Life experiences enlighten personal development, because those memories nurture everyone’s personality. Locating these memorial evidences in a computer is an easy option, but relying on this tool too much might risk natural abilities. Learning by heart cultivates human development and it would be versatile in various situations.
Using memories effectively helps healthy brain performance, but because of the recent advanced technology, many people tend to collect those memories on hardware, such as mobiles and computers. However, it might weaken our overall growth, because it might limit our nature. Memories inside brains piled up by experiences construct personal traits.
Although remembering memories in a brain is effective to build up personality, complete trust of memories is risky, because our brain is not exactly the same as the storge of a computer. Memories might be manipulated by personal views and imagination, but, on the other hand, memories are important to identify who we are. For example, someone who suffers a brain damage by an accident or illness loses their self-identity.
Considering the arguments above, the fundamental acknowledgement is that every experience in life, which becomes a memory, is invaluable. A good memory supports mental and physical strengths, and even an experience of failures teaches us a lesson. It is wise to apply those experiences to various situations in a flexible way, which shapes humans to mature selves.
In conclusion, balancing both keeping memories in the brain and using devices as necessary is most efficient, because when we look at computers, that stimulates past memories. Most importantly, the true self-identity resides in everyone’s brain, so digital data should be only equipment to conjure up a personal memory.
Akiko Hori Japanese business consultant Shihoshoshi Lawyer (Judicial Scrivener)
Playing sport in a team rather than seeking to win as an individual is very much the same as living with others who have different opinions and ideas in society, because a great result can be achieved with co-operation, so sport is one of the ways to build community spirit. In addition, when players exert themselves while playing a game, so they feel refreshed and relaxed afterwards.
Sport is not only play but also education, because it needs a strategy to win comes from preparing before a game. When members talk about it, they exchange pros and cons about their tactics. After that, they try to win a game so as to achieve mutual success. While playing, they experiment with skills and build teamwork. Those efforts are essential in our everyday life in the community, so sport reflects our life.
Another benefit of sport is sweating and its effect on our body. Many people express that they feel better after doing sport, because some researches show that sweat contains negative substances, which release their stress, frustration and so forth through play. Although some people become aggressive to win, which is not an advantage, controlling their emotions is also a part of learning from sport.
Learning how to build community spirit is the best learning method sport can provide, because sporting experiences educate people how to collaborate with others by using practical skills and techniques. Releasing emotions is also a benefit of doing sport, but this contributes only one side of aspects in sport.
I like to study English. My passion came from my childhood memory. My parents are Christians, and they took me to a service every Sunday where there were preachers. Some of the congregation were Japanese, but the others were from abroad. In addition, my mother has an English teaching qualification. All in all, western culture was in a natural environment for me. Although I feel fascinated by speaking English, my parents never forced me to learn English, so I didn’t speak English much when I was a child. However, I chose an English literature major at junior college, because there was a choice for me to do it. Life has a lot of coincidences, and I finally took that opportunity. I also joined the club activity, called the English Speaking Society, and learned some colloquial English.
My next biggest chance for learning English was my husband’s relocation to London in 2010. At that time, I was not interested in going to English learning institution, because everybody was speaking English in their everyday lives, so I thought there was no point in paying a high tuition fee to learn English. Instead, I found an organisation, called MRC, which provided services for migrants, including English courses. The local language is a tool to communicate with local people, and I was lucky enough to learn English there. While I was learning English, a member of staff saw me studying at the reception desk one day, and she introduced me to their legal team department where they provide a legal service for migrants. Luckily, I found work there, too.
Some of my blog readers will have come across my blog by chance, which is a coincidence, a so-called algorithm at this moment. Using algorithms is controversial, but chance is a chance. It is some sort of serendipity. In addition, I appreciate the opportunity to express my idea freely on the Internet, as there are many countries where there is no freedom of speech. I am not a person to fight to acquire rights, and I generally accept my fate and current situation. However, at the same time, I am not submissive enough, and sometimes I say what I think my opinion confidently. When some people see me expressing my opinion, they say I am snobbish and opinionated, but that is my character. If they feel like that, that is fine for me, because the reason they feel is their matter, and not mine, so I am not convinced by them, but I respect their feelings, because everybody is different. The good point is that when I realise my way of expression might seem aggressive to someone, that is a great opportunity for me to think and amend it accordingly.
I hope for an equal world, but there is no such a paradise in society. Humans are intelligent in many ways, and all of us always compare each other consciously and unconsciously. The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence. However, the sort of character I don’t like is a person who takes advantage of someone else. Sometimes people behave like that without realising it, so the thing I want to emphasise is to pause at some point, and look around their situation. To do so, taking a deep breath is the most effective way, I believe. I do it quite often, but sometimes this action is taken as a sigh of tiredness and sadness, in which it might contain those emotions, because the world is unfair.
However, the most important thing is to continue doing something until you get fed up, because our life continues until our death. If you feel too much pain at the current position, you don’t need to endure the situation too much, in which people feel despair too much, as it might cause mental problem. I feel the same sometimes, but there is always a way to move forward, that is for sure. My mentor told me that when one door closes, a new door opens, and I respect it. At the same time, one sort of endurance is called tolerance, so I also respect the tolerance as well, because that is the highest result of education. According to the Cambridge dictionary, the word “tolerance” means a willingness to accept behaviour and beliefs that are different from your own, although you might not agree with or approve of them. Don’t be discouraged too much by things happening.
