The Theory That People Need Experiences Where They Feel 'Learning Has Meaning'

Yesterday, I wrote about finding words I want to make the axis of my future life.

To sum up the content of that note in one phrase,

the life theme I found is 'Learning begins from "I can't."', and

my guiding principle for the future is 'Turning "I can't" into a catalyst for learning.'

Since I only found these words two days ago, I might change the phrasing slightly. But I don't think the overall direction will change.

I want to take the initiative to challenge things I can't do yet, and while I continue to struggle, thinking, 'I can't do it! How frustrating! How painful! Why!', I want to keep writing about what I feel.

That state is the most fun. I am aware that I am an eccentric person.

The recovery period until finding my life's axis

I finally found my life's theme at the age of 40, but there were many transitions before reaching this point. I've changed my profile hundreds of times alone.

However, for me, I feel like the period from May to June was a month of consolidating everything I had been thinking about into a single expression. It feels like a recovery period.

It's as if everything I think about in my daily life was connected to the same root when I noticed it. Even though I thought I was thinking about different things on the surface, I had the feeling several times that the essence was the same, didn't I?

Since I'm at it, I want to record what kind of information I received, what kind of stimulation I felt, and how I ultimately connected it to the words 'Learning begins from "I can't."' over this past month.

The influence of each individual thing is small, but I believe that a collection of these small stimuli led to a big theme.

I feel like if I don't write it down at this timing, I will never be able to remember it. So, I want to record it for my own sake as well.

There are many notes that influenced me this past month, but I want to summarize those in another article. This time, I will write about what connected to what within me to reach these words.

First, the biggest influence was digging deep into 'How to Create an Adventurous Organization,' which was my assigned reading for May.

This book is super interesting, but there are many abstract concepts, and I felt like I couldn't apply it to daily life as it was. So, I decided to dig deep into each part that caught my attention.

▼ I wrote about that determination in the following note. This was exactly two weeks ago.

I intended to write as many notes as possible digging into this assigned book in June. But I couldn't write as I had hoped. I had no margin due to nursing care and work.

However, even though I wasn't able to output as a note, I was thinking about it the whole time in my brain.

"What does inquiry mean to me?"
"What can I do for the world?"

I kept thinking about these things. This line of thought is the foundation.

In coming up with the idea that 'Learning begins with "I can't do it"' from this, what was necessary was to review my past experiences, sparked by the book 'How to Build an Adventurous Organization,' and to engage in introspection with AI on important themes.

The hungry spirit of 'I won't let this experience go to waste'

The theme of my introspection with AI at this time was,

I don't really have a hungry spirit, do I?

.

If I were to write about why I started thinking about this theme, this note would reach 20,000 characters, so I will omit it.

In a nutshell, I was thinking things like, 'Don't people need a hungry spirit to grow dramatically?' or 'But maybe I don't really have a hungry spirit.'

And, as a result of talking a lot with AI,

That was the conclusion. This resonated with me deeply.

I don't really have that type of hungry spirit where I want to win at all costs, prove someone wrong, or get to the top.

But I have a very strong desire not to let painful, bitter, or frustrating experiences just end as they are.

I won't let this experience go to waste!
I'm going to learn something from this!

That kind of feeling is quite strong.

I wanted to convey that 'learning is fun'

When I realized my own nature of 'wanting to turn every experience into learning,' I suddenly remembered something from a year and a half ago.

It was about what I was passionately telling the instructor, Eriko-san, when I was studying the compassion course on my own.

In the course, we did some kind of meditation every time. During that, there was time to think about things like 'what I want to do for the world.'

During one of the sessions, I said to Eriko-san,

I want to be someone who conveys to people around the world that 'learning is fun!'

or something like that.

What popped into my mind during the meditation at that time was a boy walking a two-hour path one way to fetch water in the savanna, perhaps?

If a child living a life where most of their day is spent on the act of fetching water for survival learns math or language, how would that be useful? Is that child able to learn with a sense of conviction?

Even children in Japan say things like, 'What is the point of studying?'

But even so, I want to convey that 'learning is fun.' Is there anything I can do? I was thinking about things like that.

