Someone is following the path you blazed: Reflections on a book club meeting
Good morning. This is Ichiyama.
I will reflect on my first-ever book club meeting.
1. How I felt when I joined
I participated in a book club yesterday.
It was held within the
community for the courage to share.
Up until now, I have
participated in seminars
and networking events.
However, participating in a "book club" was
a first in my life.
Because of that, what I felt was
a sense of nervousness mixed with excitement.
"What kind of event will this be?"
My heart was pounding.
2. What I was conscious of
There is something I was conscious of
during this event.
That is,
"to be a first penguin"
When it came time for self-introductions
and sharing impressions with the group,
I decided tobe the first
to raise my hand and speak.
By the way, I am
terrible at speaking in front of others.
"If I should just leave things I'm bad at
to someone else,
why did I try to do
something I'm bad at?"
Many of you
must be wondering that.
Next, I will talk
about that.
3. The reason I did something I'm bad at
The reason I did something I'm bad at,
like speaking in front of others.
It is because,
"It's okay to express your own thoughts and feelings
in your own words!
"
I wanted to create that kind of "flow".
"Why did you want to
create a 'flow'?"
The reason is,
if you stay still without moving, you will disappear.
For example,
a 'flowing river' and a 'puddle'
are both the same, water.
The difference between the two is whether it is
"moving" or "stopped".
That is all.
But that difference
brings about a major change.
What kind of change is it?
A puddle that remains stopped
will eventually disappear and become invisible.
In contrast, a flowing river,
water continues to exist there,
and "life" sprouts.
Just by stopping or moving,
such a difference is born.
Even though it is the same water.
That is precisely why I wanted to make it move.
By being the first to speak in the group setting,
"avoiding the awkward silence when no one speaks,
and
creating an atmosphere or flow where others might think they can speak too"
Moreover,
if I, who am bad at speaking, do it, "
it's okay even for someone like this"
If they can think that,
it might be easier for those behind me to speak.
Thinking that, I took action.
In fact, my comments were
disorganized, rushed, and
somewhat monotonous.
This is how I am when I speak.
Even so, I spoke.
As a result, the
zero-to-one baton I created
was passed on to everyone.
By making the first comment, which likely required the most courage,
someone did indeed appear to follow behind me.
"I'm glad I took action."
Regardless of the form it took, it was a fruitful
book club meeting.
4. Thoughts
There is something I realized while writing this.
"I was expecting something after all..."
By speaking first,
someone would follow my lead.
I realized while writing that I had that expectation.
"People are people, and I am me. Whether or not to speak is a choice. Everything depends on the individual.
"
To let go of that expectation,
I will write these words
once more.
At the same time,
"I want to remove others' anxieties and gently nudge them forward.
"
That is how I felt.
And, what I definitely gained
during the book club meeting.
That is,
"By taking action, something else moves."
After I spoke first,
someone else always spoke up.
If I hadn't spoken first,
this scene would not have happened.
The path we take,
we do not know
where it leads.
However, three things can be said for certain.
The path you take leads somewhere.
If you stop, you will be forgotten.
And...
When you keep moving forward and suddenlylook back,
there,
someone is following you.
The path ahead looks dark.
There are times when courage is needed.
In fact,
if I hadn't encountered the "courage to share,"
I wouldn't be sharing.
Still, I can say this much.
"Behind the path you blazed by taking action,
something is spreading out"
Thank you so much
for reading this far.
What is it
that you want to share?