What is happiness?

There is one project I absolutely want to accomplish someday.

It is to travel around the world, meet different people, film conversations with them about the theme of “happiness,” and through that journey, discover the true meaning of happiness and share it with others.

The following ten questions were written about two years ago, around the time when I planned to save money after graduation and set off on a world trip. Unfortunately, due to COVID, the plan was postponed indefinitely.

However, now that I’ve completed my solo trip around Korea, I suddenly thought it might not be a bad idea to ask myself these same questions—and so, I decided to write this down.

The following is written in a self-interview style, where my “past self” from two years ago interviews my “present self.”

Title: Let me tell you about happiness

제목: 행복이란 무엇인가?

Q1. Hello, first of all, thank you for agreeing to this interview. Could you briefly introduce yourself?

Hello, my name is Jess. I’m a 23-year-old university student, currently about to graduate.

Q1-1. Who is Jess? (Personality)

Who I am… I think this is one of the easiest yet most difficult questions I’ve been asked recently. Luckily or unluckily, I was born into an ordinary family and grew up quite average, with nothing particularly outstanding. While studying in Australia, I had to return to Korea abruptly due to COVID and couldn’t go back, so I’m now on a sort of forced leave of absence, spending my time doing various things.

Q1-2. What are your strengths and weaknesses?

I’d say my greatest strength is courage and boldness. Because of that, I don’t fear failure and I always enjoy taking on new challenges, moving forward day by day.

As for my weakness, I probably have what Koreans call a “pot-temper”—I get excited about new things quickly, but I also lose interest just as fast. That often leaves me with wasted efforts and having to start over.

Q2. Are you happy right now? (Now)

For me, happiness has always been like water—something I constantly crave, drink, and still need more of. In the past, I thought happiness was invisible and therefore incredibly hard to grasp. Thankfully, through this journey, I realized happiness is indeed like water: it’s always available, everywhere, if only I choose to notice it. Always needed, but always nearby. So, my answer now is: Yes, I am.

Q3. Do you have a motivation in life? (Motivation)

Of course. Motivation is like a compass—an essential guide in moving through life. I’m grateful to be blessed with good people around me, like family and friends, so one of my biggest goals is to succeed and give back to them. Beyond that, I want to share the beauty of life with others and be a positive influence in the world.

Q4. What makes you happy? (Factors)

The sense of accomplishment and lessons from challenges make me happiest. For me, it doesn’t matter if I succeed or fail. The fact that I dared to challenge something carries its own meaning. Success gives me joy, and failure gives me insight. When I see myself one step ahead compared to yesterday, I feel immense happiness.

Q5. What is your life goal? (Life goals)

It may sound materialistic, but I want to be a happy wealthy person. I have many passions and things I want to learn, and money is often the biggest barrier. My dream is to study and experience life without financial worries. Also, there are so many people I owe gratitude to, so I believe financial stability is necessary to give back.

Q6. How can one become happy? (How?)

In the past, I thought happiness was something grand—reserved only for the rich, the talented, or the beautiful.

But during this long solo journey, I realized so much.

Spending three weeks alone, I rediscovered the value of family and friends, the importance of having a home, and the significance of both time and money. Even small things—waking up, brewing coffee, taking a shower—became precious and something to be thankful for.

I used to think happiness was far away, something I had to stretch my arms endlessly to reach. But I learned happiness was always right beside me. Being able to eat, having supportive family and friends, being healthy enough to walk—these are happiness.

Happiness is like a shadow—it always follows us, but we often don’t notice it because we’re numb to the familiar. If we truly want to be happy, it starts with appreciating small things.

Q7. What was your happiest moment? (Happiest moment)

I’ve been blessed with many happy moments, but one that stands out is when I first went to Australia. It was the first time I left my parents’ nest and truly became independent. I met amazing people, experienced so many new things, and lived each day so fully. Every moment was filled with challenges and excitement—it was unforgettable.

Q8. What was your worst moment? (Worst moment)

Ironically, I’d also say it was in Australia. Living abroad was exciting, but it was also incredibly hard. As a foreigner with no roots, I met countless wonderful people from around the world—but that also meant countless painful goodbyes. No matter how much I adapted to everything else, farewells never got easier. I remember one night, after saying goodbye to some of my last close friends, I called my mom on the way home and cried like a child, telling her how hard it was.

Q9. What do you think life and happiness are? (Life & Happiness)

As I’ve said before, life is like a book. We are born as blank pages, and throughout our lives, we fill those pages until the book is complete when we close our eyes for the last time. Some people may write with a dull pencil, while others type on a laptop—these differences reflect the environments we’re given.

But still, the one writing is us. We get to choose the composition, the storyline. Others may influence or inspire us, but no one can write our book for us.

In that process, happiness acts as a catalyst. Nobody lives to be miserable—we all live to seek happiness. By focusing on the present and chasing happiness, every moment becomes a highlight. And by the time we close the cover, we will have written the best book of our lives.

Q10. If you could meet your childhood self, what advice would you give? (Advice to my childhood self)

First, I’d tell myself: “Free yourself from the gaze of others.” We can never meet everyone’s expectations, nor do we need to. I realized this far too late. If I’d known sooner, I would’ve tried more things I truly wanted to do without worrying about others’ opinions.

Second, I’d say: “You don’t have to carry everything alone.” Sometimes we avoid burdening others and hold everything inside—but that was me in the past. That’s what family and friends are for: to share joys and sorrows together. It’s okay to open up, ask for help, and lean on others. And I’d remind myself to do the same for them.

Lastly, I’d say: “Ordinary is not ordinary.” I often felt bored with my daily life, but for someone else, what I had could have been enviable. And nothing lasts forever. So, I’d tell myself to appreciate even the smallest things, and to share that gratitude with others—that’s how you find true happiness.

We only live once, so I hope you live beautifully, without regret, and with happiness.

End of Interview. Thank you for sharing.