What pulled my life back up from rock bottom was the ‘audiobook’ I started in mid-2019. Looking back, after becoming an adult, I had distanced myself from reading and lived solely immersed in company work. I poured countless hours into building connections, yet neglected to build my own knowledge and expertise to apply to new endeavors. I was in a state of heightened self-awareness without truly recognizing where I stood or what skills I possessed. I had failed at ‘self-objectification,’ intoxicated by flashy titles and networking with global talents.

It wasn’t until I recklessly plunged into a blockchain game startup, dreaming of becoming a successful entrepreneur without fearing the world, that I finally faced the harsh reality. As I plummeted to rock bottom, I realized the painful truth: the practical skills and knowledge I actually possessed were woefully inadequate. My hands-on abilities lagged behind, and even the connections I trusted vanished like mirages the moment my former company’s title disappeared. At the very beginning of that painful realization—that I might be utterly incompetent—there was the audiobook.

Audiobooks originally started as a service to read books aloud for the visually impaired. I first encountered audiobooks during my time working at the US branch. The culture of commuters downloading books as MP3s to listen to while driving evolved into convenient streaming services with the advent of smartphones. In particular, ‘Willa Audiobook’, which I frequently use, features professional voice actors delivering vivid readings. Novels feel like watching a movie, and non-fiction also heightens concentration.

My daily habit of listening to audiobooks while writing my blog in the early morning actually began during my time working ‘overnight delivery’ shifts. Though I no longer do delivery work, that habit remains firmly in place, becoming a powerful tool that upgrades my life. I jot down inspiration gained from audiobooks in my diary, organize it alongside YouTube lecture content, and record it on my blog. These carefully accumulated writings not only stay with me for a long time but also become my own ‘knowledge repository’ that I can pull out and use whenever needed. Years ago, while reading Dr. Ha Ji-hyun’s The Psychiatrist’s Study, I dreamed, “Could I become a writer someday?” Seeing that dream actually come true is nothing short of astonishing and deeply grateful.