“The moments you fell, the days you wavered, all of these things ultimately brought you here.”
Silently overcoming the misfortune that comes every time
The best compliment for you!

For you who shines in misfortune
A new essay by author Shin Ha-young that resonated with 100,000 readers.
"All the time I've endured was thanks to my own strength."

The world forces itself on us all the time.
I have to work harder and do better.
But author Shin Ha-young asks this question:
Why don't you recognize yourself, you're precious enough just by the time you've endured?
We easily become helpless in the face of misfortune that strikes us suddenly, and we endure alone in the deepening darkness, fearing how long this time will last.
And yet, what keeps you going all the time is none other than your own strength.
Through her honest stories and candid prose, author Shin Ha-young reminds us of how resilient we are in this book.

『I'm Not in Love』 and 『The Most Affectionate Story in the World』, the new work of author Shin Ha-young, who has given warm comfort to many readers, 『The Time I Endured Was All My Strength』, is an essay that contains the author's own life story and the truth about the misfortune and courage she realized within it.

The author, who offers comfort by saying that even misfortune was a meaningful step, confesses to moments of pain that could not be easily told to anyone, and tells the story of the wounds and growth experienced in the name of love, and how to get back up again even in the face of failure and frustration.
If you have ever lived through difficult trials alone, you will find a deep sense of empathy and comfort in this book.

If you want to find hope in misfortune, find light in wounds, and encourage yourself to live this far, then "All the time I've endured was all my strength" is definitely a special gift for you.
I hope that through this book, you will regain the self-love you have lost, and that you will not forget that every moment you endure will ultimately make you shine.

“Just wait and see.
Everything will be okay.
Stay strong.
A good future is coming soon.
I just want to say this, but life won't always go the way you want it to.
Instead, you will become a better person than before.
As you go through trials, you will live a life that is lived, not a life that is seen.
I will not be a loser who chooses only what is more passionate and easy in my life.
That alone makes you a winner.
Compare today to a year ago.
We have become stronger and less easily broken adults.”
---p.9

The easiest way to find lost orbit is to do what you should be doing.
Things like exercising that you were planning to do, organizing your clothes, opening a window and vacuuming, reading the prologue of a book you wanted to read, taking out ingredients to cook, and watering the plants.
If I do even one thing for myself, my depression will disappear and my mind will be at peace.
The reason we get stressed is because we don't do what we should be doing.


Don't put it off because it's trivial.
Those little actions make you happy.
---p.30

I like the saying, "to be born and to live."
When people ponder why they live, they quickly fall into depression.
There is nothing more tiring than adding flashy adjectives to life.
Since you were born, shouldn't you live happily, just like you're traveling around the world?
The same goes for thoughts like, 'Why should I do this?'
There must be a reason for everything. There is nothing in the world that is without a reason.
Good is good.
Over-valuing makes everything meaningless.
---p.62

Even if it's a bit sluggish, it's good to have a small goal in mind.
Sometimes, goals feel like my only hope and force me to work hard.
The reality that we have to live without having the right answer.
I know you have planted romance and dreams somewhere.
Even if it's overwhelming, let's keep planning something.
You can do it without anyone knowing, or you can brag about it to the whole world.
As the seasons change, there will be more crystals left than regrets.
If it gets even a little better, that's enough.
Your life is valuable simply because you have the capacity to not fall into misfortune.
---p.104

People who break up and recover quickly never change their days or nights.
They don't leave me alone in the early morning because they know I'm vulnerable to the environment.
They do not skip meals and eat every meal.
Also, they become absorbed in non-human things and run off somewhere.
The most important thing is to accept the breakup as it is.
If you learn to accept the pain that comes with loving someone and accept your share of it, you will realize that separation is not a pain that causes you to die, but a pain that fades with time.

Let's not turn barbaric just because we broke up.
You are stronger and can love better.
---p.162

When you start to love, little tastes start to mix together.
People who used to hate rainy days can now enjoy a light drizzle, and people who used to be narrow-minded can now enjoy seasonal food as the seasons change.
Drinking coffee you've never tried before or taking a nap on the weekend is probably because you're becoming more like each other in the name of love.
Love begins with acceptance and is strengthened by stability.
There is a reason why they say that when you love someone, you start to resemble them.
---p.181

This is usually how I endure misfortune alone.
Not expecting happiness, not thinking about past failures, not wondering about other people's days, being lost in thought for even 5 minutes, not ruining the day with fleeting emotions, buying myself a small gift, not being cynical about love, getting more than 7 hours of sleep, never skipping a meal, planning a trip, writing down my inner feelings, not harboring resentment, buying clothes that fit the season, tidying up my surroundings, watching puppy videos, taking walks where my feet take me, eating chocolate, reading books that fill in my flaws.
---p.208

You are pretty because you are you, not because that person is pretty.
Also, you are human because you are lacking, and you are not a loser because the other person is not that great.
Don't be immersed in the sentiments of others, and don't be judged like a commodity in the market.
We are vibrant beings, dynamic and brilliantly shining like flames.


Just as the meaning of 'beautiful' contains the meaning of 'me', you can be most beautiful when you shed all your shells and become completely yourself.

---p.258