Issue No. 48

In my letters, you might perceive me as someone who never falls ill, never feels down, never loses motivation, never veers away from the schedule, and is 24/7 productive. You couldn't be more wrong.

Despite these letters sounding as if they are addressing you, they were initially written to me by myself. They serve as reminders of what I was, what I am, and what I aspire to be. I'm a patient like yourself, not a doctor. I, too, sometimes need medicine. I'm a student learning alongside you, not a teacher. I’m a passenger, not a driver. I have faults of my own and learn to fix them independently. That's how one becomes wiser.

There are days when I am not in the mood to stay on course, days when I feel like I haven’t accomplished anything, days when I am anxious about what’s to come. I am often vulnerable only to myself, as I don’t want anyone else to be bothered by my troubles. Everyone else is already carrying their own weight, after all. However, I want to tell you that my life, like any human's, is far from perfect. I’ve felt broken as much as I have felt full. I also get rejected by people and by opportunities. I am still a beginner at most things. But, I don’t use it as an excuse to not move forward.

Do not be intimidated by people. They, too, experience harsh challenges. Every day, they grapple with their own insecurities and don't have time to dwell on yours. By day's end, they find themselves alone with their thoughts. In the minutes before sleep, they reflect on their day, pondering what they missed or lacked. It seems to be our nature to seek more; desiring something is to relinquish control to that pursuit. It's a form of faith in a divine element. We yearn for something beyond ourselves, a goal to strive for.

In a religious context, we construct symbols reflecting our image: Gods. These deities embody our aspiration for perfection, serving as a reference point for our own endeavors. Surrendering our fate to the Gods, we often use it as an excuse for mediocrity, saying, "I'm only human, so I am not perfect." The perceived superiority of Gods becomes a justification for accepting our current positions and slowing down progress. It's a comfortable position, as no one will blame us for being mediocre—it's the path of least resistance. Aren’t we supposed to follow their wisdom? their path? Why is it then that when adversity befalls and threatens to destroy us, we often surrender our fate to the Gods, praying and begging for change? Their purpose is not to solve our problems but to teach us how to solve them ourselves.

Similarly, in life's broader context, our personal Gods represent our higher purpose. We yearn for and desire that higher purpose daily; it's ingrained in our nature. This perpetual seeking is why sustained happiness eludes us, constituting one of the many tragedies in life:

When I received a scholarship in South Korea, I was at my lowest point after facing numerous rejections in previous scholarship applications. Nearly getting expelled from Yonsei University due to low grades resulting from juggling multiple part-time jobs was another challenging period. During this time, I encountered a professor who played a crucial role in helping me improve my academic performance.

Discovering my purpose of establishing a business and creating generational wealth coincided with a low point, as I faced the possibility of deportation from Korea. Additionally, realizing that nobody in my immediate environment understood my aspirations led me to seek guidance. I found a mentor who, despite facing over 200 job application rejections in a year, eventually hired me when no other company would.

All of these highest points in my life happened at my lowest for it is in our darkest moments that change happens, not when everything is alright. Happiness is the stagnation of change because happiness requires that you be content. Sadness and stress are a call for you to act. Happiness is a call for you to sit down and appreciate what you have. For this reason, a great dilemma occurs: stay where you are and be happy with what you have, or walk forward and feel the pain of movement.

Which one must you choose?

A solution I have for this dilemma is simple. Make a goal. Formulate a path towards that goal. Plan it carefully. Then walk towards it. Feel the pain, for it’s a requirement. Then once you’re there, take what you’re owed. Nourish yourself with your reward. Give a part of it to someone behind you. And then teach others how to do the same. Repeat the cycle until you reach your one true goal, your higher purpose. When you do this, the points of stillness and movement, of resting and seeking, of happiness and pain become one: living. This is what living means. It's the pause and the movements. Being happy all the time is not living. You'll get bored and find yourself doing something more. Being sad and stressed is also not living, you’ll miss what the world can offer. Without a pause, we cannot appreciate what we have. Without movement, we cannot be what we intend to become. Like a tree whose leaves fall in Autumn, our lives sometimes suffer from scarcity, but like the cycle of the seasons, we all have the opportunity to recover and be more fruitful than ever.

When you think of a lion, you think of a beast that never falls ill, the apex of the food chain, the king of the jungle. However, even lions suffer from stress, and diseases, and face adversaries every day—other lions, their prey, and their environment. Being King does not mean the absence of enemies. Yet, despite the lion's unforgiving life, it finds itself in a position of purpose. It understands its limitations, recognizing it cannot survive in extreme cold, the desert, or an urban environment. The lion chooses where it can make an impact and starts from there. It takes pride in its position because no one else can confront its unique set of challenges. Its image of strength, magnificence, and beauty results from perseverance in its lowest moments and vigilance in its highest. When it falls ill, it doesn't think of its life as coming to an end; it takes rest and performs its duty to itself the next morning.

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Until next week,