The title of today’s speech is about magic, and how to find success by using magic. I am very sorry but there is no magic to finding success or to be successful.

The first thing we should talk about is “What is Success?” And also, “Who can decide what is the meaning of the word – success?”

That is a difficult question. Success is something that has many meanings or feelings. Maybe if you get 100 points on a test you think, “Yes, aha! This is success”. But maybe your friend gets 75 points on the test and she says, “Oh yes, this is real success.”

Who is correct?

Maybe the truth is that success is a “case by case” idea. You think 100 points is success and your friend thinks that 75 points is success. You might think that getting Eiken Grade 2 is success but your friend thinks Eiken Grade 1 is success. You might think that becoming very rich in the future is success but your friend thinks that being a happy artist is success.

There seems to be no single rule about this question.

But one thing that is the same for everyone is that we need a feeling of satisfaction in our actions to feel “success”. We all work hard and try hard and study hard and if the result is something that gives us a satisfactory feeling, maybe that is something we can call “success”.

Being happy in your life is something that is not easy, and we need to find good ways to keep a positive feeling.

Some experts say that staying away from social media is a good idea. Do not compare your life to other people. Do not think that Instagram or TikTok is a real place. They are not real. They are only pictures on your cell phone. I don’t think we can understand human satisfaction and success through social media.

Experts also say that keeping a healthy body and mind are important to find your success. This makes good sense and seems very reasonable. Walk out in nature, get good sleep, eat good food, read good books, and talk with good people. All of these things are necessary for a starting line for success.

And then we also learn from experts that there is a method to develop success. They call this “SMART GOALS”.

Smart goals uses the letters, S.M.A.R. and T. It spells the word, “smart”. And this word “smart” means to have a good brain and intelligence. It is not about your body shape.

The S is for “specific”. We should have very clear ideas about what we want to do.
The M is for “measurable”. We should find a good way to see the progress in small steps.
The A is for “achievable”. The goals are things that we can really do.
The R is for “relevant”. This means we think about how the plan is connected to your life today.
The T is for “timing”. We should decide the time to start and to move forward.

Your time here at Otemae is a very important time for you to develop good healthy skills, and to think about what you want for your personal success. Remember that your life is your own life and you can choose how you want to live.

But you also must push hard moving forward to get your success and to find your satisfaction. Remember also, that here at Otemae you have many friends, and teachers, and staff who are cheering for you, and who want to see you find happiness, and great success for the future.