November 14, 2025 • 17 mins
A philosophy centered on self-help, spiritual growth, and achieving success. The content is structured around the idea that individuals possess "the power of God within" and the "Kingdom of God" in their minds, encouraging readers to use positive thinking and accumulation of effort to realize their full potential and design a beautiful future. The material stresses the importance of "self-help thinking," separating it from fatalism and environmentalism, and emphasizes that inspiration and creativity are attained through perspiration (effort) and a sacred desire to serve others, rather than personal gain. The text also includes extensive background information on the author, his organization Happy Science, its core tenets, and its numerous global activities and publications.
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You can listen and download our episodes for free on more than 10 different platforms:
https://linktr.ee/book_shelter
Get the Book now from Amazon:
https://www.amazon.com/Can-Discover-Your-Power-Within-ebook/dp/B081TQ4NGN?&linkCode=ll1&tag=cvthunderx-20&linkId=6322b8bd5da5096c0032ada5c1111b19&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tl
Produced by:
https://www.podcaistudio.com/
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to the Deep Dive. We're here, as always
to give you that shortcut to being genuinely well informed.
And today while we're digging into a really fascinating mix
of spirituality and practical self help.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
That's right, we're looking at excerpts from the twenty nineteen
book I Can What Daeshiwa dea Qiu by Rijo Okawa.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
And our mission today is basically to pull out the
core message, the promise, which is pretty huge, increasing your
success rate tenfold. How by revealing the secret to becoming
what the author calls a small creator.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, and it all comes down the faith in this
powerful self belief. What makes this book interesting is how
it tries to connect a deep spiritual foundation with very practical,
goal oriented effort.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
So it's not just think positive, No, not at all.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
It's presented as a detailed spiritual blueprint. Really starts with
this big view of the human soul eternal almost and
then gives you a step by step method based on
mental discipline and just sheer persistence.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Okay, sounds like a journey, So let's map it out
for everyone. We're going to follow the book structure right,
four key stages exactly.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
First we look at identity, redefining who you are and
what you're capable of. Then, second, what drives it all?
The engine so to speak, right, And third, third is
the method for creativity, how to actually generate things? And
finally the climax, the golden secret phrase that apparently powers
the whole system. Got it?
Speaker 1 (01:24):
So stage one identity, the book kicks off with something
that well might raise a few eyebrows. Chapter one's big idea,
you have the power of.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
God within It's definitely a strong start. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
I mean, for many people listening, especially from Western backgrounds,
saying you're a child of God or son of God,
that's usually reserved for one specific figure, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
It is? And the book acknowledges that cultural difference directly
and points out that in Occidental Christianity, historically son of
God tends to have that unique singular meaning.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
But the author's coming from a different perspective.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Right, He's drawing more from Oriental, specifically Japanese thought, which
is influences from Buddhism, and in that context, the idea
that you have a god like nature within you or
being a child of Buddha is well more readily accepted.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Ah, okay, because the Buddha himself wasn't born to God, right,
He was a human who sought truth, put in the
effort and became awakened. So the potential is inherent in.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Being human precisely. The idea is that a human being
is fundamentally a spiritual being. Now, if power of God
within feels maybe two grand a bit much, yeah, perhaps
the author offers a slightly more accessible concept, the Kingdom
of God within you.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Okay, what does that mean? In practice?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
It's talking about the realm inside your own mind, the
place where you connect with eternal things, with truth, with goodness,
with beauty, and the bridge to get there. The book
calls it ardent faith.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Ardent faith. Is that just believing really hard? Or is
it more active?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
It's very active faith. Here, isn't blind belief. It's more
like a deep commitment and salute trust in your own
inner divine potential. Even if things look bad right now,
you trust that potential. It's a connection, the bridge between
your mind and let's say God's heart, allowing that divine
potential to actually flow into your life.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
And this connects to being a creator directly.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Because if you have this potential, this connection. Then you
become a creator.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Now that sounds intimidating. Are we talking creating universes here?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Huh No? Not quite making the sun. The book clarifies
the creation here is about designing, building, realizing your own plan,
your dream. It echoes that old idea you know, found
across philosophies. You become what you think about all day.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
That idea pops up everywhere, doesn't it, Lincoln, Napoleon, Hill,
Socrates exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
But here's where it gets really profound, maybe even a
bit heavy. The book argues that the very fact you
can dream something means it's possible to realize it. Your
dream isn't just a whim it's your life plan, your
ultimate goal. Okay, and then comes the kicker. You, as
this small creator, have a kind of sake responsibility to
help make the world a utopia on behalf of God.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Wow. Okay, hold on. That really ramps things up. It
takes personal goals from you know, I want a better
job to I'm part of a divine plan to improve everything.
