5 Japanese Habits that Changed my Life.

Summary

In the video, Yaska shares five transformative Japanese concepts that have significantly improved her life. The first concept is 'appreciation,' which has led her to a life of gratitude, happiness, and a willingness to help others. The second concept, 'dud,' involves cutting ties with negativity to enhance personal well-being. 'Wabi' is the third concept, which Yaska explains as finding beauty in imperfection, allowing her to embrace her humanness without striving for unattainable perfection. The fourth concept, 'diobi' or 'jikai,' encourages self-understanding and aligning one's work with personal desires, leading to a fulfilling career. Lastly, 'kaen' or 'kaisen' is about continuous improvement and the absence of failure in the pursuit of one's goals. Yaska's journey demonstrates how these concepts can lead to a life of fulfillment and personal growth, encouraging viewers to apply these principles to their own lives.

Takeaways

• 🍽️ The practice of appreciation, especially before meals, can enhance one's life by fostering gratitude and happiness.
• 🌿 Embracing the concept of 'GL' or 'Glad to Leave' helps in distancing oneself from toxic relationships or situations, leading to a better life.
• 🎭 Understanding Wabi, the beauty in imperfection, allows for self-acceptance and freedom from the pressure of being perfect.
• 🧘‍♂️ Engaging in 'Jikai' or self-understanding helps in identifying one's true passions and desires, leading to a more fulfilling life.
• 🚀 'Kaen' or continuous improvement is about pursuing one's goals without fear of failure, as every step is progress.
• 🤗 Gratitude opens up space in life for helping others and contributes to personal well-being.
• 💪 Taking decisive action, such as leaving a corporate job, can lead to pursuing what one is passionate about.
• 🧗‍♀️ Allowing oneself to be imperfect is essential for growth and starting new endeavors without the need for perfection.
• 🧐 Self-reflection and introspection are crucial for understanding oneself better and finding one's path in life.
• 🌟 There is no failure in life as long as one is continuously striving towards their goals and improving.
• 🌱 Applying these Japanese concepts can lead to a significant improvement in the quality of one's life.

Q & A

What are the five Japanese concepts that Yaska mentions have changed her life?

The five Japanese concepts mentioned by Yaska are appreciation, 'dud' (cutting away), Wabi (finding beauty in imperfection), jikai (self-understanding), and kaiken (continuous improvement).

How does the concept of appreciation influence Yaska's life?

The concept of appreciation has made Yaska more grateful for everything in her life, leading to a happier and more fulfilled existence. It has also made her more willing to help others.

What does 'dud' or 'cutting away' mean in the context of Yaska's life?

'Dud' refers to the practice of cutting away or distancing oneself from negative influences or toxic relationships, which Yaska used to improve her life and pursue her passion.

How does the concept of Wabi apply to Yaska's personal growth?

Wabi allows Yaska to embrace imperfection and see it as a form of beauty. This concept has helped her to be more accepting of herself and to not strive for unattainable perfection.

What is the significance of jikai (self-understanding) in Yaska's journey?

Jikai has been instrumental in Yaska's self-discovery process. It has helped her understand her likes and dislikes, which in turn has led to a more fulfilling career and life.

How does the concept of kaiken (continuous improvement) affect Yaska's approach to life and work?

Kaiken has given Yaska the perspective that there is no failure in life as long as she is continuously pursuing her goals and improving. This mindset has made her feel at ease, even during challenging times.

What was Yaska's previous occupation before she decided to leave the corporation?

Yaska used to work as an IT consultant at a big four consulting firm in Japan.

How did Yaska's decision to leave the corporation affect those around her?

Many people were worried about Yaska's decision to leave the corporation, but she found fulfillment in doing what she loves.

What is the cultural significance of saying 'I have been doing that since I was a little kid' in the context of Japanese practices?

This phrase indicates that the practice of appreciation is deeply ingrained in Japanese culture and is something that Yaska has been practicing from a young age.

Why did Yaska decide to leave her job and start her own business?

Yaska decided to leave her job to pursue her passion and start her own English school business, which she felt more passionate about.

How does Yaska's approach to life reflect the Japanese concept of 'Wabi'?

Yaska's approach to life reflects the concept of 'Wabi' by embracing imperfection and allowing herself to be free from the pressure of being perfect, which she sees as a form of beauty.

