Vol. 16 | The 7 Habits [Dialogue Edition] | The Principle of Protecting 'Human Time' | The Shawshank Redemption Part 2
Hello, this is Hao Papa.
Last time (Vol. 15), we paused on a line from 'The Shawshank Redemption' that Andy says when he comes out of solitary confinement: 'There are places in this world that aren't made out of stone... there's something inside that they can't get to, that they can't touch.'
This time, I would like to look at other scenes in the same movie.
Beers on the Roof
About two years after he was admitted, Andy and his friends participate in a project to tar the roof of the prison.
At that time, Andy overhears the brutal guard worrying about inheritance taxes. He uses his background as a banker to offer tax-saving advice, and in return, he succeeds in getting beers for his fellow inmates.
Under the scorching sun on the roof, the fellow prisoners drink cold beer. However, Andy alone does not drink any. He stands a little way off, watching his friends with a smile.
The narration from that scene has stayed with me ever since.
'I think he did it just to feel normal again, if only for a short while.'
What caught my attention was that he 'chose not to'
Andy let go of the beer. But he didn't stop bringing joy to his friends.
While keeping the motivation to make someone happy, he did not compromise his own core (the quiet conviction that 'I have given up drinking').
I felt that Andy's proactivity lay in that 'choosing not to.'
Habit 1, 'Be Proactive,' might not just be about whether you do something or not. It is the accumulation of small confirmations from within, that 'no matter the situation, I decide what to choose.' I am thinking that perhaps that is what Andy was doing on that roof.
The ending of 'Going to Zihuatanejo'
There is another scene etched in my heart.
A scene where Andy, having decided to escape, talks with Red a few days before. Andy speaks calmly.
'When I get out, I'm going to Zihuatanejo. I'll buy a small hotel and rent out fishing gear. I'll need a man who can get things.' (From the movie 'The Shawshank Redemption')
Throughout nearly 20 years of prison life, Andy never let go of this vision of living like a human being.
Habit 2, 'Begin with the End in Mind,' teaches that visualizing the 'end'—what kind of life you want to live—becomes a compass for living in the present.
Andy's dream of Zihuatanejo was not merely an escape. Because he held the 'principle' of protecting his human dignity, he was able to smile on the roof without drinking the beer. He could talk to Mozart in the long nights of solitary confinement. He did not give up hope—perhaps that is what it was all about.
Changes that occurred within me
I think I used to take the idea of 'having a vision' a bit too seriously. 'Life goals,' 'grand missions'... I kept them at a distance with words like those.
But now, it looks a little different.
The dream of Zihuatanejo is not a luxurious plan or an overambitious goal. 'When I get out of here, I want to run a small hotel by the sea and rent out fishing rods'—that is all. But that specificity was what built Andy's today.
'Begin with the end in mind' is not about painting a vague dream, but about quietly knowing where you are heading while properly feeling the place where you stand right now. My understanding has changed to that.
Is there a place you can call out to right now, saying, 'Someone is needed there'?
What kind of scenery is it in?
Information on The 7 Habits® Practice Group
It is easy to say 'begin with the end in mind,' but when asked if I am actually painting my own Zihuatanejo, I pause for a moment—I am one of those people, too.
There are days when words like vision or mission feel a bit distant. I continue the practice group because I hope there is a place where you don't have to carry that wavering alone.
It is not a place to provide answers, but a place to 'keep thinking together.' Just as Andy spoke to Red the night before, if you would like to quietly put your own 'Zihuatanejo' into words, please take a look.
▶ Details of the practice group here
https://haopapa.my.canva.site/7habits-jissenkai-note
Related habits and principles
Habit 1: Be Proactive
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
Basic Principle: Between Stimulus and Response
Basic Principle: Inside-Out
Basic Principle: P/PC Balance
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