Akinai wa ushi no yodare
Business is cow drool
Perseverance is an essential quality needed to succeed in life. There are many English sayings to the effect that, with persistence anything is possible. Calvin Coolidge went so far as to say, “Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; nothing is more common than unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent.” J.G. Holland said, “There is no royal road to anything. One thing at a time, all things in succession. That which grows fast withers as rapidly; that which grows slowly endures.” Nowhere is this more true than in business. The Japanese have a colorful saying that expresses the same sentiment in fewer words.
The Japanese saying, Akinai wa ushi no yodare literally means, “Business is cow drool.” This means that, just like cow drool is long and thin as it slowly drips, in business you must endure patiently; you can't rush profits. In business, you have to continue to persevere. Business is something you can't get tired of. In Japanese you can say, “Akinai wa akinai desu.” Akinai means business. Akiru means to get tired of something. The negative form of akiru is also akinai, which means to not get tired of something. Therefore, Akinai wa akinai means, “Business is something you don't get tired of.”
Starting and running your own business, especially, is a long and grueling road. You need to be committed to be in it for the long haul. Even if you don't achieve success right away, you can't give up. The longer it takes the thinner your patience and your resources will be stretched, but you have to hang in there if you want to succeed.
So remember, in business and in life, you need to be like cow drool. Akinai wa ushi no yodare desu ne. Isn't that a pleasant thought?
Usage note: Most Japanese sayings can be turned into complete sentences just by adding “desu” to the end. To add emphasis, add “desu yo”. To ask for agreements (think, “yeah,” “right,” “you know”), add “desu ne”.
 |
© 1995-2013 NACOS International Institute. All Rights Reserved. |