What is the role of 'jikai' in helping Yaska understand her true self?

Jikai, or self-understanding, has been crucial for Yaska in identifying what she truly wants to do and who she is as a person, leading to a more fulfilling life.

How does Yaska's use of the concept 'kaiken' contribute to her sense of fulfillment in life?

Kaiken, or continuous improvement, contributes to Yaska's sense of fulfillment by allowing her to feel that she is always progressing and getting better, even if she faces setbacks.

Outlines

00:00

😀 Appreciation and Gratitude in Japanese Culture

The speaker, Yaska, introduces the first Japanese concept that has positively impacted their life: the practice of expressing gratitude, particularly when eating. This appreciation extends to all aspects of life, leading to a more content and happier existence. Yaska shares their personal journey of integrating this practice, which has resulted in a greater sense of fulfillment and a willingness to help others. The speaker emphasizes the importance of intentionally seeking reasons to be grateful, which over time becomes a natural habit, and how this has propelled them towards a more fulfilling career path.

05:02

💪 Cutting Clutter and Pursuing Passion

Yaska discusses the second concept, which involves cutting away from negative influences and toxic relationships to pursue one's passions. This concept, referred to as 'GL' or 'gladding,' has allowed the speaker to improve their life by leaving a corporate job to start their own business. The speaker highlights the significance of making tough decisions to distance oneself from environments that hinder personal growth and passion, which in their case, led to the establishment of an English school business.

🎨 Embracing Imperfection: The Beauty of Wabi

The third concept presented is 'Wabi,' which celebrates the beauty of imperfection. Yaska explains how societal pressures to be perfect can lead to suffering through comparison. By embracing Wabi, the speaker has learned to accept their imperfections, allowing for freedom and a more authentic approach to new endeavors. This mindset has been instrumental in Yaska's personal development, as it encourages a non-judgmental attitude towards oneself and a willingness to start new projects without the pressure of being perfect.

🧘‍♂️ Self-Discovery through Junaki and Jikai

The fourth concept, 'Junaki' and 'Jikai,' involves self-reflection and understanding one's true desires. Common in Japan, especially among graduates, these practices have helped Yaska to gain a deeper understanding of personal preferences and to make informed decisions about their career. The speaker shares how engaging in self-discovery has led to a life of fulfillment and doing what they genuinely love, emphasizing the importance of this introspective process for anyone seeking a meaningful and satisfying life.

🚀 Continuous Improvement: The Philosophy of Kaen

The final concept, 'Kaen,' is about continuous improvement and the idea that there is no failure in life as long as one is persistently pursuing their goals. Yaska explains how this concept has provided a sense of ease and acceptance, even in the face of challenges or setbacks. By viewing life as a continuous journey of getting better (kaisen), the speaker has been able to maintain a positive outlook and to keep taking actions that align with their passions and goals.

Keywords

💡Appreciation

Appreciation is the act of recognizing and expressing gratitude for what one has. In the video, Yaska emphasizes the importance of appreciating food and life's moments, which has led to a better quality of life. It is a practice ingrained in Japanese culture and has helped Yaska to be more content and willing to help others.

💡Gladness

Gladness, or 'GL' as mentioned in the transcript, refers to the feeling of happiness and joy. Yaska discusses how focusing on gladness and being grateful for one's current situation can lead to a more fulfilling life. It's about finding happiness in the present moment and not dwelling on the negative.

💡Cutting and Throwing Away

This concept involves distancing oneself from negative influences or toxic relationships. Yaska shares how understanding the importance of letting go of such elements has improved his life. It's about making a conscious decision to remove what doesn't serve you well in order to move forward positively.

💡Wabi

Wabi is a Japanese concept that finds beauty in imperfection. Yaska explains that accepting one's imperfections and not striving for an unattainable perfection can lead to a more authentic and liberating life. It's about embracing the unique qualities that make each person and their experiences distinct.

💡Joen

Joen, or 'understanding oneself' in English, is a practice where individuals reflect on their desires and aspirations to align their work and life choices with their true selves. Yaska mentions how this concept has helped him to discover his passion and to make decisions that align with his personal fulfillment.

💡Kaizen

Kaizen is a Japanese philosophy of continuous improvement. Yaska interprets it as the idea that there is no failure in life as long as one is continuously pursuing their goals and improving. It's about the journey of self-improvement and the acceptance of setbacks as part of the process.

