]

Sitting in a company in Manhattan, grappling with various project reports, I increasingly think that life is ultimately a process of avoiding 'easy choices.' When we were young, everyone aimed for a good university and a comfortable career, but looking back over time, what changed my life the most were not comforts but the painfully difficult processes.

Nights spent chasing deadlines, making mistakes, and feeling crushed by my pride, those moments when I sighed on my way home have shaped who I am today. The more I think about it, hardship does not make a person strong; rather, it confronts us with 'the real me' amidst the struggles.

I see clearly who I am, where I easily waver, how I get uplifted by a compliment, and how my thin pride crumbles at a critique. Yet, it is in that very place that I learn how to become stronger.

Just like physical strength, mental strength can only be understood by pushing limits to see where the weaknesses lie, and learning how to turn those weaknesses into strengths. As I endure difficult processes, my perspective shifts. In the past, I might have felt wronged by small things and complained about why such tasks were assigned to me. But once I accomplish those tasks, I realize.

Nothing in this world is easy, and even the small efforts of others are not trivial. A person's maturity ultimately begins with having 'the eyes to see the efforts of others.' Then gratitude arises, and complaints diminish.

Moreover, going through tough processes gives me the strength to handle fear. Challenges are always uncertain, and failure can lead to criticism, but once I overcome that, the fear strangely diminishes. It is not that I need to eliminate fear to grow; rather, my steps become stronger when I learn to walk forward with fear. That is true confidence—not the kind given by others, but the strength I have built by enduring.

When I tackle difficult tasks, my goals become clearer. There are no worries in comfortable times. However, when faced with burdensome work, I start to ask myself. Is this really the path I want to take? What significance will this current struggle have for my future? Repeating such questions clarifies my direction.

Those who only take the easy path live towards goals set by others, while those who have experienced difficult paths choose their own goals to live by.

Thinking about it, true skill does not grow in comfort. What nurtures me as a person are the burdensome and challenging processes. Only when the experiences of overcoming those processes accumulate does life become solid. So if you are struggling now, do not hastily conclude it as unhappiness; rather, you might think this.

"Ah, I am climbing another step up."

I am currently making a long-term investment in myself, thinking about retirement in 15 years.