I really hope everyone reads the book The Power of Resilience. If we can redefine the resilience we have in our minds, I believe we can achieve great results in any field. This book shouldn't just be read once; it would be great to keep it nearby and reflect on it whenever you have time. I think it’s a very good book that can greatly help in building inner strength. 

Hello, I have lived with farming for about 30 years. In 2021, I retired and now I am diving into a somewhat unfamiliar and uncertain society, experiencing various things. My name is Kim Tae-soo. Nice to meet you. First of all, after reading this book...

It seems that a lot of content revolves around accepting the situation as it is. During my time as an athlete, I often denied the negative things happening to me, thinking, I am someone who doesn't get shaken by this. I invested more effort and time into basketball. However, I believe that this had many negative effects as well. Looking back, there was a time in 2014 when I faced the biggest slump in my basketball career. I was playing so poorly that I felt even someone without skills could play better than I was at that moment. As a result, I received a lot of harsh stares from people and faced significant attacks through negative comments. During that time, I think I also struggled to accept the situation as it was.

I continued to blame myself and attack myself, using various methods to escape from that situation while enduring that time. In the end, I was unable to overcome that slump and went through a very difficult period. However, looking back now, I realize that I should have accepted the fact that my body wasn't moving, that I was tense, and that I couldn't play basketball as I used to. I wonder what would have happened if I had been more flexible in finding different approaches. If I had focused on accepting my situation as it was, rather than trying to overcome it, and if I had concentrated more on relaxing, how would things have turned out? Going through that time made me deeply resonate with the idea that I need to accept things as they are. So after retiring, I need to gather myself.

I once appeared on the Chandara program, and at that time, I spent a lot of time on the bench, which was quite different from when I was an active player. Since there were players who performed better than me, they were out on the field playing more matches, while I was sitting on the bench watching them. During that time, the CEO of the company I was with cautiously mentioned to me about leaving the program. But I told him right then and there that I would absolutely not leave. I felt that if I left at that moment, I would have a lot of regrets. I saw this situation, which brought stress and negative feelings, as a significant opportunity. So, I made a decision. Although I had been practicing with a soccer ball, I decided to invest even more time into my training, starting from the basics and taking it step by step. Ultimately, I realized that I am now...

I thought that not being able to go out onto the field was solely due to a lack of skill. However, I accepted that deficiency, realizing that if I worked a little harder, I could eventually compete again. So, I decided to gradually increase the amount of practice. Of course, as I mentioned earlier, you could see it as investing a tremendous amount of time to overcome this challenge, but my mindset was different. Back then, I had a vague determination to overcome and succeed, whereas now I think it's okay not to perform perfectly; it’s only natural. I might be a bit slower than others, but I had confidence that if I practiced, I could improve. From 2022 to April 2023, I posted exactly 100 videos. During that time, if my skills didn’t improve, I would genuinely conclude that I lacked talent, and I decided that if that were the case, I would quit.

I went out alone to practice soccer and uploaded the video on a private account. Over the course of about a year, I created 126 personal soccer videos and practiced. As a result, when I stepped onto the field, I gained a lot of confidence and was able to create positive situations. Honestly, I was very happy to receive that recognition, but more than that, it was a chance to reaffirm that I am someone who can commit to something and persist for a year. Because I accepted that situation as it was, it became an opportunity to also accept people's negative views and evaluations of my skills. I believe that my soccer skills improved alongside my inner growth. Although it was a challenging situation for me, I feel that it gave me the strength to turn it into an opportunity.

In the book, it talks about resilience, which involves accepting any situation as it is and seeking ways to improve and move forward. Even in uncertain situations, one must calmly consider what actions to take, allowing for some space and time to think. I often reflect on this, and in the past, when waves came, I tried to fight against them to win. This led to a narrow focus solely on the waves, and although overcoming one wave should reveal other challenges, I found myself overwhelmed when the next wave came. However, now I aim not to be defeated by the waves. The idea of trying to overcome the waves and the notion of not being defeated by them might seem similar, but to not be defeated by the waves means acknowledging their presence and thinking about how to respond to them.

While looking at the waves, it's not just about seeing the waves themselves, but also about observing everything around them. By taking a holistic view, I think about how I can respond to these waves and how I can move in a better direction. I believe this perspective is a significant aspect of resilience. I really hope everyone reads the book The Power of Resilience. When we generally think about becoming stronger, we often consider how we appear to others. People might think, Wow, that person looks really strong. However, those who truly possess resilience seem to have a solid inner strength. I personally believe that we need to practice this inner strength. Reading The Power of Resilience has made me reflect on what this solidity and resilience truly mean.

If I could redefine the strength I possess, I believe I could achieve great results in any field. So, I wonder, how can I solidify my inner self and foster growth when I currently have no results? It might not resonate with everyone, but I think this book should not be read just once. It would be beneficial to keep it nearby and reflect on it whenever you have time. I believe it's an excellent book that can greatly help in building inner strength. 

In our country, sports are still developing rather slowly. The slow progress suggests that we are somewhat lagging in adopting the programs and good practices from foreign sports powerhouses. For example, we still cling to outdated methods.

There are still some leaders who adhere to the old ways, believing that athletes must be pushed to their limits until they are completely exhausted for it to be considered effective training. However, in reality, there is a growing recognition of the importance of rest in training. While there has been significant improvement in this area, many still insist that enduring hardship and overcoming challenges are essential components of training. 

In Japan, for instance, during my active years, there were many discussions about how Japan was lagging behind in sports. However, many now argue that the situation has reversed. This change is backed by a tremendous infrastructure and substantial investment that have contributed to the growth of the Japanese league. It is essential for the interest of these individuals to continue fostering elite sports development.