That's quite a mandate.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
It is. It reframes ambition entirely. Your imagination isn't just
for daydreaming. It's your soul exploring its possibilities, leading you
towards God, towards this utopia.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
So if we have this inner potential, this imagination leading
the way, what's the actual engine? How do we turn
that potential into well reality?
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Perfect transition that takes us right into section two, the
activation mechanism. The book calls it self help thinking self
help thinking. Okay, the core teaching here is that success,
or what the book might call a miracle, needs two
things working together. It needs power from heaven you could
call it God's mercy or grace, and power from within,
(04:53):
which is your own effort. You're humans striving.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
God helps those who help themselves.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Basically, that's the classic phrase. Yes, life in this this
view is like a training period. It's a school, and
we're the trainees. We had to study hard, put in
the work.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Now, this idea of self reliance, self help, it feels
pretty standard in the self help genre. But you mentioned
something fascinating earlier, a historical angle where this wasn't just advice,
it was like the engine for a whole country's change.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yes, this is a really crucial piece, especially for understanding
the author's context. There was this book self Help by
British author Samuel Smiles. It got translated into Japanese during
the Meiji Restoration, a pivotal time when Japan was rapidly modernizing. Okay,
but the translator, a man in Masan Nakamora, he did
something really clever. He didn't translate the title literally as
(05:39):
self help. He called it saigoku rishi hen.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Segka rishi hen. What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (05:45):
It translates roughly to stories of self made success in
Western nations. Or more importantly, the core idea conveyed was aspiration.
Rishi means aspiration, ambition, setting high goals.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Ah. So translating self help as aspiration that gives it
a totally different feel. Doesn't it less about just helping yourself,
more about aiming high?
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Completely different cultural weight. Telfelp might sometimes sound a bit individualistic,
maybe even selfish in some context, but aspiration Rishi implies
a noble drive, a high ambition that's often seen as
benefiting not just you, but society too.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
And this version of the book took off massively.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
It sold over a million copies, which was huge back then.
It became essential reading for almost everyone involved in modernizing Japan.
It really cemented this idea that progress comes from within,
from aspiration and effort, not just waiting for external circumstances to.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Change, so that Meiji Era's success story becomes a model
for this self help thinking. To really embrace it, though,
the book says we need to ditch some mental roadblocks.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yes, two big ones. First is fatalism, the belief that
your fate is already sealed nothing you do matters.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Got to get rid of that.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
And second is what the author calls environmentalism, which isn't
about ecology here, but blaming your environment, your birthplace, your
lack of education, not enough money.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
The author doesn't buy those excuses.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Not at all, calls them just complaints, and makes the
rather startling claim that as spiritual beings, we actually chose
our specific training environment before we were born.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
M that's a challenging idea, but the point is circumstances
aren't insurmountable exactly.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
He points to figures like Lincoln or Edison, or the
Japanese industrialist Konosuke Matsushita, people who achieved incredible things without
privileged backgrounds or formal education. It proves knowledge and success
are attainable through sheer effort. And aspiration.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
And this leads to an interesting idea about resources. It's
not about oil or gas anymore.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Right. The new energy, the fuel for progress in the
modern world is ideas. And where do ideas come from? Knowledge? Yes,
experience definitely, but also crucially from overcoming adversity, dealing with
tough situations.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
So knowledge is power tough times turn it into wisdom,
that's a.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Good way to put it. Adversity refines knowledge into practical wisdom.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Okay, So we need aspiration, we need to overcome mental blocks,
and we need to generate ideas through effort and experience.
How does this lead to actual success? Is it just
one big breakthrough?
Speaker 2 (08:15):
No, and this is key. It's all about accumulation. The
book stresses that life is just a series of Today's
success isn't usually one giant leap. It's the result of
consistent daily effort.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Even small amounts.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Yes, even just ten fifteen minutes of focused work each day.
It seems small, but it builds up. It accumulates like
compound interest, as you said. Eventually, this accumulated effort reaches
a kind of critical mass, the threshold exactly. The book
calls it the tipping point, or even a quantum moment.
