[Reading] The Art of Questions that Transform Your Life

My friend gave me a book as a gift.

Receiving a book as a gift, no matter when,

creates a small resonance within my heart.

A Fork in the Road, and a Choice

The only question is what happened, and how you dealt with it.

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I quit my job at the beginning of last year. And I took a long trip to Europe.

And

the thought that the answer to my life was solely books enveloped me.

So, after returning from Europe, for 3 whole months, I woke up at 6 am every morning and read books like a hypnotized person until night. I started with self-help books, then moved on to humanities, then biographies, and finally to the Odyssey and the Iliad. It was truly a stream of consciousness, reading whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted. How many pages I read a day, or what I had finished reading, didn't matter.

When in my life had I ever acted so freely, as I wanted to?

I was simply busy searching for sentences and paragraphs that would make me contemplate, and I constantly stimulated my mind to somehow engage in deep thinking.

It was truly a journey of contemplation, not a physical journey, all day long.

Perhaps, even though I traveled to Europe for over 50 days, although some may say 'seeing is believing',

I believe books are the best when it comes to opening and expanding one's mind.

And while reading books, I have learned so many things firsthand, but...

I don't get overly discouraged when things don't go my way.

Because I am acutely aware that crisis is always opportunity, like my personal slogan.

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The position I had built in my career was shrinking, and the industry itself was dying.

It was barely clinging to life, you could say.

At first, I was devastated, thinking, 'My career is all useless now. I won't be able to get a job now.'

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And after going to Europe, realizing I could do anything, I read to be able to think a little more rightly and completely.

Through continuous reading, I realized that I had rashly tried to quickly acquire the wisdom and essence of life like a thief. I realized that I had foolishly thought I could skim through a lifetime's worth of work like a cheat sheet.

If I think negatively, this year is a year without work and without money, a wasted year, but...

On the other hand, I want to call this the best year of my life, a year where I learned the truths of life through books.

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In conclusion, my career, which had been shrouded in darkness, when I took a closer look, still had brands that were ranked in the top 10 in the Chinese market (I received a job offer from there), Samyang Foods (Buldak) achieved 13 billion won in sales during this year's Singles' Day alone, and South Korea, the kingdom of plastic surgery, was actively selling fillers and botox to China. Perhaps that's why I also received a job offer from a brand whose parent company is a pharmaceutical company.

Ultimately, what we can learn from this is that I was hasty and frustrated because I had a narrow perspective and couldn't see anything else.

How foolish and naive my thinking was!

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Isn't my usefulness, in a way, something I define for myself, no matter what others say?

If I get angry when someone insults me, isn't it because I partially acknowledge it?

If I truly don't think it's true about me, I'd think that child is strange

and not think much of it.

Asking Questions

‘Whose fault is it?’

‘What did I do wrong?’

‘Why does that person dislike me?’

‘How did I end up like this?’

My heart feels so heavy when I ask these questions.

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Let's change these questions to the following:

‘What happened?’

‘What do I want?’

‘What can I learn from this?’

‘What is possible?’

‘What choice will I make?’

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Perhaps, these days, it's not just older people who are adults, but also those who have experienced success.

In this era where e-commerce is flourishing, there are many one-person businesses, and side hustles are rampant,

individuals are essentially businesses,

and I truly believe that self-management is akin to business management.

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I should reread Peter Drucker's The Effective Executive soon.

Will I be satisfied with my life if I get a job? I probably won't be able to handle corporate life for long, but...

If I start my own business later on, will I be able to apply the things I learned in the corporate world to my small-scale personal business?

There will definitely be aspects that will be helpful.

However, at my current level and depth of understanding, I don't have a clear answer.

06 Where You Stumble, There Lies Treasure

To gain immense power and potential, you may encounter huge obstacles, but the more you do, the deeper you need to delve.

In other words, they suggest, ‘In this confusion I’m experiencing, where is that treasure?’

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I think I'm the type who needs shocking pressure and setbacks to become stronger and move forward.

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08 The Breakthrough Finally Opens

A question that is not voiced is a door that has yet to open.

10 Great Results Stem from Great Questions

This change completely transformed my feelings about myself and my work.

I even looked forward to my morning commute.

It seemed like the change I experienced rippled throughout our entire team.

There wasn't a single day that went by where I didn't express gratitude for something someone else had done.

We started to pool our minds and achieve great things.

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I believe that books have given me the strength to stand tall again,

when I was recently feeling a bit unsteady.

I think that the book helped me to stand tall again.

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