“Living wisely” is similar to being “smart,” but they are different. This story is quite simple, but it might be a little hard to understand, I’m not sure. Let me explain it as clearly as possible. You see, what’s important in life is to “live wisely.” Some might interpret “living wisely” as living cunningly or dishonestly, but please don’t think of it that way in this context.
Being “wise” and being “smart” are different but similar. For instance, when someone tells you to live wisely, some people may give up, saying things like, “I’m not smart anymore” or “I wasn’t smart during my school days.” However, that’s not what it’s about.
For example, in school, we do a lot of equations. But most of those equations are hardly ever used in society, right? So, it’s not necessary to be good at them in the real world since we have calculators at home. We only use basic math on calculators. Therefore, thinking, “I’m not smart because I couldn’t solve equations” is not a wise way of thinking. Do you understand?
Now, there are people who say they want to become rich, especially among salary workers. But for them, the options are limited to side businesses since their salaries are fixed, and some companies even prohibit side businesses. So, they might think of investing in stocks, for example. But in simple terms, if you gain 100 million yen, someone else is losing the same amount. Because the stock market doesn’t give you money for free, right? If the stockbroker charges a fee, then someone else is losing even more. That’s how it works.
Now, being a bit wiser than others, especially in stock trading, can make a difference. So, becoming wiser by reading books, sharpening your instincts, or simply becoming more intelligent is essential.
Smart actions that make money in business:
In businesses where people make a lot of money, being wise plays a big role. It’s not necessarily about having good grades in school. The fundamental difference is that in school, you might get scolded if you imitate someone. But in the real world, for example, the characteristics of successful business owners of prosperous stores are that they are not always present in their shops. They are frequently out, even going on overseas business trips, exploring various places. What’s interesting is that these successful business owners are actually busier, but they program their time efficiently by traveling and observing things.
On the other hand, the characteristic of people who aren’t making money is that they don’t do anything, even if there are opportunities to learn and grow, they don’t make the effort. Their excuse is always, “I don’t have time.” If you ask what they are doing instead, they are probably just sitting idly in their struggling shops. Many unsuccessful businesses have owners who don’t even bother to keep their shops clean, which affects the customers’ willingness to visit.
Having lots of ideas is a sign of intelligence, but if you don’t have any ideas and refuse to explore new things, that’s not being wise.
The need for wisdom to live a happy life:
Not everyone needs to be rich. It’s okay as long as you can eat, dress well, and have a reasonably normal life. Not everyone needs to become rich. Saying, “I am content with my current life because I’m not cut out for that” is also a wise way of living.
If you work just to become rich but hate your job, it’s no good. You’ll end up disliking your job even more, and it won’t last long. But if you love your work, you’ll feel fulfilled even after working for 8 or 9 hours. So, smart people strive to enjoy their work rather than just pursuing wealth. If you genuinely dislike your job, it’s wise to say, “I don’t need to become rich; I’m fine living a normal life.”
In this world, some people fail because they don’t use wisdom. There are words of happiness and words of hell, and there are many books about improving one’s mindset, but some people keep complaining about their unhappiness without taking any action. Even if someone teaches them how to be happy, they don’t try to change. They may not know better, but refusing to change even after being taught could be a sign of lacking wisdom.
You don’t need to be good at studying to be wise:
Being wise is different from being good at school subjects. For example, let’s say I was a merchant, and my teacher said, “You must be good at English.” But if I do business only in my country and rarely encounter foreign customers, then it doesn’t matter if I’m not good at English. If only one out of a thousand customers is a foreigner, and most of them can’t speak the language either, then it’s their problem, not mine. When I go overseas, I’ll carry enough cash, and I can use hand gestures and body language to communicate with others. Besides, even in countries like the USA, they don’t want people who can’t speak English to enter the country; they don’t want people who enter without enough money. So, if you have enough money, you don’t have to worry.
So, I don’t think I need to learn equations if I don’t want to. If someone needs to learn them, they should go ahead and do it. Therefore, it’s better to stop thinking that you’re stupid just because you couldn’t memorize what school taught you. That’s not what being wise is about. Being wise means using your time effectively. If your shop is not doing well and you keep staying there, your sales won’t improve. But if you take the opportunity to visit other successful businesses in your industry, you might learn something that will drastically increase your sales.
To be wise, there are many things you can do. Don’t let others make you think you are not smart. Being wise is something different. What’s important is how you use your wisdom. People should stop thinking that being good at memorization in school is the same as being wise.
Creating a happy workplace also requires wisdom:
Recently, someone told me that they want to enjoy working at their company, but they can’t quit their job. If you can’t quit, then maybe your current workplace is perfect for you. It’s not a bad thing. I’m not saying that you should quit your job and leave your family in a difficult situation. So, if you can’t quit, what efforts have you made to make your company a more enjoyable place to work? Write down what you have done. Maybe you started by saying “good morning” cheerfully. Well, if that’s the case, you should continue researching. Study how to be even more cheerful when saying “good morning” and how that might change the atmosphere in the workplace. Then, you can write a book about it. There are many people just like you, who are struggling to quit but can’t. Help them by sharing what you have learned. If you can surpass others and teach them, you become a mentor, and many people will look up to you.
God has given you something, and if you think it’s boring, try to figure out how to use that dull thing. For example, if your workplace doesn’t greet each other, what if you start saying “good morning” cheerfully? Maybe the atmosphere will change drastically.
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