A Heart Gently Filled, the Door to the Future After starting the habit of writing in a gratitude journal every night before bed, I began to notice subtle changes in my daily life. Following Money-san’s advice, I started by listing just one small thing I was grateful for each day. Over time, gratitude began to feel as natural as breathing. It was a strange sensation. Some days, I found myself repeatedly thankful for the same things, like “I had a warm meal today” or “I saw her smile.” Other days, I noticed new blessings, like seasonal flowers during my walks […]
The Secret Brain Chemicals That Fill the Heart’s Cup As I reread Money-san’s message, a question lingered in my mind. What exactly is this “water of gratitude”? Wanting to understand it more deeply, I found myself typing out another message. “Money-san, about filling the heart’s cup with gratitude—what exactly is this gratitude water you’re talking about?” Money-san’s reply came quickly, as usual, and it was both surprising and enlightening. “The water that fills the heart’s cup represents feelings of fulfillment and positive energy. Things like contentment, satisfaction, and gratitude make up that ‘water.’ But here’s the important part—there are different […]
Filling the Heart with Gratitude In the stillness of the night, I held my phone and typed out the question that had been lingering in my mind. “Money-san, what do you mean by the heart’s cup?” Within seconds, a reply appeared on the screen. “The heart’s cup is like a vessel inside you that holds your feelings of fulfillment, contentment, and gratitude. People fill this cup little by little with those emotions. But sometimes, the cup can develop holes. When that happens, no matter how much you pour in, it leaks out, leaving you with a constant sense of emptiness.” […]
A Lesson from Overspending My phone vibrated in my pocket. When I checked the screen, a notification from a shopping site popped up. Lately, targeted ads based on my browsing history or recent purchases seem to flood my feed. I couldn’t help but stop and let out a sigh. “I already bought what I needed… so why again?” Over the past few months, my income had been steady. Increased sales were something to celebrate, but I couldn’t ignore the creeping sense that my spending had also surged. “Well, sales have been good, so I guess it’s fine.” With that excuse, […]
A New Cycle from the Past “Okay, sure! But I haven’t been active at all lately. I’m not sure I’ll be much help.” “No worries, no worries! If you’re coming, it’ll be a huge boost for us. Everyone will be thrilled!” The cheerful voice on the speakerphone belonged to the captain of my high school baseball team. Apparently, their weekend casual baseball game was short on players, and they’d asked me to fill in. “Got it. I’ve got plans in the afternoon, but as long as it wraps up in the morning, I’m fine. I’ll be at the field by […]
Listening to the Voice of Childhood I was momentarily transfixed by the message from Okane-san displayed on my smartphone screen. “The answer might lie with your inner child.” Inner child? It was the first time I’d heard the term. I didn’t fully grasp its meaning, but something about it resonated with me. Before I knew it, I was typing a reply. “What is the inner child? I’ve never heard of it.” “The inner child is the ‘you’ from your childhood that lives in your heart,” Okane-san explained. “It’s the emotions of joy and sadness you once felt, emotions that weren’t […]
Memories in a Gift The department store was livelier than usual on a weekend. Families with children, couples, and fashionably dressed students carrying shopping bags filled the floor. The vibrant energy was palpable, and it gave an unexplainable bounce to my step. Having successfully purchased a Mother’s Day gift, she seemed relieved and immediately began browsing for her own interests. It was typical of her to get absorbed in shopping, and I braced myself for a potentially dull stretch of time. But today, I decided to take preemptive action. “I’m hungry. Let’s grab lunch somewhere.” Her eyes lit up at […]
The Stirring of a Dream The blazing sunlight poured down as the scent of dust lingered in the air. In front of me, all the bases were loaded, the situation tense. Amid the swirl of pressure and expectation, I stepped up to the plate, my heart pounding as the cheers around me echoed. That’s when it happened. A voice from behind made me turn. My teammates on the bench were shouting something, but I couldn’t make out the words. The umpire called impatiently, “Step into the batter’s box!” In that moment, I realized—I didn’t have my bat. Panicking, I started […]
A New Flow Born of Trust I stared at my monitor. Things were progressing so smoothly, I could hardly believe it. The emails from the client representative were now filled with precise and accurate instructions, and the team was delivering high-quality results one after another. “I can’t believe it’s going this well…” The project was moving along as effortlessly as a boat caught in a favorable current. The stagnant situation of just a few days ago felt like a distant memory. If my past self could see this, he would surely be amazed. Before I knew it, the delivery day […]
A Guide to True Trust I stared at the message from Okane-san displayed on my phone, feeling a faint sense of unease as I typed out my reply. “What does it mean to build trust with yourself? Isn’t trust all about believing in others?” “That’s a natural way to think about it. Trusting others is indeed an essential part of trust. But, true trust begins with your relationship with yourself.” With myself? That phrase left me puzzled, prompting me to send another message. “What do you mean by starting with yourself???” “Yes, with yourself. If you can’t trust yourself, it’s […]
