Thinking
Thinking
KOMOISM is the core of what Sumiko Kokonno has drawn out of her own life and out of conversations with thousands of people. It is not a method for succeeding. It is an answer to a different question: how will you live the one life you have?
Is your life burning beautifully?
This is not encouragement. It is not “try harder”.
It is a quiet, honest question, addressed to you.
- Are you living by your own heart, rather than by the correct answer society hands you?
- Are you using your own life, rather than measuring it against someone else’s?
- Can you take one more step today, rather than finding a reason to stop?
“Yes. It is burning.” The day that answer comes is the day your life begins.
The words of KOMOISM
- Live honest to your own heart
- You can change how you see your life
- Of course people are different
- Do not give up on your life
- Just take one more step
- Keep handing people courage, hope and a smile
- Hold your own steering wheel
Frequently asked questions
What question does KOMO ask?
“Is your life burning beautifully?” She says it is not encouragement and not “try harder”, but a quiet, honest question addressed to you: are you living by your own heart rather than society’s correct answer, using your own life rather than measuring it against someone else’s, and able to take one more step today rather than finding a reason to stop?
What does “not whether you can, but whether you will” mean?
It is how KOMO describes setting off from Peking for Paris five months after surgery: not “can I do it”, but “will I do it”. Reasons to quit are endless, she writes; the people who find life interesting are the ones who take the step anyway.
Related: What KOMO values · Story · The Peking–Paris Challenge · Cancer, with a smile · Life Lessons