서정훈심리상담센터(서정훈정신건강센터) http://laboy.us

We often hear that we should strive to become people who are needed by society. But simply letting time pass won't make us truly needed. To be someone others genuinely rely on, we must have skills in other words, competence. If we claim to be valuable or indispensable while doing things anyone else can easily do, we’re bound to be disappointed in the end. Recently, I got a call from a university where I had volunteered for over ten years, offering my time and energy for free. I had done so at the request of a faculty advisor and in response to the university’s needs. Now, they were reaching out again to say they needed me. In the past, I would have responded immediately. But this time was different. I didn’t see it as a decision I should make alone, so I told them I needed time to think and ended the call. Becoming someone irreplaceable is always attractive whether to a person, a team, or an organization. But such people are rare. I have tried to become one of those few. Over the w...

It’s a sweltering summer. Many people are struggling with the heat and complaining about how hot it is. But for me, this heat actually feels warm and comforting. When I tell someone, “This heat feels so warm,” there are people who smile and agree with me, and I’m grateful for that. I try every day to surround myself with people who have this kind of positive and optimistic outlook. ​ Everyone wants to avoid people who are always complaining and radiate negativity in their words. Everyone knows there’s no job or work without hardships. Still, there are people who refuse to accept those hardships. Life is known to be tough and exhausting for everyone. I remember asking adults, even as a child, “What is life?” Most of the answers I got were, “Life is suffering.” I learned to accept that suffering with a pure heart. I remember countless times as a child praying to the heavens to only give me pain I could handle. I think this attitude comes from watching the way my grandmother and parents a...