English only version here.
All of us want to be happy. But sometimes we lose hope, and it feels like the world and its problems are overwhelming. Being happy is easier and more simple than you realize. Here are a few pieces of advice to help guide you, so that you too can be happy.
幸せになりなさい。時には希望を失い世界中の問題に圧倒されるだろう。でも幸せになるという事は君達が思うより簡単でシンプルな事なんだ。君達も幸せになれ るように、ここで幸せになる手引きをしよう。
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth, because it doesn’t last forever.
若いという事を楽しみなさい、それは永遠には続かないから。
Don’t waste your entire youth in cram schools and studying too much. School is important, but too much isn’t going to help you become a better person. Spend time learning about other people, falling in love for the first time, trying new things and exercising your creativity. There is more to learn in life than what you find in textbooks.
若くある時間すべてを塾や勉強だけに無駄にしてはいけない。学校は大切だ、でもそればかりが君達を良い人間にするわけではない。他人について学ぶために時間 を使いなさい、恋に落ちるために時間を使いなさい、新しい事を試み、想像力を働かせる事に時間を費やしなさい。人生にはテキストブックの中に書かれた事より 、より多くの事を学ばなくてはいけないから。
Don’t worry too much about what school you get into. Don’t buy into the illusion that attending one school makes you a better person than someone attending a different school. It doesn’t. All people are born equal. The most important differences between us are in our actions; not DNA, not family, not wealth, not political influence or anything else. One school is only better than another if it does a better job of helping you learn. Competing for status is an empty goal.
どの学校に進学するかについてあまり悩んではいけない。一つの学校に進学する事が他の学校に進学するより、良い人間になれるなんて幻想は信じてはいけない 。全ての人間は平等に生まれたのだから、一番大切なのは私達の起こす行動である。DNAではなく、家でもなく、お金でも政治の影響でもない。君達が学ぶ事を 助けるのが良い学校というものだ。ステータス競争は虚しいゴールでしかない。
Dream. Dreams are what challenge you and the world to have a better future.
夢を持ちなさい。夢が君達の挑戦を生み、世界により良い未来をつくる。
Don’t worry about the future. Worrying is as effective as trying to solve an math equation by chewing gum. It’s better to accept that the future is out of your control, but know that you can still work towards a better one.
将来を心配する事はない。心配は数式を解くためにガムを噛むくらい意味のない事だ。未来はコントロールできるものではないのだと、受け入れる方が良い。でも より良い未来の為に努力出来る事は知っておいた方がいい。
Sing.
歌いなさい。
Do one thing everyday that scares you. Maybe you’re afraid of speaking in public, or standing up to a bully, or just afraid of the dark. Fear can be conquered.
自分が恐れている事を毎日一つづつやってみること。君は人前で話す事を恐れているかもしれない、いじめっ子に立ち向かう事を恐れているかもしれないし、暗闇 を恐れているかもしれない。でも恐怖は乗り越える事ができる。
Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts, and don’t put up with people who are careless with yours.
他人の心を踏みにじってはいけない。君達の心を踏みにじる人たちに我慢してもいけない。
Don’t waste your time being jealous about what you think other people have; sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind. The race is long, but in the end, it’s only with yourself.
他人が持っているものに嫉妬する事に時間を無駄にしてはいけない。時には君の方が先を歩いている事もあるし、時には君の方が後ろを歩いているかもしれない。 でもこのレースは長いし、最後には自分自身との競争なのだから。
Smile. As often as you possibly can.
できるだけ多く笑いなさい。
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; compliment others, don’t insult them, even behind their backs.
人から受ける賛辞を覚えておきなさい。中傷は忘れる事。他人を褒めること、中傷をしてはいけない。たとえその人がその場にいないときであっても。
Don’t smoke. Smoking kills, and second-hand smoke kills friends, family and co-workers. Science and medicine have proven that.
タバコはやめなさい。体に悪いし、他の人にも悪い。それは科学的にも医学的にも既に証明されている。
Some people are selfish, some people are rude, but the first step towards more kindness in the world is to be kind to others first.
自分勝手な人もいるし、失礼な人もいるだろう。でも世界中の優しさの第一歩は他人に優しくなる事からはじまる。
You are not as fat as you imagine. In fact, you may be too thin. While you don’t want to be fat, being too thin is not sexy or healthy.
