After countless hours of watching anime while smoking and snacking, I did what any adult would do. I thought, “God, is this really my life? What a loser.” *skips intro on next episode*

Anime Swordsman: **Casually puts his sword back in its case **

His enemy: pic.twitter.com/BHrlfylVBq

— Anime (@LetsWeeb) December 4, 2019

However, I can’t be ashamed of loving anime for telling a different kind of story. Sure, the main character never dies and receives reoccuring near-death beatings but somehow always comes back to life and beats the seemingly invincible enemy who is somehow 10x weaker than before but the lessons don’t lie within the battles. It starts when the main characters’ family gets killed by an assassin who deems the main character a small fry and spares their life only for the main character to use the ordeal as fuel for revenge. The following thousands of episodes find the protagonist chasing vengeance and trying to find a way to get back at the assassin, learning valuable lessons along the way.

The more I’ve watched these stories, the more I find myself randomly applying principles I’ve learned in anime to my daily life. For example, my anxiety makes it so easy for my mind to get cloudy and prevent me from acting normal but as long as I have Tanjiro’s voice in my head reminding me to breathe, I’m okay. There’s much more to learn from anime but these are the key principles I applied that have made me a better person.

WORK HARD, TRAIN HARDER

From small fry to big boss, animes never skip the steps taken by their characters to reach their ultimate potential. Nor do they view their disadvantages as discouragement but rather as a reason to work harder. Take Rock Lee for example. Naruto’s manga artist Masashi Kishimoto originally designed Rock Lee to symbolize human weakness but he’s one of the most inspiring characters from the show. Unlike the rest of the ninjas, Rock Lee is unable to use most ninja techniques, which presents an enormous disadvantage. He’s often mocked for having “no skill” and as a result, he dedicates his time mastering taijutsu, a combat technique similar to martial arts, to overcome his shortcomings. Rock Lee represents getting dealt a bad hand but working with what you have to reach your goals.   

REMEMBER TO BREATHE

The goal of mediation is to expand your mind by integrating your self-awareness with the nature and environment around you. It’s said that meditation is a key element in many traditional martial arts, so it’s a no-brainer why Demon Slayer places such an importance on the practice of breathing. Total concentration breathing is a breathing technique that enhances the user’s capabilities beyond that of normal humans. The show has left many wondering if total concentration breathing can expand our capabilities in real life and the truth is, it can. Protagonist Tanjiro Kamado spends his time perfecting these breathing techniques day and night, even when he sleeps. I’ve applied this practice in my day-to-day by reminding myself to breathe profoundly whether I’m driving, working, or trying to go to sleep. The art of mediation isn’t to think nothing, it’s to get your body and mind in tune with one another. If my mind is concentrating on breathing, my mind and body are much more focused and in tune. Have Tanjiro’s voice remind you to breathe and keep that momentum going. 

BREAK THE CYCLE

This is probably my favorite scene and lesson from Naruto that has led me to truly forgive and move on from negative situations I held onto longer than I should have. There will never be peace in an everlasting cycle of hatred. In a situation where two hurt people seek revenge to make their hurt “right,” who wins the right? Pain is introduced to the show as a villain who terrorizes Naruto’s village. Naruto, angry about the treatment toward his village and friends, seeks revenge. “You and I seek the same thing,” Pain tells Naruto. It’s a losing game. Pain is introduced as a villain but can also be seen as a hero in the eyes of his late family. The only way to do right is to break the cycle of hatred. Breaking the cycle is not a fight between you and the person who harmed you, it’s a fight between you and your pride. Can you forgive and let things go or will you continue the cycle?

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF (and your homies)

One Piece’s Luffy has a thick layer of protection around his dreams and so should you. Luffy’s bold claim that he will become King of the Pirates is almost laughable. In fact, plenty of characters did laugh in disbelief but it didn’t take away from his dream or his pursuit to achieve it. He believed in himself AND he believed in his friends. When Zoro tells Luffy that he wants to be the best swordsman in the world, he doesn’t realize that he already is in Luffy’s eyes. He doesn’t care that they’re headed towards a devastating ship-breaking storm because he believes that Nami is the best navigator in the world. Being the person you want to see in the world all starts with a strong belief. This is energy you should surround yourself and friends with at all times. 

TRUST YOUR OWN TIMING

In this day and age, it’s so easy to go into an app and compare your life with the people you see on social media but it’s the worst thing you can do. Social media hardly shows behind the scenes or the gritty path taken for the final steps of achievement. A brand can claim that they’re a small, independent business, all while hiding the immense amount of resources they started with. Similarly, a brand can be booming and reaching the top rungs of the ladder without showing the nights where top ramen was breakfast, lunch, and dinner. [For example, according to his book This Is Not a T-Shirt, Bobby Hundreds used to crush Spam while he was building The Hundreds]. The truth of the matter is, people only post the good things on social media they want everyone to see because no one wants to brag about the days when there was nothing. It’s never too late to chase after your dream and never too early to start. Trust the process, forever and always. 

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