Finding Meaning in the Mundane

Editor’s note: This is a guest post by David Nurse, author of Breakthrough.

I’m an early morning person, but 4 a.m. is a bit of a stretch. I was up before the sun for one reason and one reason alone . . .  I was hunting the most dangerous game. 

I hopped on the train using my ‘Pass-Mo’, holding a photo of my target. He was very short, bald, wore glasses, and hunched over. I power walked through the crowds (it is always crowded on the Tokyo trains), and through the back alleys until I reached my destination: the Mecca of Fish Markets, the legendary Tisjuiki Market. 

The intense smell engulfed my nostrils and stuck to my clothes for weeks after (just ask my wife, Taylor). I walked around, glancing at the fish, listening to the auctioneers raise bids on the prized tunas in rapid-fire Japanese. Tunas that sold for upwards of $3,000 depending on the size and quality. 

I strolled through row after row of fish after fish after octopus after I’m pretty sure that fish is dead but I’m not quite sure, but nothing stood out to me. I scoured each stand to see if I could find my target. 

Hours went by; the sun was now rising over the ocean on the busy seaport. Tired, dejected, and about to pass out from the smell, I figured it was time to pack it in and call it a day.

“He doesn’t exist,” I muttered to myself as I gave one last scan through the market. “He’s probably hanging out with Bigfoot, Nessie, and Banksy.”

Someone caught my eye. My heart skipped three beats.

“Could that be him? Could that really be . . . Jiro?”

I had no other choice, I had to find out. This was my target, my entire reason for the journey. From the moment I saw the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi, I was determined to find the iconic sushi master. Not behind the counter of his Michelin 3-Star restaurant, not the constructed myth, but here, doing what he did, unaware he was being observed. 

I kept my distance, watching Jiro’s every movement. He would pick up a fish, inspect it, smell it, feel the scales and the texture, even put his ear to it, like he was listening for the ocean through a seashell. And then, instead of purchasing it, he would put it down and move onto the next stand. A stand that had literally the same exact fish.

For an hour, Jiro performed the same routine at stall after endless stall—pick up the fish, inspect it all over, give it a big whiff, listen to it, and put it back down again and move on. I was hungry enough to eat one of those raw fish staring at me with their lifeless eyes, but I couldn’t leave until I saw what made the difference—which fish Jiro chose.

Finally, it happened. Jiro put the fish down on the counter, a bright red number that looked like a mix of a grouper and a tuna and something else that probably only swims in the waters of Japan. That was the one. That was the fish Jiro spent hours looking for. That was the fish he would serve that night.

Instead of going up to say something to him in my extremely broken and limited Japanese, I just stood back and soaked in what had just taken place.

It was artistry at its highest level. It was a sunrise over the Rocky Mountains, illuminating the sky with those perfect oranges, yellows, and pinks that no picture can do justice. This was one of those moments I just had to sit back and enjoy for what it was.

Let’s be honest—Jiro doesn’t have to pay that much attention to the fish anymore. He’s already built his reputation, he’s already got the 3-Stars, the documentary, the cult following. Heck, he could probably have bulk orders of frozen mystery fish flown in from wherever and just pawn them off like the results of his painstaking efforts.

We see it all the time. The restaurant whose quality dips precipitously after building a fanatical following. The author who phones in the sequel to an amazing book. The movie franchise that started going stale after the third one, but somehow there’s eighteen terrible, blockbuster follow-ups. The market builds a bubble that can sustain your mediocre next efforts.

So what does Jiro have that those who live intentionally have also mastered? Commitment. Not just interest, true commitment. Life is full of mundane details, and when we go “all-in” on what really matters, we find meaning in life’s details. 

People who live intentionally don’t “go through the motions.” Even if they don’t love every single detail, they are committed. Those motions have purpose. Those motions become part of your bigger dream, your bigger breakthrough. 

Be Jiro and smell every fish that comes your way. He knows what it takes to live a meaningful life and find the beauty in the moment—he won’t settle for anything less. 

So ask yourself today, what matters most? Whatever your answer (relationships, faith, health, creativity), commit to your answer 100%. 

That’s where your true meaning and purpose are found. Finding meaning in the mundane, you live life to the fullest and achieve the breakthroughs that lead to your best life. 

We only get one life. Let’s live it like Jiro—“all in” on what truly matters.

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Editor’s note: If you’re looking to deepen your sense of purpose and meaning in your life then I highly recommend checking out Nurse’s book Breakthrough. This book will guide and inspire you to live intentionally and in line with your life’s highest calling.

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David Nurse is an NBA life and optimization coach, bestselling author, and worldwide motivational speaker. As a former professional basketball player (both international and domestic) and a coach for the Brooklyn Nets, David has personally helped over 150 NBA players with their personal and professional development both on and off the court. He has been invited to speak in over 50 different countries on the topics of overall personal development, confidence building, leadership, and motivational growth.

His new book Breakthrough will teach readers to challenge their narratives, pivot their perspectives, think outside the proverbial box and shift the paradigms we were previously taught. Breakthroughs will start happening every day.

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If you order Nurse’s new book before December 9th you will receive:

• A FREE action plan to customize your Breakthrough.
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