Miko

“She was the same person, but she also wasn't. Many things had changed, but some things would be even more different in the future. Maybe her transformation wasn't only because she had the strength to overcome her experiences and her pain. Maybe the times she'd struggled to stay affloat had turned her into someone else. Now she would be happy even if she came to understand only one single thing, even if that was all. Now death was something that would be determined by her. And the same was true of life. It was hers and only hers.”
― Kyung-ran Jo, Blowfish

“Life is too complicated and expansive to be judged solely by the career you have. You could be unhappy doing something you liked, just as it was possible to do what you didn't like but derive happiness from something entirely different. Life is mysterious and complex. Work plays an important role in life, but it isn't solely responsible for our happiness or misery”
― Hwang Bo-reum, Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop

“But in truth, breaking the people-pleasing-pattern is the gateway to a rich, new terrain of giving: a giving that is sincere, genuine, and boundaries. Now our offerings of kindness are voluntary, not obligatory. They're given by goodwill, not by guilt. We trust ourselves to say no, so when we say yes, we really mean it-- and our giving, instead of masking resentment and obligation, becomes an openhearted expression of care and compassion for others. In this way, breaking the people-pleasing-pattern allows us to experience the real joy of giving to others, and the joy of giving to ourselves.”
― Hailey Magee, Stop People Pleasing

“Books are not meant to remain in your mind, but in your heart. Maybe they exist in your mind too, but as something more than memories. At a crossroads in life, a forgotten sentence or a story from years ago can come back to offer an invisible hand and guide you to a decision. Personally, I feel like the books I've read led me to make the choices I've made in life. While I may not remember all the details, the stories continue to exert a quiet influence on me.”
― Hwang Bo-reum, Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop