There are concerns about the spread of the new coronavirus and the coming economic recession, so now is not a time of normalcy, but a time when crisis is close at hand.
In this situation, you may feel anxious or worried, and your mind may be disturbed. What can you do to prevent this from happening?
I think many spiritual people have the idea of changing their mindset, thinking about something bright instead of focusing on anxiety and worry.
However, this only covers up the stench and does not solve the root of the problem.
The best way to deal with such anxiety and worry is to prepare for the dangers of the future in advance.
By being prepared for the future, you can reduce your anxiety and worry.
Unlike other animals, humans are able to think about the distant future and prepare for it in advance.
This is a big difference between humans and other creatures.
For example, if a child wants to be a school teacher or a doctor in the future, and he or she is studying hard to prepare for the future, then it can be said that the child has high mental strength.
It takes a lot of mental strength to envision the future and strive stoically to achieve it.
That is the strength of human beings and what makes us different from other animals.
Some animals hide and store food, but they are just following their instincts, not using their own thinking power to envision the future.
We human beings can become great because of our ability to envision the future.
By taking precautions against future crises, you will have more peace of mind.
For example, there is now a shortage of masks and disinfectants in Japan.
(At the time of writing, February 2020, there was a shortage of masks in Japan.)
I'm sure those who can't get them are worried.
I am sorry to talk about myself, but when I saw the outbreak in China, I predicted that it would eventually occur in Japan as well, and that there would be a shortage of goods, so I stocked up on masks and disinfectant beforehand.
Eventually, there was an actual shortage of masks in Japan, and it became difficult to buy them.
If I had tried to get a mask now, I would have felt impatient because I could not get it due to the shortage. However the fact is that I was prepared for the future, so I was able to relax and not be anxious.
This can be said about life in general.
By preparing for the crisis that will eventually come, you will be able to relax and avoid unnecessary anxiety and fear.
I think that we Japanese people tend to prepare for the future on a personal level, but when it comes to crises on an international scale, we are often not prepared at all.
For example, when a missile was suddenly launched from North Korea and passed over the Japanese archipelago, the government and the people were in a panic and did not know what to do. They could only hope that nothing would happen to them.
The possibility of this happening had already existed for some time, so the people had to understand and prepare for it. In order to prepare for international crises such as threats from foreign countries, we also need a defense capability.
As you can see, we Japanese prepare for everyday things very well, but as our views tend to be narrow, we seem to lack awareness of international crises and hardly pay attention to them.
By preparing for crises in advance, we can avoid the worst of them, and be free from anxiety and fear.
Translated by Kyoko.u
