Relax and find solace in “I’m Still Too Far from Becoming an Adult”
Have you ever felt like you have been stuck in the same place for a while now? It is as if you are being left behind, but still cannot find the courage to step forward.
Sometimes, taking that first step is the hardest part.
“I’m Still Too Far from Becoming an Adult” by Sehyoung Kang knows that feeling all too well. This book is dedicated to the people who have felt uncertain and have become a coward that is afraid of failure. It contains a collection of stories that were originally shared on the radio and talks about the different experiences we encounter on this crazy ride we call ‘adulthood’.
Come, let us take a break and do some reflection while we read my favorite lines from this book.
“More than the love we receive, we remember our suffering much longer.”
Nietzsche once said that sometimes when a person feels insulted, they tend to exaggerate the offense so they can feel justified about their negative feelings. I think there’s some truth to it. But I also think it’s because we tend to think that the ‘grass’ is greener on the other side. Let us try to be kind to one another. Because we never really know the full extent of someone’s pain.
“What kind of relationship were we in?”
I remember reading somewhere that grief is the final translation of love. Sometimes we may lose people, whether because of life or external factors. And there are people who cry about it. There’s someone who will use distractions to avoid feeling it. But it is always going to be there. I don’t think we move past the grief, honestly. I think we just learn to live with it and grow around it. To love is to be transformed, I believe. And whether this love turns into grief or something better, it is always going to stay with us.
So make the friendship bracelets, as they say. And enjoy every day with the people you love.
“It isn’t a huge mistake to take a break from everyday life.”
I used to pressure myself in high school that ‘if I am not stressed, then I am not doing it correctly’. I am still trying to get past it, but I am better now. It’s okay to take a break every once in a while. It will refresh your mind, and maybe even give you a better perspective on things.
“Life is really all about timing.”
In this particular writing, Sehyoung Kang shared that she has been trying to reprimand a junior member. But she had been putting it off for the longest time until one day she was sick and could take it no more. The junior member thought that it was because she was sick and was ‘too sensitive’. Perhaps there’s some truth to both sides. But there will come a time when we realize that sometimes, the ‘right time’ may never come and we were just putting it off so needlessly.
“One of the most frightening ‘disappointments’ is disappointment itself.”
Sometimes the reason we procrastinate is that we are afraid to disappoint. So we keep putting it off because at least we haven’t failed. Yet. But for how long can you do this? There will come a time, when you look back and think, “Ah, I should’ve done more”. To live a life without regrets, we must be willing to take that first step. After all, as Sehyoung Kang wrote, “I can’t just keep imagining forever.”
Explore the journey through adulthood–the good, the bad, the confusing– with “I’m Still Too Far from Becoming an Adult”. If you wish to take a break and do some reflection, this book might help you. It might also give you a break from the harsh realities of adult life.
Check out these other books that might help ease the pain a little: I Decided to Live As Me, You Can Wind Down from Time to Time, Yearning for Home, While I’m at Home, and more at APOP. You can also get a discount when you use this link whenever you order along with this code: ANNYEONGOPPA
