Emotions don't flow
This is the direction of life I choose.

We have many experiences of suppressing our emotions in order to have good relationships.
As a result, my feelings are relegated to the back burner.
Emotions that are not properly expressed can explode in unexpected places.
I don't want to be angry, but I get angry, or I use harsh language without realizing it, even though it shouldn't be that serious.

In her book, “Today, the Emotions I Chose,” author Kwon Seo-hee says that emotions are not something you feel, but something you choose.
I may not be able to feel whatever I want whenever I want, but at least I can choose how I react to those feelings.
The author argues that we must learn to manage our own emotions without being swayed by external events or the words and actions of others.

"Today, the Emotions I Chose" explains the choices of emotions in close relationships, social relationships, and in relationships with myself.
To manage my emotions well, I need to practice choosing how I react in my daily life and in society.
Ultimately, thinking about how to appropriately wear a social mask and how to process and let go of emotions can be a way to take care of yourself.

I really hate this saying that seems to be full of infinite positive energy: “If you put your mind to it, you can do anything.”
Sometimes I get the feeling that it's a phrase made up by someone who has never tried 'anything'.
There are things in this world that cannot be done.
And the mind is not an area that can be eaten no matter how hard you try.
If my mind could do as I wish, why would there be unhappy people in the world? Rather, by breaking away from this, we can breathe easier and even cultivate a positive mindset.

--- p.23

There is a magic phrase that we use to lock ourselves in pain.
"Do you deserve this? Is this the time?" When something doesn't go well, when you have unresolved worries or problems, you can't smile or be happy.
I, who failed to get a job, ask myself, "Can I eat this chicken now?" I, who failed to pass the exam, ask myself, "Can I laugh while watching YouTube right now?"
Do we deserve happiness? Are there specific situations where we can laugh? Why do we hold ourselves so harshly to the standards of what it means to be happy?
--- p.41

To live a good life, you must be filial to your parents, get along well with your siblings, and love your spouse and children.
When I think of a 'happy life', I think of scenes from TV dramas where the whole family gathers around the table and eats together, laughing and laughing.
In fact, dramas are just dramas, and in reality, the percentage of families that are perfectly harmonious like this is not high.
It is an illusion and close to fantasy.
But in chasing that illusion, we end up missing out on a lot of things in life.
If we wake up from the illusion that a harmonious family is essential for happiness, we will have more opportunities to be happier.
--- p.70

Human energy is a limited resource.
If you pour out all your energy, even down to your soul, you will eventually become exhausted and fall down.
While striving for good results is important, it is also important to protect myself in the long-term battle of life.
Whatever I do, I will try to relax and only give 70% of my ability.
I don't need to pour my soul into it, giving it my all at 120%.
It is much more effective to do it slowly but steadily at 70% effort than to give it 120% effort a few times and then collapse in exhaustion.
We don't need to boil the water in our lives to exactly 100°C.
It is much wiser to boil water at 70°C, lukewarm but steadily, for our lives.

--- p.146