Why you should look at the moon when things aren't going well

When things aren't going well, people tend to blame themselves.
But I believe that on nights like those, it's better to look at the moon.
Because the moon quietly teaches us that just because it's out of sight, it doesn't mean it's gone.

Good morning.
This is Haracchi.

When things aren't going well,
I think people find it easier to blame themselves.

When you're working hard but not seeing results.
When you're feeling impatient, but reality isn't moving.
When it seems like everyone around you is moving forward,
and you feel like you're the only one being left behind.

At times like that, we tend to quickly
come to the conclusion that
"It's because I'm no good."

But in truth,
I think it's better to look at the moon when you're feeling that way.

The moon doesn't look the same every day.

There are nights when it is full and round,
and nights when it is thin and waning.
There are even nights when it is hidden by clouds and cannot be seen.

Yet, the moon is not impatient at all.

It doesn't blame itself, saying, "I couldn't be round today,"
nor does it think,
"I have no value because I'm waning more than yesterday."

It is simply in that phase of its cycle right now.

I think there is
something very important in that.

People are the same,
and we cannot be energetic in the same way every day.

There are days when you feel motivated,
and days when you don't want to do anything.
There are days when you can be positive,
and days when your heart feels heavy no matter what.

And yet, when we
can't move even a little bit,
we immediately label ourselves as "no good."

But I think that,
in reality, that might be a little off.

Maybe it's just not the time to be full right now.
Maybe it's just a period for getting your inner self in order.
Maybe it's just a quiet preparation period for moving on to the next step.

I have always been the type
to get impatient when things aren't going well.

I don't want to stop.
I don't want to lose.
I have to do things properly.
I have to try harder.

By driving myself like that,
I feel like I made myself suffer even more when I was already struggling.

I was worried about how others saw me,
and I was afraid to accept myself when I wasn't getting results.

That is why, especially when things aren't going well,
I have tried to force myself to be cheerful,
or tried to fix things through sheer willpower.

But, it's precisely at those times that I end up spinning my wheels.

I'm working hard, yet I feel miserable.
I'm taking action, yet I feel unfulfilled.
I'm trying to move forward,
but somewhere along the way, I keep losing myself.

At times like that, when I look at the moon,
there were moments when I could relax a little.

The moon never rushes.

Even on nights when it wanes,
it seems to trust in its own cycle.

Even on nights when it is invisible,
it hasn't disappeared.

Watching its form,
I start to think that we don't always have to give 100%.

What you need when things aren't going well
is not to push yourself too hard.

It is not to blame yourself either.

First of all,
I think it's about accepting,
'This is just how things are right now.'

Looking at the moon
is not a magic spell that will change everything dramatically.

But I believe it has the power to loosen up
a heart that has been blaming itself too much.

Look up at the sky.
Stop for a moment.
Take a deep breath.
Look at yourself now from a little further away.

Just by doing that,
the heart that was tightly clenched can loosen,
and you might be able to think,
'Maybe this isn't the end yet.'

I have experienced that many times.

When things aren't going well,
more than the lack of results,
the hardest part is often thinking,
'Maybe I'll never be able to change.'

But when you look at the moon, you understand.

It doesn't end while it's waning.
It doesn't end while it's invisible.
It cycles again, and it fills up again.

People are surely the same.

Even if things aren't going well right now,
even if you feel far from your ideal self right now,
this is not the end.

Even on days when it looks like a crescent,
your own light has not disappeared.

I am reminded of that
every time I look at the moon.

That is why I think
you should look at the moon, especially when things aren't going well.

Especially when you are feeling impatient.
Especially when you have lost your confidence.
Especially when you are about to blame yourself.

The moon probably
doesn't say "it's okay" in a flashy way.

But quietly,
I feel like it tells me,
"You are also part of the cycle."

The fact that things aren't going well now
is not proof that you have no value.

The fact that things feel like they have stopped now
is not proof that your life is over.

Right now, you are simply
on the way to becoming full again.

If you can think that way,
you can be a little kinder to yourself.

I think that alone
is meaningful enough.

If you are feeling a bit weary today,
please look up at the night sky.

It is okay whether you can see the moon or not.

Beyond that sky,
there is something that is properly cycling.

Your life, too, surely,
looks like it has stopped,
but is actually moving quietly.

That is what I believe.

I would be happy if this note
could help ease your heart even a little today.

Moon, stars, universe, love.
Within the invisible flow, I write words to help you
not blame yourself too much and remember your true self.
Even on tough nights, life can become full again and again.
I deliver that light through Haracchi's words.