Time of Your Life – Rando Kim (Review)

I just read a book by Rando Kim, an infamous professor and prominent student’s mentor of Seoul National University. With original title; “Youth, It’s Painful” (Apeunikka Cheongchunida), Rando Kim tried to give his best support and advice for the young generation of South of Korea who has been pressured by the high expectation of family and society; to enter the best major of best university in order to be able to fit in Korea’s best company and institution as well.

Even though this book not for my age, I enjoyed reading it and at some point, I stopped and nodded hard in agreeing with what Kim was written in his book. I like his point of view, especially in carrier and sometimes I thought I should have read this book earlier. So, in order not to miss the point that touched me, I collect some excerpts from Kim’s book (caution : I’ve tried my best on translating these in to my not that good English grade, sorry, mianhae, actually his Indonesian translator used wonderful words in this book ). 😀

Exactly.

When you are 24 years old, you are at 07:12 A.M.

As I mentioned above, here Rando Kim tried to show that when people were at their 24, in comparison to 80 years of our age, were still at 7.24 A.M. That was the time when most people started their daily activity. In other words, people at this age, still had plenty of time, they were about starting the ‘real’ life battle. Comparing to my daily routine, 7.24 A.M is the time when I usually arrive at my office, turn on my laptop, pour myself a cup of coffee, and re-plan my daily activity. So, the comparison makes sense to me (due to this analogy, I’m at 8:47 A.M, still morning though). 😀

20’s,

Was your time to live recklessly,

Even though you couldn’t live recklessly,

20’s

Rando Kim inspired Choi Seung-ja, The 30’s, which reminded me about my early 20’s, when sometimes I wanted to live recklessly, but I just couldn’t.

30 is slowly reaching you,

When you think you can not live just the way it is anymore.

And just can not end your life as simply as that.

Rando Kim quoted from Choi Seung-ja’s book, The 30’s.

Here, Kim tried to say that;

Appreciation is one way to happiness.

And he wanted us to remember;

Sometimes when we were irritated by our routine, just remembered that someone else really wanted to stand at the place where we were standing.

Do not make any decisions just based on uncertainty of our future neither on limitations which we are facing.

Kim suggested us spending money on self-development things such us on books, traveling, or learning something on our youth. He thought that when we were young, our best invest was not money, but self improvement.

“Every flower has its own blossom time: forsythia, Camellia, and the other flowers. Those flowers know when their seasons are coming; but most of us don’t, most of us struggling for being the first. Do you feel that you are left behind? Do you feel that you have been wasting your time while your friends are getting closer to their success? If you have had those thoughts, just remember that you have your own season, and your friends have it too. It’s not your time yet. But, it’s definitely coming your way. Maybe it seems too late, but just believe, when the time has came, you will blossom beautifully. So, head up and be prepare for your season. Remember, you are wonderful.”

Indeed, you are wonderful on your way. Yes, you!

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