[One Sip of a Book] Pretending to Be Fine... Are You Really Doing Well?

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This is a burnout recovery story from an author who was a workaholic working over 10 hours a day in a windowless office and who experienced two miscarriages. The decisive turning point that allowed him to escape burnout was asking himself, "Are you really doing well?" By honestly answering this question, he was able to heal his wounded emotions and body, and rescue himself from burnout, he confesses. The author emphasizes that the start of escaping burnout is reading one's own emotions. He warns that "a small warning light on the dashboard is a signal to service the engine quickly," and neglecting it can cause irreversible damage.

If we do not realize where we are, we cannot move forward. We cannot discover what is hidden inside. We must know what our real problem is to learn how to truly cope. No matter how trivial they seem, those emotions must be cherished. Now is the time to pay attention. Notice them. Face your genuine feelings. Listen closely. Accept emotions as if receiving a text message. Here, text messages refer to messages conveying important information like "Warning alert!", "Breaking news!", "Listen carefully!" Everyone knows what happens if such messages are ignored.

"I realized that if I stayed at that company any longer, I would sacrifice my life realizing someone else's vision. So I thought it was okay to unfold a different life story led by curiosity. There, I was the protagonist and planned everything myself. I checked how I was doing and first asked if I truly wanted this path. If not this path, then what should I do? Even if my own vision was not complete, I had to learn to believe in it. I had to believe I would find a way, create benefits only I could enjoy, and make a nameplate I could be proud of, even if it wasn't glamorous. If I had continued at that company, I would have become one of many employees, holding a title needed by the company, wandering along the path prepared for me like others. I mean the path disguised with fancy words that looked plausible. The path leading to a place I did not want to go."

The talent to start something must be granted by yourself. Once you start, you will see a breakthrough where you once saw obstacles. You will identify areas lacking resources and areas where resources can be further strengthened. Moreover, you will become cheerful and joyful. You will know what success should look like, when to succeed, and how much effort is needed without being terrified. Instead, you will call all this an experiment of life and the ultimate adventure.

Are You Really Doing Well? | Written by Jena Kutcher | Translated by Seo Eun-kyung | Onward | 368 pages | 17,000 KRW

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.