This diary entry was written on Monday, March 9, 2026. In it, I reflect on a powerful message I heard at a morning seminar for business leaders. The speaker shared a moving story about his difficult childhood and the words from his mother that changed his life: “You may take longer than others, but one day you will be able to do it.” Listening to his story made me reflect not only on the importance of encouragement and second chances in our society, but also on my own long journey of learning English. It reminded me to keep moving forward patiently, believing that each of us blooms in our own time.
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Monday, March 9, 2026
One Day, You Will Be Able to Do It
（いつかきっとできる）
Last Saturday, as usual, I attended a morning seminar for business leaders.
The speaker, a man in his late forties, runs an organization that supports children with disabilities and those who refuse to attend school. His group provides after-school and vacation programs for school-aged children, aiming to help them develop daily life skills and foster social interaction.
In addition, he operates a kodomo shokudo (children’s cafeteria)—a community-run space where children can enjoy affordable or free meals in a safe, supportive, and welcoming environment.
I’ve known him since January, and he has always struck me as a passionate, energetic, and cheerful individual. I was surprised to learn, however, that his childhood was not as smooth as one might imagine from seeing him today. He said he was physically frail as a child and frequently fell ill with high fevers. He also shared that he was often scolded by his mother, and because his father’s job required frequent transfers, he struggled to make close friends.
By the time he was in the lower grades of elementary school, he had begun to stop attending school. Soon he had trouble keeping up with his classes and began to fall far behind. The more his academic performance declined, the more often he stayed away from school. Not only did he struggle academically, but he was also not good at sports. In fact, he felt he was not good at anything. As a result, people around him labeled him “a hopeless child” or “a troublemaker.”
In his talk, titled “Because You Were There, I Am Who I Am Today” (Anata ga ita kara koso), he shared how he confronted these hardships, how he rebuilt himself, and how he now uses those experiences to support children.
I wondered what could have possibly turned things around for him. As it turns out, it was a single sentence from his mother.
When he was feeling depressed and convinced that he could do nothing right, his mother quietly said to him: “You may take longer than others, but one day you will be able to do it.”
Those words changed his life. The belief that “one day I will be able to do it” became the guiding principle of his life. Since then, he has tried to take on as many challenges as possible.
When he was in elementary school, he joined a softball team. However, many of his teammates did not give him a warm welcome. Instead, they looked at him coldly and whispered behind his back, saying things like, “He’ll never be able to play well,” or “He’ll only drag the team down.”
Even so, he kept his mother’s words in his heart and continued practicing despite his teammates’ cold attitudes, believing that one day he would be able to play well.
Gradually, his perseverance and persistent efforts won over his teammates, and eventually he earned a position as a regular player on the team.
He didn’t just work hard; he reminded himself of her words during the tough practices. Through this experience, he developed the grit to take on challenges that came his way and overcome them.
In Japan’s school system and culture, there is often strong pressure to be perfect and succeed. People grow up with the idea deeply imprinted in their minds that “you must be able to do things” and “you must not fail.” But through his mother’s words, he learned a lighter, more forgiving way of living:
“It’s okay if you can’t do it yet.”
“It’s okay to fail.”
“One day you will be able to do it.”
From that moment on, he recalls, he began to realize that there are many options in life. He also learned to see things from different perspectives, and his life became much richer.
Today, while supporting children with disabilities, helping children who refuse to attend school, and operating children’s cafeterias, he is passing on the words his mother once gave him.
“It’s okay. One day, you will be able to do it too.”
I felt that his message was very powerful and inspiring.
Listening to him, I found myself reflecting on our society—and on my own journey.
I believe it is essential to create a supportive environment in this country where people are given a second and even a third chance, so that they can take risks freely with peace of mind.
I truly believe that you don’t truly fail until you quit—and even if you quit, if you learn from the experience, it is not a failure. It is important to share this idea in our society so that people can move forward with positive attitudes.
Like his mother said, each person is different and has different talents. People bloom in their own time. I may take longer than others, but I want to let my flowers bloom in my own way. Even with my English studies—no matter how long it takes to reach my goals, I’ll remember that as long as I don’t quit, I haven’t failed. I will continue climbing the mountain.
