When I was little,
I really liked the movies "Star Wars"
because it teaches us that rather than just having a gift,
understanding how to use that gift to a high level
is essential to our lives.
In the movie "Star Wars," there is a character called Darth Vader.
He is the genius of all geniuses.
It was thought that he'd change the world.
However, he didn't realise deep down the existence of love flowing inside him
and turned to the dark side.
Meanwhile, his son Luke Skywalker was not as gifted as him.
But because Luke Skywalker truly understood how to use his gift,
he eventually defeated Darth Vader.
So what does this movie actually tell us?
Rather than just having a special gift,
being able to understand that gift to a high level
has more of a positive impact in life.
That's what I think the movie teaches us.
What makes that difference
is the awareness of love and deep emotions running inside of you.
One day, I came up with the hypothesis that humans possess three types of gift.
Then I wrote a book about it, and it became a bestseller.
The three types of gift are:
Number one is "creativity."
This is the ability to do things in an original and never before seen way.
Number two is "reproducibility."
This is the ability to do things using a logical and reliable process.
Number three is "empathy."
This is the ability to do things while considering other people's feelings.
So, among these three types of gift, which one do you think is your strongest?
In my opinion,
it doesn't matter what kind of gift you have
because what you use that gift for is by far the most important thing.
I'm sure of this.
In order to realise this,
I believe that it is crucial to be aware of love and emotions
that run inside of you.
When I was little, I was in poor health. I had asthma and atopic eczema,
so there were some days I could not go to school even though I wanted to.
There were many times when I felt frustrated.
But looking back at those times,
my father, mother and family supported me and raised me with unconditional love.
So it goes without saying now that I plan to return the favor to them
but I also plan to give back even more.
I'm confident that this is how I use my gift.
And how big of a favour could I return?
Well, that depends on the size of my gift.
I recognise that there is this kind of structure.
In other words, what is important
is that truly understanding your gift means being aware of the love
and emotions running deep inside of you.
That is always the start to understanding.
Haven't you all ever wondered?
Why is it that as artists and musicians
age and grow older and older,
they suddenly start singing about world peace and love?
They do, don't they?
When I was very little, I could not help wondering why,
but now I came to understand.
It is because at that time and age,
artists and musicians begin to understand
that they have these kind of emotions deep inside of themselves.
This is how I understand this.
When a person becomes aware of death,
it is said that it can change their view on their way of life or thinking.
Actually,
I think becoming aware of love has this same effect.
And the timing of this awareness varies. Some people are slow, some are quick.
Those who are slow to become aware may feel hatred and jealousy
up until the day before they die.
However, some could become aware in their teens or twenties.
Or because of the death of someone who was close to them,
some people may realise that they had these emotions deep down.
Or when people see their child for the first time,
when they see their face,
they may become aware that they have these kind of emotions.
So, the important thing is,
when and at what age you recognise
the deep feeling of love flowing inside of you.
And as I said just now, love is like death so this logic applies to death, too.
Why does facing death change how a person lives?
It is because they realise that life is not absolute
but is instead relative.
Therefore, death, love and having a gift are three elements in one unit
and are something very familiar and close to us.
The concept of being aware of death and being aware of love
are nearly equal and are the same as realising
how to use your gift and what your mission in life is.
I truly believe this.
I thought I would finish here today,
but since I came back to Kobe,
I would like to talk more specifically about three things
that I usually keep in the back of my mind such as how to use ones gift or ability.
I believe that the best way to use creativity
is to accept and portray people in a different way to others.
The fundamental role of a writer
is to portray love in a unique way and show it in a gracious manner.
Even though everyone says A,
it should be OK to depict A′ or B which are right next to A.
So if there were something that we could do today,
when we go home, it doesn't matter if it's just 30 seconds or one minute,
let's use that time for someone who is different to us
or for someone who has a different way of thinking to us.
My second point is reproducibility.
The best way of using reproducibility is to communicate background.
The world is overflowing with movies and dramas that have the same conclusion.
They're all the same.
They are always about love and hope being important.
If you think about it, they are all the same.
But writers use the technique of storytelling to portray love carefully.
And it is extremely hard work to create a story.
If there is no love in the subject, you can't write a story.
In other words, if there were something that we could do today,
we could go home, and for example, instead of saying the conclusion
such as "do your homework" or "do A" or "do B,"
consider the background,
why it's important or why it's significant in your life
and create a story.
This is the second point.
I think that the best way to use the third point, empathy,
is actually just by being happy.
I believe as people become more important, become leaders and become parents,
just being happy is the best way of using the gift of empathy.
I usually work as the manager of an IT company,
and I also would like you to imagine:
if your boss or leader were angry or in a bad mood,
that alone would be enough to stifle your potential.
Perhaps, if I say more, I would like you to remember
when you were in elementary school or in kindergarten and you went home,
and your father or mother were frustrated or in a foul mood,
just that made your heart sink, right?
In other words, I believe that as people become important and become leaders,
being happy is the best way of making the most of the gift of empathy.
Let's go back to the start.
The movie "Star Wars" was asking us this question:
Isn't it more important to understand how to use your gift to the next level
rather than just being really gifted?
I hope today's talk inspires you.
Thank you very much.
(Applause)