昨日の朝の英会話レッスンは、急遽、代行の先生に変更になりました。代行になるとわかった瞬間、また、はじめから自己紹介しなくてはいけないので、キャンセルしようかな…と一瞬よぎり、私の身体には、気が重いというリアルな反応が起きました。いつもの慣れ親しんだパターン（既知）へ逃げようとする反応です。
いったん瞑想してから考えることに。すると、「じゃあ、この25分を最高に充実させるには、どうしたらいい？」という問いが自然と湧いてきたのです。
「そうだ、先日書いた記事を英語に翻訳して、聴いてもらおう」とアイデアが湧いてきました。洗面台の上で、ChatGPTに日本語の記事を張り付け、「Medium用に英訳して」とプロンプトを入力。1分もしないうちに完成した英訳を、すぐさまMediumへアップロードしました。
ここまで、時間にしてわずか5分足らず。レッスン前のこの「ひと工夫」が、今日を充実させるためのちょっとした努力です。
そしていよいよ、画面の向こうにフィリピン人の女性の先生が現れました。……まったく笑っていません（笑）。でも発音がとても美しく、英語がスッと耳に届きます。
「よし、どこで笑顔を引き出せるかな？」と心の中で密かに作戦を練りながら、レッスンがスタートします。
「あなたについて教えてください」
「ライフコーチを20年、ブログを毎日書くことを22年続けています」
この自己紹介をするだけで、私の生き方がダイレクトに相手に伝わります。
「ブログにはどんなことを書いているの？」
「日々の生活のことと、ライフコーチとしての仕事のことです」
そう答えると、先生は「デイリーライフ（日常）」という言葉にとても興味を示し、ついにニッコリと笑顔に！まずは最初の作戦が成功しました（笑）。
そこから、私はこう提案しました。
「実は、英語の記事を用意してきたんです。今から読んでみるので、途中で詰まったり、発音が違ったりしたら助けてもらえますか？」
そうしてシェアして読んだのが、以下の記事です。ゴッホの生き方を綴りながら、そこに私自身の生き方も重ね合わせた、とても気に入っているピースです。
読み終えた瞬間の対話は、贅沢な時間でした。先生からのフィードバックの深さに大感動……！本当に、キャンセルしないで受けてよかったです！実際のやり取りのスクリプトの一部をご紹介します（私の英語もきれいに整えてもらった対話の記録です）。
Teacher: But overall, I could understand everything you said.
Hitomi: Thank you. Thank you for listening.
Teacher: Of course! So, would you like to discuss what you wrote, or would you prefer to move on to something else?
Hitomi: Yeah. By the way, do you know Van Gogh?
Teacher: I know of him, but not deeply... I just know him because he's a famous artist. That's about it. I've never really tried to learn more about him. To be honest, I feel like I'm not really into art because I'm not particularly creative or gifted.
Hitomi: Me neither.
Teacher: But in your case, you find similarities with him, like in everyday habits like Writing, right?
Hitomi: Yes, exactly.
Teacher: So, what do you know about him?
Hitomi: Quite a lot, actually. He is incredibly popular in Japan. His exhibitions are always being held at museums here. And lately, The Night Café, came to Japan, which is one of his masterpieces.
Teacher: I see. That makes sense. It shows how influential his artwork still is. By the way, about the piece you just read—I know it was translated by ChatGPT, but did you write the original text yourself?
Hitomi: Yes, I did. I usually write my thoughts in Japanese first, and then translate them into English. I started using ChatGPT for translation about three years ago. It’s really helpful for editing and polishing my writing.
Teacher: Yes, but the core ideas and the original thoughts are still yours, which is fantastic! What inspired you to start blogging in the first place?
Hitomi: It's a long story. Before becoming a coach, I was working as a Apparel shop manager back in 2004. I started a blog as a manager to help boost our sales. It became quite popular, and eventually, it ranked number one in the fashion category.
Teacher: Since you've been blogging for such a long time—over twenty years—does it bring you a deep sense of fulfillment?
Hitomi: Yes, absolutely. It's very important to me and great for my well-being. Writing forces me to find something meaningful in every single day.
Teacher: So you're living with intention and really paying attention to your daily life. Do you feel like your life has improved since you started blogging?
Hitomi: Definitely. If I hadn't started my blog, I think I would still be working as an ordinary office worker.
Teacher: You wanted to be your own boss. What would you say are the biggest challenges of being a blogger?
Hitomi: Honestly, I haven't really faced any major struggles. I genuinely enjoy it. I actually write two blogs every single day—one is a business blog, and the other is a personal life blog.
Teacher: Have you ever thought about becoming a YouTuber?
Hitomi: Sometimes I upload videos, but that's usually because I've written a blog post and need a video to accompany it. So, it's still connected to my writing.
Teacher: Do you mostly write about yourself, or do you also write stories about other people?
Hitomi: It varies, but I love watching movies, so I write about that quite often. Recently, I watched a documentary about Michael Jackson and wrote three reviews.
Teacher: Could you tell me a bit about your work as a life coach?
Hitomi: Yes. I run an online community for my clients, and we've been active for about eight years now.
Teacher: Are you thinking of starting anything new?
Hitomi: I'm always curious about trying new things. Last year, I opened an Etsy shop where I create tote bags featuring masterpieces by Impressionist artists.
Teacher: It really sounds like writing and creating is your true calling. How do you handle negative feedback or harsh comments from readers?
Hitomi: A long time ago, I used to get some mean comments.
Teacher: How did you deal with them?
Hitomi: I realized it’s just their opinion, so I don't let it bother me. If they have time to leave negative comments on my blog, why don't they write their own? This is my space.
Teacher: That is an amazing attitude. You didn't let criticism stop you. Thank you so much for sharing your journey and your writing today!
気が重い、という反応を行ったん脇に置くと、その余白に、新しいアイデアが入る。すると、想像もしなかったような深い対話や、心が震えるような温かいフィードバックという「最高のギフト」が待っていました。
この一連の思考の流れそのものが、私であることに気づいた、新月の日だったのです。
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