English Translation follows Japanese

若い頃の私は、喜怒哀楽の激しい人間だった。そんな私が社会人になり、幸運にも（あるいは試練として）早くにリーダーの役割を任されることになった。

「真面目に、きちんと仕事をしなければならない」

当時の私は、そんな強い気負いに囚われていた。今振り返れば、完全に「リーダーのあるべき姿」を勘違いしていたのだと思う。当時の私が定義した真面目さとは、厳格であること。時には感情を露わにして部下を叱ることすら、リーダーの義務だと信じ込んでいた。そうして張り詰めた日々を送るうちに、私の顔からはいつしか「笑い」が消え去っていた。それが周囲にどれほどの圧迫感を与えていたか。のちに猛省することになる、私の大きな失敗談である。

笑いがもたらした確信

そんな頑なだった私の価値観を変えたのは、ある程度年齢を重ねてから出会った、医学的な事実だった。「笑いは脳内にエンドルフィンなどの快楽物質を分泌させ、ストレスを軽減し、幸福感をもたらす」というメカニズムである。

最初は半信半疑だった。しかし、試しに少し意識して口角を上げ、笑ってみることにした。すると、驚くべき変化が起きた。私が笑うと、周囲の人たちも自然と笑顔になり、どんな難題に直面しても「お互いに協力し合おう」という温かい空気が生まれ始めたのだ。

笑いがもたらすポジティブな影響は、自分自身のモチベーション向上だけに留まらない。チームのエンゲージメントを劇的に高め、結果として離職率の低下にまで繋がった。これは単なる「気がする」というレベルの話ではなく、今では私の揺るぎない「確信」となっている。

入社式での「馬鹿げた」挑戦

この確信を形にしたのが、ある年の新入社員入社式での試みだった。私は意図的に、式次第の中に「笑いヨガ」を取り入れたのだ。

緊張の面持ちで座る新卒生たちに、私は呼びかけた。「みんな立って、まずはリクルートスーツのジャケットを脱いでください」。ざわつく会場。そこで私はお手本を見せる。「はっは、わはっは、はっは、わっはは！」

何が始まったのかと、最初は戸惑い、遠慮がちに付いてくる新卒たち。しかし、大声を出し、体を動かすうちに、徐々に全員の息が合ってくる。最後は全員で「やった、やった、いぇーい！」を復唱した。

「入社式でこんなことするの？」

たった5分ほどの「ヨガ」だったが、新卒たちの顔には、緊張が解けたあとの、なんとも言えない清々しい笑みがこぼれていた。客観的に見れば、大の大人が集まって突拍子もない大声を出す「馬鹿げたこと」かもしれない。しかし、私の狙いはそこにあった。入社式の緊張を和らげ、「人間、幸せだから笑うのではない。笑うから幸せになるのだ」という事実を体感してもらい、最高のポジティブなスタートを切ってほしかったのだ。

恥ずかしさの壁を乗り越えたとき、一見「馬鹿げたこと」に見える行動は、組織を救う大きな意味を持つ。そのためには、リーダーが常にエキサイティングな仕掛け、つまりワクワクすることを考え続ける癖を持つこと、そして、ちょっとばかりの「恥を捨てる勇気」を持つことが大切なのだと思う。

「頑張る」を手放し、今を楽しむ

仕事に限らず、人生には予期せぬ苦難が何度も訪れる。しかし、どんなに長く暗いトンネルであっても、必ず出口は存在する。出口に立ち、振り返ったとき、そこには苦難を乗り越えて一回り大きくなった未来の自分がいるはずだ。

私はその未来の自分を信じている。だからこそ、苦難をそのまま顔に出してどんよりと過ごすのではなく、ちょっとした工夫を凝らして、あえて笑ってみるのだ。

よく周囲は、苦境にある人に対して「頑張れ」と励ます。しかし、私はこの「頑張る」という言葉があまり好きではない。どこか自分の限界を超えて、歯を食いしばる悲壮感を連想させてしまうからだ。

もちろん、オリンピック選手が金メダルを目指して限界に挑戦し、歯を食いしばる姿は文句なしに美しい。しかし、会社という組織の中で戦う私たちは、そこまで悲壮になる必要はないのではないか。むしろ「頑張る」ことよりも、その時々の状況をいかに「楽しむか」を意識するほうが、ずっと健全で強い。

過度に頑張りすぎるのをやめよう。苦難の先には必ず光があると信じ、そして「今」を楽しみ、笑いと共に過ごすこと。それこそが、自分自身のエンジンを回し、周囲をポジティブに巻き込み、組織全体を明るく照らす究極の秘訣である。

これこそが、豊かな人生を築いていくための、心の「笑いヨガ」なのだ。

「頑張るな、楽しめ、そして笑え！」

English Translation by AI

When I was young, I was a person of intense emotions. After entering the workforce, I was fortunate enough (or perhaps as a trial) to be entrusted with a leadership role at an early stage in my career.

