Looking Back on the Last Six Months!! From a Life of 'Fixing Weaknesses' to a Life of 'Living Your Strengths'.

In the morning, I brewed tea as usual and pressed the power button on my computer.

On the screen, my unfinished notes were lined up.

'I've written quite a lot,' I thought.

As I scrolled while thinking that, the faces of the people I had met came to mind before the number of articles did.

The first half of this year was a six-month period where I was strangely blessed with people.

Looking back, I feel like I have spent my whole life trying to change myself.

Thirty-eight years of life as a company employee.

Waking up at the same time every day, getting in the car at the same time, working, and coming home.

One day on the way home, while looking at my reflection in the window, I wondered if my life would just end like this.

Even though I was working hard, I felt unfulfilled somewhere.

'I must try harder.'

'I must become a more capable person.'

Such a 'gatekeeper' was always in my heart.

That is why I was always looking for my own flaws.

That was my life until two years ago.

I, who was like that, have changed little by little over these past six months.

The catalyst was being able to engage with many people through CliftonStrengths.

Talking in the community and conducting sessions.

One person let out a small sigh and said,

'It feels like the fog has lifted.'

The moment I heard those words, I felt as if the very air in the room had become lighter.

I didn't do anything particularly special.

I simply listened to what that person had to say and helped them organize their thoughts.

But that day, I realized for the first time that being there together can truly move someone's life forward.

What I had been doing as a matter of course was not something everyone took for granted.

This year, I also faced my writing on note almost every day.

One night, I received an email.

"I had been putting effort into all the wrong things for me."

"I was saved by your words that my weapons are already within me."

I read it over and over again.

Every time I read it, I felt glad that I had written those posts.

I don't even know what that person looks like.

But it had reached them, clearly.

On the other side of the screen, someone was looking forward just a little bit more.

That fact gave me the courage to write my next article.

This year, I spent a significant amount of time working with AI.

At first, I just thought of it as a convenient tool.

But as I continued to use it, I realized something.

What AI increased for me wasn't the speed of my work.

It was the time I could spend facing people.

It is a time for thinking.

It is a time for being close to others.

Because that time has increased, I have come to want to listen to stories even more.

And then, there was the time I helped create a flyer for a clinic.

I was not the person standing in front, but rather, as someone behind the scenes, I was putting that person's thoughts into words.

While looking at the completed design, I suddenly realized something.

I am not a person who wants to be in the spotlight.

I am someone who walks alongside others so that they can stand in front with peace of mind.

In that moment, the word 'companion' finally settled perfectly within me.

Come to think of it, in the past, I hid my strengths and did not face them directly.

Listening to people.

Researching.

Organizing.

Encouraging.

'Anyone can do this.'

That is what I thought.

But, I was wrong.

For someone else, that was the trigger to move forward.

This year, I have also come to like my quality of 'adaptability' much more.

In the past, I used to get anxious when things didn't go according to plan.

I used to feel anxious if I wasn't perfectly prepared.

But now, I've come to believe that it's okay to just accept what happens in the moment and think things through together.

This is a change I couldn't have even imagined when I was a corporate employee.

Lately, I sometimes joke, 'Well, I'm basically 60 if you round up.'

But it's precisely because I've become conscious of my age that I think this way.

Perhaps the time I have left is less about what I do, and more about who I share my laughter with.

I want to help as many people as possible feel vibrant and healthy.

I want to stand by their side and offer a little encouragement so they can walk their own path.

That feeling has only grown stronger over these past six months.

Life is a game.

It's thanks to these past six months that I've come to think of it that way.

Even if you fail, you can start over.

It's okay to get lost or take a detour.

Your experience will always lead to something new.

That is why, from here on out, I want to walk my own path rather than aiming for perfection.

If there is anyone out there right now who feels like they have nothing to offer.

Perhaps it's just that you've taken your own strengths for granted and can no longer see them.

What you do naturally is something someone else is truly seeking.

I believe that when you realize that, life becomes a little easier to live.

To everyone I have met over these past six months.

Thank you so much.

And I look forward to working with you in the future.

Meeting all of you gave me the courage to walk as a "companion."

Now, I wonder what kind of scenery we will encounter in the second half of the year.

Because it is still a blank page, I am looking forward to it a little.