Things to do during Obon

Hello, this is Nijiru.
The hot days continue, but I imagine many of you
are on Obon holiday.

It's great to spend time relaxing at home,
or conversely, some of you may be busy with housework and childcare,
or perhaps some are enjoying a brief bachelor lifestyle while their partner is away visiting family.

It's a time of Obon that's a little different from the daily routine,
so I'll write down three things I want to do
just as they come to mind.

It's not about asset building or anything like that, haha.
It's the stage before that.

So, let's get started today!

3 things to do during the Obon season

Without further ado, let's start with the first one.

1. Give your body a good rest

For those who thought, 'Isn't that obvious?',
yes, while physically resting is of course important,

what you really need to rest is your mind.

To go further, I recommend stopping the overthinking,
stopping your thoughts and relaxing,entirely.

As author Ken Honda also said,
this period is the only time you, who are usually busy,
can forcibly forget about work.

That said, when Nijiru was a company employee,
before taking a long vacation,
I would create a mountain of handover documents.

To ensure I didn't cause trouble for those left behind,
I would desperately try to make it clear that I was away,
and that I would handle anything after the break.

In reality, there aren't any,
at least not the kind of emergencies you imagine.

I think many people have a tendency to worry too much.
Rest assured, since you are on vacation, there is nothing you can do anyway.

If you are really anxious,
please go somewhere where there is no signal.

It is Nijiru's personal theory that even if you are not there,
the company will keep running.

Does that make you feel lonely?

Thinking that the company won't run without you
is, in the first place,

either a sign that the organization itself is nearing its end,

or it is a sign of your own arrogance.

I understand very well that you and I both want to say, 'Hey, I'm good at my job!', lol

In any case, work is not something you do alone, so
please do not worry more than necessary.

Tomorrow is another day.

(2) Visit the grave

If possible, go to the grave and
go show your face to your ancestors.

I think Obon customs are wonderful.
It is hot, and for those who cannot go physically due to various circumstances,

a Buddhist altar is fine, or even just in your mind,
while doing so, express gratitude to your ancestors.

Sending a message to your parents is also fine, I think.

In any case, I think it is good to firmly convey
your gratitude for the fact that you are here now,
for your very existence.

Nijiru went the other day as well.
My wife also came along, squeezing it in between work.
I was grateful for that.

My daughter, who had been feeling a bit sluggish during summer vacation, also came,
and we went out for a morning meal on the way home.

I had been concerned about it, so I am glad I was able to go.
I am sure it was the ancestors' way of inviting us.

And on top of that,

3. What do you actually want to do? (Listen to your inner voice)

It doesn't have to be a declaration of determination, detailed planning, imaging,
or goal setting.

Sitting properly with a notebook and pen
and trying to write things down is something to do at times other than Obon.

This is by no means about doing fluffy spiritual things,
but given the season, in order to receive support from your ancestors
and to make a declaration,

please try to decide "what you want to do first"
and determine that direction.

One thing to note here, which I, Nijiru, also tend to do,
is "not to specify the methodology."

If it's business,
don't specify the process in detail, such as saying you will earn this amount
using this specific customer acquisition method.

If you do, you might get discouraged if things don't go the way you specified,
which makes things complicated.

It's not a delusion or anything,
it's fine to leave the methodology and the process to the universe.

The only thing you should envision is "the goal and its image"
of what you want to do.

Don't know what you want to do?
Don't know what your desires are?

This is also a common occurrence, so
in such times, imagine a future where you are laughing and feel that mood.

I think that is more than enough.

While you are doing that,
I feel like you will get better at setting your desires.

P.S. Yesterday, my wife and children were staying over somewhere else,
so I had a bachelor life as a father on my own.

I will talk about this another time, but
regarding meals,

eating alone is fine, but I felt that
eating together with the family is better after all.

Eating out as a family costs money,
and eating alone might be more luxurious,

but it seems that sharing the cost of a luxurious meal for one among the family
is more comfortable.

There are also feelings you only notice
when you are apart.

Have a wonderful Obon holiday!

Thank you for reading until the end today as well.
Thank you.

Nijiru