💡Fulfillment

Fulfillment is a state of being satisfied and happy with one's life and work. The video's theme revolves around finding fulfillment through the application of Japanese concepts. Yaska's personal journey of leaving a corporate job to pursue his passion is an example of seeking and achieving fulfillment.

💡Japanese Culture

Japanese culture is rich with philosophical concepts that emphasize simplicity, gratitude, and self-improvement. The video discusses several of these concepts and how they have influenced Yaska's life. It serves as a bridge between traditional Japanese wisdom and modern life application.

💡Passion

Passion is a strong interest or enthusiasm for something. Yaska's decision to leave his corporate job and start his own business was driven by his passion. The video suggests that pursuing what one is passionate about can lead to a more meaningful and satisfying life.

💡Self-Improvement

Self-improvement is the process of enhancing one's knowledge, skills, and personal development. The concept of Kaizen is a form of self-improvement that Yaska applies in his life. The video encourages viewers to continually strive for betterment in all aspects of their lives.

💡Toxic Relationships

Toxic relationships are those that have a negative impact on one's well-being. Yaska talks about the importance of recognizing and distancing oneself from such relationships to improve one's life. It's a part of the broader message of self-care and prioritizing one's mental and emotional health.

Highlights

The speaker, Yaska, discusses five Japanese concepts that have profoundly impacted their life.

The first concept is 'appreciation', which Yaska has practiced since childhood and believes has improved their life significantly.

Yaska emphasizes the importance of being grateful and how it can create a positive space in one's life.

The second concept, 'GL', involves letting go of negative influences and relationships to improve one's life.

Yaska shares their personal experience of leaving a toxic friendship and a job to pursue a more fulfilling path.

The third concept, 'Wabi', is about finding beauty in imperfection and accepting oneself as not perfect.

Yaska explains how embracing imperfection allows for freedom and reduces the pressure to be perfect.

The fourth concept, 'Jobi', is about self-discovery and understanding one's true desires and passions.

Yaska describes how 'Jobi' helped them to understand their likes and dislikes, leading to a more fulfilling career choice.

The fifth and final concept, 'Kaen', is about continuous improvement and the absence of failure when pursuing one's goals.

Yaska feels at ease with their life's ups and downs, viewing them as part of the continuous learning process.

Each concept is presented as a tool that can be applied to improve one's quality of life.

Yaska encourages the audience to find at least one concept that resonates with them and to integrate it into their life.

The talk concludes with an invitation to subscribe to Yaska's channel for more insights on Japanese wisdom and personal fulfillment.

Yaska's story is a testament to the transformative power of incorporating simple yet profound concepts into daily life.

The presentation is a blend of personal anecdotes and cultural insights, offering a unique perspective on life improvement.

The video serves as both an inspiration and a practical guide for those seeking to enhance their life with the wisdom of Japanese concepts.

