Don't overthink. Don't resist too much. Try living one thing at a time.

I had a few small realizations.

Don't overthink.
Don't force yourself to resist.
Don't rush to find answers.

In that way, I'll try living with a little less tension.

Today was a day I spent thinking about things like that.

The time 'before doing' might be the hardest part

I wake up in the morning.

While I'm still in bed, I think about the things I have to do today.

・Work matters
・Appointments with people
・Small errands
・Messages I need to reply to
・Things to do after I get home

Each one is not really that big of a deal.

And yet, the moment I think of them all at once, I feel fed up, thinking, 'Today is going to be tough.'

As an HSS-type HSP, this happens to me quite often.

Nothing has actually happened yet. I just get ahead of myself in my head about what is going to happen.

'This looks like a hassle'
'I'll probably be tired after doing this'
'After this, I still have that to do'

In that way, I end up experiencing the difficulty of a day that hasn't even started yet, all from the morning.

However, recently, I noticed something a bit strange.

Once I actually start, I find I can do it after all.

I finish the first thing. Then, I can move on to the next.

I think, 'It wasn't as hard as I thought it would be.'

And at the end of the day, I think, "Well, I managed to do it properly today, didn't I?"

Come to think of it, this might just be a natural thing.

In my head, nothing has started yet. That's why multiple tasks and events come at me all at once.

But in reality, I can basically only do one thing at a time.

After replying to one email, I check one document next.
Then I talk to someone after that.

While doing so, the day progresses little by little.

In other words, perhaps I wasn't finding "today" difficult, but rather I was tired of "imagining everything that would happen today all at once."

Thinking about it that way makes me feel a little more at ease.

There is no need to accurately predict the future.

You don't have to decide at the start of the morning that "today is going to be a tough day."

First, try doing the one thing right in front of you.

Once you've done it, move on to the next one.

Recently, I've come to think that is enough.

People who are good at thinking can sometimes get tired from thinking too much.

So, sometimes try moving before you think.

If you try it, you might find it's easier than you thought.

And above all, you can remind yourself that "I am actually capable."

You don't have to start the day carrying everything on your shoulders today either.

One thing at a time is fine.

Being able to think that way has been a small change and a happy discovery for me lately.

Swallow your "I know" for a moment

Sometimes, when talking to people, I feel the urge to say, "I know that."

When a topic comes up that I'm familiar with, I can't help but want to chime in.
"It's like this."
"Actually, it's like this."
I want to share my knowledge with the other person in that way.

I don't mean any harm.

In fact, it sometimes comes from a desire to liven up the conversation or be helpful to the other person.

But recently, while talking to a client at work, I realized something.

"What you know" and "what you should say" are not the same thing.

Just because you know something doesn't mean you need to say it right away.

Instead, try listening to the other person until they finish.

Then, something strange happens.

Within a story I initially thought I "knew," I start to see circumstances I wasn't aware of and emotions that only that person could understand.

Even if the knowledge is the same, I won't know why they thought that way or why they value it until I listen.

I don't think listening to people is about gathering information.

It might be about being allowed to see a little bit of their world.

That is why I want to handle the things I know with care.

Knowledge is quiet when you just hold onto it, but the moment you show it off, it can create a small wall between you and the other person.

"I know"
"You don't know"

Because before you know it, that's the kind of relationship you end up with.

On the other hand, when you swallow the words "I know that," the other person can continue speaking with peace of mind.

And as I listen, my own knowledge gradually deepens.

Learning is not just about increasing one's knowledge.

Daring not to use what you know.

Not giving an answer immediately, but waiting for the other person's words.

I think there is a kind of learning in that, too.

Lately, I've been thinking that being a person who 'asks to be taught what they don't know' creates a much richer experience than showing off a 'person who knows'.

In conversation, adding words is not the only thing that matters.

Sometimes, you swallow a word.

That small space draws out the other person's story.

And thanks to that space, things that were previously invisible come into view.

Letting go of 'knowing' does not mean discarding knowledge.

It means setting your own knowledge aside for a moment in order to know the other person better.

Perhaps that is a small courtesy for engaging with people thoughtfully.

Something like a conclusion on 'living'

I don't know why, but I suddenly thought that perhaps this is what 'living' is all about.

Living, in the end, might just mean 'living within the laws of nature'.

Some people aim for great economic success.
Some people try to achieve small daily goals one by one.
Some people want to live peacefully with their families, work moderately, and have a stable daily life.

What we aim for is different for everyone.

However, no matter what way of life we choose, we cannot create the world solely through our own will.

If we don't sleep, we get tired, and if we don't eat, we get hungry.
As we age, our bodies change.
When we interact with others, we are influenced by their emotions and circumstances.
To earn money, we must provide value to someone, and
as long as we live in society, we cannot escape laws and rules.

In other words, while it may seem like humans live freely, in reality, we live within many
"predetermined conditions."

The way our brains work is the same.

We find ourselves wanting things, feeling anxious, or comparing ourselves to others.

While we try to avoid danger, we also seek out new things.

Many of these movements of the heart are not so much chosen by us from scratch as they are influenced by the mechanisms inherent in the creature known as a human being.

Thinking about it this way, the phrase "freely designing your own life"
starts to look a little different.

Perhaps life is not a blank canvas where you can paint whatever you like.

Rather, it is likely something where we draw our own picture within the boundaries of a paper that already has several lines drawn on it.

That does not mean, however, that we need to give up on everything.

On the contrary, by knowing what we cannot do, we can see what we can do.

Instead of forcing things by going against nature, we should learn the nature of our own bodies and minds.
Understand how society works.
Stop trying to make others do as you wish, and learn that people have their own circumstances.

Based on that, think about what kind of day you want to spend.

Whether you want to succeed or live a peaceful life, in the end, we are all living in the same world.

I think the difference lies in what we choose to value while living within the given conditions.

Freedom is not about being able to do anything.

It is about knowing the laws that surround you and making choices that are true to yourself within those boundaries.

Today, I thought about such things.

Life may be less free than we think, and precisely because of that, it might be freer than we imagine.