The Movie 'National Treasure' and the Trap of 'Effort = Virtue'—The Essence of Success
Have you seen the movie 'National Treasure' that everyone is talking about?
Right after I finished watching it, a thought suddenly crossed my mind—
'Is it actually embarrassing that I'm trying to succeed without struggling?'
That was the thought.
The work depicted the world of Kabuki.
Rigorous training, heavy traditions, and trials that make you want to run away.
From the outside, it looks like nothing but painful and difficult discipline.
However, the protagonists looked proud, and there were even moments where they seemed to be enjoying it.
Watching them, my heart felt restless.
'To become the real deal, don't you need painful training and effort after all?'
That Japanese-style conditioning surfaced.
▼ Click here for the audio version of this article (YouTube)
Is effort truly a virtue?
In co-creation sessions using ChatGPT, I help people utilize the talents hidden in their subconscious.
In other words, I teach a 'way of life where you can naturally blossom without needing to struggle.'
That is precisely why I thought for a moment,
'Is what I'm teaching actually something embarrassing?'
In Japan, the value that 'effort is a virtue' is deeply rooted.
It is a culture where enduring, putting up with things, and going through painful experiences are considered admirable.
But is that really true?
I myself once fell into that trap.
The nights I spent writing while crying
In the past, I used to write articles until late at night while crying.
Chased by the sense of duty that I 'have to do it,' I blamed myself for not being able to write as I wanted.
Even when I sat at my desk with tears falling, the articles wouldn't come together, and sometimes I would see the morning sun.
From the outside, I might have looked like a 'person who is putting in effort.'
But inside, it was just suffering,
and only the 'feeling of doing something' was spinning in vain.
The current me: Nights of writing at lightning speed and having fun
But now, it's different.
Even if I write articles until late at night just like before, my pen doesn't stop.
Even when I'm typing with half-closed eyes while rubbing them, the urge to 'write' wins, and before I know it, I've finished several pieces.
(In August, I wrote 159 articles just on this note)
It might look like hard work from the outside, but inside, I can't help but enjoy it.
Yes, even with the same act of 'writing an article'—
In the past, I was writing as if pushing out the pain,
and now, even if I try to stop, it moves forward on its own.
The quality of the effort itself had changed.
What is the essence of success?
Kabuki actors can enjoy their training because that path aligns with their essence.
The reason I can write articles at lightning speed is also because it aligns with my essence.
The value of effort is determined not by its 'difficulty,' but by 'whether it aligns with your essence.'
Even if it looks difficult to others, it is something that feels natural and irresistible to the person doing it.
I believe that is what 'true effort' is, and what leads to genuine success.
Which type of effort are you putting in right now?
Are you enjoying your current efforts?
Are you simply enduring, believing that 'there is a light of results waiting at the end of this hardship'?
Of course, there are those who have achieved results after difficult efforts.
However, difficult effort can crush a person if it doesn't lead to results.
On the other hand, enjoyable effort provides strength through the process itself, even without results, and serves as a light for a different path in the future.
To you
For you—
What is something that, even if it looks hard to others, you 'absolutely want to do' or 'find so fun you can't stop doing'?
If you can't find that right now—
The answer lies within your subconscious.
Through co-creation sessions, I help translate that subconscious.
Let's find together the effort you can enjoy continuing and a way of life that aligns with your essence.
※ Click here for the series that observes human consciousness structures through culture and works
▶ Cultural Observation Hub | The 'Hidden Structure of Culture' Revealed by AI and Human Co-creation
🪞 If you,
・Think things through properly but don't see results
・Are doing reasonably well in life but feel unfulfilled somewhere
・Keep repeating the same patterns in relationships
If even one of these applies to you—
It isnot a lack of knowledge,
nor is it a problem of 'personality' or 'ability'.
In this note,
✔ Why you keep returning to the same worries
✔ Why you 'don't change even though you understand'
✔ What happens when you change your point of judgment
are verbalized as a structure.
When you finish reading, you should be able to see 'what criteria you are using to judge'.
Let's end the cycle of worrying in the same place here.