From SGI USA, I'm Cassidy Bradford and this is Budability, the weekly series where I talk with Buddhists from all walks of life about the power we each have to change our lives and the world around us.

How does someone figure out what their dream is? I mean, some people have had dreams since childhood, but others are just focused on what's in front of them.

And even people who have had dreams for a long time can change them throughout their lives.

Today's guest, Yurika Watanabe of San Diego, wasn't one of those kids with lofty dreams.

But she was encouraged by some Buddhist family friends to think beyond her day-to-day struggles and dream big.

By taking big and sometimes scary steps, her path became clearer and clearer.

I think her conversation will speak to you

whether you're in high school thinking about your future or someone later in life who might

be a little content with giving up on a few dreams. Wherever you're at, I hope today's

episode sparks some excitement and hope. And as a small note, Eureka lives under a major flight zone, so you're

going to be hearing a couple of airplane noises throughout, but it's brief. All right, enjoy the show.

Welcome to bootability. Thank you so much for joining. As I say to all my guests, I really am looking forward to this conversation, especially some people that know either of us from school. We actually went to school together, but didn't know each other all that well. So this has been, even just in our like, you know, conversations on the phone been

really great to connect with you. So I'm looking forward to, you know, you're, you being able

to share your story. Just to open things up, you can introduce yourself. So just tell me a little bit

about who you are and maybe also your life growing up. Sure. I'm Yudiko Watanabe. I'm from San Diego right now,

but I was born and raised in Guam and then went to school in Orange County. So clearly I have a

love for the ocean and the beach, even though I can't swim, but I like being near it.

I know interesting fun fast.

I can't swim growing up on an island the whole time.

Yeah, but I really love being near the ocean, so clearly I've stayed by the coast.

But yeah, I was born and raised in this practice of Buddhism, so I've been surrounded by this philosophy and the values my whole life.

But Guam is primarily Catholic. So it was very interesting being the only Buddhist.

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