Archive for October, 2008

While waiting to get a massage yesterday at Guppi no Shitasu (a great shiatsu place here in Miyakojima), I was scanning through the various books in office book shelf. There were quite a few that interested me, but one caught my attention above all the others. A book titled やりたい事をやれ, It basically translates into “Do The Things You Want To Do”. I only read through the table of contents, but the point of the book was clear. Do the things you really want to do and you won’t have any regrets.

Like a lot of books, I wish I could have read this one much earlier in my life. It is so easy to get wrapped up in what we are expected to do that we forget what we really want to do. Life is short and precious. If you doubt this, ask anyone who is getting into there 40s or 50s or above. My grandfather used to tell me that his face changed so quick he didn’t recognize himself in the mirror any longer. The point being that we need to live in the moment and enjoy life as much as possible.

There is no formula or perfect road to life. I used to constantly worry about making mistakes, but one wrong turn doesn’t mean you can’t end up on the original path you had intended. In fact, sometimes the short detours will actually move you ahead further than would have gotten by staying on the normal path.

I rarely worry about the mistakes I have made. Some of them have actually turned out to be really great experiences. However, I do think from time to time about the things I didn’t do or the chances I didn’t take. Like the old saying goes, I don’t regret the mistakes I made, but only the things I didn’t do. So what dreams aren’t you following in your life?

In the past I have had the tendency to try and act a certain way whenever I start something. Whether I started a new job, new sport, or changed my environment, I would try and act the way I thought everyone expected. Eventually, I would get used to my environment and return back to my normal self. I finally came to realize I was not only less effect, but also much less happy when I wasn’t being myself.

Intimidation
One of the main reasons I was usually unable to be myself was because I was intimidated. When you try something new, usually everyone else knows how to do it better than you do. No matter what the subject, at one point, everyone starts from the beginning. There is no reason to be intimidated. If you be yourself and use your the methods for learning that work best for you, then you will learn much quicker.

Fitting In
This is the other big reason that I would become someone else when starting something new. I was in a new environment, doing something new, and quite frankly it can be somewhat scary. I would try to do whatever I could to fit in. So how do you get around this? Just realize that it’s okay to not fit in. In fact, it can be beneficial to stand out. Those who stand out (in a positive way) will usually get the best rewards.

Be Yourself

Be yourself, it’s more than enough. None of us are perfect, and we should all be continuously trying to improve. It’s okay to admit that you aren’t perfect. No one will put you down or hold you back for it. By being yourself you will know that your friends like you for who you are and will be much closer than if you try to be someone else. You will also be much happier and much more confident in the endeavors you pursue.