Abandon Comfort, Become an Alien

I recently realized that what feels comfortable can be deeply uncomfortable, and that within discomfort lies a strange kind of comfort. Huh? Did I confuse you? Let me explain.

Not long ago, I quit a job I was very satisfied with and started an advertising company in a "new country." Since I'd never done anything like this before, people were bound to say, "That's not like you." But in the end, I went ahead and did it.

From Hong Kong to Shanghai—I'd arrived in this new world, yet I couldn't speak a word of Mandarin. It was a strange place, and I felt like an alien. I didn't like that feeling. I instantly felt uncomfortable. It took me no time at all to realize I knew nothing here. Everything I'd learned before was utterly useless. The magic bag of creativity I'd always relied on was now just a bag of junk.

Cornered at the last minute, I smiled.

Stepping out of my comfort zone meant becoming more creative than ever before. Everything I saw and heard was new. Everything was different. Problems I thought I knew the answers to demanded new solutions. I knew nothing about this land or the people living here. The unknown things and people stimulated my brain cells, fueling me with energy. Creative energy.

When I first started this job, I endlessly criticized the staff about ideas and how things were done. I couldn't understand why they didn't get it. Eventually, I started questioning myself. Was the reason we couldn't understand each other because of me, or because of the staff? I now realize the cause was me. I didn't understand their way of being creative. I couldn't accept it because it was different from what I was used to. But isn't it just a different way of exploring? Now, I don't try to forcefully correct their creativity. I try to adjust my own creativity instead.

I came to realize that if you just relax in your comfortable home every day, work happily in the office, and only spend time with people you understand, you lose what's truly important and necessary for yourself. Who would have imagined that feeling uncomfortable could be such a good thing? It's like testing your spirit in an obstacle course. Even if you get covered in scrapes and bruises, you can be forged and progress by breaking through the obstacles and finding the exit.

To my fellow aliens who abandoned comfort—long live!

(Supervised by: Dentsu Inc. Global Business Center)

Illustration: Seigo