It causes the shift.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Shift. Tell me more about that. What happens? Is it
like a light bulb moment?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
It can be. It's when all that stored potential, all
that accumulated effort, finally breaks through into a new level
of capability or understanding. It might feel suddy to outsiders,
like an over night's success, but it's actually the result
of all that prior, often unseen work.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
So years of practice suddenly click into mastery or study
crystallizes into insight.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Precisely, the shift changes the person, their mindset, their abilities,
all at once, and that leads to tangible success that makes.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Daily effort feel much more meaningful. It's not just grinding.
It's like charging a battery for that quantum lead.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
That's a perfect analogy. You're building the charge.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Okay, So that's the engine aspiration, persistence, accumulation leading to
the shift. How does this connect to the third stage,
actually becoming creative?
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Well, creativity, according to the book, also requires significant preparation
and patience. It's not just about waiting.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
For amuse, no instant inspiration.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Not usually. The author uses a really vivid analogy. The cicada, oh,
the insect. Yeah, cicadas live underground, sometimes for years. The
book calls this their hidden period for production. All that
time spent unseem to developing right, and only then do
they emerge, just saying, but often just for a very
short time, maybe only seven days on the surface, all
(10:08):
that hidden work for a brief powerful expression.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
So that hidden period, that's the hard graft, the accumulation
phase we were just talking about exactly.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
It reinforces that famous Edison quote, doesn't it about needing
ninety nine percent perspiration for that one percent inspiration?
Speaker 1 (10:22):
It really does. So inspiration isn't random, It follows the effort.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
The book is clear on this. The author even mentions
his own experience, saying he studied the spiritual world for
over thirty years before he felt he could teach it comprehensively.
That was his hidden period thirty years. And yes, inspiration
from heaven, as he puts, it, is real, but it
tends to come after you've put in the work, studied hard,
(10:47):
really wrestled with the problem.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
So you work, work, work, Then what do you just wait?
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Then you need periods of rest or meditation, But trucially,
after the effort, that's when you create the space. The
quiet for the ideas to, as the book says, come
down from heaven or maybe bubble up from your subconscious.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Work hard, then relax to receive got it? But what
keeps someone going through potentially years of that hidden period
like the cicada? What's the motivation?
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Ah, that's critical. The book says, creative people need a
sacred desire.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
Sacred desire. What does that mean? Not just wanting stuff?
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Pretty much, it means letting go of the smaller, more earthly,
mundane desires, like just wanting money or fame or comfort. Instead,
you focus on something bigger, something truly important, maybe those
utopia building plans we talked about earlier.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
So wanting to invent a life saving drug is sacred,
but just wanting a bigger house is earthly.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
That's the distinction. Yes, the motivation has to be driven
by contribution, by something larger than your own ego.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Okay? And does this sacred focus help with the creative
process itself?
Speaker 2 (11:53):
It links directly to efficiency. Actually, the book argues that
most people are narrow talented. We usually have one or
maybe a few areas where we really excel.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Not jacks of all trades.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Generally, not for most people So the royal road to
success and to creativity is to focus intensely on your
strong point. Concentrate your energy there.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Don't spread yourself too thin exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Focusing your effort drives that accumulation much faster in your
best area, maximizes your unique contribution, and sparks creativity where
your naturally strongest.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Okay, that makes sense. Focus the effort driven by a
sacred desire after a long hidden period. So we've got
the identity, the engine, the creative method. This brings us
to the grand finale, section four. What's the single magic
phrase that ties it all together?
Speaker 2 (12:37):
It's surprisingly simple, almost deceptively So the golden secret is
the phrase I can.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
I can. Just that It sounds like a basic affirmation.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
It does, but the book frames it as having real power,
even historical resonance. It poists to leaders like Barack Obama
using variations yes, I can, Yes, we can change. The
power isn't just in the words themselve elves, but in
what they represent and what's that it represents taking control
of your mind. The book argues that the absolute key
to solving problems isn't changing the external world first, but
(13:10):
changing how you perceive and judge what happens.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
To you, controlling the inner reaction precisely.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
There's a powerful example given the US Airways flight that
landed on the Hudson River in two thousand and nine.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Oh yeah, the miracle on the Hudson.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Right, was it incredibly bad luck that the plane hit
birds or was it a miracle that Captain Sulenberger landed
it safely and everyone survived in freezing water?
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Depends entirely on how you choose to look at it,
doesn't it your mental orientation exactly that?
