The 2020 COVID-19 crisis gave birth to a new term, the Donghak Ant Movement.
This is the name given to the daily stock sell-off by foreigners, which was fiercely purchased by individual investors.
As the KOSPI index surpassed 3,000 in 2021, the momentum continued into the US stock investment craze, giving rise to another derivative term, "Seohak Ants."
It's not just stocks.
In the virtual currency and real estate markets, the 2030 generation has boldly jumped into the market, calling for "young investment."
All of these phenomena are probably due to a common goal of 'economic freedom'.

The author, who became paralyzed from the waist down in a car accident at the age of 27, lived a fierce life working over 18 hours a day to achieve a standard of 'food, clothing, and shelter' comparable to that of non-disabled people, and finally achieved that dream.
He lived a life of hard work for nearly 30 years, practicing the teachings of Mr. Seino, "Raise your own value first," and achieved financial freedom through a computer sales and repair business that even ordinary people find difficult to succeed in.

The author also experienced difficulties in the early days of his business, losing all the money he had earned over the years. He also faced a major crisis due to reckless investments in commercial properties and coins using excessive loans.
This is also a story of failure that investors with impatient personalities, a keen interest in learning, and excellent execution skills, like the author, often experience.
Fortunately, the author's story of overcoming a crisis through strong mental fortitude, perseverance, and meticulous response strategy was fascinating to read.

However, the values ​​the author wants to talk about in this book are not the 'business success formula' or 'financial crisis management methods.'
By vividly listing his life before and after becoming disabled, the author reminds us of the precious values ​​in our lives that we may not realize, and of the immense assets we possess.
And, the author says that the accident that was like a disaster that no one could accept, paralysis of the lower body, was the source of his luck in meeting his current wife.
As I read this book, I was reminded of something a senior pastor of a church once said.

“If you just don’t compare, be pessimistic, or criticize, you’ll be the happiest person in the world.”
These three things are missing from the author's life now.
He didn't blame anyone, didn't feel pessimistic about the life of a person with a level 1 disability, and was filled with gratitude for the other healthy bodies and family he had rather than comparing himself to non-disabled people.

Not only stocks, real estate, and cryptocurrencies, but the entire world is suffering from high prices and high interest rates.
Whether we invest or not, we all dream of 'financial freedom'.
However, while the primary goal of economic freedom is important, we must also protect and nurture the small happiness and precious values ​​in our daily lives that we may take for granted.
The key to successful investing also begins with understanding your investment priorities.
Let's start by drawing my own self-reflection on how to live, as the author asks.
If you're looking for valuable insights into your life, I'm confident this book will be a valuable resource.

- Park Se-ik, the teacher of Donghak Ants