Returning to the Source

The new year has begun.

A phrase I saw on social media at the start of this year surprised me for a moment—it was the very core message I have cherished and wanted to place at the heart of my work.

"The plain fact is that the planet does not need more successful people. But it does desperately need more peacemakers, healers, restorers, storytellers, and lovers of every kind."

I first encountered this phrase on social media, and when I saw it, I felt a spark of electricity course through me. It was as if words I had long struggled to articulate had suddenly materialised before my eyes. That moment was about a year and a half ago, maybe longer.

Curious about its origins, I tried to trace the author of the phrase but couldn’t find a definitive answer. Some attributed it to the Dalai Lama or other prominent figures, while others claimed its origins were unknown.

At the time, I printed the phrase on the back of my business cards, adding the note "Source unknown" beneath it.

A while later, I made another attempt to uncover the phrase’s origins. This time, I found a reference to a scholar in the U.S. and a book in which the phrase was supposedly written. Excited, I ordered a secondhand copy from the U.S. It took about a month to arrive.

However, when the book finally arrived, I couldn’t find the phrase anywhere. I combed through the book multiple times, but the shining words I held dear were nowhere to be found. And so, "Source unknown" remained on my business card.

Last summer, I decided to try searching for the phrase again. This time, I found a reference to another book by the same scholar. It struck me how search results can vary depending on timing, methods, and persistence.

Even so, I hesitated to order the book, wary of wasting money and effort if it turned out the phrase wasn’t there either. Instead, I updated my business cards, attributing the phrase to the scholar’s name, as both attempts had pointed to him as the author.

This year, when I saw the phrase again on social media, it reignited my desire to find that second book. Seizing the moment, I resumed my search.

To my surprise, the book was easily found this time and was even available as an eBook. Delighted, I purchased it immediately, knowing I could verify the phrase’s presence within moments.

This is the title and the author of the book - Earth in Mind: On Education, Environment, and the Human Prospect - by David W. Orr.

What a marvel of modern technology! Within a minute of downloading the eBook, I found the phrase I had cherished for so long. Relief washed over me—or perhaps, a sense of reassurance is a better description.

Encouraged, I checked an audiobook subscription service where I could listen to one book a month. To my delight, the audiobook version of the same book was available there too.

Interestingly, just the day before, I had purchased an additional set of audiobook credits to listen to a different book. This meant I could immediately acquire the audiobook containing my core message without hesitation.

That same day, during my first walk of the year, I listened to the audiobook. When the narrator read the cherished phrase aloud, I was deeply moved. It became clear that seeing the phrase on social media at the start of the year wasn’t a coincidence after all.

During that walk, another thought came to me: This year, I want to support peacebuilders, healers, storytellers, and all those who spread love in various forms.

There are countless "how-to" courses out there: "How to Become X," "How to Succeed as Y," and so on. I’ve taken some of these courses myself in my younger years. Yet, in hindsight, not all of them truly nourished me.

What stayed with me were not step-by-step guides but the speeches of people I admired, a serendipitous newspaper article, a passage from a book, or an offhand remark from a teacher. These moments reminded me of what I value, who I want to be, how I wish to contribute to the world, and the pathways through which I want to engage with it.

Listening to that audiobook reinforced my desire to help clients reconnect with the visions and missions they hold deep within themselves. That’s the kind of coach and facilitator I aspire to be.

Are you a peacebuilder, healer, storyteller, or someone who spreads love in your own unique way?

To me, these definitions are incredibly broad. They encompass parents navigating the challenges of raising children, teachers shaping young minds, volunteers strengthening community ties, and expatriates seeking meaningful ways to contribute to society.

I hope our paths cross, allowing me to support you in your journey.

[While the article has been translated from the original Japanese into English with the help of AI, its message, energy, and nuances have been carefully preserved.]