君が思うほど君は太ってはいないし、事実痩せ過ぎかもしれない。太りたくないと思っているけれど、痩せ過ぎは健康でも美しくもない。
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old income statements.
古いラブレターはとっておきなさい。収入証明書は捨てる事。
Be kind to your teeth. You’ll miss them when they’re gone.
歯を大切にしなさい。なくなる頃には寂しく思うから。
Don’t be afraid to do something just because you’re not good at it. Everyone was just as bad at some point, and sometimes that can be a lot more fun. You will get better over time.
苦手な事をやってみる事を恐れてはいけない。みんな最初はうまくいかないものたのだから。時にはそれが楽しいときもあるし、時間がたてばうまくできるように なる。
Hug.
抱きしめなさい。
Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life. It doesn’t matter if you’re 16 or 40 and still confused, but if you don’t know, go out and try new things in order to find out.
自分が将来何をしたいかわからなくても心配することはない。16だろうが40だろうが年齢は関係ない。やりたい事がわからなければ新しい事をやってみればい い。
Don’t be afraid to reach out and offer to help others. They may be shy at first, but you never know just how much good you can do until you try.
他人を助ける事と、助けを求める事を恐れてはいけない。最初は恥ずかしいかもしれないけれど、やってみるまでそれがどれだけ良い結果を生むかわからないのだ から。
Drink milk, eat cheese, bok choy or even hot peppers, whatever you want, but get plenty of calcium for strong bones.
牛乳を飲みなさい、チーズを食べなさい、体菜か唐辛子を食べてもいい。食べたいものを食べればいい、でも強い骨を作るために沢山カルシウムをとりなさい。
There’s more to life than accepting someone else’s idea of what you should do with it. Find something you want to do passionately, something you believe in, that makes the world a better place, and gives your life meaning.
他人の理想を受け入れるよりも、もっと多くの事が人生にはある。情熱を持てる事を、自分が信じられる事を探しなさい。それが世界をより良い世界にし、人生に 意味を与えるから。
Exercise. It’s the most effective way to stay healthy, and be beautiful. Your body is the greatest instrument you’ll ever own.
運動をする事、それが健康と美に一番効果がある。君達自身の体は君達が持つ事のできる最高の楽器だから。
Finding the right person to share your life with means finding yourself first. Being alone is easy, but not being alone is easier than you think.
人生を分かち合いたいと思う人を見つけるという事は、まず自分を見つける事。一人になるのは簡単だけど、一人にならない事は君達が思うよりもっと簡単なこと 。
Dance.
踊りなさい。
Get to know your parents, they’ll be gone all too soon. Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
親の事をもっと知りなさい。彼らは早すぎるくらい早くいなくなってしまう。兄弟には親切になりなさい、彼らは君達の過去への繋がりで、将来もずっと一緒にい るだろう人達だから。
Understand that friends come and go, but for a precious few you should work to hold on to. Do not underestimate how important they are to your life.
友達は出会っては去っていくもの、でも一握りの大切な友達を手放してはいけない。彼らの存在の大切さを決して侮ってはいけない。
Take vacations. Visit new places, eat new food, try new things. Spend quality time with your family. Doing these things will make your life richer in ways more important than making money can.
休みをとりなさい、新しい場所を訪れ、新しいものを食べ、新しい事をしなさい。家族と大切な時間を過ごしなさい。これらの事はお金を稼ぐよりもっと多くの裕 福さを生むだろう。
Travel. There are unlimited ways to live life. See how people in other places are living their lives. Experiment with the way you live yours.
旅をしなさい。人生には限りなく沢山の生き方がある。他の場所で生きる人達の生き方をみて、自分の人生をどう生きるか実験してみなさい。
Being different isn’t a bad thing. But as different as we are on the outside, we all share the same basic experiences and emotions. Despite differences in gender, culture, social standing, wealth, language and clothing, we are inherently united in ways far more important. Being different doesn’t make you less normal, it just makes you a different kind of normal and that’s ok. Identity doesn’t come from what other people tell you that you should be. You can be anything you want.
他人と違う事は悪い事ではない。外見が違っても同じ感情と経験を分かち合っているのだから。性の違いや文化、社会性、貧富の差、言語、服装の違いを省いても 、みんなもっと大切な形で結ばれている。他人と違う事は君達の普通性を欠く事にはならない、ただちがう種類の普通の人になるだけだ。個性とは他人に押し付け られた理想からくるのではない。自分がなりたい自分になればいい。
Scars are ok, even emotional ones. It means the wounds have healed and you’re ok now. Maybe a little wiser.