Basketball is a sport that can be started at any time, but there are still areas where I need to improve, and I think I need to pay more attention to acceptance in this regard. In fact, as a senior, what I really want to convey to the juniors is that I hope they do not feel satisfied with just moderately practicing in their current situation. Elite athletes are completely devoted to their sport. The sport they are engaged in is everything to them. Therefore, in order to win against others, it is absolutely impossible to win by doing the same things as everyone else. During my athletic career, I worked harder than anyone else, and I can confidently say that whether I was training or not, I was always thinking about basketball and lived a life completely devoted to the sport. Because of that, I believe I was able to have a competitive career.

I think about it, but there are many seniors who have much more impressive achievements and careers than I do. I believe I worked really hard, but then I wonder how much more incredible thoughts they had and how much more time they must have invested to build such careers. Ultimately, because they are elite athletes, I think they must never spare any effort. They have to push themselves to the limit. That's right; they have to push themselves to the limit. But they don't actually die from it. As I mentioned earlier, I want to nurture the part of me that has been hidden deep inside and take care of it. When I’m struggling, I step back a little and instead of spending the day with some obsession, I sometimes take a step back and not work out at all or focus on something completely different.

Now, it's fine to enjoy some entertainment, watch a movie, or have a light drink with friends. Taking a breather and dedicating yourself to the sport you do can lead to better results, in my opinion. While the inner growth that comes from strength is undoubtedly important, athletes also need to possess individual skills, which is a crucial aspect. To develop these personal skills, distinct efforts compared to others are definitely necessary. However, when one truly finds satisfaction in themselves, I believe it's important to add a little more effort. I hope you never hold back on your efforts and give it your all. If you could go back, would you choose to live life to the fullest, or would you, like Yukichi, prefer to train as a simple farmer?

They say it's not true, so I'm curious about what kind of mindset they would have if they went back. I think I would treat it as everything. Because that's everything, I believe that one can grow and reach a certain level of trajectory. However, I doubt that Yoky, as a child, had such thoughts. He achieved remarkable success in the MBA and gained many experiences, but not all of those experiences were good. It's clear that those experiences combined have shaped his current thoughts. Therefore, if one thinks that life is not a preparation from the beginning, I believe they will never reach that trajectory. In the book The War of Art, it describes how the same students were asked to play the piano. Some kids said, I'll only play for six months, while others said, I'll play for a year, and some said, I want to become a world-class pianist.

Just thinking that it will be enough can show a significant difference in skill after a few months. Ultimately, the reason for participating in elite sports is to become number one. If someone thinks that they will only do it to a certain extent because it is not everything in their life, I believe their goals are misguided. If one's desired goals are high up there, the tremendous effort, experiences, good emotions, and bad emotions will all help lift them up. However, if someone believes that it's just a hobby and not their entire life, I think they won't succeed. So, even if I return as an athlete, I will consider it my whole life and will fully commit to running 100 kilometers. In fact, I believe that elite athletes should also have a mindset of grit and determination.

Among the athletes, I believe there isn't a single person who thinks they can win by just getting by or doing things halfway. Everyone surely puts in more effort and dedicates more time than others to improve their skills, and I think we all can agree on that. However, I believe it's really important to take care of our mindset a little bit. As one aims to reach the top, there are certainly tremendous challenges involved. More than positive experiences, they will likely face more setbacks, and in the process, they will grow without even realizing it and get onto a certain trajectory. But once they are on that trajectory, it takes a combination of luck and numerous experiences to become a world-class athlete. I think it’s necessary to endure with sheer grit, and currently…

The connection between the body and mind is incredibly important. When the mind or mental state collapses, the body doesn't respond well. I experienced this during my athletic career. When my mind was anxious or when I had a bad practice or game, negative emotions would flood in. It is crucial to take care of those negative emotions. If we keep holding onto those feelings without letting them flow away, it will eventually affect our performance and can lead to physical breakdowns or injuries. Rather than pushing away those negative emotions, it’s important to accept them and think about how to control them and let them go, since they come to us for a reason. I believe it is very important to consider this. As I mentioned earlier, with this spotlight, I am currently facing a difficult situation.

I really feel like this is everything in my life, and it’s truly despairing. I think I’ll never be able to connect with the world again, and my relationships with people seem to be falling apart. Very negative thoughts will flood in like a deluge. But if you think about it, it’s only 100 meters away, or even just 1 meter away. It may be Seoul, but viewed from Busan, it’s really just that close. I hope you can fully accept that situation. Yes, I’m in a slump right now; I can’t find stability in my life. Just face it as it is, and from a third-person perspective, think about how you can improve this situation, not in a big way, but little by little. If you approach it step by step, you will eventually find that it’s not about overcoming it, but rather it will just pass. People often ask me how to deal with a slump.

I have overcome it, and now I occasionally receive questions, but I haven't truly overcome it; I have merely moved past it. Even now, when unpleasant memories from 2014 resurface, I still experience very uncomfortable feelings that can make my face flush. So, these situations, whether they leave scars or memories, remain somewhere within me. The past meets the present and continues to move into the future. Therefore, if I fully accept these situations and think about how I can better control them or how I can come up with improvement plans, I can view the situation more objectively. You might realize that it may not be as significant as you initially thought. So, don't just try to push away the difficult situations.

Instead of just accepting it, I think it would be beneficial to consider and practice it. I truly believe it will help you. And I understand that telling you to stay strong when you're struggling can sometimes feel like a violent statement. However, I will give you all the strength I can, so please take that strength and really muster up the energy to overcome this situation. It would be great if you could do that.

"모든 사람들이 읽길 바랍니다" (전 프로농구선수 김태술)

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"모든 사람들이 읽길 바랍니다" (전 프로농구선수 김태술)

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