[music]

There is a moment happening right now

that will never happen again. The exact

combination of this day, this hour, the

thoughts in your mind, and the

circumstances around you will never

repeat in the entire history of the

universe. This moment is completely

unique [music] and when it passes it is

gone forever. In Japan we have a phrase

for this understanding. It is called

ichigo I which means one time one

meeting. This teaching comes from the

tradition of the Japanese tea ceremony

where it has been passed down for over

400 years. The tea masters understood

something profound about the nature of

time and human connection. They knew

that each time people gather for tea,

even if they are old friends who have

met many times before, this particular

meeting is happening for the first and

last time. The people present will never

be exactly the same. The season outside

the window will never be exactly the

same. Even the taste of [music] the tea

will never be exactly the same. Because

of this understanding, the tea master

treats every ceremony as precious and

unre repeatable. Every movement is made

with complete attention. Every guest is

honored as if this were the only chance

to show them kindness. Nothing is taken

for granted because nothing can be

repeated. This is the spirit of ichiggo.

Most people live as if moments are cheap

and unlimited. They half listen to

conversations while thinking about

something else. They rush through meals

without tasting the food. They spend

time with loved ones while staring at

their phones. They assume there will

always be another chance to pay

attention, another opportunity to show

they care. But life does not work this

way. Every moment you waste is a moment

that will never return. Every

conversation you ignore is a

conversation that cannot be replayed.

Every day you spend waiting for your

real life to begin is a day of your real

life that has ended. The person

practicing ichigo ichi lives

differently. When they sit with a

friend, they give that friend their

complete presence because they know this

exact meeting will never happen again.

When they eat a meal, they taste it

fully because this meal prepared in this

way on this day is a once- ina-lifetime

experience.

When [music] they walk through their

neighborhood, they notice the light and

the shadows and the [music] faces of

strangers because this walk on this

particular morning will never occur

again. This way of living might sound

exhausting, as if you must treat every

small moment as monumentally important.

But actually, the opposite is true. When

you stop assuming that moments are

repeatable, you stop wasting energy on

regret about the past and anxiety about

the future. You simply meet what is in

front of you with full attention. The

teaching of Ichigo also transforms how

we treat other people. When you truly

understand that each encounter is unique

[music] and unre repeatable, you stop

saving your kindness for special

occasions. You stop waiting for the

perfect moment to tell someone you

appreciate them. You stop assuming you

will have another chance to make things

right. Many people carry regrets about

words they never said to someone who is

now gone. They wish they had paid more

attention, expressed more gratitude, or

simply being more present during the

time they had together. The practice of

ichigochi protects us from this regret

by reminding us to honor each meeting

while it is happening. The samurai took

this teaching very seriously because

they knew that any day could be their

last. They did not have the luxury of

assuming tomorrow would come. This

awareness did not make them sad or

fearful. It made them more alive, more

present, and more intentional about how

they spent their limited time. You do

not need to be a samurai or a tea master

to practice Ichigo ichi. You simply need

to remember as often as you can that

this moment is your one and only chance

to experience this moment. The

conversation you are having right now is

the only time this exact conversation

will ever exist. The people around you

today are with you for a limited time

that [music] you cannot know in advance.

When you truly understand this,

something shifts inside you. The

ordinary becomes extraordinary. The

familiar becomes precious. And you stop

postponing life until some imaginary

future when you will [music] finally pay

attention. Your life is made of moments

and each one is a [music] gift that will

never be offered again. Thank you for

spending this moment with me today. I

hope the wisdom of Ichigoi helps you

treasure the unre repeatable gift of

your own life. Take good care of