Through YouTube I’ve been exposed to quite a bit of Japanese culture and I love many aspects of it. I love this list of habits, and I was surprised to see how many of them I already incorporate.
- Clean the Toilet
Many successful businessmen clean the toilet every day. It humbles you. Ajahn Chah also talks about this a lot. Check out “Toilets on the Path”. I’m also very focused on cleanliness and especially emphasize keeping my toilet clean. But I like the idea of cleaning it every day and I’m going to give it a try.
- Put your shoes away neatly
Just look at how clean that looks in the video! Fortunately I also have a habit of putting them neatly on a rack I have.
- Improve your posture
Investing in my Herman Miller chair has been a huge improvement to my life, and combined with yoga my posture has improved a lot over the past few months. I walk more upright and find myself correcting posture more often than before.
- Thanking for meals
Being grateful for all people who were involved in making that meal. The farmers, the cooks, everybody.
Being grateful for life.
I can definitely improve on this and appreciate my food more.
- Put the chair back after you use it
Japanese people are very concerned with other people’s feelings. Putting a chair back in a restaurant you will make the restaurant staff happy, for example. I’m usually quite considerate about these things and generally want to make the world a better place. I have a habit of thinking, “how can I make this person’s day a little better?”
- Appreciate the things you already have
Don’t look at the things you don’t have, but look at what you already have.
- Okage Samade
A phrase that means something to the effect of “I am good because of all the people that suppport me”. Used when someone asks “How are you?”
- Going to bed early and waking up early.
This is absolutely true. I get up at 6 every day. At 10pm I usually start winding down for bed and lights are off at 23:00. I’ve also gone through long periods of getting up at 4 or 3am, and I felt great doing so. I’m currenlty using 6am because I sometimes have social engagements that prevent me from going to bed very early.
Links:
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04wZNnjdURE
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