I tried to divide what I wrote to parts, to make it easier for your understanding. Bear with me then.

1: Time

Time is a fickle concept, and I think many intellectuals have understood its power. The power of the mind is rooted in time. Life itself is rooted in time, and healing emerges from it. If you can master your time, you can master your body, and more importantly, your mind.

Time gives meaning to life; without time, there is no life, no end, and no purpose. Before time existed, life did not exist. I do not know if time itself is a creation of God, but I can imagine that before time, there was no life.
If you free yourself from the chains of time, you may discover another dimension of existence.

2: Anxiety

Anxiety is a psychological symptom. It can arise from the denial of your feelings or from prolonged fear. Anxiety can dry you up, shrink you, and break you into your smallest parts. When you lose your unity, the first thing you feel is helplessness because your body tells you and shows you: ‘I cannot accompany you.’ But what can you do without your body?

3: Life

Life is not inherently a burden; we are the ones who interpret it as a burden. This all depends on how we perceive the world around us. Life—this one opportunity—is full of mystery and beauty. We would have to be extraordinarily blind and neglectful not to see the gifts we have been freely given.
I agree that life can be painful, and that enduring hardship is necessary to become strong and independent; but it is worth it. Moreover, the good news is that you are not alone. It is enough to say that you are not the only one who feels like giving everything up; we all feel that way in our own ways. What matters most is that you keep going, no matter what.

4: Two different ways

There is a section in Cal Newport’s book, So Good They Can’t Ignore You, in which he explains two ways of seeing the world:

“To summarize, I’ve presented two different ways people think about their working life. The first is the craftsman mindset, which focuses on what you can offer the world. The second is the passion mindset, which instead focuses on what the world can offer you. The craftsman mindset offers clarity, while the passion mindset offers a swamp of ambiguous and unanswerable questions. As I concluded after meeting Jordan Tice, there’s something liberating about the craftsman mindset: It asks you to leave behind self-centered concerns about whether your job is “just right,” and instead put your head down and plug away at getting really damn good. No one owes you a great career, it argues; you need to earn it—and the process won’t be easy. With this in mind, it’s only natural to envy the clarity of performers like Jordan Tice. But here’s the core argument of Rule #2: You shouldn’t just envy the craftsman mindset, you should emulate it. In other words, I am suggesting that you put aside the question of whether your job is your true passion and instead turn your focus toward becoming so good they can’t ignore you. That is, regardless of what you do for a living, approach your work like a true performer.”

5: The questions

The questions that we ask ourselves show our connection with our ‘self’ or ‘ego’. The better you can communicate with yourself, the better you will be able to communicate with others. Isn’t life a series of time loops in which we are stuck? Every 24 hours is like a time loop. It repeats, and we decide whether to take action or not. Are you sure there will be a tomorrow to fulfill your promises? Why not live each moment as if it were your last?

My aunt was healthy and strong, though she had back pain, but it turned out that this was not just back pain; it was a tumor spreading across her body. She died three years ago. In her final days, she was sad and vulnerable, and due to chemotherapy, she had lost her physical strength, leaving her weak and disoriented. My grandfather died two months before my aunt. It is difficult to accept death, with all its silence, when it comes for you.

The point I am trying to make is this: after every action, if you ask yourself, “What could I have done better?” you can begin to understand yourself. Reflecting on your actions can help you understand why you feel bored and exhausted. Asking questions can be the path to understanding yourself and treating yourself better. Without consistently tracking your actions and thoughts, you risk becoming lost. Life is intricate and full of distractions, making it easy to lose yourself in its currents.

6: Boxes

Maybe it has always been about time. As human beings, we are all constantly looking for more. The desire for more—often equated with greed—is part of our foundational instincts. This trait can leave you feeling shattered and sad due to a lack of immediate gratification.

Patience is what distinguishes emotionally and socially intelligent people. They have acknowledged that life is full of different boxes, and that we are all stuck in different boxes with different people. As long as we do not seriously question our beliefs and actions, we continue what our parents learned from their parents. However, science and knowledge are not hereditary. They must be acquired through critical thinking, reflection on personal experiences, and engagement with scholarly readings.

7: Demons

“We all have demons inside ourselves. We never lose them; we only learn to live above them. Life is not just about you; you are here to serve a greater purpose than yourself.”

These sentences are like a mantra to me. The first time I saw them in the movie Doctor Strange, I wrote them down quickly. After watching this movie, I repeatedly asked myself, “What do I want out of watching movies? What do I want out of my life?” I felt so blind and lost because, without thinking and writing down what you want, you are undoubtedly lost.

Cinematic films have a transformative power to make you think more deeply, making reflection an inevitable part of your life. However, transformation will not occur unless you take responsibility for your life, especially your actions. As long as you blame your parents and others for what you lack, you will not experience a phase of transition. (I emphasize cinematic films, not television series.)

8: Pleasure

Do not base the foundation of your life on something as weak and fragile as your desires. Regular consumption of pleasure comes at a high price—a heavy price that must eventually be paid. A hedonistic approach to life ultimately leads to dissatisfaction. Bad habits such as these prevent you from progressing. Our habits define us. Habits are a product of one’s personality and identity.

This is how Ed Sheeran describes ‘Bad Habits’ in his song of the same name:

“My bad habits lead to wide eyes staring into space / And I know I’ll lose control of the things that I say.”

The solution, therefore, is to put an end to such habits immediately and to minimize the possibility of encountering similar temptations.

9: Your Savior

You should be your own savior. I remember when I first listened to the song Savior; I was in ninth grade. I remember asking myself, “If there is such a thing as a savior, nobody will accept responsibility for their own life.” That is why the only one who can save you is YOU.

Solitude has acquired a negative connotation nowadays. On the contrary, it is one of the most powerful tools for self-discovery in the 21st century. Anxiety is often rooted in a lack of self-knowledge and unclear personal values. When you have a clear framework to which you are committed, you do not need to question every action; you simply act with confidence. When you’re committed, there is a lower possibility of desire. Desire is like fire: the more you immerse yourself in it, the more time you need to heal afterward.

10: The crucible

Based on Carl Jung’s perspective, marriage can be seen as a structure that fosters deep personal growth. How so? With all its good and bad, two people with different personalities are bound in a relationship. In moments of difficulty, they have strong incentives to work through their problems. Marriage is like a crucible, transforming them into stronger, more refined versions of themselves.

I recommend watching these movies for further understanding:

Mood of the day 2016: Korean Movie as a depiction of modern relationships

Love forecast 2015: Korean Movie on the connection between marriage and friendship

Ghosts of Girlfriends Past 2009: It’s about a man who has a fear of commitment, and therefore he avoids emotional attachment.

11: Quotes

1- “We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit.” — Aristotle

2- “Every action you take is a vote for the person you wish to become.” — James Clear

3- “The smallest deed is better than the greatest intention.” — John Burroughs

4- “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.” — Jane Goodall

5- “Feelings are not facts.“ — Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) principle

6- “The mind is a great liar; don’t let fleeting emotions dictate your life.” — Stoic Philosophy