Speaker 2 (13:36):
So when difficulties hit and will, the instruction is stop
the negative spiral, deliberately interrupt that, Oh no, this is
terrible thinking, and change your mind to a positive, possibility
focused direction.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Why does that mental shift have such power, according to
the book, because.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
It timees back to that fundamental premise if a human
is primarily a spiritual being, not just a material body,
then in a sense, yes, what you think is what
you are. Your thoughts aren't just fleeting things. They shape
your reality, your being.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
So the technique isn't just chanting I can. It's deeper.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
It's about using that I CAN mindset to actively imagine
your desired future. The book says to clearly picture it,
draw a mental image of your splendid, beautiful future. Imagination
here isn't passive fantasy. It's like designing your destiny blueprint.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
You're creating the mental template first.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Yes, and that leads to the final practical instruction. When
you face a challenge, a difficulty, you must consciously refuse
to say I cannot.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Never say cannot never.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Instead, you actively force fully affirm, maybe even out loud
if needed, I can, I can, I can.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
There's a funny point made about that, isn't there.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yeah. The other points out quite humorously that even saying
I cannot speak English is technically a lie because you
just used English perfectly well to express that very thought.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Huh, good point. So the final message is about courage.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Absolutely, be brave, don't fear mistakes book notes. Even the
American President uses a manuscript. Everyone needs support and crucially
be an imaginable person. Imaginable meaning meaning someone who lives
by the power of their imagination, someone who dreams proactively
and believes in possibilities, not just a realist stuck in
limitations or a materialist focused only on the physical world.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Okay, let's pull it all together. Then the whole path
to being this small creator starts with Step one. Recognize
that divine spark the Kingdom of God within you. Step
two activate it with self help, thinking specifically that Meiji
era concept of aspiration that means committing to the ninety
nine percent perspiration, the daily accumulation.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Of effort building towards the shift.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Step three focus that effort creatively, like the cicada in
its hidden period, driven by a sacred desire and concentrating
on your strongest points exactly. And finally, step four seal
the deal and power the whole process by mastering your
mind's perception and constantly affirming with deep conviction, I can.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
You've got it. That's the blueprint laid out in the book.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
And there's a final thought from the author in the
afterword something about modern society.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Yes, a brief observation. He notes that, in his view,
many people today, particularly in democracies, seem to lack faith
in God or a higher power, and they also tend
to dislike the idea of self help.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Why is that.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
The suggestion is that maybe they see the function of
democracy or government as primarily being to just distribute tax
money to solve problems rather than individuals taking responsibility through
self effort and aspiration. The book is presented almost as
a counter argument, hoping to spark a kind of spiritual
revolution based on these principles.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
That's definitely aiming high for a book. Okay, So for
everyone listening digesting all this, here's a final thought to
chew on. Building on this idea of accumulation and sacred desire,
go for it. If success really does stem from imagination, persistence,
and that firm belief of I can. What's one specific action,
maybe requiring just those ten or fifteen minutes a day
(17:05):
that you could start today to begin accumulating energy towards
your own shift. It maybe reflect how sacred, how deeply felt,
is the desire driving your main ambition right now.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
That commitment, whether you frame it spiritually or just as
cause and effect, that self driven progress, that really seems
to be the key to unlocking the golden secret. The
book talks about be brave, be imaginable,
Welcome back to the Deep Dive. We're here, as always
to give you that shortcut to being genuinely well informed.
And today while we're digging into a really fascinating mix
of spirituality and practical self help.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
That's right, we're looking at excerpts from the twenty nineteen
book I Can What Daeshiwa dea Qiu by Rijo Okawa.
Speaker 1 (00:20):
And our mission today is basically to pull out the
core message, the promise, which is pretty huge, increasing your
success rate tenfold. How by revealing the secret to becoming
what the author calls a small creator.
Speaker 2 (00:34):
Yeah, and it all comes down the faith in this
powerful self belief. What makes this book interesting is how
it tries to connect a deep spiritual foundation with very practical,
goal oriented effort.
Speaker 1 (00:45):
So it's not just think positive, No, not at all.
Speaker 2 (00:47):
It's presented as a detailed spiritual blueprint. Really starts with
this big view of the human soul eternal almost and
then gives you a step by step method based on
mental discipline and just sheer persistence.
Speaker 1 (00:58):
Okay, sounds like a journey, So let's map it out
for everyone. We're going to follow the book structure right,
four key stages exactly.