According to Eriko-san, I was sparkling when I was talking about that. So, I had a feeling that 'conveying the joy of learning' could become my life's work. However, a year and a half ago, it was still just a vague image, and I didn't really know what I wanted to do specifically.

To feel that 'learning has meaning,' experiential knowledge is necessary.

At that time, I had been studying compassion for about half a year.

About a year after that learning, last week, when I was relearning the compassion course in a group format, I thought again.

Compassion is important, isn't it? Shouldn't it be part of compulsory education?

The reason I decided to study compassion a year and a half ago was because I had a situation in my private life where I would have had a mental breakdown if I hadn't done so. I reached out for new learning to survive, and thanks to that, I managed to get through it.

Inside me, there is an incredibly strong feeling that it was just a series of coincidences.

The reason I ended up studying compassion back then was because I happened to have a chance to talk to Eriko-san, who is a coach, and she introduced me to the compassion course. It was because I happened to be a freelancer and could find time during the day on weekdays. It was because I happened to have the financial leeway to want to invest in new learning.

And it was because I happened to have a strong motivation to 'want to learn compassion.' If even one of those things had been missing, there was a possibility that I would have said, 'Maybe not now.'

I think that for many working adults, learning opportunities are often missed due to various 'maybe not now' moments. Because, after all, we are busy.

I encountered coaching quite soon after becoming a freelancer. Thanks to that, I developed a habit of self-reflection.

Around the time I was feeling a bit overwhelmed, I happened to start using AI, and before I knew it, I had spent about 700 hours reflecting with AI as my partner. Thanks to that, I developed the skill to see myself objectively, and because of that, I am still continuing as a freelancer without having a breakdown.

I found life much easier to live after encountering coaching, but this was all just a coincidence. If even one piece had been missing, I might have fallen ill early on and spent my days filled with nothing but regret.

That is precisely why I think.

Should the opportunity to encounter learning that can change one's life really be left so much to chance?

I feel that coaching is still not that mainstream in Japan. Therefore, like compassion, I quite seriously believe it should be included in compulsory education.

If it is not included in compulsory education, the chances of children encountering it will be drastically reduced.

People who can encounter coaching on their own after entering society are already quite fortunate at that point. Those who can invest in learning have the surplus capacity to do so, and even the fact that they think to receive a session shows they have that surplus.

Above all,they have the experiential knowledge to believe that 'learning has meaning.'

I think it is precisely because they have had experiences somewhere in their lives where learning saved them or changed how they saw the world that they can think, 'This might be necessary for me too.'

However, when I think about the map of Japan's population and household income, I suspect that there are more people who will never encounter it. And even if they do encounter it, many might just think, 'So what?'

In reality, I suspect that those are the very people who need learning like coaching and compassion the most. (This is entirely my own theory, though.)

All I can do is keep writing.

Of course, what I can do alone is limited.

I cannot change compulsory education or deliver learning to children all over the world right now. All I can do is keep writing.

When I run into things I cannot do, instead of blaming myself, I try to think, 'What can I learn from this?'

While challenging myself with things I cannot do, I record the frustration, the pain, and the process of trial and error.

I write words that turn 'I can't' into a small spark for learning.

That is likely what I want to do from here on out.

Learning begins from 'I can't'

This phrase suddenly came to me two days ago, but it had probably been inside me for a long time.

Learning compassion, being saved by coaching, reflecting with AI for 700 hours, and continuing to write on Note every day—I think everything has been leading to this.

Although there are still many parts I cannot explain well, I want to make these words the axis of my life from now on.

Do not end with "I can't."
Do not make being unable to do something a source of shame.
Turn failures and setbacks into opportunities for learning.

If we could create such a set of values, I think the world would become an easier place to live in.

...I have written something quite grand.

Well, what I will actually do will not change much from what I have done until now.

I will challenge myself with things I cannot do, feel frustrated, research, think, bounce ideas off AI, write in my learning notebook, and write on note every day. I think it will be a repetition of that.

However, whereas until now I had just been writing while constantly wondering, "What am I writing every day?" and "Who am I?", I feel surprisingly refreshed just by having found a meaning.

Learning begins from "I can't"

40 years old. I want to make these words the axis of my life.

It has only just begun, but for now, I intend to keep writing about the things I "can't" do.

Daily note, day 256.

▼ Yesterday's declaration note