Japanese listening about LIFE

Thank you for listening to my podcast today as well. I would like to talk about a book I recently read. I have a sudden question for everyone, but Do you know how many weeks there are in a human life, assuming you live until about 80 years old? Please think about it for a moment. About 4,160 weeks, if I live to be 80. I thought it would probably take me around two weeks to read this book. But it seems there are only 4,000 weeks left. Did you know? It's actually quite short, isn't it? The title of this book is How to use limited time It's a book about how to use your limited time. The English translation is 4000 weeks. There are several things in this book that deeply resonated with me after reading it. Today, I would like to talk about that. How do you all spend your own time? This question is a bit strange, you know. How do you spend your free time? Are you satisfied with how you are currently using your time? I have realized that I haven't been using my time very well. Lately, I've been detoxing from social media. SNS detox SNS refers to social media such as Instagram and Facebook. So, "detoxing" means not doing that, right? Originally, "detachment, letting go, and discarding" was It means getting rid of things that are unnecessary. SNS detoxing I'm stepping back a bit from social media. That's right, we should avoid using SNS. And since I started doing that I have been able to spend more time on things I truly enjoy. Until then, I'd secretly check social media without realizing it. I was just looking at my phone, completely uninterested in what I was seeing. I realized I had been unconsciously paying attention to things I wasn't really interested in. I stopped doing it. From there, I began allocating more time to things I enjoy and want to do even more. But I had actually started doing it a little before reading this book. Read this book. More time for myself is truly precious. I truly felt like I should use it with great care. So today, I'm sharing this with all of you. I hope it serves as a catalyst for everyone to reconsider how they spend their time. Something like a trigger to reconsider I wish more people would spend time on things they truly enjoy. What I'd like to say first is This book is not about productivity. Productivity refers to how efficiently you accomplish something. It is not a book written about productivity or efficient use of time. This book shows that one's life is limited. It's a book that once again makes you realize the limitations of what you can accomplish in life. It's a book that makes you reconsider how you actually spend your time on a daily basis. I don't know if all of you feel it too, but It often feels like no matter how much time we have, it's never enough in modern society. Even though technology has advanced greatly and become extremely convenient, Don't you feel like it's getting busier? Even though it has become incredibly convenient and allowed us to do many things much faster, I also wondered why I felt like there wasn't enough time. I think we live under the pressure of feeling like we always have to be doing something. I don't think it's everyone, though. Most people feel they must always be doing something. That I have no value in my life unless I'm doing something As for the future, doing this or that for future benefits, and so on. Doing things that make no sense is just a waste of time, and so on. I think I was taught that it has to be productive, really. Since childhood I don't think I ever thought about things like that when I was a child. In schools and in society alike I think I was taught to want to do even more, and more, and more. Rather than being taught, I think many people in today's society feel such pressure. I was the same way. It's a waste of time if it doesn't mean anything. The idea was to do only things that would benefit the future. Lately, thinking about the future and making plans striving toward a goal is something very important, but Isn't it fun to do pointless things? Doing something meaningless is playing, isn't it? When we were kids, we used to do nothing but meaningless things, didn't we? Just enjoy whatever is right in front of you. I think I often used to lose track of time and become completely absorbed in something. I think it's really sad that we can't do that as we grow older. There is a sentence in this book that deeply moved me. I'll read it then. So preoccupied with thinking about where I'm headed Forget where one is. Where am I heading? Whether heading north or heading south? Is it heading east or west? I've overthought about where I'm heading I think this sentence is saying that one isn't living in the present. I really think so too. We, what about saving money or earning more for the future or something like that? So overwhelming is the desire for more and more I don't feel like I'm enjoying the present moment at all. That's true, including me. What does it mean to live in the present? Pay attention to what is right in front of you. "Pay" means the same thing as "pay money." To pay attention means to direct your own attention. Overthinking the future I think we often overlook what is right in front of us. I think that's a very sad thing. Nowadays, there are smartphones, so especially Having stared too long at a small screen I think it's often the case