[One Sip of a Book] How to Not Be Affected by What Happened Today

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This is a Q&A notebook that conveys life wisdom based on 'Meditations' by Marcus Aurelius, the 16th emperor of the Roman Empire and a philosopher. It answers questions that arise in life with Aurelius's aphorisms and reinterpretations. It gathers difficult-to-answer life questions ranging from everyday concerns such as managing relationships and anxiety to more profound topics like fate and death. Additionally, it provides a reader's notebook where readers can transcribe sentences from 'Meditations' and answer thematic questions themselves.

Chapter 1: How to Live a Happy Life Right Now

#1 Things to Fill First in Life

Q. I want to know how to not be greatly affected by the things I encounter today.

A. The potential to live the best life lies within you, and the ability to cultivate inner strength depends on yourself. Whatever happens comes from outside and cannot be changed. You do not need to bear that burden, nor is it meaningful to weigh it. Keep your inner page blank, and if blame tries to be inscribed, erase it.

#7 There Is No Happiness in ‘What If’

Q. I am an ambitious person. I want to be recognized at work, succeed socially, and live fulfilling all my desires and pleasures. Is this a wrong way of thinking?

A. Those who pursue honor depend on what others say or do about them; those who pursue pleasure depend on their desires; those who pursue wisdom depend on their own actions.

Choose carefully what you pursue in life.

Only by self-reflection and seeking wisdom can you achieve self-realization and truly become free.

Chapter 2: I Choose My Own Life

#13 Peace Comes When You Understand Transience

Q. The wealth I have, the house I live in, the car I drive, the people I love... other things are not very important to me. Is it wrong to value these things?

A. See how quickly life passes. Eternity was there before I existed, and it will remain after I leave this world.

From this perspective, other people, what I have, my problems, and everything else become meaningless. We are merely beings who bear passing problems and stay briefly.

My Tomorrow Begins with Positivity | Yana Capri and 1 other | Chusubat | 216 pages | 16,800 KRW