[Interpreting Fairy Tales from a Modern Perspective] The North Wind and the Sun: I Want to Be the Sun

What is this fairy tale about?
The North Wind and the Sun begin to argue about
"who is stronger."
The North Wind then proposes a challenge:

whoever can make the traveler walking ahead take off their coat wins.
First, the North Wind.
It blows a strong wind.

However, the traveler tries to protect themselves from the cold,
and grips their coat even tighter.

Next, the Sun.
It continues to send down warm sunlight.

Then, the traveler feels hot,
and takes off their coat of their own accord.

When I was a child, I simply read it as
"a story where the Sun won."

But reading it again as an adult,
I see something else.

Honestly, I understand how the North Wind feels
When I was a child,
the North Wind was violent,
and the Sun was kind.

That was my image of them.
But now it's a little different.

Actually, I understand how the North Wind feels.

I want to produce results.
I want things to change quickly.
I want them to succeed.
I don't want them to fail.
The more I think that way,
the more one wants to blow a strong wind.

Try harder.
You can do more, right?
Act faster.
Change faster.

It's not because I dislike the other person.
In fact, it often starts from a place of caring for them.
That's why I don't think the North Wind is a villain.

However, people resist when they are forced to do something
The problem was
that the North Wind tried to force the traveler to move.

People are strange creatures;
when someone tries to force them to change, they resist.

Study.
Do it faster.
You won't get better if you don't practice.
If you don't change, your life will be over.

The more they are told these things,
for some reason, they don't want to do it.

Perhaps the traveler was the same.
They didn't keep their coat on because they were cold.
They kept it on because they were being forced to take it off.

What did the Sun do?
On the other hand, the Sun was different.
It didn't tell them to take off their coat.
It didn't get angry.
It didn't blame them.
It didn't try to force them to move.
It just created a warm environment.

As a result,
the traveler took off their coat on their own.
I think this is the most important part of this fairy tale.
The Sun didn't change the traveler.

It created an environment where the travelerwanted to change.

Long-lasting organizations have a Sun
I have been involved in managing soccer and futsal teams for a long time.
I have also worked as a university staff member for over 20 years.
Through that, I have felt something.

In organizations that last a long time,
there is always someone like the Sun.

They don't yell.
They don't force people to move.
But people gather around them.
They are consulted.
They are trusted.

Of course, rules are also necessary.
Sometimes, the strictness of the North Wind is also necessary.

However, what ultimately moves people is
not orders, but trust.

Not pressure, but a sense of security.That is why people stay.

That is why the organization continues.

I want to be the Sun
That said,
I am still the North Wind myself.
I end up seeking results.
I get impatient.

I want to speak up.
I end up thinking they could do more.

There are still many times like that.

But every time I read this fairy tale, I think:

You cannot change people.

All you can do is
create an environment where that personwants to look forward on their own.That is why I want to be the Sun.

Not someone who moves people with a strong wind,

but someone who can create a place where people can challenge themselves with peace of mind.In a team.At work.
At home.
I think it would be wonderful to become that kind of person.

What the North Wind and the Sun teach us
This fairy tale is not about the weather, nor is it about who is stronger or weaker.
It is a story about how to interact with people.

The North Wind tried to prove its strength.
The Sun tried to understand the other party.
The one who won

was not the stronger one.
It was the one who thought about what would make the other person want to move.
That is why I
would rather be the Sun than the North Wind.

The name SUNmaru also comes from my longing for the sun ☀

I want to be able to shine brightly on those around me.

Wishing for that, I share my thoughts again today.

Thank you for reading until the end.

Through my experience in managing soccer and futsal teams, as well as working as a university staff member, I share information about the growth of people and organizations.

If this article left even a small impression on you, I would be happy if you followed me and read my next post.

Always keep the sun in your heart. ☀