It’s a beautiful day. How have you been?
Once again, the world has been overflowing with stories this year. News about politics, the economy, technology, and constant change has been as fast-paced and noisy as ever. The world continues to transform at a dizzying speed.
Instead of trying to understand everything, I hope you find the strength to filter out what you don't need to know. I hope you keep your distance from things you cannot control and focus instead on the radius of life for which you can take responsibility.
I love. I pursue writing, love, and happiness. In the face of an opaque future, I share these words with the hope that our knowledge and aesthetics will shine through, and that you will always remain in peace.
Surviving Bohol
The Central Visayas region of the Philippines.
A unique geological structure of limestone featuring the Chocolate Hills and tarsiers.
A haven for coral reefs and marine life, and a premier destination for diving and snorkeling.
Designated as a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2023.
Bohol is, for the most part, a wonderful place. It has a warm climate and genuinely kind people. We were right there in the heart of it.
This is where I began my journey as a scuba diving instructor. Doing new work in an unfamiliar environment was truly exhilaratring. I cannot fully express in words the value of the experiences and assets I gained there.
Over 1,000 dives.
More than 400 twin-tank dives and over 100 sidemount dives.
Technical decompression dives to depths of 55 meters on air.
6 Specialty Instructor certifications and Technical Diver certification.
Two IDC staffings as a PADI MSDT and IDC Staff Instructor.
Training for approximately 100 divers.
I was fortunate enough to achieve this because I met exceptional mentors and colleagues. Among many memories, my first 50-meter technical decompression dive remains vivid. The sensation of descending with twin tanks and two decompression cylinders strapped to me is still etched into my body.
Yet, every gain comes with something that must be endured.
Relationships with people I had grown close to began to fray more easily than I expected. In closer relationships, expectations grow, and as those expectations grow, so do the wounds. Moments where words were misaligned and intentions were distorted became frequent. I always believed I was acting in someone’s best interest, but explanation doesn't always lead to understanding. Around that time, I became more withdrawn and gradually felt exhausted.
Following these events, I began to keep my distance. Instead of merely trying to be "nice," I chose to be clear. I stopped trying to hold onto every relationship and ceased my efforts to resolve every misunderstanding. I became a slightly less "friendly" neighbor, but I became more solid in return.
My daily habits also collapsed. Diving and drinking took up most of my day, while writing, love, and happiness were pushed aside. I was reckless and lazy. I have no regrets, but I knew I couldn't continue living such a planless life.
Lately, I've been returning to the basics. I'm trying to sleep early and wake up early. I stay away from alcohol and stay close to books and writing. I'm choosing a sustainable pace rather than overextending myself.
The Beauty of Imperfection
Superficial knowledge leads to quick judgments. We reach conclusions before we fully understand, trusting summaries more than context. Our thoughts become shorter, and our judgments become more categorical. It's efficient, but we miss so much.
Fear and anxiety change our attitude toward life. Anxiety is a natural response to a threat. Yet, there are times when we feel so tense that we can hardly function normally even when no obvious threat exists. We start being on guard in advance to avoid getting hurt. This attitude makes life defensive. We begin making choices aimed solely at avoiding loss.
Time, emotion, and energy become objects of calculation, while spontaneity and coincidence are classified as risk factors.
Even love has hidden behind explanations and conditions. We demanded certainty and looked for proof. When we felt anxious, we searched for reasons. Love became logic rather than emotion, and relationships became something to be managed. Under those conditions, it became increasingly difficult for us to be honest.
Was change wrong? It was simply the way we chose to survive. However, these choices protect us while simultaneously closing us off. A life that allows no room for imperfection ultimately leaves no space to breathe.
The chains of tangled thoughts are now slowly losing their grip. Too much thinking can sometimes tear a life apart.
The Price of Choice
Choices come with a price. You have to give something up. Help from those around you only goes so far. In the end, you must deliberate alone and decide alone.
