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Feel the vibe.
雰囲気を感じよう。

 

When you meet or get in touch with your old friend after a long interval—like a class reunion—you may feel a different vibe. Sometimes positive, sometimes negative.

That’s very usual. You have changed, and your old friend has changed. Both of you are quite different from who you guys were 1 year ago, 5 years ago, or decades ago.

But if you feel a negative vibe from your old friend, that can be a problem. And most likely, the best possible solution is to gradually stay away from him or her. He or she might have been your good friend—or your best friend—before, but nostalgia won’t help you move forward; it’s just the legacy of the past.

 

 

Count your tears as blessings.
涙は喜ぶべきもの。

 

Tears are the sweat from our soul.

We sweat all over our body after workout. When our soul is shaken or inspired by something or someone—it’s a workout for our soul—tears come out.

It’s okay to have tears in your eyes. It’s not always a good idea to weep, sob, or cry in front of other people, but let your soul work out as often as possible.

 

 

Build a strong base.
強い基盤を築こう。

 

All successful businesses started from zero. Someone got an idea, executed it, and made it bigger. They have faced countless obstacles and conquered them. They made numerous mistakes and learned lessons from them.

We see these successful businesses now just because they never gave up until they succeeded. They didn’t stop moving forward, even during their darkest moment. Even when everything was against them.

Success is just like the tip of the iceberg—we usually can’t see what it’s made up of. So if you are keen to create something in this world, be ready to make your iceberg big. REALLY big.

 

 

Your hurt tells the truth.
心の痛みが真実を語る。

 

None of us wants to hurt our own feelings. But—what if it would tell you what matters most to you?

Even when we don’t exactly know the most important thing in (or for) our life, our soul knows it and always try to protect it—sometimes in a weird way. For instance, an affectionate person who believes in the power of love may seem to be very hard-hearted so that the person can protect his or her sensitive soul against ruthless people.

Focus on what hurts your feelings. Be aware of what you think or react when someone tries to hurt your feelings. That’s a clue to a hidden, precious treasure of your life.

 

 

Love unconditionally.
無条件に愛そう。

 

We can’t begin to love other people and this world until we really begin to love ourselves. It took a few decades for me—literally my entire life—to understand this truth.

“Love ourselves”—it’s not as easy as it sounds. If our self-love is conditional, that’s not a true love.

If I could be much better…

If I could have more money…

If I were in better shape…

These might be the things you need to work on, but can never be a condition for loving yourself.

Dalai Lama once said, “Love is the absence of judgment.” It’s not easy to learn how to love ourselves unconditionally, but it’s worthwhile.