Speaker 2 (01:04):
First we look at identity, redefining who you are and
what you're capable of. Then, second, what drives it all?
The engine so to speak, right, And third, third is
the method for creativity, how to actually generate things? And
finally the climax, the golden secret phrase that apparently powers
the whole system. Got it?
Speaker 1 (01:24):
So stage one identity, the book kicks off with something
that well might raise a few eyebrows. Chapter one's big idea,
you have the power of.
Speaker 2 (01:33):
God within It's definitely a strong start. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (01:35):
I mean, for many people listening, especially from Western backgrounds,
saying you're a child of God or son of God,
that's usually reserved for one specific figure, isn't it?
Speaker 2 (01:44):
It is? And the book acknowledges that cultural difference directly
and points out that in Occidental Christianity, historically son of
God tends to have that unique singular meaning.
Speaker 1 (01:54):
But the author's coming from a different perspective.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
Right, He's drawing more from Oriental, specifically Japanese thought, which
is influences from Buddhism, and in that context, the idea
that you have a god like nature within you or
being a child of Buddha is well more readily accepted.
Speaker 1 (02:11):
Ah, okay, because the Buddha himself wasn't born to God, right,
He was a human who sought truth, put in the
effort and became awakened. So the potential is inherent in.
Speaker 2 (02:21):
Being human precisely. The idea is that a human being
is fundamentally a spiritual being. Now, if power of God
within feels maybe two grand a bit much, yeah, perhaps
the author offers a slightly more accessible concept, the Kingdom
of God within you.
Speaker 1 (02:38):
Okay, what does that mean? In practice?
Speaker 2 (02:40):
It's talking about the realm inside your own mind, the
place where you connect with eternal things, with truth, with goodness,
with beauty, and the bridge to get there. The book
calls it ardent faith.
Speaker 1 (02:50):
Ardent faith. Is that just believing really hard? Or is
it more active?
Speaker 2 (02:54):
It's very active faith. Here, isn't blind belief. It's more
like a deep commitment and salute trust in your own
inner divine potential. Even if things look bad right now,
you trust that potential. It's a connection, the bridge between
your mind and let's say God's heart, allowing that divine
potential to actually flow into your life.
Speaker 1 (03:11):
And this connects to being a creator directly.
Speaker 2 (03:14):
Because if you have this potential, this connection. Then you
become a creator.
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Now that sounds intimidating. Are we talking creating universes here?
Speaker 2 (03:22):
Huh No? Not quite making the sun. The book clarifies
the creation here is about designing, building, realizing your own plan,
your dream. It echoes that old idea you know, found
across philosophies. You become what you think about all day.
Speaker 1 (03:36):
That idea pops up everywhere, doesn't it, Lincoln, Napoleon, Hill,
Socrates exactly.
Speaker 2 (03:42):
But here's where it gets really profound, maybe even a
bit heavy. The book argues that the very fact you
can dream something means it's possible to realize it. Your
dream isn't just a whim it's your life plan, your
ultimate goal. Okay, and then comes the kicker. You, as
this small creator, have a kind of sake responsibility to
help make the world a utopia on behalf of God.
Speaker 1 (04:04):
Wow. Okay, hold on. That really ramps things up. It
takes personal goals from you know, I want a better
job to I'm part of a divine plan to improve everything.
That's quite a mandate.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
It is. It reframes ambition entirely. Your imagination isn't just
for daydreaming. It's your soul exploring its possibilities, leading you
towards God, towards this utopia.
Speaker 1 (04:22):
So if we have this inner potential, this imagination leading
the way, what's the actual engine? How do we turn
that potential into well reality?
Speaker 2 (04:32):
Perfect transition that takes us right into section two, the
activation mechanism. The book calls it self help thinking self
help thinking. Okay, the core teaching here is that success,
or what the book might call a miracle, needs two
things working together. It needs power from heaven you could
call it God's mercy or grace, and power from within,
(04:53):
which is your own effort. You're humans striving.
Speaker 1 (04:55):
God helps those who help themselves.
Speaker 2 (04:57):
Basically, that's the classic phrase. Yes, life in this this
view is like a training period. It's a school, and
we're the trainees. We had to study hard, put in
the work.
Speaker 1 (05:05):
Now, this idea of self reliance, self help, it feels
pretty standard in the self help genre. But you mentioned
something fascinating earlier, a historical angle where this wasn't just advice,
it was like the engine for a whole country's change.
