Live by 'fun', not 'can'!
To you,
'Can you really do that?'
When you try to challenge yourself with something new.
When you try to step into a world you've never experienced before.
Someone, or perhaps even you yourself, will ask this.
'Can you really do that?'
But if you take that voice seriously,
if you hand over the steering wheel of your life to that question,
what will happen?
The path you continue to choose based on 'can or cannot',
before you know it,
might become
very safe,
very correct,and very boring.
—
It's about when you were little and playing in the park.
While on the swing, you said this:
'Hey, I wonder if I can swing even higher?'
Your face looked a bit anxious,
but also somehow excited.
At that moment, I suddenly thought:
This child is moving based on the feeling of 'I want to try' or 'this looks fun'
rather than 'whether I can do it' or not.
And seeing that, I was struck by a realization.
Since when did we start choosing our lives based on
'whether we can do it or not'?
—
'can'A life lived by
is certainly secure.
It's calculable and predictable.
The probability of failure is also low.
But in exchange for that,
your heart gradually shrinks and settles.
On the other hand,'fun'a life lived by
is a little uncertain.
You don't know if it will go well.
There are times when you will fail.
But because of that,
your heart will expand significantly.
—
Instead of 'I do it because I can,' try 'I do it because it's fun.'
By just slightly changing this order, the scenery of your life will change completely.
The view of your life will change completely.
For example,
even if you aren't good at drawing, try drawing.
Even if you aren't good at singing, try humming along.
Even if it's a place you've never been, if it looks interesting, try going there.
When you prioritize 'fun' like that,
something mysterious happens.
Things you couldn't do at first,
you find yourself able to do before you know it.
Yes,
'can' follows after 'fun'.
—
What about the reverse?
If you think about 'can' first,
you will see more and more 'reasons why you can't'.
I don't have time.
I don't have money.
I don't have experience.
I don't have confidence.
But if you start with 'fun',
those things will melt away little by little.
You do it because it's fun.
You keep doing it because you like it.
Because you keep doing it, you become able to do it.
Life might actually be made up of this simple flow.
—
And there is one more important thing.
That is,
to 'enjoy today rather than worry about tomorrow'.
We tend to think too much about the future.
Will it go well?
What if I fail?
Will I be okay in the future?
Of course, that is also important.
But if you let your heart be stolen by that alone,
the irreplaceable day called 'today'
will become somewhat blurry.
—
Today is a day that will
never come back again,
a 'today' that happens only once in a lifetime.
Will you fill that day with
'anxiety',
or will you fill it with 'fun'?
Which one you choose is,
in fact, something you can decide for yourself.
—
For example,
laughing with someone.
For example,
listening to your favorite music.
For example,
looking up at the sky and getting lost in memories.
These may all be small things.
But the accumulation of those small 'fun' moments
is what makes life gentle and rich.
—
'Try enjoying something'
'Try enjoying something with someone'
That alone is enough.
It doesn't have to be perfect.
It doesn't have to be done well.
Just take one step
in a direction that feels 'fun'.
—
Life is not a test.
It is not a game of constantly choosing the right answer.
If anything,
it is something to be savored.
And what determines that flavor is
'fun', not 'can'.
—
So, try saying this again today.
I don't know if I can do it, but it looks fun, so let's give it a try.
That one step
will surely make your life
much more interesting than you think.
—
Have fun!
When I was living in America,
my host mother often said this to me.
To my father, who was struggling because his English wasn't improving,
she asked, 'Why are you so obsessed with English (language)?'
'You are living in America right now.'
'Let's just enjoy that fact itself.'
'Have fun!!' she said.
Please,
enjoy this day.
Choosing the excitement that lies beyond 'fun',
rather than the security that lies beyond 'can'.
To my beloved child,
from Dad