Does stating your desires make them not come true? — I don’t want to jinx it!
Previously, I talked about those things in life that you think, "This is so relatable," and that I encounter periodically as if they were some kind of law of nature for me.
In the article above, I wrote about a personal experience where first impressions of people often reverse after a certain period of time.
This time, I would like to share another one of my "relatable laws."
It is that "if you voice a strong desire or a confident expectation, it will not come true." (This is the opposite idea of kotodama, or the power of words).
It might sound negative and sad, but in reality, whenever I jump the gun and publicly declare "I want to do this!" or "I can definitely do this," it almost never comes true (in my case).
This desire is not on the level of "I want to post an article on note" or "I want to go to afternoon tea at Hotel Chinzanso." The moment I voice a wishful thought
about something, like "I think this will go well," the realization of it suddenly moves far away.
This road of "spoken but unfulfilled" began when I proudly declared my first-choice university during entrance exams and then failed.
So, when I decided to study abroad in the U.S., I was afraid of failing, so I refrained from saying "I will definitely pass" or "I will definitely graduate." (I graduated safely!)
Even after that, when I became a reporter, whenever I showed confidence by saying things like "This project will go well!" or "I'll get a scoop with this story!," it never worked out.
Rather, when I am not expecting anything, or when I have a faint hope but don't voice it, the results are far better..
Whether my goal setting is too high, my efforts are insufficient, my follow-through is weak, or I am just not good at high-stakes situations, I don't really know.
Because of that "law," I have become cautious about desiring anything with intense feelings. Let alone putting it into words. I am simply in a state of mind of "do what you can and leave the rest to fate."
Changing the subject, I read somewhere that Tiger Woods received mental training under his father's guidance, such as visualizing winning since he was a child.
I envy the ability to visualize "I will definitely win!" and make it happen. Of course, that is assuming there is tremendous effort behind it.
I used to think Americans were positive and strong in competition, but they do sometimes believe in superstitious things.
A former colleague was whispered to by those around him, "You'll get an award," because of his wonderful results on a project. At the time, he lightly brushed off those whispers, but when he was actually awarded, he said, "I just didn’t want to jinx it!" (I didn't want to talk about it because if I did, it wouldn't come true).
Actually, in my self-introduction (About Me) on note, I have stated things I want to achieve.
After writing it, I felt weak, thinking, "Oh, maybe this has made it harder for it to come true."
Of course, I could delete it, but believing in the existence of kotodama, I think I will dare to leave it this time..