State of Mind: Learning to Let Go

Is God teaching you to surrender an outcome you desperately want?

Sometimes we hold people, dreams, expectations, and plans so tightly that they become the source of our anxiety. Yet when we loosen our grip, we gain a wider perspective.

Maybe some things are broken by design. Maybe some things are never meant to unfold the way we hope. And perhaps that is not a tragedy. There is a quiet beauty in accepting that rather than fighting it.

In this episode of State of Mind, Hiroto finds himself missing Hanaya only a week into summer break. Knowing she would never agree to meet him one-on-one outside of school days, he turns to Yuri for help. Together, they plan a "chance encounter" at Shichirigahama Beach.

Hanaya likes Hiroto, but she remains cautious. Her life is centered on God's calling and mission, leaving her uncertain where a relationship fits into her future. Hiroto understands this and has no intention of pressuring her or pushing beyond her boundaries. Instead, he simply wants to cherish whatever time he can with her.

As they talk, he quietly confronts a painful truth: the path Hanaya feels called to follow may not be one he can walk beside her—at least not for now. Hanaya doesn't fully grasp the deeper meaning behind his words. What she doesn't realize is that the Holy Spirit has been quietly reshaping Hiroto's perspective.

Rather than clinging to the outcome he wants most, he is learning something far more difficult: how to let go.

Hanaya Oki Chapters:
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/7r2cZbxW9a3lozAhzXfEPy

Know more:
https://superdifferent.com/hanaya

Transcript

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SPEAKER_00 0:00

Come on, Yuri, please help me out. You know how Hanaya is. She'd never agree to meet me outside of school like that. Honestly, I never thought I'd find myself wishing summer vacation would end. I really miss seeing her.

SPEAKER_02 0:12

Fine, I will do it, but you owe me a huge favor.

SPEAKER_00 0:14

Deal! Just act natural. I'll be there right on time.

SPEAKER_02 0:17

If this blows up in my face, I'm blaming you. Hey, look at this. Yona uploaded her new photo shoot. Oh wow, that's really pretty. Yeah, the photos turned out amazing. Guess who took them? Who? Hirotho. Really? Yeah, she credited him in the post. Oh, I didn't know he was that good. Apparently it was Yona's concept, and Hiroto helped bring it to life. That's impressive. You know, those two go way back. They do? Childhood friends. Wait, really? I thought they only knew each other from school in Tokyo. Nope. Their families know each other too. After Seoul, she somehow ended up here in Kamakura. Same school, same class. If that isn't fate, I don't know what is. Uh or maybe just coincidence. Maybe. Still, that's one heck of a reunion. Anyway, I'm starving. Want to grab pizza and drinks? Yeah, let's go. Huh? Hey, isn't that Hirotho over there? Where? Near the water. I don't think. Wait. Yeah, it is Hiroto. Come on, let's say hi. Hello, Hirotho. Hi.

SPEAKER_00 1:24

Huh? Oh, Yuri? Hanaya? What are you two doing here?

SPEAKER_02 1:27

Funny running into you here.

SPEAKER_00 1:28

Yeah, what a coincidence.

SPEAKER_02 1:29

You changed your hair.

SPEAKER_00 1:31

You noticed.

SPEAKER_02 1:32

It's different. It suits you.

SPEAKER_00 1:33

Thanks. Honestly, it's just a summer break experiment. Yona talked me into it.

SPEAKER_02 1:37

Looks good. We were on our way to grab something to eat. Actually, can one of you grab that spot before someone takes it? I'll get the food. I guess pizza is okay with you.

SPEAKER_00 1:46

Yeah, definitely.

SPEAKER_02 1:47

Yuri, we can all trust me. The line's long enough already. Go sit down. I'll find you when I get back. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 1:54

You know, I almost didn't recognize you at first.

SPEAKER_03 1:57

What?

SPEAKER_00 1:57

I'm serious. I'm just too used to seeing you in your school uniform. Seeing you like this feels different.

SPEAKER_03 2:03

Different?

SPEAKER_00 2:04

In a good way. Uh, I mean, you look really pretty today.

SPEAKER_03 2:09

Uh, the thank you.

SPEAKER_00 2:10

I just couldn't help thinking that.

SPEAKER_03 2:12

You you you look nice too.

SPEAKER_00 2:14

Thanks. You know, it's really good to see you again.

SPEAKER_03 2:17

It's only been a week.

SPEAKER_00 2:19

I know. And somehow that felt way too long. Walking feels too slow right now. I feel like a little kid who wants to skip down the beach beside you.

