Thank you for reading my blog.
I am sure many of you are thinking like this.
“I want to learn new skills.”
“I don’t have enough time or money.”
You wish you had more skills, money, and time to make a better living.
But in reality, time and money are limited.
So this time, I would like to talk about “subtraction Thinking”.
What exactly is “addition/subtraction” thinking?
Why is “subtraction” thinking important in life?
We hope you will find this information useful in order to lead a fulfilling life.
So let’s get started and check out the contents of this issue.
Please read it while comparing it with your own life and current situation.
What is “addition/subtraction” Thinking?
I’m sure many of you are wondering, “What is ‘addition’ thinking and ‘subtraction’ thinking, anyway?”
Let’s start by clarifying this question.
Addition Thinking
It is a way of thinking to add something to the current situation.
For example,
- Buy something.
- Start a new hobby.
- Start a new habit.
- Learn a new skill.
Subtraction Thinking
The idea is to try to reduce or cut back against the current situation.
For example,
- Throw things away.
- Stop your habits.
Most people use “addition thinking”
How about you all?
Think about your everyday self for a moment.
I think we usually think like this.
“I want that dress.”
“I want that appliance.”
“I want to learn a new skill.”
“I want to join a gym for my health.”
These are all ” addition thinking”?
We are trying to add new clothes, new appliances, new skills, or new habits to our current situation.
We are unconsciously trying to add more and more.
Be aware of “subtraction”
So, is it really enough to just “add”?
Of course, you should buy what you need, and it is very important to start new skills and habits that will benefit you.
But remember that everything is finite.
Time is finite: a day is 24 hours, a week is 7 days, a year is 365 days. And we all die someday.
Money is also finite. Unless you are a millionaire, you cannot spend money like hot water.
Space is also finite. You have a finite amount of space in your house or room.
What will happen if you “add up” your time, money, and space, all of which are finite, just because it is good?
You may not be able to devote time, money, or space to what is truly important.
By devoting time to learning new habits and skills, you may lose the good habits and studies you used to do.
Buying things may prevent you from saving money every month, or it may make your house full of stuff, making it a difficult space to live in.
It may be necessary to rethink our “add” lifestyles.
Good point about “subtraction thinking”
The good thing about “subtraction thinking” is, in a word, that it gives you more time.
By eliminating unnecessary habits, we have more time to spare.
And by not buying things, you have more money and space to spare.
You will be able to enjoy your time, money, and space.
When you have more time, you can spend your time more leisurely, have less anxiety, and feel more mentally stable.
You will feel more fulfilled on a daily basis.
Most people may think it is the other way around, but “subtraction thinking” can lead to mental enrichment.
And if we can balance “addition thinking” with that margin, our lives will be even richer.
For example, by giving up the habit of watching TV, you will have more time to spare.
You can use that time to get more sleep, or you can use “addition thinking” to enrich your time by starting a new hobby or habit, or spending time with friends.
I always think of puzzles when I think of this concept.
Right now, each of you is in the process of creating a puzzle in the name of your life.
It is a puzzle of beautiful scenery.
It is complete, but there may be some pieces that you don’t like. You can remove some of the pieces that you don’t like.
It is fine as it is, but you can remove some of the pieces that you don’t like.
You can leave the puzzle as it is, but by adding new pieces to the removed pieces, you can make an even more beautiful landscape puzzle.
A better way to put it would be to pick up trash and plant flowers on it.
To make a flower bloom, you must first get rid of the trash.
Get rid of what you don’t need in your life now.
This act will be the foundation for the blooming of a richer life than the one you have now.
–Postscript–
In this issue, I have told you about the importance of “subtraction thinking”, which we are not usually aware of.
As you all know, there is a saying, “Simple is the best”.
Don’t just think about adding, think about subtracting as well.
It is not easy to think of “subtraction” without thinking about it, so please try to do it consciously.
If you find yourself thinking “addition” a lot lately, try thinking “subtraction” and think about reducing.
I believe it is important to make careful selection and discard.
Thank you again for reading to the end of this article.
See you in my next post!
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