Transcripts

hello everyone to you today I'm going to

be talking about five Japanese hits that

really changed my life this five Hobbits

are very simple yet very crucial if I

didn't have this Japanese Hobbit I don't

think I'm where I'm at for those who

don't know me my name is yaska I used to

work as an accy consultant at a one big

4 County inform Japan and I decided to

leave the corporation and I have been

doing my business a lot of people were

actually worried about ministration when

I decided to leave the corporation

however every day I'm doing work with

what I like to do what I love to do and

I wouldn't be standing where I'm at

right now without these five Japanese

Concepts if you find at least one

concept very valuable for you please

apply that to your

life the first one

is this is the appreciation when you eat

dinner when you eat meal when you come

to Japan you might see people for saying

and I have been doing that since when I

was a little kid and since I started to

put more feelings in this appreciation

to the food appreciation to everything

everything that I have at the moment my

life is getting better better because I

being grateful and when I'm being grate

for when I'm happy with my life I don't

have a space for my life and then I'm

willing to help others with what I can

do for them at first I intentionally

look for the reason to to to show my

appreciation more more gradually I was

able to naturally find reasons to be

happy be reasons to grateful for the

moment right now at the moment I'm super

super grateful for the fact that that I

can shoot this video and also I'm super

super grateful for the fact that I can

do what I like to do I used to hit my

job and I didn't do what I like to do

but since I started to have this feeling

about showing my appreciation to what's

in front of me I feel like I'm heading

forward to that direction I want to be

heading forward I'm grateful for meeting

this cont

concept and second one is uh dud in

English my call it the GL but we do have

our hbit of doing the glading when we do

something new that means cut sh means

throw away the means be away so you

completely be away from the staff you

want to be be you want to be away by

cutting the relationship with what you

are negatively affected by throwing a wi

down St compx

I was able to make my life a lot better

I used to be in a friendship or

relationship that was really toxic to be

honest at that time I didn't really feel

like that but since I understand how

important it is to the Clutter be away

from what you just don't like I felt

easy with my life when I decided to

create the job that I used to do back in

I was in the LGE I also used this

concept I'm not saying that working

involvment was about anything like that

I just found another that I could be

more passionate about which was uh

running this an English school business

and I decided to leave the firm because

I wanted to get into it and then that is

the timing I apply this concept I really

appreciate what this verb given to me

but I had to make a decision over being

away from the environment because I

wanted to use that time for something

else something that I could be more

passionate about something that I could

like

doing and the next concept that I truly

appreciate encountering this uh concept

is um Wabi if you are interested in

Japanese culture you may have already

heard of this that meaning of our this

compe not being perfect is actually

beautiful me you everyone in the world

is not perfect we human beings are not

perfect but in

society sometimes in Japanese society as

well we kind of put this beauty this

stereotypical way of looking at it to

something look perfect something look

imperfect but if we do that we suffer

because we compare ourselves to the

Perfection but imperfection is actually

what makes human beings beautiful and

that is the concept and Wabi is the

concept finding Beauty in imperfection

and after applying this concept to my

life I just allow myself to be free I

just allow myself to be not perfect

every time when I start a new thing I

don't need to be perfect 100% I don't

need to be 100% ready to do new thing

because that's a beauty in imperfection

right if you are trying to start new

thing if you are finding yourself not

good enough that's actually beautiful

that's actually beautiful don't get me

wrong if you want to get this ideal

version of yourself sure I really hope

the best for your life but you don't

need to blame that to yourself you don't

need to blame because you're not perfect

you don't you don't need to blame it you

are you can just allow yourself to be

not perfect and that's

beautiful and the next Japanese topic

that really helped my life is

diobi which is in English undering

yourself in Japan it is super common for

Japanese people to do this junaki when

you are graduating from our College a

lot of people are stared to think about

what kind of work they want to do in

order to understand themselves like what

kind of job they want to do a lot of

people do jobi a lot of people do jikai

and that was the first encounter for me

to this um habit jaanese hit I Tred to

get to know myself when I look back that

moment I think I was not really good at

getting to know myself and I've been

doing this for a long time since I met

this conp junaki I definitely see people

who are truly doing what they want to do

after you know finishing this J B

perfectly until they feel confident with

who they are using this this concept of

I was able to get to know myself better

and I was able to understand what I like

to do what I like to do with my life the

reason why I'm we at is because of this

concept if you want to be Antion about

feeling fulfillment every single day

feeling fulfilled in your work in your

life please do this in this video I'm

going explain more details about this

guys so please go check this video out

if you're interested

the last concept is kaen kaen

is is doing new thing and Zen is good

for good thing for being better after

meeting up with this concept I started

to feel like there is no failure in life

as long as you are pursuing what

whatever you want to pursue as long as

you never finish pursuing what you want

in life you're doing just kaen you're

just getting better you're just getting

better and better and you have to better

all the time even if you take a step

back that also kaisen to get what you

want in your life and after knowing this

concept I was able to feel easy with my

life even if I feel I'm not doing okay

with my business even if I feel I'm not

okay with my career I just feel okay

because I'm doing kaisen I'm just

getting to know myself better so after

meeting up with this concept I felt so

easy and just um keep taking actions

with um what while feeling fulfilled so

this is what I wanted to tell you at

last all right so this is a five

Japanese concept five Japanese Hobbies

that I have applied to my life and that

really help me to improve the quality of

my life and if you find at least one

concept one hobby that could help your

life please apply that to your life my

name is yaska I help you to feel

fulfillment in your life do what you

like to do with your life with a Twist

of a Japanese wisdom if you're

interested in kind of our video and

content please subscribe to my Channel

all right thanks so much for watching

this video today I'll see you guys in

the next video bye

[Music]