[One Thousand Characters a Day] The 7 True Conditions of Happiness <2>

Editor's NoteProfessor Chae Jeong-ho (Department of Psychiatry, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital) has observed countless people struggling to escape mental distress over a long period and identified seven essential elements for happiness necessary for Koreans: acceptance, change, connection, strengths, wisdom, body, and spirituality. He emphasizes that when trying to practice these in life, it is important not to pressure oneself with the obsession that it must be done perfectly, but rather to let go of the mind and continue small efforts "just, simply, joyfully" without stopping. For example, when pursuing change, he advises not to aim to be the "best" but to set the goal of "getting better and better every day." He encourages breaking free from the misconception that change is a revolution that overturns everything at once and the prejudice that it must be difficult and burdensome. According to him, if something is not enjoyable, it can never be sustained. Word count: 819.

The reason we need to discover and develop positive resources is to build the strength to endure without collapsing when we face painful experiences in life. Only then can we respond to problems by utilizing our resources and continue moving toward happiness without giving up, no matter what happens. Just as a village must build a levee high enough to prevent flooding even when a massive flood comes, change can be thought of as steadily raising the levee of the mind.

When building the levee in our lives, it is important to build it high enough, but even more important is to raise the entire levee evenly without leaving gaps on any side. We must be able to do fun and enjoyable things while also feeling a sense of reward and accomplishment. We need to maintain good relationships with others while taking good care of our own minds. We should immerse ourselves in what we love without harming our health. In other words, sacrificing one thing to improve another is not desirable change. Even if one side is torn down to build up the other, when a tsunami comes, water will eventually overflow from the lowered side. To withstand any tsunami that comes into our lives, we must evenly build positive resources such as immersion, fun, and joy, while simultaneously making efforts to convert negative resources like depression, anxiety, and anger into positive ones. Only then can we prevent water from overflowing through holes no matter how tough the situation is.

The most necessary thing to build the levee high is time. Change can never be achieved instantly. Many people fail at change because they try to see results "right today" or "within a year." Take a long view of time. Change is ultimately a battle against time.

- Chae Jeong-ho, The Seven Conditions of True Happiness, Influential, 18,800 KRW

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