Speaker 2 (05:17):
Yes, this is a really crucial piece, especially for understanding
the author's context. There was this book self Help by
British author Samuel Smiles. It got translated into Japanese during
the Meiji Restoration, a pivotal time when Japan was rapidly modernizing. Okay,
but the translator, a man in Masan Nakamora, he did
something really clever. He didn't translate the title literally as
(05:39):
self help. He called it saigoku rishi hen.
Speaker 1 (05:43):
Segka rishi hen. What does that mean?
Speaker 2 (05:45):
It translates roughly to stories of self made success in
Western nations. Or more importantly, the core idea conveyed was aspiration.
Rishi means aspiration, ambition, setting high goals.
Speaker 1 (05:58):
Ah. So translating self help as aspiration that gives it
a totally different feel. Doesn't it less about just helping yourself,
more about aiming high?
Speaker 2 (06:06):
Completely different cultural weight. Telfelp might sometimes sound a bit individualistic,
maybe even selfish in some context, but aspiration Rishi implies
a noble drive, a high ambition that's often seen as
benefiting not just you, but society too.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
And this version of the book took off massively.
Speaker 2 (06:23):
It sold over a million copies, which was huge back then.
It became essential reading for almost everyone involved in modernizing Japan.
It really cemented this idea that progress comes from within,
from aspiration and effort, not just waiting for external circumstances to.
Speaker 1 (06:38):
Change, so that Meiji Era's success story becomes a model
for this self help thinking. To really embrace it, though,
the book says we need to ditch some mental roadblocks.
Speaker 2 (06:49):
Yes, two big ones. First is fatalism, the belief that
your fate is already sealed nothing you do matters.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
Got to get rid of that.
Speaker 2 (06:56):
And second is what the author calls environmentalism, which isn't
about ecology here, but blaming your environment, your birthplace, your
lack of education, not enough money.
Speaker 1 (07:07):
The author doesn't buy those excuses.
Speaker 2 (07:08):
Not at all, calls them just complaints, and makes the
rather startling claim that as spiritual beings, we actually chose
our specific training environment before we were born.
Speaker 1 (07:18):
M that's a challenging idea, but the point is circumstances
aren't insurmountable exactly.
Speaker 2 (07:24):
He points to figures like Lincoln or Edison, or the
Japanese industrialist Konosuke Matsushita, people who achieved incredible things without
privileged backgrounds or formal education. It proves knowledge and success
are attainable through sheer effort. And aspiration.
Speaker 1 (07:40):
And this leads to an interesting idea about resources. It's
not about oil or gas anymore.
Speaker 2 (07:45):
Right. The new energy, the fuel for progress in the
modern world is ideas. And where do ideas come from? Knowledge? Yes,
experience definitely, but also crucially from overcoming adversity, dealing with
tough situations.
Speaker 1 (07:58):
So knowledge is power tough times turn it into wisdom,
that's a.
Speaker 2 (08:02):
Good way to put it. Adversity refines knowledge into practical wisdom.
Speaker 1 (08:06):
Okay, So we need aspiration, we need to overcome mental blocks,
and we need to generate ideas through effort and experience.
How does this lead to actual success? Is it just
one big breakthrough?
Speaker 2 (08:15):
No, and this is key. It's all about accumulation. The
book stresses that life is just a series of Today's
success isn't usually one giant leap. It's the result of
consistent daily effort.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
Even small amounts.
Speaker 2 (08:28):
Yes, even just ten fifteen minutes of focused work each day.
It seems small, but it builds up. It accumulates like
compound interest, as you said. Eventually, this accumulated effort reaches
a kind of critical mass, the threshold exactly. The book
calls it the tipping point, or even a quantum moment.
It causes the shift.
Speaker 1 (08:46):
Shift. Tell me more about that. What happens? Is it
like a light bulb moment?
Speaker 2 (08:49):
It can be. It's when all that stored potential, all
that accumulated effort, finally breaks through into a new level
of capability or understanding. It might feel suddy to outsiders,
like an over night's success, but it's actually the result
of all that prior, often unseen work.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
So years of practice suddenly click into mastery or study
crystallizes into insight.
Speaker 2 (09:10):
Precisely, the shift changes the person, their mindset, their abilities,
all at once, and that leads to tangible success that makes.
