“I am getting better and better every day in every way.”
Building a good daily routine
Building a stone wall to protect yourself from wavering hearts

How can I protect myself? It's not the grand things, but the small things that can instantly bring happiness to a life that feels so miserable.
Morning stretching, my personal shower ritual after work, piano practice on moonlit nights, a spring cleaning on Sunday mornings... It may seem like nothing, but these small daily routines add up and build a stronger me.
A simple, unstimulating, almost colorless life.
But hidden within it lies a simple and sincere happiness.

The only thing I can change is myself.
I hope that people who want to heal themselves in a healthy way, women who need something to focus on, and people who feel life is burdensome can build a good routine and experience self-reliance.

What you like naturally seeps into your life.
If you really like something, you don't have to worry about it.
It's not like you start by setting a goal.
I do it without much calculation because I want to do it.
If you find one thing like that, hold on to it and keep going, whether it works or not.
The moment you become greedy for success, you will feel burdened and lose all fun.
--- pp.26-27 From “One thing you like without worrying”

Home-cooked meals are a symbol of taking good care of yourself.
I washed rice this morning to feed myself well.

--- p.51 From “Happy Home Cooking”

I used to try to hide my weaknesses by dressing up my appearance, but now I know.
Confidence comes from a place of belief.
And there is nothing more trustworthy under capitalism than a plump bank account.

--- p.152 From "Installments Can't Be Stopped"

When we feel like there are no escape hatches in life, when we think what we have is all we have, we seem to become blind.
I think that desperation wears people out.
--- p.167 From "Living as a Multiplayer"

Most people envy the laid-back lifestyle of Northern Europe, but never make the effort to live it.
The night streets are always bright and colorful, and it is said that city life is about spending time burning brightly until late at night.
Being part of a society where people always say, "I'm tired," doesn't appeal to me at all.
Instead, I go to a home filled with simplicity and warmth, and devote my full attention to resting and preparing for the next day.
As the peaceful evenings continued, thoughts of emigrating to Northern Europe disappeared, and I felt quite satisfied with where I was standing now.

--- pp.190-191 From "A Promise with Me on a Weekday Evening"

No one knows how things will unfold in the future due to the hard work today.
This world operates on a vast system of chance, and if we think about how old the idioms "hosadama" and "saeongjima" are, everyone throughout history must have trembled with an inexplicable sense of anxiety whenever they faced hardships, big or small, just like I do now.
So now, all I can do is comfort my tired heart.

--- p.194 From "Into the Cave"

A quick shower is a small ritual to wash away the dirt of the world buried outside and be reborn as a harmless housewife.
While showering, I find myself reminiscing about the most memorable moments from my day.
When I rewind the parts of myself that I did wrong, the parts of myself that I regret saying, and the absurd incidents, I always find myself reflecting on my faults.
Those memories are also washed away by the flowing water.
Then I imagine tomorrow.
I constantly think about things I need to do and things I want to do, from the very basics of what to wear and what to eat.
The moment you wish there was a button to silence your thoughts, you step out of the shower and are reborn as a blank, relaxed human being.
--- p.198 From “The Resurrection of Jipsuni”

A person who has his or her own music playlist that fills his or her life is truly a happy person.
--- p.204 From “The Sound of Calling Peace”

I made a promise to myself to not make the people around me into emotional trash cans so that I can feel at ease.
I will share both joy and sorrow lightly.
I thought I shouldn't be overly happy or overly joyful, nor should I be sad as if the whole world was falling apart.

--- p.225 From “You should write that kind of thing in your diary”

When negative emotions arise, rather than crouching down and letting your thoughts wander, ripping open the curtains in the living room can help you simplify your thoughts.
It's much more refreshing to move your body and let the negative feelings disappear into the air than to write them down and relive them.

--- p.226 From “You should write that kind of thing in your diary”