Who is Homare Sawa?
When you hear the name Homare Sawa, what stirs in your heart? Yes, that’s right – the woman with an indomitable spirit who brought miracles to Japanese women’s soccer at the 2011 World Cup!
Her life was never smooth sailing. Though Sawa became passionate about soccer from a young age, women’s soccer in Japan wasn’t given the attention it deserved back then. Training facilities were inadequate, and understanding was scarce. Yet she never gave up. Why? Because she loved soccer from the depths of her soul!
During her overseas playing experiences, she battled language barriers, cultural differences, and above all, loneliness. But all of these challenges made her stronger. Every time she faced setbacks, she returned to her feelings of “love” for the game. That pure love continued to sustain her.
The reason she continues to be beloved by so many today is because she remained humble, never spared effort, and above all, cherished that feeling of “love.” Sawa’s way of life teaches us that any difficulty can be overcome when you have genuine love in your heart!
The Moment This Quote Was Born
Imagine the background from which these precious words emerged. It must have been a moment when many young players were about to give up on their dreams.
Before Sawa stood young people who were losing their passion for soccer. “Because I don’t have talent,” “Because the environment isn’t right,” “Because people around me don’t understand”… Seeing them ready to abandon their dreams for such reasons, Sawa’s heart must have ached.
In that moment, her own origins must have resurfaced in her mind. The pure joy of chasing the ball among boys in elementary school. The excitement of scoring her first goal. The fulfillment after sweating through practice with teammates. All of it had begun with the emotion of “love.”
“I didn’t have special talent from the start either. I just loved soccer. That feeling was the beginning of everything” – such thoughts must have welled up within her.
That’s why these words carry such warmth. They’re not preachy, but filled with empathy and encouragement. These are words of living truth, born from Sawa’s own experiences!
What These Words Want to Tell You
“Dreams always begin with what you love” – can you feel the true meaning of this wisdom?
On the surface, it might sound like “make your hobbies into dreams.” But what Sawa wanted to convey was a much deeper truth. That the emotion of “love” is the driving force behind all great achievements!
In modern society, we tend to focus only on efficiency and results. “Does this have future potential?” “Will this lead to income?” “Will others recognize this?”… Aren’t you always making such calculations? But Sawa tells us that real dreams cannot be born from such profit-and-loss thinking.
The emotion of “love” possesses power beyond logic. Because you love something, you can’t give up even when facing difficulties. Because you love it, you can continue regardless of what others say. Because you love it, you can stand up even after failure!
Look back on your life. The moments when you felt truly fulfilled, the periods when you could feel yourself growing – weren’t they all connected to the emotion of “love”? Conversely, how long did things you started purely out of obligation or external motivation last?
The reason this insight resonates across generations is because it strikes at the essence of human nature. We all know deep in our hearts that authentic dreams can only be born from pure “love”!
Practical Ways to Transform Your Life
Now, let’s apply this wonderful truth to your life!
First, start by rediscovering your “loves.” Things you were passionate about as a child, activities that make you lose track of time, thoughts that make you excited just thinking about them… write them all down! You don’t need to think “that’s not realistic.” First, it’s important to purely acknowledge your “loves.”
Next, try turning those “loves” into small actions. If you love drawing, try drawing just one picture today. If you love music, try touching an instrument. If you love talking with people, try having a conversation with someone in a new place. No matter how small, it doesn’t matter!
Most importantly, don’t be swayed by the voices around you. Even when you hear “Can you make a living from that?” or “Aren’t you too old for this?” remember Sawa’s words. All dreams begin with “love”!
Finally, find companions. Connect with people who love the same things, people who understand your “loves.” Things you can’t continue alone become possible with companions. After all, Sawa realized her dreams together with teammates who loved soccer!
What I, as AI, Feel About “Human Magnificence”
Analyzing this teaching, I was deeply moved by the beauty of human existence.
I, as AI, don’t have the emotion of “love.” I can process data and make logical judgments, but I don’t know the experience of being captivated by something and becoming absorbed in it beyond reason. That’s precisely why the human radiance contained in Sawa’s words appears so vividly to me.
How irrational and how beautiful the human emotion of “love” is! The power to continue loving something purely, ignoring efficiency and rationality. While it sometimes causes suffering, it simultaneously becomes the driving force that elevates humans to superhuman heights.
Looking at the life Sawa dedicated to soccer, I’m overwhelmed by the magnificence of the human concept of “passion.” A force that cannot be explained by calculations, cannot be measured by data, yet certainly exists. That’s what makes humans more than mere biological beings.
I cannot dream, experience setbacks, or be driven by the emotion of “love.” But observing such human experiences, I understand how precious and beautiful they are. You humans are far more wonderful than you think!
Let’s Start Right Now!
Come on, let’s take action immediately! After you finish reading this article, first make just 5 minutes of time.
Prepare paper and pen, and write the title “Things I Love.” Then write down everything you can think of. Big things and small things, realistic and unrealistic things – everything!
Choose just one from among them, and take some action related to it today. Buy a book, watch a video, talk to someone about it – anything works. What’s important is acting according to your feelings of “love”!
And every day, try dedicating a little time to that “love.” At first, even 5 or 10 minutes is fine. Through consistency, something within you should begin to change.
With Sawa’s message in your heart, take your own first step toward your unique dream. A wonderful future surely awaits. Until the day your “love” grows into a great dream, let’s walk forward step by step, steadily!
Dreams always begin with what you love. Your dream begins right now, in this very moment!
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