The Shinkiko retreat seminar in Aso started today. I arrived at Kumamoto Airport yesterday evening and headed to the station to catch a train, but the moment I got there, the train was just pulling away (laughs). I vaguely watched it go by and chuckled wryly, thinking, “Oh dear.” I also had a YouTube live stream with Mr. Oharada today, and I wanted to get to the seminar venue early… so I almost sighed for a moment.
When I checked the next transportation options, I found there were no other choices for about an hour! In the end, I chose the bus, but even that bus was 15 minutes late. But while I was waiting, I noticed something. The atmosphere was completely different from the tense atmosphere of Tokyo; the sunlight was soft, and there was a relaxed feeling. I naturally thought, “This time isn’t so bad.”
Compared to my previous job as a company employee, I feel that my ability to find the good in the events around me has grown considerably. Back then, whenever something went wrong, my thoughts would spiral in a negative direction, and as a result, I think I was attracting negative energy.
From a Ki perspective, when we are pulled down by negative feelings, we are more susceptible to aligning with negative energy. This attracts even more negative energy, making our hearts heavier and the situation only worsens.
Conversely, when we begin to adopt a slightly more positive perspective, thinking, “Oh well, maybe this was for the best,” we begin to align with positive energy. The attitude of finding the good in things changes the very flow of Ki.
“Finding the good in things” doesn’t have to be anything special. Missing the train → I got to relax. The bus was late → The sunshine felt nice. Even small changes like these are fine. If you keep at it, you’ll naturally develop an antenna for noticing the good in everyday life.
In the world of positive psychology, there’s a technique called “3 good things,” and there’s even a smartphone app for it. Research shows that simply writing down three good things each day can increase feelings of happiness and self-esteem.
The “finding the good” in Shinkiko is fundamentally the same as in Shinkiko; both are training methods to focus your awareness on the positive aspects of the present moment. On days when things don’t go well, try writing down “the good things that happened today” before going to sleep. This accumulation will gradually change your mental habits and make it easier to attract positive energy. To further enhance the effects of Shinkiko, please try making “finding the good” a daily habit.