"Just being alive is a total win" | Words that resonate no matter how many times I hear them

"Just being alive is a total win"

Many of you may already know this, but since it's a phrase I've loved for a long time, please let me introduce it once again.

This phrase is widely known as the motto of Sanma Akashiya, who continues to be at the forefront of the comedy world.

In 1985, 520 precious lives were lost in the Japan Airlines Flight 123 crash.

It is said that Sanma was scheduled to be on that flight, but because his recording finished early, he changed to an earlier flight and escaped the tragedy.

Because of this experience, I feel that the phrase "Just being alive is a total win" carries a weight that only someone who has truly felt the preciousness of life could possess.

Also, it is famous that the name (real name) of Imaru, the daughter of Sanma and Shinobu Otake, was named by combining Sanma's "Imaru" with Otake's wish to "Just being alive is a total win" and "living in the present".

Since learning this episode, I have come to take these words to heart more deeply than before.

I, too, have had the experience of nearly losing my life due to an earthquake disaster and a cerebral infarction, so I can truly feel that "just being alive is a total win."

In Zen, there is a teaching called "Honrai Muichimotsu" (originally, there is nothing).

People are born with nothing and leave this world with nothing.

Therefore, you don't have to be too bound by the attachment of "what is mine"—that is the teaching.

Sanma also has these words:

Within the laughter, I feel a depth that somehow connects to the teachings of Zen.

We tend to focus only on what we lack, thinking, "If only I had more money" or "If only I were more appreciated."

But, "I was able to see the morning today," "The food is delicious," "I was able to laugh with someone important."

Those things we take for granted might actually be more precious than anything else.

Of course, there are painful days in life.

Even so, as long as you are alive, there is a possibility of encountering new people and new scenery.

That is why I believe the phrase "just being alive is a total win" is not just about trying to be positive, but a reminder to be grateful for life itself.

No matter how many times I hear it, it resonates with me.

Let's live today to the fullest. It is one of my favorite phrases, as it makes me feel that way.