The Most Important Life Lesson of All | ALSO Sneak Peek Clip of New Video |

I realised the other day, so much of the luck or success I’ve had over the last few years can be attributed to me saying “Yes” to things I was initially reluctant to do.

The expression, “You make your own luck” is often trumpeted by smug billionaires the world over as underpinning their success - but I have to say, it’s a remark that has some degree of truth to it.

Because when you choose to sit inside, you’re losing opportunities to meet people and network, you’re missing the chance to break from routine, and you’re missing experiences that could lead to adventures.

I only met Ryotaro because I agreed to go to an Entrepreneur event in Yamagata city one weekend at the insistence of my good friend Yuki. I was tempted to just say “nah” and sit inside my apartment relaxing on a sofa over the weekend.

However, I eventually said yes, the third time the event was run, as by that point I was starting to feel like a dick for turning down his invitations so frequently. (If you do this too often, ultimately your friends will give up on inviting you to things).

So I agreed to go to his “Start Up Weekend” event, where you have to make up a fake business and pitch it to the other participants to see who has the best ideas.

Unsurprisingly, a lot of the people at the event were entrepreneurially minded “yes” people, and one of them was one of the biggest venture capitalists in Sendai.

He invited me to a dinner party in Sendai, which was attended by the “movers and shakers” of Sendai city.

(God I hate the phrase movers and shakers. Let’s never use it again).

At first I thought, “A 3 hour car ride for a meal? That’s a lot of effort.” But nevertheless, I figured I’d regret not going and I had nothing to lose (except money on the extortionate road tolls).

My efforts were rewarded at the dinner, when I met some of Sendai’s best connected entrepreneurs - one of whom turned out to be Risottoro.

And for about two years now, credit where it’s due, Ryotaro’s been pushing me to adopt his “Yes man” attitude to life, by getting out and doing things.

For example, one of those things he’s insisted we do for two years is make a video on Drift Racing at Japan’s biggest drift racing track in Fukushima.

And throughout those two years, my response has always been the same.

“Nah.”

Firstly, despite feeling happiest when I’m behind the wheel, I’ve never been into racing. I remember being a kid watching Formula One and thinking, “Wow they’re going so fast!! And yet, this is so spectacularly boring.”

Secondly, I was always reluctant to film a video on drifting, as it’s a niche topic, and one that I suspect many viewers wouldn’t be interested to watch.

Nevertheless, a few weeks ago, I finally caved in and drove 2 hours south of Sendai, to the mountains of Fukushima to the Mecca of drift racing, that is Ebisu Circuit.

It blew me away. 

- Almost literally, given I nearly went out the window at one point.

In fact, it was so bloody spectacular, that by the end of the trip, I came away beating myself up about being so dismissive of it all for so long.

(Though to be fair, on the surface, it did seem like yet another attempt by Ryotaro to have me killed - which may explain some of that initial reluctance).

You can get a taste for how well it turned out, just from the opening 40 seconds of the video:
► Watch: https://youtu.be/1mgBoxfS7Ss

But it reminded me of how time and again, I’ve been close-minded to doing something, only to eventually say “yes” and have my life changed for the better. A life filled with less regrets.

Hell, I almost turned down the idea of the Hyde documentary initially , thinking it wouldn’t work! An opportunity to meet a Japanese rock god nearly turned down, because I almost said “nah”!

So just be careful what you say no to; every time you choose to stay at home, or turn down an invitation, you could be missing out on a person or an experience, that could make your life immeasurably better.

Jesus, that sounds like rare praise for Ryotaro…

Eurgh.
 

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A huge thanks to you all for your feedback so far on what you’d like to see in 2020! There’s already well over 250+ ideas for videos you’d like to see. If you still haven’t added in your thoughts, drop me a line below!

Abroad in Japan 2020 | Your Ideas & Stuff You’d Like to See
► https://forms.gle/SoUQTzhxH6M7p1f48
 

I’ve had a nasty cold this week (it’d better not be that damn Coronavirus that’s going around), so it’s been fun reading through them all while slumped in a chair.

For now guys, enjoy what’s left of Tuesday. 

- And don't get the damn Coronavirus.

Chris