Words That Cheer Me Up
In Japan, it is the season for personnel transfers.
While some people are filled with excitement about moving to new positions or departments, others may be welcoming the new fiscal year with a sense of melancholy because they were not assigned to the roles they had hoped for.
I myself am not exactly approaching the new fiscal year with a sense of excitement.
“Why am I here?”
I sometimes ask myself about my purpose in the workplace and struggle with it.
There are words I always recall at such times.
I think many of you may already know them, but I would like to introduce them here.
1. Oiakuma
O: Do not get angry
I: Do not be arrogant
A: Do not be impatient
Ku: Do not be discouraged
Ma: Do not give up
It is said that the source is Shozo Hotta, the former president of the old Sumitomo Bank, but there are various theories. It has been quoted in many places and seems to have several variations, but for me right now, the phrases “Do not be discouraged” and “Do not give up” resonate deeply.
Hirofumi Nomoto, Chairman of Tokyu, is currently featured in the “My Personal History” column of the Nihon Keizai Shimbun. He describes his own career as a salaryman, which could hardly be called the mainstream, as follows:
Quoted from the March 1st issue of the Nikkei Shimbun
—I never let myself get discouraged. I decided that wherever I was, I would just try to enjoy it myself. If you are discouraged, every day is boring. Even if things didn't go as I had hoped, I worked to become a leading expert in the job I was given—
Reading this, I felt ashamed of complaining about my work. No matter where I am, I must have a role to play.
2. Ningen Banji Saiou ga Uma (A blessing in disguise)
This is a well-known Chinese proverb meaning that even if something seems bad at first glance, it might be a good thing in the long run. It is a maxim that emphasizes the importance of not being swayed by immediate circumstances, but rather viewing things from a broad perspective and working steadily.
I witnessed situations that perfectly illustrate this saying during my time as a reporter.
For example, a vice president of a major company was highly respected and was considered certain to become president, but for some reason, he was sent out as the president of a subsidiary, and another executive became president. Later, the parent company was involved in a scandal, and the president had to bow his head and resign.
At the time, the company was heavily criticized by the media for having problems with its corporate culture. One could look at it in various ways, such as wondering if the scandal might not have happened if the well-respected person had become the top leader, but I truly realized that you cannot tell what is good or bad in life just by looking at a single point in time.
3. Ningen Itaru Tokoro Aoyama Ari (There is green mountain everywhere)
This is also a commonly used phrase.
“Aoyama” refers to a “place to bury one's bones,” and it seems to mean, “If you have the will, you can die anywhere in the world. Therefore, you should not hesitate to leave your hometown and venture out into the world.” However,
It also seems to be interpreted as taking “Aoyama” to mean “a place where green trees grow, a place where you can be active,” meaning that there are places everywhere where you can work hard with dreams and hopes.
I would like to welcome the new fiscal year with a fresh mindset while telling myself these words.