181. K2X in Full Blaze

Good morning. This is K2X. Well, K2X—life is still ahead of us. This is where things really begin. I’d like to talk about how we’re still going to keep going, keep pushing forward. Last time as well, I was inspired by certain players, and yes, I’m feeling fired up—feeling that intensity. K2X wasn’t always like this, not always burning with that energy. But that’s okay—after all, that’s just hindsight. Take Shiogai, for example. He’s an incredible player. He may score in this World Cup, he might move to a big club, maybe even become Japan’s ace striker. Of course, there are many rivals, so we don’t know what will happen. But I believe he’ll achieve results like that. Still, what matters is that now is good. When you’re burning with intensity, that “gira-gira” energy—that’s actually what shines. That intensity becomes brilliance. So is this feeling rivalry? Or inspiration? Either way, right now, he’s burning with intensity. K2X wasn’t always like that. Which means that when I wasn’t burning, I wasn’t truly celebrating the moment. But now, I can learn from someone much younger—even about ten years younger than my own children—and feel that intensity again. And when that happens, all those painful times in the past, those “losses” if you think in business terms, start to feel like investments. Maybe I can even recover all of it at once. Because those painful moments aren’t “now” anymore. They were painful back then, sure—but they’re not happening now. So what do we do? We become a legendary hero—K2X, like a legend at Dentsu. (Well, it can be anything really.) . However, it’s not enough to simply say “it’s fine as long as you’re passionate.” No—you have to believe: I will be the one. Not someone else—I will do it. That level of conviction—that’s what matters. That burning intensity—that’s what’s good. And then, there’s Nagatomo. He’s incredible. I heard this through Leoza’s commentary—he doesn’t think he was selected as a “legend slot.” Even with younger players coming in, he feels like he might be pushed out, even gets nervous about it. I can relate to that too. Sometimes I get too intense, too passionate, and end up standing out too much. Then I feel a bit down, thinking maybe I overdid it. People sometimes ask me, “What’s wrong lately?” And I joke, “Well, people looked at me strangely, so I toned it down.” But honestly, it’s fine to stay passionate—no matter what others think. That kind of intensity is essential in teams like the national squad. As Leoza also said, that kind of presence raises the overall level of the team. It’s not about being talented and saying, “I’m naturally good so I don’t need to train.” Instead, when skilled players chase the ball desperately, it creates a culture where everyone feels they must push themselves further. Only those kinds of players make it. Being talented alone is not enough. Even effort alone is not enough. You need both—and the will to keep pushing further. And since it’s a team, everyone must move in the same direction. Those are the kinds of people who get chosen. This is something we can all learn from. Well, I’ve been talking quite a bit, and there isn’t much structure to this. But what we need is that burning intensity. If you don’t have it, you can’t truly celebrate the moment. People say, “As long as you’re happy now, it’s fine.” But it’s only when you strive—when you push yourself—that you can experience that kind of fulfillment. And what you’re passionate about—what excites you—if it becomes predictable or guaranteed, it becomes boring. If there were a guaranteed way to become a World Cup player and score goals, it wouldn’t be interesting. It’s exciting precisely because you don’t know whether you’ll succeed. That uncertainty—that’s what creates that sense of excitement. So when people say there’s no “definitive answer,” that’s what it means. There’s no guarantee that things will work out. Still, we chase that burning intensity. We chase something like a “definitive answer,” even though we know it might not exist. And maybe if we actually found it, things would become boring—so perhaps that’s why we never do. But instead of becoming cynical and saying “it doesn’t exist,” we should believe: I will find it. I will go toward that intensity. That’s what it means to be the legendary hero—K2X. Well, this has been quite a heated and somewhat unstructured talk. Later, I’ll reflect on this and think about what this talk really meant. When I listened back to my previous talk—“lifelong learning, lifelong K2X”—I found myself thinking, “Ah, I see.” It’s funny how what I said just a few days earlier can teach me something new. So I keep learning by reflecting. It’s the same as sports training. We don’t know the correct answer, but we train our mind, body, and thinking. And with that intensity, I want to truly celebrate this very moment. Thank you very much. And until next time.