Socially, choices can be seen as right or wrong. And we usually regret them at that point. But if you can look back later and ensure that it was the right choice for you, you might not feel regret. I have always lived this way, and I intend to do so again. Not because I want to believe I was right, but because I refuse to evade the responsibility of my choices. Rather than dwelling on regret, I want to spend my time on reflection and introspection.
I have generally chosen the harder path. Not because it was always correct, but because that choice demanded more responsibility.
Choosing and giving up are different. Giving up breeds excuses, but will finds a way.
Systems and Leverage
Leverage is the art of outsourcing everything that makes you feel like you're not alive. Leverage is an attitude of living your life according to your goals and vision. Leverage is the skill of doing what you excel at and delegating everything else. Leverage is a way of life and a philosophy of reaching a higher level by clearly reminding yourself of your goals, vision, and priorities even in the busiest moments.
I begin with the words of Rob Moore. It is time to re-examine the concept of leverage.
What is the best way to live life? Regardless of social or environmental changes, what I ultimately pursue remains the same: Peace. Serenity. Joy. Love. Happiness. They may seem inherently useless, but they are the most important things in my life. I simply hope to live each day peacefully, not too rigidly, but loving deeply and being happy.
As I mentioned earlier, for about a year, my life was a series of excesses. But looking back, I always woke up at 7 AM, gathering the energy to live through the day. My sleep habits were somewhat compromised, but I am working hard to secure enough sleep. Furthermore, leverage regarding limitations works the same way. I minimize social media and YouTube, creating an internet environment where I only acquire the information I truly need.
I haven't read many books this year. Since I wasn't that busy, it's even more regrettable. I hope to keep books closer.
Regarding work, I pride myself on having created many systems and leverages. It’s no longer something up for debate, but I hope work always feels like a hobby. That’s the only way to make it last.
Implications of Artificial Intelligence
The discussion surrounding AI is hotter than ever. This is a point where we should take stock.
This year, AI made a significant technological leap. Models that understand long contexts, utilize various tools, and plan tasks on their own have emerged. AI is no longer just a tool for answering questions; it is becoming a partner in performing work.
AI has already seeped into most fields, including coding, documentation, design, and education. Both companies and individuals are integrating AI into their daily lives for productivity and efficiency. Now, it's not a question of whether to use AI, but how to utilize it. In the future, AI will evolve into intelligent agents that understand more diverse types of data, learn on their own according to the user, and even plan actions. Discussions about AGI and ASI continue as well.
Through AI, we have been given the opportunity to open a new era of productivity and creativity. We need the wisdom to steer AI—the most democratic tool in human history—in a direction that enhances human values and interests. Using it based on clear purpose and maintaining a sense of distance, rather than blind expectation, has become crucial.
Discussions about AI will continue. But one thing is clear: it is becoming increasingly difficult to avoid utilizing this technology.
Health
Health is always the ultimate asset.
What is rest? Stimuli keep coming at us. We need time where we consume nothing, say nothing, and don't have to decide anything. Recovery is not about pleasant stimuli; it is closer to a state where there are no stimuli at all. For true rest, I choose to see less and hear less.
In my semi-annual letter, I spoke about caffeine. I didn't consume caffeine for a while, but now I am accepting small amounts again. However, I have noticeably cut back on alcohol. I've been wary of alcohol since October. There is a clear difference between drinking because you need to and drinking out of habit. In the long run, alcohol is a major cause of chronic diseases. It is truly time to quit.
Whatever it may be, I've started exercising again. I'm doing it to survive. I do short sessions of bodyweight exercises or weight training every day. Though my sentiment that weight training is too static and doesn't quite suit me still stands. (Laughs)
I eat two or three meals a day. I no longer maintain a 16-hour fast like I used to, but I try not to ignore hunger on purpose nor overcompensate. I use my condition that day as a guide rather than following a fixed method.
Acknowledgments
This has turned into quite a long letter.
Once again this year, fortunately, I was able to stand in a better direction thanks to all of you. My thanks go to the people I was with in Bohol and to those who silently stayed by my side in their respective places.
I am grateful to the person I love.
There were moments when I felt we understood each other without words, and that was a great source of strength.