SPEAKER_03 2:27

Please don't.

SPEAKER_00 2:28

Why not?

SPEAKER_03 2:29

Because then I would have to pretend I don't know you.

SPEAKER_00 2:33

So, any summer goals?

SPEAKER_03 2:34

I'm thinking about getting a part-time job at a cafe, bakery, or convenience store. I want some real hands-on experience. My mom says I've spent enough time helping her at the bookstore and flower shop already.

SPEAKER_00 2:45

Sounds great. And what's the plan for studying abroad?

SPEAKER_03 2:48

I'm looking at business or hospitality programs in Vietnam or Thailand. Maybe not at some prestigious university.

SPEAKER_00 2:54

Wait, seriously? Not a top university?

SPEAKER_03 2:56

Yeah, maybe not. Since I want to open a small cafe or some other business there someday, I would rather work part-time, learn the language, make friends, and understand the people than spend all my energy chasing the most competitive college.

SPEAKER_00 3:12

Wow. You've actually got a whole plan.

SPEAKER_03 3:14

Oh, and I'm going to Vietnam for a week.

SPEAKER_00 3:16

That's awesome. Meanwhile, I'll probably spend my summer preparing for entrance exams.

SPEAKER_03 3:20

Well, somebody has to keep Japan's universities running. By the way, the pictures you took of Yona looked really cool. Great job.

SPEAKER_00 3:28

Thanks. Honestly, I was mostly following her directions. Oh, and you know what? She said she might explore Christianity. Really? Yeah, you've talked about Jesus to a lot of people over the years. You've planted a lot of seeds. Look at what came from that. Yuri, Noriko, Akio, me. Maybe Yonah's the next one to bloom.

SPEAKER_03 3:47

I thank Jesus for that. Still, I thought there would be more fruit by now.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

Maybe. Some seeds take longer than others. Sometimes I wonder if God has been weaving together things we don't even realize yet.

SPEAKER_03 3:59

That's a pretty big thought.

SPEAKER_00 4:00

Yeah, maybe. But the more I think about it, the less impossible it seems. Anyway. Look at all those people staring out at the sea. What do you think they're thinking about?

SPEAKER_03 4:13

Maybe wondering when they'll finally arrive at a sweet spot in life.

SPEAKER_00 4:17

A sweet spot, huh? I think for me that would just be moments like this. Just being here with you and maybe holding your hand.

SPEAKER_03 4:24

Uh I Hey, I'm kidding.

SPEAKER_00 4:26

I would never pressure you into something you're uncomfortable with. You know that, right?

SPEAKER_03 4:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 4:31

I just mean, um, being here is enough, but since you mentioned a sweet spot, I'm thinking of a scripture. I've been reading Ecclesiastes a lot lately.

SPEAKER_03 4:39

Really? Most people avoid it.

SPEAKER_00 4:41

I get why. But there's this verse. It is an unhappy business that God has given to the children of man to be busy with. It doesn't try to make life look easy, it just tells the truth. Life comes with frustration, confusion, and disappointment. Maybe that's why so many people spend their lives looking for a sweet spot. Something that always feels just out of reach.

SPEAKER_03 5:04

Yeah. We don't seek out disillusionment, but sooner or later it finds us. Maybe the struggle isn't something we escape from, but something we learn to live through.

SPEAKER_00 5:14

A lot of my anxiety came from holding on to things too tightly. Expectations, control. How I thought life was supposed to go.

SPEAKER_03 5:21

I think I understand that. Sometimes we pin all our hope on one outcome.

SPEAKER_00 5:26

Yeah, that's something I've been learning. I used to think trusting God meant believing he would give me the outcome I wanted.

SPEAKER_03 5:32

And now?

SPEAKER_00 5:33

No, I think trusting God means believing he's good, even if he doesn't.

SPEAKER_03 5:36

That's a hard lesson.

SPEAKER_00 5:38

It is, but strangely, it's also freeing. Because if my hope is tied to one specific outcome, I'll always be anxious. But if my hope is in God, then even disappointment can't completely destroy me.

SPEAKER_03 5:50

That's real faith.

SPEAKER_00 5:51

Yeah. Perspective has a way of changing things. Sometimes more than the circumstances themselves.

SPEAKER_03 5:57

It really does change how you carry things. Instead of fighting everything, you start learning to trust God in the middle of it.

SPEAKER_00 6:05

Yeah, I think I'm starting to.

unknown 6:07

Who do I believe in?

SPEAKER_01 6:11

I don't think I know any more. Tell me there's a reason. I've been looking for it.