Today, I had an English class at university. Due to a lack of sleep over the past two days, I felt drowsy and exhausted, and to be honest, I felt sluggish about taking the class. That must have shown in my behavior. After class, the teacher kindly asked me, “You seemed tired today, are you alright?” Looking back, my English conversations weren’t engaging at all either. From all this, I realized I must have been exuding a negative aura in class.
This is unmistakably a form of “weakness.” I understand that sleep deprivation and bad habits degrade one’s physical condition. I also understand that this negatively affects one’s mood. However, projecting that onto the people around me is wrong. It is simply causing a negative influence on others for selfish reasons, showing a complete lack of consideration.
True strength is not about defeating others. It is the ability to make others happy. Regardless of one’s relationship with others or one’s own situation, one must possess the strength to bring happiness to those around them.
How, then, can we concretely attain this strength? Below are the key elements:
- Posture: Never let your posture slump. Poor posture spoils the atmosphere of the entire space.
- Facial Expression: Especially in tough times, keep your eyes open and smile. Facial expressions convey almost everything to others.
- Voice: Practice abdominal breathing and slightly raise your tone.
- Reaction: React more expressively than usual. No matter what the other person says, never respond with denial. Always start with affirmation.
- Words: Actively use positive language. Words like “sleepy” or “tired” must not be spoken.
- Altruistic Intent: Shift your focus toward others by asking, “How can I make this person happy?” rather than focusing on “How am I feeling?”
