【Nic先生の英語ブログを読もう！】ーFind your priorities in life with English!

Hi everyone!

Wow, can you believe how far we’ve come? Recently, it’s really difficult to get a sense of time, isn’t it? What year is it? Is the year almost over, or has it only just started? It seems like we’ve been through and entire decade’s worth of events, but yet it feels like we’re just getting started. I feel as if I’ve lived 7 years in seven months, if not 70 years.

一歩下がって何が大切なのか見つめてみよう！

While the world is in upheaval, and countries around the world are dealing with a situation that is quite simply unprecedented in human history, it’s important to take a step back, and remember what is important.

I’ve noticed that I’ve become busier and busier lately, and this is often seen as ‘good’ in society. In fact, that’s the overwhelming response that I’ve got whenever I mention this. On the other hand, my parents, among countless others, find themselves in a different situation all of the sudden. After years working at breakneck speed, my dad’s law firm is finally cooling off, while the law firm my mom works for is thinking of downsizing. While she is indispensable to the firm, it will likely mean a reduction in her workload as well.

I would love to get your immediate impressions of this situation, but as I’m stuck in Canada, I can’t get it right now! Of course, you could get in touch with me on our Skype course to let me know! I would love to hear your opinions, and get some news from my true homeland!

Anyway, back to my family’s and my situation. As mentioned before, I’ve been working harder than ever lately, while my parents are freer than ever. Funny enough, our attitudes towards our separate predicaments are also the opposite; they lament the lack of work, while I keep thinking about what it’s all for! Of course, we’re both from different generations with different values. As you can imagine, this leads to plenty of arguments, but in this case, I tried to raise a point.

生きるために働く？働くために生きる？

As all my students know, I love my job, I love working, and I’m always happy to be busy. But, the longer I’ve been away from the things I love doing, namely, travelling, surfing, exploring, being with friends and loved ones, the more I’ve come to appreciate the whole notion of a work-life balance. To borrow an old adage about working, there are 2 ways of thinking when it comes to work

1. live to work
2. work to live

With those 2 options, I’m sure you can easily categorise my parents and I, as well as yourself and others in Japan. Which is the most important for you? Which of the 2 are you putting the most time and effort into? Do you work so that you can enjoy the time off? Or, is most of your time spent working, without actually living beyond the confines of your job?

決めるのは自分

The reason I bring this up is because you have the power to change everything. In fact, I used to fall into category 1 above. I used to be working 2 jobs at the same time, with a frankly atrocious schedule. Luckily, I realised the effect this was having on me. So, I made the leap and quit one of my jobs, and took the massive pay cut. But I realised what I wanted, and put myself 100% into Japan.

So, are you working to live, or living to work? If you’re just living to work, with nothing else, why not change it? English can help you, but that’s just one of the many, many options available. Just choose one that makes you happy! Let me know about your choice! Choose life :).

フルーツフルイングリッシュで英語表現の楽しさ感じてください 。初めての方には英作文添削チケット2回分をプレゼント。
「無料英語テスト800問（解説付）」メルマガも大人気。今すぐチェック！

Nic

日本の小中学校で英語を教えるALT講師Nic先生は非常にユーモラスな先生です。台湾でも英語を教えていました。どこでも適応できるのがNic先生が自慢ができること。「肉先生」と読んで欲しいとたまに呼びかけられるかもしれません。こんなコミカルで愉快なNic先生から楽しく英語指導を受けませんか？
座右の名”The grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love and something to hope for.”