The Year I Choose Myself

Steep Paths Make Stronger Souls

​I recently began reading a book titled Übermensch, a modern interpretation of Nietzsche’s idea of the human being who continuously transcends oneself. Although I have only reached the early chapters, I already feel a strong pull from the book’s central message. In simple terms, the book explores what it means to create your own life, rather than simply inheriting one that others expect. It explains that the Übermensch is not a superior being in the traditional sense, but an individual who steadily surpasses their former self. It describes how easily we surrender our lives to the expectations of society and the judgment of others, and how such a life silently drains one’s spirit. True freedom, the author insists, comes only when we act according to our own values, not the approval of the outside world. The book emphasizes that suffering and difficulty are not burdens to escape but raw materials for strength. It reminds us that every person is born with a seed of possibility, and only one’s own will can make it bloom. It states that the path to becoming an Übermensch is not glamorous or dramatic, but quiet, steady, and deeply personal.

A reflective essay inspired by Übermensch, exploring the resolve to live by one’s own will, the strength gained through challenges, and the deeper meaning behind the artist’s path.

Above all, the book invites the reader to confront the question that determines the direction of every life: How will you choose to live?

As I read, I found myself naturally choosing a theme for the coming year: to live according to my own will, not the eyes or expectations of anyone else. For much of my life, I have worked hard, often too hard, to maintain harmony, to be considerate, to avoid causing discomfort, and to be perceived as kind. In that effort, I sometimes made myself smaller, quieter, or overly accommodating. But this book offers me a new conviction—that I have the strength to walk my own path, and that the path I walk must reflect my inner world, not someone else’s desire.

Chapter 7 delivers a line that struck me so deeply I paused reading for several minutes:

“No one will place the ladder for you. You must build your own path. At times that path will seem steep and far away, but with every step you take, you become stronger. Do not fear the challenges. They do not come to destroy you, but to make you stronger.”

These words resonated with experiences from my own life. I, too, have faced difficulties, misunderstandings, conflicts, and emotional waves that made me question myself. For a long time, I believed those hardships existed to shake me and pull me down. But looking back, I see they were the very things that grounded me, clarified my desires, and strengthened my core. Every problem that once made me uncomfortable eventually helped me grow into someone more resilient and self-aware.

This perspective aligns profoundly with the life of an artist. Everyone desires an easy and comfortable path, which is precisely why the artistic path is often avoided or dismissed. The artist’s path is unpredictable, unstructured, unstable, and frequently misunderstood. It does not promise security or recognition, and many people find that frightening. It is not that they dislike art, but that the journey behind creating art looks too difficult.

Yet the moment an artist eventually gains wealth or fame, public perception instantly shifts. Suddenly, the world praises them—calling them talented, brilliant, extraordinary. But the same people rarely ask: What philosophy sustained this artist until they reached this point? What kind of posture did they maintain toward life? What hardships and years of solitude did they endure?
People do not ask because, deep down, they sense the difficulty of such a journey. They prefer to admire the result rather than understand the process. The world is far more interested in the finished painting than the thousands of unseen moments that shaped the artist’s hand.

This is why I recommend Übermensch to anyone who wants not only to create art but to create their own life. The book contains a quiet but powerful wisdom about overcoming life’s challenges. It teaches you not to flee from struggle, not to live by someone else’s standards, not to reduce yourself for the comfort of others. It calls you to surpass yourself, to step into the unknown, and to shape your existence with your own hands.

As I close this year and prepare for the next, I feel grateful that I picked up this small but profound book. It is already helping me untangle the lingering knots of this year and set the direction for the next. I want to live a life shaped not by external approval but by my own clarity. A life built not on expectations but on intention. A life where I no longer shrink myself to fit into someone else’s frame.

The artistic life is not a comfortable one, but it is a life that calls me again and again—so persistently that I know it must be my destiny. And now I understand: these challenges, these moments of friction and discomfort, are not obstacles to fear but stepping-stones to my becoming. They have shaped me before, and they will continue to shape me into someone stronger, freer, and truer to myself.
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So in the coming year, I will no longer wait for someone to lay a ladder at my feet. I will build my own path—step by step, with steady breath and unwavering will. This, I know now, is the beginning of my own journey toward the Übermensch within me.

​In Übermensch, the message “Do not live only for happiness” does not mean you must embrace suffering; it means happiness should not be your goal. When happiness becomes the standard, you avoid discomfort and miss the growth that challenges bring. A strong life is guided not by comfort but by one’s own will. Problems do not appear to break you—they appear to make you stronger. Just like the artist’s path, which is difficult and often misunderstood, the point is not to chase happiness but to follow the path you choose. Happiness is not the destination; it is the quiet reward that comes from walking your own road with intention.