In this blog post, I will talk about what my special experience at international competitions during my college years meant and what I learned from it as I prepared to publish a book.
One of the most important elements in the process of publishing a book is thinking about how it will be delivered to the reader. A book is not just a collection of pages with words on them, but a medium that moves the reader’s heart and delivers intellectual and emotional value. Therefore, when writing, it requires more effort and strategy than simply filling in the content. The first time I realized this was related to an important event I experienced long ago in college.
When I was in college, I visited Washington, USA to participate in the SIFE WORLD CUP, an international competition. This competition was a meaningful event that gave me the opportunity to learn various values and attitudes in life beyond academic achievements. Every moment from the preparation process to meeting students from different countries was an unforgettable time of growth for me. In particular, I was impressed by the fact that the participants from other countries had clearly set their own life direction and goals. The participants of the competition were not simply aiming to succeed in their projects, but were presenting clearly the goals and values they wanted to achieve in their lives and were presenting various ideas based on them.
On the other hand, many students in Korea, including myself, are often confined within the framework of academics. They are accustomed to studying for “things to do,” and often do not think deeply enough about the goals or directions they really want to achieve. While I was experiencing that the purpose of learning is not just to get good grades, but to build and grow one’s own values, I was rethinking the framework of Korean education. The Korean entrance examination system may provide students with a path to success, but it does not seem to provide sufficient opportunities for them to find and explore their true goals. I felt that this stems from differences in the system and culture, and I thought that it was necessary to make up for this.
After this experience, I began to ask myself questions about my goals and direction in life, not just in my studies. I began to strive to find a path that I felt was valuable to me, rather than simply conforming to external standards. This is an important factor not only in my personal life, but also in the process of writing books and communicating with readers. To provide readers with the opportunity to find their own goals and expand their thoughts through writing, the writer must first clarify their own values and perspectives. This is because writing that resonates with readers is the delivery of a message that contains the writer’s beliefs.
In addition, what I realized is that the purpose of writing is not simply to convey facts. Readers open books expecting inspiration and enlightenment beyond simple information. Good books not only provide readers with knowledge but also present them with new ways of thinking and broaden their values. One of the important things I learned from the competition I participated in was that personal experience can be the best teacher. Any experience can be a great inspiration for readers if it is written in a way that conveys the lessons learned or the values that were gained during the process.
My desire to publish a book is also to convey this kind of resonance. I hope that the message I want to convey will not be limited to simple information or lessons, but will be a medium that brings real change and insight to the lives of readers. If readers can ask themselves questions through the book, find the answers, and establish their own direction, that is the reason I write books.
Finally, what I want to emphasize through this article is not just the transfer of knowledge, but the sincere communication between people through writing. I think it would be enough if the experience and message I want to convey can make a small difference in someone’s life.
