A Journey through My Diverse Perspectives

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.