After being sick, losing, and letting go
The true happiness of life that I finally realized

A new collection of essays by Kim Hong-shin, author of the best-selling "Life Manual."
A Thoughtful User Manual for a Life Without Regrets

Author Kim Hong-shin, who has been cultivating and nurturing his heart every day
I impart the wisdom to overcome life's hardships and become the master of my own life.
Soul Therapy: Turning Misfortune into Happiness

If you starve, you will know that food is heaven.
When you feel thirsty, you know that water is life.
When your nose is blocked, you know that just breathing is happiness.
If you have no work and play, you will know that the workplace is paradise.
If you're sick, you'll know that health is the greatest wealth.
You know it's precious after you lose it
When we break up, you know he's an angel
When you go through it, you will know that pain is a memory
When you become unhappy, you know that happiness is in the smallest things.
When death comes, I know I am the master of the world.

This short but deeply moving piece is a reflection on life that novelist Kim Hong-shin, the author of the best-selling 『Human Market』 and 『Life User Manual』, has experienced and realized countless times throughout his life.
It was recited on a TV program, and later made into a video of about 50 seconds, which became a hot topic and garnered a lot of views on various social media.
In a world where concerns about life remain largely unchanged even as the environment changes and generations pass, the honest confessions of a warm-hearted old man next door left a deep impression on the public.

Author Kim Hong-shin's new work, "You'll Know When You Experience It," is a work that unfolds life stories that cannot be contained in the short ten lines above. It is the author's 139th published work and a collection of essays presented after four years.
A collection of about 40 stories on the theme of 'the true happiness of life realized only after suffering, losing, and letting go.'

In Chapter 1, life was all about dying gray hair black, but just like the realization that throwing away all the hair dye gave you beautiful 'silver hair', it conveys the power of twisting your thoughts so that even in moments of despair, turning one thought can lead to joy.
Chapter 2 conveys the lesson that "being alive is the greatest blessing" through a desperate experience of being on the brink of death due to COVID-19.

Chapter 3 deals with ‘mind study.’
It tells us that happiness will come to us if we discipline our minds, like a pine tree that heals wounds by releasing pine resin, or like bamboo that withstands the wind by forming knots.
Chapter 4 talks about the power of love and forgiveness that embraces 'me' and 'you' and embraces the past that was lacking and clumsy.
Chapter 5 discusses the author's passion for literature and the source of his creativity, which he has cultivated over the past 50 years. Chapter 6 tells the story of his constant challenges and dedication, including his climb to Annapurna.


Through memories of acquaintances with whom the author shared deep friendships, such as writer Choi In-ho and actor Shin Sung-il, as well as various anecdotes recalled from various aspects of life, he conveys his uniquely lighthearted yet warm insights.
We added refreshing illustrations that match the content of the text throughout the text to make it more enjoyable to read.

“It is a wonderful blessing that there is tomorrow.
“Being alive is hope and joy.”

My friends told me that if I dyed my hair, I would look much younger, and that I would look 10 years younger than my age.
“There is nothing to lie about, how can you lie about age and the years?
I really hated growing old, but after surviving the near-death experience of contracting COVID-19, I think I can embrace aging with ease, as long as I don't get sick."
"You're well-known socially, but wouldn't it be nice if you looked younger so people around you would like you? It's good to live a youthful life."
“Pretending to be young is also painful.
“As I get older, I need to dye my heart too. I’ve only dyed my hair so far, so now I’m going to dye my heart too.” Every time I look in the mirror these days, I think about the years I lived wearing the mask of dyeing my hair, and I feel relieved that I’ve returned to my original self.
---From "Silver hair suits you well"

It is said that when an Egyptian dies and ascends to heaven, the god asks only two questions to decide whether he will go to heaven or hell.
“Were you happy while you were alive? Did you make others happy?”
If both are "yes," they say they will be sent to heaven, but if either one is "no," they will be sent to hell.
If the Egyptian teachings are true, I think I deserve to go to hell.
I may have made others happy by writing, but I thought long and hard about whether I had made my family, relatives, and friends happy.
My heart ached when I thought about how happy my disciples, neighbors, and even the people I knew from my time were because of me.

And that's not all.
When I think about whether there have been more joys than worries in my own life, I feel somewhat frustrated and miserable.
Since I've lived my life revealing myself to the world since I was young, I've lived as humbly as possible, without leaning to one side or the other, just living a normal life, being cautious and careful in everything, keeping my distance from fun.
To enjoy happiness, you have to live as a free person, but I lived too conscious of other people's opinions.
Then suddenly, I thought that heaven and hell are places you go after you die, but they are also places you go while you are alive.
Aren't those who are happy and make others happy living in heaven, and those who are not happy themselves and cannot make others happy living in hell?
---From "Were you happy? Did it make you happy?"

Anyone who has ever packed knows that you end up with a lot of useless stuff.
A while ago, at the recommendation of a friend, I asked a professional to help me organize my unused belongings.
Living in the same house for 40 years without moving, you can imagine how much clutter there must have been.
But the moment I realized that the clutter in my thoughts and mind was countless times greater than the clutter in my house, I felt like I was hit in the back of the head.
Looking back on myself, without considering what others might say, I realized that I had failed to protect myself, even though I had said, “You have to be able to distinguish between what to keep and what to throw away to enjoy life.”
---From "Emptying the Warehouse of Thoughts"

When I caught the criminal, I called the three robbers into the living room of my house despite the objections of my family, friends, neighbors, and the police.
I wanted to be forgiven for the crimes that had tied up and intimidated my family.
The two detectives unlocked the handcuffs as I requested, and the three robbers knelt down.
They asked for forgiveness and vowed never to sin again.
The moment they woke up, I asked out of the blue:
“Do you know where hell is?”
One of the robbers answered in a small voice.
“My heart was hell.”
---From "Do you know where hell is?"

The Earth is round, so where I stand is the center of the Earth.
Just as the place where I stand is the center of the Earth, a person who thinks that he is the master of the Earth lives like a master.
If I am honorable, everyone in the world will be honorable.
When you are led by something, that thing becomes the master and you become the slave.
If you are led by people, education, family, job, wealth, fame, power, etc., you will live as a slave to them.
Then my life becomes a tragedy.
I myself am the torch and compass of life, the North Star, the sunshine and moonlight, the flower, honey and fruit.
---From "Right Where You Are Standing"

It was when I reached Poon Hill, the final point of the climb, enduring excruciating pain.
I crawled up the ice rink, which was like an artificial staircase leading to the sky.
The 14 peaks of the Himalayas unfolded before my eyes in a splendid display.
My junior was right.
The moment I saw the magnificent view with my own eyes, I gained one more thing to be proud of in life.
Then suddenly I heard the sound of my soul stirring in my head and pounding my heart.
It was a sound that could be heard because it had gone through pain.
This is the sound I still have saved on my phone.
“The fourteen peaks of the Himalayas have existed for tens of thousands of years and will continue to show off their magnificent scenery for tens of thousands of years to come.
“While marveling at such a magnificent sight, why not marvel at yourself, the only one in the history of the universe?”
I should be amazed that I am alive.
There is only one being like me, past, future, and present.
It's okay to be amazed every day.

---From "What Annapurna Taught Me"