Silver Finance

[태그:] personal growth

  • A Tiny Being in the Vast Universe: Living a Happy Fleeting Life

    A few years ago, I watched a 10-minute clip from an EBS documentary on YouTube.
    The video revealed the edge of the observable universe, and I was shocked to learn that its diameter is an astonishing 93 billion light-years.

    To put that in perspective, light can circle the Earth seven and a half times in a single second—and yet, the universe is so unimaginably vast that our existence seems no more than a speck of dust.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZSD_rq6X1dU

    From the moment we are born, we are taught to become someone great, to live a successful life. But what exactly does “success” mean, and who gets to define it? Even if we live a hundred years, it is still just a fleeting moment in the grand scale of time.

    We are undoubtedly precious beings.
    But the obsession with living an extraordinary life—constantly chasing greatness—is something we should learn to let go of. What truly matters is living the life we want right now, and finding happiness in each passing moment.

    If we are not happy today, we will not magically become happy tomorrow.
    A life that seeks happiness, not greatness—that is the path we must walk, thoughtfully and intentionally.

  • Is the Success Formula Real? Education, Conditioning, and True Happiness

    Modern Education and the Illusion of Success

    From elementary to high school, we spend 12 years in classrooms.
    But beyond learning, this system has conditioned us to believe that happiness always lies in the future.

    In our teenage years, we are told that happiness comes from entering a good university.
    At university, happiness is said to come from landing a good job.
    Once employed, we are taught to endure long hours and endless competition for promotions.
    By the time retirement arrives at age 60, many look back and wonder:
    “What was I really living for?”

    The Myth of the Success Formula

    Modern education has instilled two powerful beliefs:

    1. A good school and a good company equal success.
    2. Present sacrifice guarantees future happiness.

    Yet this mindset is relatively new—barely 100 years old, shaped by the rise of industrialized societies.
    It is hardly universal truth.
    The so-called “elite track” may lead to financial security, but it does not automatically deliver fulfillment or genuine happiness.

    The Danger of Delayed Happiness

    We are trapped in a cycle of postponement:

    • In high school, we endure hardships for the promise of a better university.
    • At university, we sacrifice again for the hope of a good job.
    • At work, we give up health, time, and personal life for the chance of promotion.

    Happiness becomes an ever-receding goalpost.
    Life passes by while we keep waiting for “someday.”

    Choosing Happiness in the Present

    True happiness does not come only after an achievement.
    It comes from finding joy in today.

    Even a single moment of daily happiness—whether small or significant—makes life meaningful.
    Achievements may bring short-term satisfaction, but they rarely sustain long-term happiness.

    Life is only lived once.
    Don’t postpone happiness.
    Live in the present, and happiness will follow you to the end.