If I recall how many books that I have been read all of my life, I feel like I need some getaway book to cleanse my mind a bit, and it's been a while I have not read anything. Other than education book and module, I mostly read Fiction Novel until I realized I don't think I ever read a mental health book until such as "The Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down" By Haemin Sunim. I saw many quotes from this book online, and I feel like I had to read it. The book I had is the translations from Korean. For instance, The book is about mindfulness, spiritual advice, and truthfully the book really opening window to all the things you can see only when you slow down.
The book divides into 1 prologue, 8 chapters, and 1 epilogue. Each chapter represents every aspect of life, from friends to relationships. Every chapter starts with an open essay like a real-life story Haemin Sunim told us then turns out to be another life lesson followed by a series of short messages with similar meaning.
The book also shows us some feelings that we feel, but we actually don't realize. It really makes you think of having a journey to yourself. The book makes us realize that we are living in a fast world that we don't actually have time to rest. The world we may see today might be the world that seems to run fast forwards to the future, but that doesn't mean we have to. To befriending your emotions, realizing that negative emotion is not a fixed reality, to observe our feelings instead of confronting them. The book realizes that sometimes getting the job done well is more important than one's perception of doing a good job.
All of the chapters really got me mesmerized and made me wonder a lot while reading some short messages. I do realize that I don't really like to talking or catching up to my close friends all day even though I do get along with them for years because I understand that it's a consideration feeling that everyone needs to build and have some personal space and time. But when the times to catching up with them, we have to make sure that the time is precious and promising ourselves not taking it for granted.
Haemin Sunim also shares about love. Somehow we also like to seek something in someone we love. Something that we expect that the significant other would do to us like, loving ourselves back and stuff. He shares that sometimes when love finds you, everything else becomes unimportant. Our thoughts will circle around every day. It really amazed me that I found myself not exactly what it's like to experience the feeling of being in love, the sweetness of love, or the bitterness of a heartbreak. Even though we don't exactly know when love comes, but somehow he told me about the promise of love found me, I, too, would pour all of myself into it, without any calculation or fear, even if deep pain lurked behind it. Because receiving love is like you have a whole full package, it always with the sweetness and the bitterness.
At first, he said try to not read this book like a novel. Well, it's true. Because the first time I wanted to read it like a novel, I don't think I grasp all of the messages he shared. It became a book full of quotes at that time. But this book is really a journey to yourself trying to see some aspects of life, you don't wanna force yourself to know yourself instantly, right? Try to read this book like pick a number of a page then read it, and it will make you wondering all day. Read like this might really useful for me. It might really not practical to you, so somehow he said try to read with the flow you like, you could read this book while you're down, or even when you're in the happiest state whatsoever.
I think Haemin Sunim has his way of delivering words so beautifully. I found the book very amusing and somehow another fuel to a better self. He shared essays with some real-life lessons, making me realize that I am not the one who has a hard time in this world. I don't have to run fast to reach my dream. I will manage my thoughts as I am trying to maintain my relationship with my family and friends. I will enjoy my job in the future. And yes, I will probably be purchasing his other book soon.
