4 Things Japanese People Taught Me

Several years ago, I spent some time in Japan. I was a Japan Fulbright Scholar — the Japanese government invited me to their country to learn as much as I could about modern day Japan and its people. I had an absolutely wonderful time and it is still very much impacting my life today. Though I learned many lessons while I was there, I would like to share these 4 with you:

1. Have Integrity 

Integrity is not as easy to come by these days as it used to be. Honesty, doing the right thing, and having pure motives just may not be evident everywhere we go. However, that doesn’t mean that you have to follow suit. Do what is right, even when no one is looking — that is the definition of integrity I heard many years ago. You see, when I was in Japan I went to see a baseball game. While there, during the second inning I needed to go to the restroom. I accidentally left my new digital camera in the stall hanging on the hook. When I realized what I did, in the seventh inning, I went back. The camera was still hanging where I left it. Now, I am not saying that people didn’t think of taking my camera, but they didn’t. Integrity. Sometimes, thinking of how your actions will affect others really is important. I was ever so grateful no one took my camera that day!

2. Be Clean

Here, in America, it seems that everywhere I look I see trash on the ground. At camp grounds, at national monuments, even just walking around the neighborhood. There is trash everywhere. I must say, while in Japan I not only noticed that there was little to no trash on the ground, but commented on that to my guide. She simply replied that if you love where you live you take care of that place. Children even spend the last 30 minutes of every school day cleaning the campus, they do not have Janitors (it was wonderful to see children taking care of their school’s campus). What a novel idea, take care of where you live/work/play. I say that this starts in the home. Teach your children, if you have any, to pick up after themselves. Teach them where trash goes. Don’t pick it up for them (even though that would be much quicker) instead train them to take care of this wonderful place that we live in. My father used to tell me, “we may not live in a mansion, but we don’t have to look like we live in a pigsty.”

3. Be Polite

Everyone I met while in Japan was polite and kind. They did know me, yet treated me as I was a respected guest. I must say, in light of the divisions that are occurring here politically, we would do well to remember to be kind to one another. The Golden Rule really needs to be put back into our lives much more. Who knows, maybe one kind word or deed you do today could affect someone in a huge way you never know about.

4. Have Pride in Your Country

This kind of goes with the prior thoughts above. We live, in my opinion, in the greatest country there is. Yet, there are those who try to destroy others’ property through rioting. That would not happen in Japan. While I was there, it was very evident that the Japanese people love their country, speak highly of their country, and fly their flag proudly. Now, I didn’t say that everyone agreed with things their government did all of the time, but they separated their thoughts from pride of country. We too must get back to that place where we remember how great it is to live in these United States of America!

The post 4 Things Japanese People Taught Me appeared first on Lifehack.