“I Decided to Live as Me: An Illustrated Checklist for How to Stop Comparing Yourself to Others So You Can Learn to Love Yourself”
by Kim Suhyun, translated by Anton Hur
2024/Penguin Life
$28/272 pages
When she was an intern straight out of college, Kim Suhyun’s first boss badly mistreated her. She stayed until the internship was over, but the memory of it consumes her with rage and doubt. Where did things go wrong? She couldn’t find an answer to that, but she slowly began to understand that she had to grow her own self-worth and confidence. She had to seize her dignity and stop obsessing over the lives and opinions
of others.
She had to live a more authentic life. Here she shares what she learned. Suhyun begins with this advice: Don’t use extra effort to make yourself feel bad. Don’t let others make you miserable, either; in fact, don’t pay too much attention to anyone who’s just “passing through” your life.
Be more patient with clients, colleagues, and strangers; we’re too quick to hate these days. You can speak out against wrongs and detractors while still respecting yourself and your humanity. Make decisions based on the person you are, rather than what you think others want. And remember that the only thing you can truly control is your own well-being.
The book helps you remember your strengths and find new steel for your spine. This is a great book for anyone who feels as though they’ve been wallowing in sorrow, or for anyone who needs a soft push to get going again.
