Reflecting on Your Roots for the Future

Do you know the details of your roots, your family’s roots? And have you ever reflected on how those roots or environment led to who you are today? I had the opportunity to do this very recently and by reflecting upon where I came from, I felt that I really need to continue being conscious of the environment that I place myself in from here and on.

This opportunity came suddenly when my relative on my mother’s side of the family passed away. 

We were very close from when I was a child, so initially, I was in shock from the sudden news and felt sad about the loss. After the initial shock, I looked at some old photos of us together, which made me think of my family history - how our ancestors and relatives lived their lives and all of the things they saw and felt throughout the changing of the times… to get to the present point of me being alive here in this moment today.

I don’t believe that our family history and roots are everything. In fact, I think it’s a way to learn more about ourselves so we can continue to move on into the future. And in doing so, I feel that placing ourselves in an optimal environment for ourselves is important.

The way we grew up and our environment has a big influence on us. All of these things are puzzle pieces that complete the whole picture of who we are. 

I felt that I rediscovered another piece to my puzzle during this time, which I was able to add to the puzzle that I’m putting together for my overall life and future.

Everything is connected.

It’s “Silver Week” in Japan with two national holidays in one week, so many people take the entire week off. I hope you get to have some time to breathe deeply and spend with your loved ones.