Speaker 1 (09:18):
Daily effort feel much more meaningful. It's not just grinding.
It's like charging a battery for that quantum lead.
Speaker 2 (09:25):
That's a perfect analogy. You're building the charge.
Speaker 1 (09:27):
Okay, So that's the engine aspiration, persistence, accumulation leading to
the shift. How does this connect to the third stage,
actually becoming creative?
Speaker 2 (09:38):
Well, creativity, according to the book, also requires significant preparation
and patience. It's not just about waiting.
Speaker 1 (09:46):
For amuse, no instant inspiration.
Speaker 2 (09:48):
Not usually. The author uses a really vivid analogy. The cicada, oh,
the insect. Yeah, cicadas live underground, sometimes for years. The
book calls this their hidden period for production. All that
time spent unseem to developing right, and only then do
they emerge, just saying, but often just for a very
short time, maybe only seven days on the surface, all
(10:08):
that hidden work for a brief powerful expression.
Speaker 1 (10:11):
So that hidden period, that's the hard graft, the accumulation
phase we were just talking about exactly.
Speaker 2 (10:16):
It reinforces that famous Edison quote, doesn't it about needing
ninety nine percent perspiration for that one percent inspiration?
Speaker 1 (10:22):
It really does. So inspiration isn't random, It follows the effort.
Speaker 2 (10:26):
The book is clear on this. The author even mentions
his own experience, saying he studied the spiritual world for
over thirty years before he felt he could teach it comprehensively.
That was his hidden period thirty years. And yes, inspiration
from heaven, as he puts, it, is real, but it
tends to come after you've put in the work, studied hard,
(10:47):
really wrestled with the problem.
Speaker 1 (10:48):
So you work, work, work, Then what do you just wait?
Speaker 2 (10:52):
Then you need periods of rest or meditation, But trucially,
after the effort, that's when you create the space. The
quiet for the ideas to, as the book says, come
down from heaven or maybe bubble up from your subconscious.
Speaker 1 (11:05):
Work hard, then relax to receive got it? But what
keeps someone going through potentially years of that hidden period
like the cicada? What's the motivation?
Speaker 2 (11:14):
Ah, that's critical. The book says, creative people need a
sacred desire.
Speaker 1 (11:17):
Sacred desire. What does that mean? Not just wanting stuff?
Speaker 2 (11:20):
Pretty much, it means letting go of the smaller, more earthly,
mundane desires, like just wanting money or fame or comfort. Instead,
you focus on something bigger, something truly important, maybe those
utopia building plans we talked about earlier.
Speaker 1 (11:34):
So wanting to invent a life saving drug is sacred,
but just wanting a bigger house is earthly.
Speaker 2 (11:41):
That's the distinction. Yes, the motivation has to be driven
by contribution, by something larger than your own ego.
Speaker 1 (11:48):
Okay? And does this sacred focus help with the creative
process itself?
Speaker 2 (11:53):
It links directly to efficiency. Actually, the book argues that
most people are narrow talented. We usually have one or
maybe a few areas where we really excel.
Speaker 1 (12:01):
Not jacks of all trades.
Speaker 2 (12:02):
Generally, not for most people So the royal road to
success and to creativity is to focus intensely on your
strong point. Concentrate your energy there.
Speaker 1 (12:10):
Don't spread yourself too thin exactly.
Speaker 2 (12:13):
Focusing your effort drives that accumulation much faster in your
best area, maximizes your unique contribution, and sparks creativity where
your naturally strongest.
Speaker 1 (12:21):
Okay, that makes sense. Focus the effort driven by a
sacred desire after a long hidden period. So we've got
the identity, the engine, the creative method. This brings us
to the grand finale, section four. What's the single magic
phrase that ties it all together?
Speaker 2 (12:37):
It's surprisingly simple, almost deceptively So the golden secret is
the phrase I can.
Speaker 1 (12:45):
I can. Just that It sounds like a basic affirmation.
Speaker 2 (12:48):
It does, but the book frames it as having real power,
even historical resonance. It poists to leaders like Barack Obama
using variations yes, I can, Yes, we can change. The
power isn't just in the words themselve elves, but in
what they represent and what's that it represents taking control
of your mind. The book argues that the absolute key
to solving problems isn't changing the external world first, but
(13:10):
changing how you perceive and judge what happens.
Speaker 1 (13:12):
To you, controlling the inner reaction precisely.
