Hi! It's Editor.S with the 19th MNM. It sounds like you had a fulfilling week. I’m glad that everyone actively participated in the gratitude checkout on slack. Seeing how much gratitude there is in each person’s life is amazing. Let’s continue to build a great community. I heard there was a lot of valuable input this week. Shall we summarize it?

In the morning, we learned about the concept of donation funds from Meister J. It was fascinating to discover how he left a comfortable and successful company to fulfill his mission of operating a donation fund based on the Gospel, providing support and economic education to North Korean defectors and single parents. It’s truly inspiring how his efforts to change the world are saving many people's lives. His story touched my heart and made me realize that living according to one’s mission can completely transform one’s life. Let’s continue to reflect on ourselves and explore our true identities in line with our missions. CEO Park Young-mi from Porche, who was in attendance, also delivered inspiring words. She said, “Anyone can become good at something if they do it for a long time, but to do it for a long time, do what you want to do!’ Ultimately, the value of pursuing something for a long time lies in fulfilling our mission.

During the PSC session, we had the privilege of having Director Jeong Han-Cheol from Dwell's Investment as a guest. He shared some valuable insights. He mentioned that there are two types of people in life: those who have started their businesses and those who haven't. He emphasized that if you haven't started your own business, you can never fully understand those who have. He posed the question, "If I had 1 trillion won, what would I do?" This question resonated with the theme of the PSC session. Entrepreneurs often overlook an important aspect: budgeting for money and budgeting for time. Time is as valuable as money. For some, a day can be worth more than their entire wealth. Is there a difference between that day and our current day? Opportunities come like thieves, and prepared individuals are the ones who seize them. Let's prepare well and plan how to use our time and money efficiently and effectively.

During the morning session on the Soul of Leadership, we learned about "Practicing Gratitude!" We establish a mission to maintain direction, and practicing gratitude is the fundamental aspect of focusing on that mission. We also learned about living a fruitful life, which requires three elements: vulnerability, gratitude, and care. Gratitude is necessary because it acknowledges that we rely on and receive support and assistance from others. There is no such thing as entitlement or coincidence in everything that exists, so it's important to share the gifts received with others. We learned that the best way to express gratitude is by creating a culture of gratitude in our surroundings, where we value and acknowledge each other and express our appreciation for each other's different talents specifically. Thanks to that, yesterday's checkout was overflowing with gratitude, and I'm truly grateful for it.

Meister Im Ji-Seong shared insights on "How to Live a Fulfilling Life." It was a challenging task to choose only three out of the nine categories because every topic was filled with personal experiences, provoking deep thoughts. We learned about living three times denser, changing the world, and overcoming depression. Regardless of the field we work in, the first step is to elevate our level of understanding. When we look at the learning curve, there is a slow initial point that we often can't wait for. However, since the first 70% of the curve represents the most crucial time, even if it feels slow, let's persevere and focus on increasing our understanding during those moments. Additionally, delegation is crucial. The power to let go of ourselves is important because it allows us to develop the ability to recognize the skills of others. Delegating tasks to enhance our productivity is a necessary aspect of living a dense life. After all, we can't do everything on our own. Let's become proficient in delegation! Moreover, to change the world, we need to accurately identify and understand the current problems. Even in well-informed organizations, it's not easy to precisely define problems, where only one or two out of a hundred issues can truly make a significant impact on changing the world. Differentiating between what is more important, the symptoms or the root causes, can be challenging. But if we can fulfill the criteria of accurate problem identification, effectiveness, and efficiency, we can find solutions that have the potential to change the world. Lastly, the most crucial aspect when it comes to dealing with depression is to understand that once you're caught in quicksand, you can't escape it on your own. Utilizing the community and creating triggers to bring yourself back are essential. It's a common affliction that anyone can experience when we attack ourselves without even realizing it. Recognizing this allows us to swiftly recover from the quicksand.

Looking back at the sessions held this week at METES, we learned a lot. METES continues to offer various sessions to support the growth and development of makers and help with their projects and businesses. We'll keep you updated with METES’s news every week and support your challenges and growth as a maker! Let us know if you need anything!