I have to stay positive and try to find time to do what I want

When Lee Min-ho declared, “I have to stay positive and try to find time to do what I want to do while working at the same time,” he gave voice to a truth that touches every human life. His words remind us that existence is a balance between duty and desire, between the burdens we must carry and the passions that give us breath. To remain positive amid the weight of labor, and to carve space for the things that nourish the soul, is the art of living fully. Without such balance, one risks becoming a slave to toil or, conversely, a dreamer who never acts.

The ancients often spoke of this harmony. The philosopher Aristotle wrote of the "golden mean," the middle path between extremes. He taught that virtue lies not in abandoning work nor in forsaking joy, but in weaving them together. Lee Min-ho echoes this wisdom for the modern age: that while work demands much of us, we must still protect time for the pursuits that ignite our spirit. For without joy, work becomes chains; but without discipline, passion becomes idle.

History too offers examples of this delicate union. Consider Leonardo da Vinci, who painted and invented while serving patrons who demanded endless commissions. He worked tirelessly, but he also pursued his own obsessions — the study of flight, the design of machines, the anatomy of the human body. His greatness was born from this balance: he fulfilled duty, yet he also made space for the things his soul longed to explore. Like Lee Min-ho, he proved that one can work and still follow the call of the heart.

Lee Min-ho’s reflection also warns us against the poison of neglecting ourselves. Many men and women labor without pause, thinking only of duty, until their hearts grow weary and their spirits dim. Others flee responsibility in pursuit of pleasure alone, only to find their lives empty of meaning. To stay positive is to guard against despair in either path, to remember that true strength lies in creating space for both responsibility and joy.

At the heart of his wisdom lies a call to intentional living. Time is not given in abundance; it must be seized and shaped. If we wait passively, life will be consumed by endless work, and the things we love will wither in neglect. But if we choose with courage, carving out sacred moments for passion, we create a life not of mere survival but of fullness. In this way, positivity becomes not just a mood, but a guiding principle.

The lesson is clear: do not let work rob you of life, nor let pleasure rob you of discipline. Instead, weave them together into a tapestry of meaning. Find time for what makes your heart sing, even if it is but a small moment amid labor. Protect that time fiercely, for in it lies your joy, your creativity, your humanity. And approach your work itself with positivity, so that it too becomes a source of strength rather than a burden.

In practice, this means pausing to ask: What do I love? Where can I carve out space for it? How can I bring a spirit of joy even to the work I must do? Rise early if you must, or guard the evening hours as sacred. Infuse your labor with gratitude, and your passions with discipline. In this way, both will sustain you, and you will not merely endure life but flourish within it.

Therefore, let us carry Lee Min-ho’s wisdom: to stay positive, to work diligently, and to still make time for the things we love. For in this balance lies the secret of a life that is not only productive but beautiful, not only successful but meaningful. And such a life becomes an example to all who come after, teaching them that joy and duty can walk hand in hand.