Speaker 2 (13:15):
There's a powerful example given the US Airways flight that
landed on the Hudson River in two thousand and nine.
Speaker 1 (13:20):
Oh yeah, the miracle on the Hudson.
Speaker 2 (13:22):
Right, was it incredibly bad luck that the plane hit
birds or was it a miracle that Captain Sulenberger landed
it safely and everyone survived in freezing water?
Speaker 1 (13:31):
Depends entirely on how you choose to look at it,
doesn't it your mental orientation exactly that?
Speaker 2 (13:36):
So when difficulties hit and will, the instruction is stop
the negative spiral, deliberately interrupt that, Oh no, this is
terrible thinking, and change your mind to a positive, possibility
focused direction.
Speaker 1 (13:49):
Why does that mental shift have such power, according to
the book, because.
Speaker 2 (13:53):
It timees back to that fundamental premise if a human
is primarily a spiritual being, not just a material body,
then in a sense, yes, what you think is what
you are. Your thoughts aren't just fleeting things. They shape
your reality, your being.
Speaker 1 (14:07):
So the technique isn't just chanting I can. It's deeper.
Speaker 2 (14:10):
It's about using that I CAN mindset to actively imagine
your desired future. The book says to clearly picture it,
draw a mental image of your splendid, beautiful future. Imagination
here isn't passive fantasy. It's like designing your destiny blueprint.
Speaker 1 (14:26):
You're creating the mental template first.
Speaker 2 (14:28):
Yes, and that leads to the final practical instruction. When
you face a challenge, a difficulty, you must consciously refuse
to say I cannot.
Speaker 1 (14:37):
Never say cannot never.
Speaker 2 (14:39):
Instead, you actively force fully affirm, maybe even out loud
if needed, I can, I can, I can.
Speaker 1 (14:45):
There's a funny point made about that, isn't there.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
Yeah. The other points out quite humorously that even saying
I cannot speak English is technically a lie because you
just used English perfectly well to express that very thought.
Speaker 1 (14:56):
Huh, good point. So the final message is about courage.
Speaker 2 (15:01):
Absolutely, be brave, don't fear mistakes book notes. Even the
American President uses a manuscript. Everyone needs support and crucially
be an imaginable person. Imaginable meaning meaning someone who lives
by the power of their imagination, someone who dreams proactively
and believes in possibilities, not just a realist stuck in
limitations or a materialist focused only on the physical world.
Speaker 1 (15:22):
Okay, let's pull it all together. Then the whole path
to being this small creator starts with Step one. Recognize
that divine spark the Kingdom of God within you. Step
two activate it with self help, thinking specifically that Meiji
era concept of aspiration that means committing to the ninety
nine percent perspiration, the daily accumulation.
Speaker 2 (15:44):
Of effort building towards the shift.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
Step three focus that effort creatively, like the cicada in
its hidden period, driven by a sacred desire and concentrating
on your strongest points exactly. And finally, step four seal
the deal and power the whole process by mastering your
mind's perception and constantly affirming with deep conviction, I can.
Speaker 2 (16:05):
You've got it. That's the blueprint laid out in the book.
Speaker 1 (16:08):
And there's a final thought from the author in the
afterword something about modern society.
Speaker 2 (16:12):
Yes, a brief observation. He notes that, in his view,
many people today, particularly in democracies, seem to lack faith
in God or a higher power, and they also tend
to dislike the idea of self help.
Speaker 1 (16:23):
Why is that.
Speaker 2 (16:24):
The suggestion is that maybe they see the function of
democracy or government as primarily being to just distribute tax
money to solve problems rather than individuals taking responsibility through
self effort and aspiration. The book is presented almost as
a counter argument, hoping to spark a kind of spiritual
revolution based on these principles.
Speaker 1 (16:44):
That's definitely aiming high for a book. Okay, So for
everyone listening digesting all this, here's a final thought to
chew on. Building on this idea of accumulation and sacred desire,
go for it. If success really does stem from imagination, persistence,
and that firm belief of I can. What's one specific action,
maybe requiring just those ten or fifteen minutes a day
(17:05):
that you could start today to begin accumulating energy towards
your own shift. It maybe reflect how sacred, how deeply felt,
is the desire driving your main ambition right now.
Speaker 2 (17:15):
That commitment, whether you frame it spiritually or just as
cause and effect, that self driven progress, that really seems
to be the key to unlocking the golden secret. The
book talks about be brave, be imaginable,
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