Reflecting on this year.

Reflecting on this year, it feels like a year full of blemishes.

I particularly felt that I had become more hardened, especially in my relationships with those I frequently interact with.

Perhaps it’s because there were so many occasions for friction.
I failed to embrace people who have different perspectives from mine.
There were many moments of shame.

Deep down, an arrogance that I am better than others overshadowed my humility and made me overly self-assured.
In the end, I ended up exposing all my flaws this year.

As I grow older, I should be letting go of these tendencies,
but instead, I find myself increasingly clutching onto pride and selfishness, which leaves me with an unpleasant feeling.
I regret this deeply.

From the new year, I will strive to be more tolerant,
to cultivate patience, and to view the world and others with a broader perspective.

I am not certain about the existence of God.

However, based on my life experiences, I have come to the conclusion that the further I distance myself from religion—particularly Christianity, the only religion I have ever truly believed in—the further I drift from having a kind and good heart.

In recent times, as I have been living almost as a non-religious person, I find myself becoming increasingly hardened.

This, I believe, is one of the main reasons why, when I look back on the past year, it is dominated by the image of a hardened heart.