[One Thousand Characters a Day] Life Lessons Learned from a Thousand Books <5>

Editor's NoteLet's take a moment to reflect on ourselves. Are you wasting precious time caught up in regrets and lingering feelings over missed opportunities, painful mistakes, wrong decisions, or wounds from relationships in the past? If you are struggling because of past pain and failures, gather your courage and stand up from that place. Look back at the space where you have stayed and say your goodbyes. Then turn around and set your eyes on the road stretching out before you. Think about the new experiences, new connections, and new learnings that lie ahead on that path. And take a step forward. The place of memories where you have stayed will fade behind you, and a new road will approach from the front. Word count: 1060 characters.

When swimming in a river or the sea, it is important to carefully observe the flow of the water. Usually, it is safer and less tiring to go along with the flow or the direction of the current. For example, if caught in a rip current, you should not swim toward the shore against the current. Doing so will cause you to exhaust all your energy fighting the current and put you in a dangerous situation. Instead, you should swim parallel to the shore to escape the rip current. Swimming along the flow of water is called "go with the flow" in English. The opposite is "go against the flow." Metaphorically, the "flow of water" refers to the given situation, the prevailing trend, the majority opinion, or the dominant tendency. Therefore, going with the flow means adapting to the given situation, conforming to the trend, and following the majority opinion or dominant tendency. Conversely, going against the flow means failing to adapt to the situation, rejecting the trend, and not following the majority opinion or dominant tendency. In life’s journey, we also encounter rivers or seas. Here, rivers or seas metaphorically represent the group or community to which one belongs. Swimming within them means how one conducts oneself. How will you behave in the face of the dominant flow of your group or community?

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However, following the flow is not desirable if it means compromising with injustice or unethical situations for convenience’s sake, as in the attitude of "whatever is good is good." Sometimes, you must go against the prevailing trend to pursue new ways of thinking or acting. Swimming against the flow is difficult because it requires courage and determination. Above all, you must overcome the fear of change and reject the desire to settle for the status quo. It is not easy, but how about starting with small steps? Look around and if you find old habits that no longer align with your goals or values, try to change them first. To swim against the flow, you also need strong stamina. Invest in learning and self-development to acquire new skills and knowledge. Networking with people who share the same goals or values is also important. When going against the prevailing trend, solidarity with others multiplies your strength rather than going alone.

- Changsoo Lee, <Life Lessons>, Saramin, 17,000 KRW

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