傷は悪いものじゃない、たとえそれが心の傷であっても。残った傷は、それが治った事と君達がもう大丈夫で、ほんの少し賢くもなった証。
We’re beset on all sides from natural disasters, corrupt politicians, war, famine, disease, laziness, selfishness, greed and misery. The world is unpredictable, and no matter how much we try, we can’t hide from it, even by living on an island. Life can be mean, but it isn’t about how hard life hits you. It’s about how much you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you experience and keep moving forward. That’s how we grow. That’s how winning is done.
私たちはいつだって天災や堕落した政治、戦争や飢え、病気や堕落や放漫、欲や惨めさなどの問題を抱えている。世界は予想のつかないものだ、どれだけ努力して も隠れる事はできない。人生は残酷になりえる。でも大切な事は人生がどれだけ残酷かではなく、君達がどれだけそれに耐え前進できるかだ。みんなそうやって成 長するし、勝利とはそういうものだ。
The world does not need weapons and conflict. We need schools and health care and art galleries. Putting the past behind us and working towards a closer, happier future with our neighbors is the best way to achieve world peace.
世界には武器も衝突も必要ない。必要とされているのは学校や健康保険や美術館だ。過去を置いて、仲間と一緒に幸せな未来へと努力する事が世界の平和への第一 歩だ。
Accept that certain things will always be true: economies fluctuate, the political system always needs improvement, you too will get old, and the world will change. None of these should stop you from fully living your life.
ある一定のものが変わらず事実である事を受け入れなさい。経済は変動し、政治のシステムはいつも改善が必要で、君達だって年をとるし世界は常に変化している 。でもこれらのどれをとっても君達が一生懸命生きる事を止める事はできない。
Never give up.
あきらめてはいけない。
Living in a democracy means we all have a voice. Using that voice isn’t a privilege, it’s our duty. Speaking out against injustice and corruption and bad government is the first step in making our country better.
民主社会に生きるという事は私たち一人一人が声を持つという事。これは特権ではなく、義務である。不正義や堕落、悪い政治に対して立ち上がるという事は国を 良くする第一歩である。
We only have one planet to live on. We all share it and we all have an equal responsibility to help care for it. It’s the single most important thing you’ll ever pass on to your children.
私たちが住む事ができるのはたった一つの惑星だ。みんなが同等に責任があり、君達が自分たちの子供に譲る事のできる一番大切なものだ。
Be careful whose advice you take. There are plenty of parents and politicians, tv shows and newspapers that all want to tell you exactly what to do in life, but you don’t have to do exactly what they say. Sometimes they are right, sometimes they are wrong. You are always free to decide for yourself.
誰の助言を信じるかに気をつけなさい。沢山の親や政治家、テレビや新聞が君に人生で何をすべきかを伝えたがる。それは時には正しい事もあるし、間違っている 事もある。君達には自分で決める自由がある。
Be careful which rules you follow. Don’t follow blindly. All rules should have a valid reason for being. If there is no valid reason for a rule, the rule should be changed or removed. Rules should be made to help us, not hinder. Sometimes they can do more harm than good. Learn to question rules and authority and make sure that these are in place for your benefit, not your detriment. Rules can be changed. You can change them.
どのルールに従うか気をつけなさい。盲目的に従ってはいけない。全てのルールには意味があるし、もし意味のないものであれば改善されるべきだ。ルールは私達 を守るためにあって、邪魔をするものではない。時にはそれは良い影響を及ぼし、時には悪い影響を与える。まず疑問を抱く事を学びなさい。ルールは変えられる 事ができるし、君達が変える事ができる。
Love. With all your heart. Never be afraid to show it, or tell someone how you feel.
愛しなさい、心の底から。自分の思いを伝える事を恐れてはいけない。
Life is a challenge. Sometimes it’s easy, sometimes it feels all too hard, but in the end, it’s always too short and we wish we did more with it in the time we had. Don’t waste your time. If you want to be happy, you can. All you have to do is try.
