Early autumn, which felt not so different from summer, has passed, and now only one month remains before the season ends. With just two months left in the year, looking back on the past ten months reveals an eventful journey.  This year, more than any other, I tried many new things. Yet, in some ways, it feels as if it might have been a truly difficult year had I not taken those steps. There wer..

Sometimes, without much thought or even by accident, people tell lies. Those lies might attract attention, be somewhat effective, or unintentionally bring some benefit. In such cases, it's not difficult for one lie to lead to the next. If a lie is caught, one can just laugh it off and say it was a joke. The loss from being caught isn't significant, but the gains from not being caught can be subs..

The holidays I remember differ from when I was a child, after becoming an adult, and now that I have my own family. In elementary school, I didn’t have many relatives, but I enjoyed spending time together with the ones we did meet. Although traveling back and forth was tough because of my severe motion sickness, I liked eating together and chatting once we arrived.  But at some point, our gather..

When life slaps you hard across the face and the pain feels unbearable, don't cry. If you cry, life—the one that slapped you—will think you’ve surrendered, and it will look down on you even more. When life slaps you, don’t force a smile and pretend like nothing happened. Your face might be smiling, but your heart will be crushed, leaving you feeling even more miserable. When life slaps you, gent..

To myself 10 years ago:“Put your health before work and spend more time with your family.” To myself 20 years ago:“Your life won’t be as bad as you think! Try to see the world more positively.” To myself 30 years ago:“What you dream and think is right. Don’t worry about what others think and live according to your own beliefs.”  The words I would say to my past self are, in some ways, reflection..

Humans are inherently selfish. In fact, all living things are fundamentally selfish because it gives them a survival advantage. So, I have no complaints about people being selfish. However, humans are also social creatures. We don't live alone, and sometimes we must endure some discomfort for the sake of others. This is why we have intelligence—to occasionally suppress our selfish instincts and ..

I had a brief opportunity to chat with some teenagers, and they asked me, "Do you want to be young again?" "Yes, no, um... I’m not sure." I kept changing my answer and, in the end, I couldn't give a definitive response. My initial "yes" came out without a second thought."Everyone wants to be young again, right? Isn’t it only natural to want that?" The second "no" was a contradiction to my first ..

This summer has been particularly hot. Even though I have air conditioning at home, and I can escape the heat in public transportation or stores, it still feels unbearably hot. When I think back to my childhood, when our whole family would endure the summer with just one fan, struggling to sleep through the tropical nights, people would spread out mats outside and sleep under the stars. We would..

Anyone's thoughts and feelings are truly difficult to understand. What seems right to me may not be so for others, and actions or words I intend without any particular meaning can be interpreted differently by someone else. Just because I like someone doesn't mean they will like me back. A kind gesture I offer with good intentions might be a burden to another person. Honesty doesn’t necessarily ..

There are times when I don't really have anything I want to say or write.  There are days when I desperately don't want to do anything at all.  Days when even the simple acts of taking a shower, eating, talking, or even just breathing feel like a chore.  Of course, I still took a shower, ate something, talked, and breathed just fine, but the heat shows no sign of letting up, and my body feels ut..