Hello there.
It's that time of the year again when the cherry blossoms bloom and fall. At the same time, it is also the season for new beginnings.
I am often asked by young people who are excited about their new environment, full of expectations and anxiety, if there is anything that young people like us should be aware of or prepared for.
The words I always give them are
"People who grow up are 'honest'.
Don't be in too much of a hurry.
These are the two things I always say.
I am a clumsy person, so every time I have moved to Tokyo, entered a new school, joined a new company or changed jobs, I have made many mistakes. Each time, I observed myself and my surroundings, and finally came to this conclusion
In a new environment, there is a culture of the group. As a newcomer, you need to get used to the culture.
However, many people will feel uncomfortable.
"What is this greeting?
"Why do I have to do this?
"Is he joking, is he serious, or is he just being preachy? ...
When I was younger, I couldn't move forward if I felt uncomfortable. Even when I did, I didn't want to do it. And that would only lead to frustration.
But then I met a colleague who seemed to fit in easily and was enjoying his work.
He didn't seem to be that handy either. But he was performing well and was well liked by his seniors.
I asked him: "How can you manage this frustrative feeling?
The answer came back.
I thought it was strange at first too, but I wanted to try it and see if it made any sense.
Well...
At the time, I was barely 'honest' enough to accept his opinion.
In fact, when I tried to be as 'honest' as he was, my circle of contacts with seniors expanded, and I began to feel a sense of meaning and attraction towards people and tasks that I had once felt uncomfortable with.
On the other hand, there are people in the world who are very good at what they do.
It's hard not to feel frustrated when you see someone who seems to be able to do something you can't do without difficulty.
It's important to be aware of the challenges and to take action, but one thing you should never do is to panic.
But one thing you should never do is to panic. In fact, it will only lead to a vicious circle.
As I've already mentioned, I'm a clumsy person by nature, and there have been times when I've acted rashly in response to a situation that wasn't going well. But when I look back, I often think that I should have sat back and concentrated on what was in front of me.
Even now, after 20 years of being an adult, I have not been able to change my clumsiness, but I have learned how to deal with it and I am now able to cope with new environments.
I think it's important to be 'honest', to listen to what others say, and to focus on what needs to be done in front of you.
It's a shortcut to success.
How do you feel about this?
Added on 2018-7-12
Apparently, Konosuke Matsushita also used this phrase as one of his mottoes.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
