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“Give it a try.”
Shinjiro Torii — translated for this article from “やってみなはれ”; not an official translation.
Suntory’s official history presents the phrase as an expression of its founder’s pioneering spirit.
We decide to begin something—and first, we research.
We check what we need, read reviews, and search for ways to avoid mistakes. Before long, the time we set aside for beginning has disappeared into the phone in our hands.
The preparation has advanced.
The comparison chart is ready.
But we have not tried it once.
That is when I want to remember these words: “Give it a try.”
What follows is my personal reflection on applying them to everyday life.
Are we gathering information—or waiting for certainty?
Checking things before we begin matters.
But collecting the information we need is different from researching until every uneasy feeling disappears.
We want to write, yet keep reading about writing. We want to take walks, yet keep comparing equipment. We want to tidy a room, yet keep saving pictures of storage ideas.
At some point, we can give that preparation somewhere to go by trying the activity itself.
Make the first attempt smaller
Trying something does not have to mean making a grand commitment.
Before writing an article, write three opening lines. Before tidying a room, clear one corner of the desk. Before promising to exercise every day, walk around the neighborhood for five minutes.
A smaller beginning leaves room to reconsider after the attempt.
This is my own everyday application of the quotation, not a claim about its original meaning.
Let the result become information, not just a verdict
Once we try, something may be harder than expected.
But stopping at “I knew I was no good at this” seems to lose part of what we learned.
Where did we get stuck? What was missing? What was unexpectedly enjoyable?
The attempt gives us something more concrete to work with.
Of course, decisions involving safety, health, or significant spending should not be made on enthusiasm alone. Some situations call for careful checks and advice.
Today, instead of preparing to become someone who never fails, choose one small thing you can safely test.
Give five minutes to something that has been waiting in preparation.
Let “Give it a try” make the first attempt lighter, rather than make you feel hurried.
Quotation and background source: Suntory’s history of “Yatte Minahare” (Japanese).
