[One Thousand Characters a Day] I Decided to Rewrite Myself Starting Today <1>

Editor's NoteKim Sun-young, a writer who transformed from a broadcast writer who used to work overtime as if it were a daily routine despite suffering from chronic illnesses, into a recreational athlete and writing coach, talks about ‘How to Change My Life Without Being Reborn.’ She was born with a weaker body than others and had a tough life from an early age, but she quickly mastered the skill of rewriting both her body and life by herself. Without prejudice toward any method, she tried things head-on and discovered know-how to nurture and take care of herself. Struggling to survive, her life ultimately flowed in a better direction, and now in her forties, she has become healthier, brighter, and more positive than ever. If you have many things you want to do but your body doesn’t keep up, and your fleeting motivation is crushed by poor physical condition, refer to this book and try rewriting yourself in a way that suits you. This book breathes a strong positive energy into those who want to enjoy the fun and joy of life to the fullest without giving up what they love. Word count: 1043 characters.

I also had an experience that broke down my psychological barriers. Ashtanga yoga has a fixed sequence, and even doing just half of the most basic Primary Series takes at least an hour. Although I had practiced for over two years, I couldn’t properly complete even the half series poses. Especially when it came time to do ‘Sirsasana (headstand),’ my heart would pound like a drum. Ominous feelings like ‘I won’t be able to do it again today’ and ‘I’m definitely going to fall’ naturally followed. I would pound my pitiful toes while my head was pressed into the yoga mat. As expected, it never worked. I became even more scared because I had once boldly tried and toppled forward. I was upset. As someone serious about yoga, I really wanted to experience the joy of standing upside down at least once.

Then one day, while lying on the living room sofa scrolling through social media, I found a video posted by a friend who had started yoga around the same time as me. The scene showed her lightly lifting her legs after placing the crown of her head on the mat, successfully doing a headstand. It was graceful and beautiful. Oh no, jealousy stirred within me.

‘Why can’t I do it?’ I became determined and suddenly placed the crown of my head on the living room floor without even laying down a mat, assuming the pose. I firmly supported the back of my head with both hands and raised my hips toward the ceiling from a prone position. I spread my shoulder blades apart and engaged my abdomen. As I walked my toes toward my forehead, suddenly my legs felt light and floated up into the air?whoosh. They rose so easily, as if someone had lifted them, it was almost startling.

The pose I had firmly drawn a line under as impossible worked just by changing my mindset. The difference between ‘I won’t be able to do it today either’ and ‘Why can’t I do it?’ was powerful. It was as if someone who hadn’t been sick was pretending to be ill, or as if I had been someone who could do it but simply hadn’t tried. Most of what I learned through yoga was like this. Progress happens very gradually. Even if it’s not visible at first, even if it seems like there’s no difference, the time accumulated steadily will definitely pay off. I knew the saying ‘If you keep at it, you can do it’ even before exercising. But understanding it intellectually and experiencing it physically are different dimensions.

－Kim Sun-young, <From Today, I Decided to Rewrite Myself>, Bookie, 17,500 KRW