人生は挑戦だ。楽な時もあるし、つらい時もある。でも最後には人生は短く、時間があった時にもっと色々すればよかったと思うだろう。人生を無駄にしてはいけ ない。幸せになりたければなれる。やってみる事だ。
Download: PDF – Be Happy
Christmas isn’t always the stuff of dreams. Sometimes it falls rather short of our hopes.
true meaning of the holiday season makes Christmas so special and enduring, universal and timeless; makes it something we should never forget. We need to pull ourselves back from the commercialization and shopping, set aside the bustle of daily life, and focus on something more important.
It’s saying, I just want to take a little time to show you how much you mean to me, and how much I appreciate you. I want to thank you for the time you’ve given me by taking a little of my time and giving back to you.
Now, we might see each other many times throughout the year, but at Christmas, the entire spirit of the season’s gatherings and exchanges are not just about having fun, or getting drunk or the food, or the games or any peripheral things. It’s foremost about people and relationships. It’s about giving of ourself.
often go shopping at Christmas like it’s some kind of chore. Or, recently, it’s become the fashion not to shop at all, not to give presents to very many friends or to donate to charities. People latch on to some excuse about not wanting to buy into the commercialism or they hate the crowds but that’s not really true, is it? It’s laziness. It’s a failure to properly value each other. It’s the very reason Christmas was created, and is needed – to battle very hopelessness and depression and negativity that routinely builds up inside us.
A present is not just a present. When we give someone a present, it’s more than just picking some random thing up at the store, and going through the motions of a traditional exchange of things, this time with wrapping paper over them. A present has meaning. Do not give it lightly! It’s a symbol of our respect, friendship, family bonds, love and affection. We could write on the face of it: “Here, I thought of you, and I wanted to make you happy. I hope this present does just that. I hope it gives you a smile, or makes your life just a little easier, or a little nicer. I appreciate you.”
It’s also perfectly nice to send a holiday card. Be careful it’s not another empty gesture, though. Just signing a name to a mass produced product is a waste, and shows no thought. A few honest, caring words, some specific details about our relationship in the past year, a desire to spend the future with that person, these show far deeper meaning. A card like that shows someone that they have value in our life.
is the only true currency. Money and things are nothing more than physical representations of our time. Our time is very limited, and the only thing that’s truly priceless. How we spend it says so much about how much we value and appreciate each other. Be it in the form of giving a present; writing a card; singing a song; hosting a party; attending a dinner; traveling a long distance to be together; giving up something else to be with someone; or any other sacrifice or choice, these are all, in their most basic expression, gifts of time. How much time is spent on someone is the only true expression of our appreciation for their value and worth. It says as much about us, as it does about whom we give it to. A person who gives nothing does not appreciate anything. A person who gives everything, must truly have the warmest of hearts. What kind of person are we?
Yet, as adults, we’re just as busy making choices and learning and growing as when we were kids. We had parents and teachers to give us feedback then, and it gave us confidence and strength, affirmed us as good people, and this, in turn, breeds compassion and more growth. Maybe we forget, but we need all that praise and feedback just as much when we are adults. And just as importantly, it’s now our turn to start giving that feedback to others. Christmas is a time set aside for just that purpose.
It’s a time when we can walk up to each other and we don’t have to be shy or embarrassed or afraid to say “Here I am! I love you. I’m here for you. Lean on me. Ask me for help. I’m here – just here for you – whenever you need me.”
of the worst feelings we can have is to feel alone. And we can feel like that all the time. Even with a family, we might feel like they just don’t understand us, or argue too much with us. Even with a partner we can feel like a distance has grown between us and at the end of the day it’s just us against the world after all. That feeling can be a hundred times worse after a breakup. Even with friends it might feel like they never call, never invite us to anything, never make time for us, never come to our events, never buy us gifts, never seem to value us at all. We show up at the same parties, we hang out and watch movies together, but in the end, when push comes to shove and things get hard, or at the moments of our lives when we really need others, or moments are really special to us, it feels like no one is really there.
year, and every year after, when the holiday season is once again upon us, let’s remind ourselves of the true spirit of Christmas, and think about who means the most to us, and why. Then let’s go out and tell them, or far better yet – show them. Appreciation is so much more meaningful when shown with actions, not just words. Let’s celebrate with them, exchange presents, write cards, raise a glass, share a meal. Let’s take some of our time and give it to them. When we have given all of ourselves and more, then we’ll have become, to them, the kind of person we want in our own lives.