Last week, I wrote a blog about “Accept circumstances”, and this means the same. In these situations, people need someone who listens and gives them clear information and advice. Human beings are social creatures. I believe that a good professional should be aware of technical issues, and most importantly, emphasise with people’s feelings.
Humans have history, culture and languages. Some people have a religion and a belief as a source of their emotional support. However, many people get easily confused, because so much information is circulating with the development of modern mass media and internet technology, and the world seems in turmoil.
Due to our intelligence, humans tend to compare themselves to others, not only parents, siblings, relatives neighbors and people at school and work, but also celebrities in news, TV programmes, social media and magazines. There is a wide range of comparisons to be targeted. The internet is a useful tool, but we tend to pick up the information that we agree with, and we are unconsciously influenced by someone else’s opinion that represents what we think.
I always wonder whether we could have chosen the way of our birth, such as time, place, race, and class, when we were born. It would be hard to answer, because such a fact would happen by coincidence. Thus, all we have to do is to confront those coincidences and find a way that we can act. Basically, there are not many things we can do by ourselves. This is because there are other people in society. Life would be easy if we could turn away from the unpleasant facts in front of us and choose only what is good for us. However, such a choice is impossible in reality. There are so many people who have different perspectives. There are many fields, such as agriculture, healthcare, transportation, distribution, real estate, science, manufacturing, educational services, etc. and all of us are a member of the public.
Only you can do is to change the way you think as you can do it alone. If what you’re thinking about now is suffering and hatred, I suggest that you look at those with a third person’s eyes. Hypothetically, if others behaved in a troubling way, that you would think would not be nice, and those people are putting a burden on their mind, and you are the person who must carry it. This burden on the mind leads to stress, and stress leads to physical and mental illness.
If the situation doesn’t change, you have to change, which is to accept your circumstances and give up the negative thoughts you cling to and liberate yourself with as much determination as you are able.
The key to having peace of mind is to let what you are going through now become an experience, and to motivate yourself. That’s essential to living in a peaceful life.
I would like to talk about children’s future. Children are the future generations and they deserve a bright future regardless of their ability, or their parents’ status and situation. However, nowadays it is difficult for them to follow their dreams unless their talent is exceptional or their family financially backs them up, because of capitalism. For example, the English Chancellor, Rishi Sunak was told he would become a prime minister by his school headmaster at the time, and his wife’s family is the sixth richest family in India. That is a massive fortune. The world has become unfair, so do others like ordinary people have to give up their challenge? No, I don’t think so, because we don’t need to achieve fame or stardom like elites or celebrities. As a human being, all of us deserve a decent and calm fulfilment.
My ethos is to empathise with other people, because we are not alone in society. When I was a child aged ten, I was bullied and felt extremely sad at that time, but when I look back at my own past, the experience was not bad at all, and still taught me a lesson of life. Especially now, I realise that the person who bullies a friend also has a problem, such as an issue in their family, mental problem and pressure. However, it is almost impossible for the bullied person to understand this because they are also still young. Adults such as parents, guardians and teachers should, therefore, realise the potential sign. However, this is also difficult, because getting older doesn’t mean all adults are mature enough. When I was child, I wanted to grow up quickly to gain freedom, but in reality as an adult, freedom is not being free at all, and always includes a responsibility instead. If so, what can we do?
Firstly, learning is important. The knowledge and comprehension that we acquire from school provide us with many of the necessary skills in a practical world. I want children to find a favourite thing from those subjects they learn from school. Traditional formal education should not be undervalued. In my experience, I didn’t study much, and the time I studied hard was just before the exams. I regret it now, so now I do study with my child aged eight. When he does his homework and uses learning materials, we work together. It doesn’t mean I answer questions instead of him, I just look at the contents and think about what is written on the paper. Basically, I can absorb basic knowledge a lot from them.
I suppose I was lucky for being a lawyer now, as to be a Shishoshoshi lawyer, I didn’t need to take a university degree, and I only took the professional exam. Nowadays, almost all lawyers and many accountants undertake full-time study at university, which costs quite a lot, before their exams, but other ways still exist. In my case, this was a professional exam. Learning never ends, so I still had to study by myself. My suggestion is that it would be worth searching for what suits us by ourselves.
Importantly, I want children to enjoy learning. Everybody is different. Even though they face some difficulties, I don’t want them to stop learning. If no one talks to you at school, why not read a book, play music or draw a picture instead. As individuals, we only have a limited time, but books, music and art tell you many different aspects of life. When I was bullied, I expressed my sad feelings on a recorder. I don’t have it anymore, but I wanted to express my emotion at that time, and funnily enough, it worked to support my mental strength.
By using the same tactics, I am now recording my voice to learn how to explain and learn vocabulary. I assume language is the power to communicate with others, because humans are social animals. That would be my own way, but there is a way for each of us, if we seek for it. Additionally, when we do something pleasant, we can lift up our feelings and that would create energy of living. Learning contributes to our education, so don’t detract from it.
The concept of happiness varies from a person to a person and, according to research published in the World Happiness Report, Japan is only in 46th place for happiness.
Human desire never ends, and it is unlikely that a person will ever fulfill their one true desire. Money is important, but I hate the idea that someone should spend their time concerned only with what he wants to do, to buy, to use and to get with money.
We can never know what will happen tomorrow, so that I want to value family, friendship, relationship with others and fellowship to increase the happiness of my mind.
I don’t think that having a good relationship with friends, colleagues and family in this present place and current time is a coincidence.
I don’t like to be glad or sad by turns through evaluating people or comparing myself with others.
Akiko Hori-Shihoshosi lawyer@Tokyo, Japan 