The Seasons of Life

“There are four seasons in life” is a saying in Japan. There are harsh seasons and pleasant seasons. Which "season" of life are you in right now?

I believe that everyone goes through cycles of "seasons" and that our level of preparation and readiness can make the difference between the bright and dark sides of life.

For example, if it is your career, that readiness might include objectively knowing your current value and understanding what areas you need to prepare for.

I think it is important to understand the specific preparation steps, after the objective is truly understood from within one’s own self.

This is the part that we must ultimately do ourselves, and it is dangerous to leave it to others.

It is like saying, "After I have obtained information on the job market, I would like you to do all the preparation for my next steps.”

I think there are cases where people confuse this part of the process and wander off when they don't get the results they want.

If the outcomes of a situation isn’t what I want, but it’s the result of my own judgment and preparation, then it’s easier to turn the situation around.

I myself have been a temporary worker, a full-time worker, and a full-time employee in a variety of environments, but I have not always been successful in obtaining work.

I have experienced many "seasons," sometimes influenced by company circumstances or social conditions.

But I am at peace with all of it, because I was able to prepare and execute in my own way.

Of course, I was not always able to do so, and in the beginning of my career, I left some things to others. In these moments, I was not satisfied with the results and suffered both mentally and emotionally.

Preparing for the "seasonal" cycles is not only for careers.

For example, food and daily necessities are becoming more and more expensive due to the current inflationary climate.

Of course, it would be better if stores would automatically reduce prices, but it is up to each of us to be able to make preparations and devise ways to work with the current state of affairs. With each person’s needs and situations being so different, we can never generalize or promote any single way to do anything.

I believe that we are now in the "winter" season in the world, but I would like to stay in the driver’s seat to take some initiative in my own seasonal changes.

I hope that spring will soon arrive, and I feel it is important to do what we can to prepare for it, one step at a time.

Today is Sports Day in Japan, which is a national holiday.

I guess many schools are holding sports events, and I am glad that there was some sunshine in the afternoon.

I wish you all a week with as many smiles as possible!