very significant to thoroughly understand the nature of the mind.