[One Thousand Characters a Day] A Passing Score of 60 Is Enough in Life <3>

Editor's NoteKim Tae-min, the author of ＜Life’s Cutoff Line Is 60 Points and That’s Enough＞, also experienced his first life setback after entering university based solely on the university’s name and matching scores, just like others. His twenties and thirties were filled with wandering through dropping out, enrolling, changing jobs, and switching careers. It was only at the age of thirty-one that he finally held a university diploma in his hands, and in his late thirties, he left a stable government job to challenge himself by entering law school. Now, he realizes that all the anxious and difficult times, which felt late, slow, and like standing still compared to others, were the foundation for his growth. Escaping from the depression and anxiety stemming from a timid personality and low self-esteem began with repeatedly experiencing small achievements. He confesses that by focusing solely on what he wanted to do and what interested him, without worrying about others’ opinions, and by gaining meaningful results through small learnings, he was finally able to walk a path that satisfied himself. Word count: 997 characters.

Living each day faithfully, I have no leisure to reflect on the past. This is partly because I am quite satisfied with my current life and partly because there are many things I still need to do. However, some dark and gloomy days suddenly come to mind. In my mid-thirties, generally the time when one lives most passionately and busily, setting life plans and living with hope despite hardships, that period remains my most difficult memory.

I deeply regretted my thoughtless twenties and was pained by the fact that I could not turn back time. There were many nights when I covered myself with a blanket and cried out loud. At that time, all my choices felt foolish and reckless, and I feared that I was several years behind others. So, I had no hope for the future and fell into a vicious cycle of blaming my past self. But now, I believe that those choices were a masterstroke. I am not far ahead of others, nor do I feel the need to be, and I never think it’s too late. The turning point that helped me break free from this vicious cycle was experiencing small achievements. Through this, I gained the confidence to try new things and began to envision hope.

(Omitted)

Through the miserable experiences of the past, sometimes filled with tears and anger, I learned what to avoid and what not to do. Of course, at that time, I could never have known or understood this. After much contemplation, I realized that all problems naturally started from myself, and I decided that I needed to change. This was deeply felt through the experience of hitting rock bottom, from which there was no further descent.

Still, I know well that life does not go as I wish. There are so many things that cannot be achieved no matter how hard I try. Also, I cannot know what difficulties the future, which I have yet to live, will bring. But since the experiences and failures I once thought meaningless have made me who I am today, I live with the confidence to keep correcting and improving, as if writing an answer sheet of life’s mistakes.

- Kim Tae-min, ＜Life’s Cutoff Line Is 60 Points and That’s Enough＞, Melight, 14,000 KRW