Sometimes a little change in perception is all you need. 

Now that the first month of the new year has passed, maybe now’s a good time to review those New Year’s resolutions. Did you give up on your goal of eating a pack of natto a day? Not having any luck giving up your Starbucks Japan addiction? If you’re not as on-track towards completing your goals as you’d like, whether they’re New Year’s resolutions or otherwise, don’t be discouraged. We’ve got an inspirational message to share with you, courtesy of Seibu and Sogo department stores.

Well, it might take a little bit to understand the inspirational part about it. The ad, which features a sumo wrestler standing in a power pose with a determined expression on his face, actually sounds kind of depressing at first. The text reads:

“Sudden comebacks can happen.
I don’t believe those words.
Miracles don’t exist.
But even so, people will say things without thinking, like,
Even small fighters can take on things bigger than themselves.
Change your thinking, and fight using everything you’ve got.
Now is the time to fight on.
But that kind of thinking is stupid.
It’s smart to quit a battle you know you can’t win.
I’m just being pushed into something I can’t achieve.
I’m driven to the edge, already backed into a corner.”

It sounds pretty depressing, until you read the small, red text underneath, telling you to read the lines again from bottom to top instead of top to bottom. When you do that, the words become instantly more inspirational:

“I’m driven to the edge, already backed into a corner.
I’m just being pushed into something I can’t achieve.
It’s smart to quit a battle you know you can’t win.
But that kind of thinking is stupid.
Now is the time to fight on.
Change your thinking, and fight using everything you’ve got.
Even small fighters can take on things bigger than themselves.
But even so, people will say things without thinking, like,
Miracles don’t exist.
I don’t believe those words.
Sudden comebacks can happen.”

With just a little change of perception, the whole meaning behind the message changes completely. And if you recognize the sumo wrestler featured in the ad, then you’ll understand the message even better. His name is Enhou Akira, and he is the smallest and lightest sumo fighter in the top division of the Grand Sumo Tournament, who has gone from being a nobody to beating the second-highest ranking sumo wrestler in Japan in the space of a year.

▼ There’s a video advertisement, too.

So take this as a lesson that, yes, it’s alright to be down once in a while, but there are possibilities in every disadvantage, and sudden comebacks can happen if you just look at things a little differently from before. If a relatively small sumo wrestler can take down someone two times his size, so, too, can you take down your goals!

Top image: YouTube/Seibu Sogo Channel
Insert images: PR Times, YouTube/Seibu Sogo Channel
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[ Read in Japanese ]