I've noticed something about myself—most of my thoughts are born in conversations with friends. In those moments, questions appear naturally, and I find myself answering them in my own way. But this time, it was different. I was the one who asked the question… and the one who tried to answer it.
At university, I'm not particularly good at asking questions. Still, I decided to try.
The question that came to my mind was simple, yet heavy:
"What does it mean to live?"
To me, living is not merely eating, drinking, or breathing. Those are just the mechanics of survival.
The real question is—what does it mean to truly live?
I believe one of the essential conditions of living is being able to fully experience the moment you are in.
For example, when I eat, I try to enjoy it as if it were my last meal. When I lie down, walk, or sit, I try to do everything with care and genuine feeling. Because life already passes quickly—and if we rush through even the smallest moments, what meaning will remain in them?
Sometimes my friends look at me strangely because of these thoughts. But that's normal. Everyone has a different perspective. If we all saw life the same way, what would make us unique?
To me, living means being able to enjoy what you do… and truly feeling that you are alive. I value spending quality time with my friends and family. In fact, there are days when I go to university just to be with my friends. Those moments feel meaningful to me. They feel real.
As for problems… I prefer to face them when the time comes. If something needs to be solved a month later, why should I let it weigh on me today? Life will always have difficult days—but knowing that they will pass helps. What matters is remembering that after every bad day, a good morning will come.
I also have thoughts about time… but I'll leave those for another chapter.
To me, living means experiencing every emotion together. If life were built on only one feeling, it would lose its charm. Even endless happiness, after a while, would no longer feel exciting.
Sometimes, I try to feel nature, my surroundings—even the universe itself. I want to truly live: to enjoy a beautiful day, to feel the warmth of the sun, to breathe the air, to find peace in the sounds of animals…
There are already enough bad days in life. Increasing the number of good ones—that is something within our control.
There are thoughts I keep in my mind, but sometimes I lose them while writing. That happens too. In general, living exists for me in small moments. I don't always feel the need to chase something big. Because while we run after big things, we often miss the small but beautiful moments along the way.
Nothing else comes to mind for now. Thinking too much about a single idea eventually leads to repetition.
Dear reader, I invite you—within your means—to find joy in the small moments. Work for it. Build a life where your good days are many, and where you can truly savor them.
Not just you… but me, and everyone else.
Let us live in a way that, when we look back from our final moments, we can remember these fragments of life with a quiet smile.
Because I believe… a person whose life is filled with such moments will leave this world a little happier.