Thank you to my parents. I'll call you more often. I won't worry you too much.
I wish happiness and deep peace to you and your families.
I end this letter with the best sentence I found and wrote this year.
Farewell for now.
We only realize after we lose it.
That the things we took for granted were actually gifts.
Many accidents happen after 'doing well 100 times, only to slip once.' That is why we study theory and rules, train constantly, and learn repeatedly to prevent that one single mistake and reduce the probability of danger.
In freediving, it's not just about holding your breath longer, going deeper, or further; the most important element is returning safely to the surface. To do that, you need formal education, proper safety protocols, and a buddy you can trust.
- Instagram, @mute_younggun
People are filtered. It's natural. As time passes, people naturally end up with those of a similar kind. Those who speak beautiful words find themselves among others who do the same. Those who cherish small acts of kindness spend their time with like-minded people. This is because the heart leans towards what it loves. There's no need to try too hard to be with someone who constantly hurts you. You don't need to lose your own color trying to fit in with them. You must love your own hue. You must cherish and protect your own color. So that people like you can recognize you—good people come to good people.
I like people who are firm yet warm.
I like sincere hearts, even if they aren't glamorous.
I like slow but intense days.
I like a life that is alone, yet not lonely.So, I hope to be a person who is firm yet warm.
To hold a sincere heart, even if it isn't glamorous.
To live out slow but intense days.
And to live a life that is alone, yet not lonely.
Visions are mostly just illusions. The beliefs, values, and assumptions we hold onto are all unverified. Yet, because most of us believe we are "right" and are certain there's no need to rethink, we find no reason to question our own thoughts. Based on this unverified worldview, parents unconsciously harbor firm expectations about how their child should be.
We unconsciously obsess over extreme dichotomies: this or that, good or evil, joy or pain, you or me, past or future, parent or child. In that moment, we and the world around us begin to separate. Most of the time, we act this way without even realizing such a separation is occurring.
- Shefali Tsabary,
Even if it's a cliché to emphasize, everyone lives out the life they have interpreted for themselves. To broaden the scope of interpretation, one should not be satisfied with dictionary definitions but also look into their opposites. Behind happiness lies unhappiness, and behind unhappiness lies happiness. The same applies elsewhere. If you flip the back of abundance, you will surely find poverty, and behind poverty hides an abundance we haven't found yet. The opposite added to a headword is nothing other than the name of a brother born as a twin.
- Yang Gui-ja,
You can ignore reality, but you cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring reality.
AI is the most democratic tool mankind has ever created, and I believe it is a means to maximize individual potential. I feel that AI is currently heading in a direction that improves the overall life of humanity through high accessibility, rather than empowering a specific group or individual.
Ultimately, individuals tied to specific areas must utilize AI at the current "Sweet Spot" to extremely leverage their own domain. This is because survival in the "AI Alone" era is only possible by widening the gap with those who don't, and acquiring tangible and intangible influence. Survival here does not mean biological survival.
- Naver Blog, Seung's Investment and Thoughts
You must live with an "So what?" spirit. Reclaim your memories and thoughts by saying, "I've done everything I could, so what?" Don't let yourself drift according to your moods. It is more elegant to "do something" by grabbing yourself by the hair and pulling yourself up from the outside. When a bottomless sense of anxiety and depression looks back at you again, you must terminate that moment, even if you have to say it out loud. "Let's do something." Only steady habits will pave your path.
- Psychologist Heo Ji-won
I always wanted to live like water. Clear, transparent, clean, cool, soft, and smooth; sometimes turbulent but soon flowing calmly; and above all, indispensable—I wanted to be a person like water.
I know. Life doesn't let you live like water. There are days when you want to get as angry as fire, moments when you harden like stone, and mornings when you feel like you'll crack like parched earth. What can you do? In those times, there's no choice but to quench the thirst of body and soul with a glass of cool water, music, and a book. Even if I can never truly become a person like water, I can spend the rest of the day as if swimming through it.
- [Achim Playlist : Water] Sometimes, just like this, flowing as it goes