Hello, this is Healing Santa, Kim Ji-yu.
After people-centered entrepreneurship (7), the heart-jewel of loving myself (8) and the seed of wealth within me (9), the tenth story is about Director Kim Gwang-ho, leader of Mirae Hakdang (Future School), who lifted me up again as someone who learns.
1. Two years old in life, back to the place of learning
After a traffic accident brought me to a halt for a while, in 2024 I was making a new start at “two years old in life.” Thanks to Ayeon Jeong Suk-mo, my teacher of literati painting for 27 years, I came to join the lifelong-learning institution Mirae Hakdang.
In December 2024, listening to Professor Lee Su-kyung’s lecture on resilience, the 14th session at Mirae Hakdang, I confessed this:
I had struggled a great deal with anger at people, anger at the world, and anger at myself: “Is this all you are?” But I realized that my anger at people was, in the end, anger at myself.
That realization led me onto the path of loving myself more and seeing myself as precious. Branden’s first pillar, living consciously, and his second, self-acceptance, began again in that lecture room.
One line I heard that day also stayed in my heart: “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”
2. One great person, Director Kim Gwang-ho
Twenty-five years ago, after a sudden retirement, Director Kim Gwang-ho took on a new challenge and stood tall as a one-person entrepreneur. Watching him openly share that he passed through the deep tunnel of alcohol addiction, I long wondered, “How was the person he is today born?”
I find the answer in his diligence and sincerity. Every Saturday at 6:30 in the morning, he leads study that opens the future with unstoppable energy — a young man in his seventies.
Branden said that the firmer our self-esteem, the faster we rise after a fall and the greater our strength to begin again. The director’s life was the very proof.
3. Sentences about self-esteem I learned at Mirae Hakdang
“All together cha cha cha” — 2025 New Year launch
The director’s slogan for 2025 was “Let’s innovate joyfully.” I too resolved on a year of change, of seizing chances and taking on challenges. At that launch I met Professor Kim Ki-chan, and the path of people-centered entrepreneurship opened as well.
“A pro is progress” — champion Hong Soo-hwan
The story of becoming champion because, knocked down four times in the second round, he got up every time. “When you wake up in the morning, look closely at yourself in the mirror for just one minute. You will truly change.” One minute looking at myself in the mirror — that is practice in living consciously.
“One person, one book” — Dr. Lee Si-hyung
After hearing the story of Dr. Lee, who has published 125 books, I too took up Mirae Hakdang’s 2025 goal of one book per person.
“The most beautiful time of my life is now” — 2025 summer workshop
Professor Kim Hyung-chul said, “No wind is favorable to a ship without a destination,” and left us three questions:
What am I giving up, and what am I holding on to?
If today were my last day, would I keep doing what I am doing now?
What do I need to stop right now?
They were exactly the questions of Branden’s fifth pillar, living purposefully.
“Write your own story” — writer Kang Won-guk’s book-writing class
In October 2025, thanks to the director, I learned book writing from writer Kang Won-guk. He said writing must contain my thoughts, feelings, experiences, knowledge and information, and since AI now helps with knowledge and information, my own thoughts, feelings and experiences are all the more precious. Writing my own story is the best way to respect myself.
2025 Halftime — kick-off for the second half of life
The director’s halftime special lecture was a time to regroup after the past half year and redesign the second half. My 2026 of “pausing and regrouping” is connected to this learning too.
4. Apart and together, learning raises people up
What I learned most at Mirae Hakdang is that individual ability shines brighter together with the beauty of collaboration. Because of the pros who volunteered, the pros who took photos and everyone who laughed and learned together, our Saturdays shone all the more.
So at the start of 2025 I resolved:
“A new year in which, each in our own place, individual ability joins the beauty of collaboration, and apart and together we share good influence.”
I joined that place with PuNolChi. I wanted to share with the pros of Mirae Hakdang the heart of “It’s okay, you will shine” and “Cheer up, we’re in this together,” blooming on the plates of Dr. Kang Min-ju, vice president of the K-FEAT association.
As Branden said, people with healthy self-esteem are drawn to relationships that bring each other to life. Mirae Hakdang was such a field of relationships for me.
5. Learning, the best habit of respecting myself
Branden said that people with high self-esteem seek out worthwhile, challenging goals, and that self-esteem grows again in the process of reaching them. Conversely, if we stay only with what is familiar and comfortable, self-esteem weakens.
Saturday dawns at Mirae Hakdang were a place of challenge that drew me out of the familiar well. Learning is the belief “I can still grow” — in other words, the best habit of respecting myself.
In 2026, too, I continue learning every Saturday as I live my “year of pausing and regrouping.” And toward 2027 I mean to challenge “my own personal best.”
6. Today’s five minutes: a table of learning
One. For one minute in front of the morning mirror, quietly look at yourself.
Two. On a plate, express with food one thing you newly learned this year.
Three. Beside it, place a small flower for “one person I can help with that learning.”
Four. Choose one of Professor Kim Hyung-chul’s questions and ask yourself today.
Closing
I offer deep respect and gratitude to Director Kim Gwang-ho, who always plants dreams in the future with diligence and sincerity, to the pros of Mirae Hakdang, and to Ayeon Jeong Suk-mo, who led me to this hall of learning.
Learning lifts me up again, and learning together warms the world.
What learning has lifted your life up again? I am grateful to be part of Mirae Hakdang, a lifelong-learning school where we learn together and cheer one another on, apart and together.
Healing Santa Kim Ji-yu
References: writings on Nathaniel Branden’s official website, records of Mirae Hakdang in the Healing Space Haengbok Yeolgi cafe (2024.12–2026.6), and Healing Santa’s blog post “A book-writing class with writer Kang Won-guk, thanks to Director Kim Gwang-ho of Mirae Hakdang”
This story was first posted in the Healing Santa's life of learning, loving and sharing of the healing space Haengbok Yeolgi cafe.