that you can't see the people right in front of you or the scenery right before your eyes. When you become grandfather and grandmother, look back on your life I'm always thinking too much about the future. I think it's really sad to feel like you weren't living in the present. I think you'll regret it. This life seems long, yet short, and short, yet long, doesn't it? I don't really know whether it's short or long. When I look back on life after becoming a grandmother Overthinking about the future I really hate the thought that I couldn't enjoy the present moment. I thought I'd like to pay more attention to what's right in front of me. There was a very interesting story in this book, so I would also like to talk about this matter. You might have heard this story before, too. Mexican fishermen, people who catch fish Working only 2 or 3 hours a day Drinking wine or You spent time with your friends playing musical instruments, didn't you? An American businessman who was shocked upon seeing it I gave advice to that fisherman. Work more. Then I could buy a bigger ship. Others can be hired. You can earn money and retire early. To retire means the same as to resign from one's job. So you're saying you're quitting your job, then. Upon hearing that, the Mexicans You know, they ask me, "What are you going to do after retiring?" The American replied in this way: You should retire sooner. Drinking wine or Don't you get to play instruments with friends, too? In other words, this American man Now I'm putting in all my effort, sacrificing my own time right now. Isn't it better to enjoy it after retirement? That's what they're saying, isn't it? This Mexican person Let's enjoy the present moment. Without postponing that pleasure Don't work so hard right now. That's the idea of enjoying the present moment. Work as much as I can right now The remaining time should be spent on whatever you like. You're saying it's something we can enjoy right now, aren't you? I thought this was interesting. We modern people I think many people here share a similar mindset to this American's. Learn from both of these two. I wish I could live my life in a balanced way. It's very important to prepare something for the future, but Overdoing it If you can't enjoy what is right in front of you now, I find it very disappointing. That's why I always strive toward achieving some goal It's not about just trying hard Just enjoy what you're doing right now. I think that is also extremely important. I would like to increase such moments even more. For example, something I've recently become obsessed with is It's about drawing pictures. I'm not really good at drawing pictures, but Don't try to draw skillfully Just enjoying the act of drawing, that's all. I really love drawing without thinking at all. Then go outside and gaze at nature I also like observing insects. It's really meaningless, you know. Staring at butterflies fluttering right in front of me, and so on. I also like watching spiders making their webs. The books I read have also changed. I used to read a lot of self-help books back then. Self-help books are For the sake of becoming a better version of myself, and so on. It's a book I read to improve myself. Lately, I've been reading novels. I never even thought about reading a novel before. If you're going to read a novel, Absorb more diverse information into yourself What could it be? Try to increase your productivity even more, or something like that I was thinking I should become more efficient at doing things, you know. That is important too, but Doing meaningless things also Because I realized that they're equally important Lately, I've been doing a lot of meaningless things. In our generation, Doing things that make no sense I think I was taught to regard it as a waste of time. It's not a waste of time On the contrary, just enjoying something meaningless for its own sake is I think that's a great way to spend your time. Reading my favorite manga or Lazing around at the beach It's not connected to any goal, though. Things that I enjoy I think I'd like to do even more. That's why I'm wasting your precious time like this I appreciate you listening to my podcast. I truly feel grateful. Among those studying Japanese Of course I'd like to live in Japan, or something like that. Because I want to work in Japan I think there are people who say they're studying Japanese. I think many people are studying Japanese just as a hobby. Such people don't really have any goal in mind. I think that's why I do it—it's really fun. I also think that's a very wonderful thing. Even without any goals Just because it's fun, you know Just because I'm interested in Japan I'm studying Japanese. I think it's incredibly beautiful. Yes, listen to my podcast like this To everyone studying Japanese I truly appreciate it. How do you feel upon hearing this? Some may agree, while others may not. I think there may be people who oppose it. I think there are also people who want to spend their time only on things that have deeper meaning. Even doing things as meaningless as I do I think there are people who believe it has meaning. I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts. If you don't mind, please leave a comment. Alright, then let's meet again in the next episode, everyone. Thank you so much for always listening. See you later