"I must work seriously and properly."

Back then, I was trapped by such a strong sense of eagerness. Looking back now, I think I completely misunderstood what a leader "should be." The seriousness I defined at the time meant being rigid and strict. I even firmly believed that it was a leader's duty to scold subordinates, sometimes letting my raw emotions show. As I spent my days in such a tense state, before I knew it, "laughter" had completely vanished from my face. I would only realize much later, with deep self-reflection, just how much of a sense of pressure and suffocation this inflicted on those around me. This stands as a major failure of mine.

The Conviction Brought by Laughter

What changed my stubborn values was a medical fact I encountered after I had gained some years and experience. It was the mechanism that "laughing secretes pleasure substances such as endorphins in the brain, reduces stress, and brings about a sense of happiness."

At first, I was half-doubtful. However, as an experiment, I decided to consciously raise the corners of my mouth and try to laugh. When I did, an astonishing change occurred. When I laughed, the people around me naturally began to smile as well, and a warm atmosphere of "let's cooperate with each other" began to emerge, no matter what difficult problem we faced.

The positive impact of laughter does not stop at just improving my own motivation. It dramatically increased the team's engagement, and as a result, even led to a decrease in the turnover rate. This is not just a matter of "feeling" that way; it has now become my unwavering "conviction."

A "Foolish" Challenge at the Initiation Ceremony

I put this conviction into practice through an initiative at a certain year's initiation ceremony for new employees. I intentionally incorporated "Laughter Yoga" into the ceremony's program.

To the new graduates sitting with tense expressions, I called out, "Everyone, please stand up and first take off your recruitment suit jackets." The venue buzzed with unease. There, I showed them an example: "Ha-ha, wa-ha-ha, ha-ha, wa-ha-ha!"

Perplexed by what had started, the new graduates initially followed along hesitantly. However, as they raised their voices and moved their bodies, everyone's breathing gradually came into sync. At the end, everyone repeated together, "We did it, we did it, Hooray!"

"Do they really do this kind of thing at an initiation ceremony?"

It was a session of "yoga" lasting only about five minutes, but on the faces of the new graduates, an indescribable, refreshing smile spilled out after their tension had melted away. Looked at objectively, it might seem like a "foolish thing" --a group of grown adults gathering to make sudden, outrageous noises. However, that was precisely my aim. I wanted to ease the tension of the initiation ceremony, have them experience the fact that "humans do not laugh because they are happy; they become happy because they laugh," and have them get off to the best, most positive start possible.

When you overcome the wall of embarrassment, an action that looks "foolish" at first glance can carry a grand meaning that saves an organization. To achieve this, I believe it is crucial for a leader to have the habit of constantly thinking of exciting setups --in other words, things that bring a thrill of anticipation-- and to possess a little bit of the "courage to cast aside shame."

Let Go of "Working Too Hard" and Enjoy the Present

Not limited to work, unexpected hardships visit us many times in life. However, no matter how long and dark a tunnel may be, an exit always exists. When you stand at the exit and look back, the future version of yourself, who grew a size larger by overcoming that hardship, should be standing there.

I believe in that future version of myself. That is exactly why, instead of spending time gloomily with hardship showing directly on my face, I apply a little ingenuity and dare to try and laugh.

People around often encourage those in difficult situations by saying, "Ganbare" (Work hard / Hang in there). However, I do not really like this phrase "working hard." This is because it somehow evokes a tragic sense of gritting one's teeth and pushing past one's own limits.

Of course, the sight of Olympic athletes gritting their teeth as they challenge their limits aiming for a gold medal is undeniably beautiful. However, for those of us fighting within the organization of a company, is it really necessary to become that tragic? Rather than "working hard," being conscious of how to "enjoy" the situation at any given time is far healthier and stronger.

Let us stop working excessively hard. Believe that there is always light beyond hardship, enjoy the "now," and spend your time along with laughter. That itself is the ultimate secret to spinning your own engine, involving those around you in a positive way, and brightly illuminating the entire organization.

This is precisely the "Laughter Yoga" of the heart for building a rich and fruitful life.

"Do Not Just Work Hard, Enjoy, and Laugh!"

2026