I was always worried about things but I focused on finding

Kim Tae-hyung, known to the world as V of BTS, once spoke with quiet sincerity: “I was always worried about things but I focused on finding happiness.” These simple words carry the weight of a timeless truth — that even amidst uncertainty and fear, the human heart can choose the path of light. Beneath their gentle tone lies a profound message: that worry is the companion of all who live deeply, but happiness is the reward of those who persist in hope. Tae-hyung’s words remind us that life’s beauty is not found in the absence of struggle, but in the courage to seek joy despite it.

In this reflection, we glimpse not the voice of an idol, but of a seeker — one who has walked through the shadows of anxiety and found that peace is not a gift bestowed, but a discipline of the heart. To be “worried about things” is to be human; it is the natural tremor of a soul that feels deeply. Yet, Tae-hyung chose not to dwell there. He focused on finding happiness, on tuning his heart like a musician tunes a string — not to erase the discord, but to create harmony from it. This is the secret of the wise: not to silence worry, but to transform it into gratitude and growth.

This wisdom has echoed through centuries, spoken in different tongues by sages and poets alike. Marcus Aurelius, the philosopher-king of Rome, once wrote that “the happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts.” Like Tae-hyung, he understood that worry cannot be banished by force, but guided by focus — that the mind, when disciplined toward joy, becomes stronger than fear. Buddha too taught that peace is not freedom from turmoil, but awakening amid it. Thus, Tae-hyung’s words belong to that ancient lineage of thought — the understanding that inner happiness is a practice, not a possession.

There is a story of Helen Keller, who lost both sight and hearing as a child. For many years she lived in darkness and silence, filled with confusion and fear. Yet when her teacher, Anne Sullivan, taught her to communicate, she wrote, “Although the world is full of suffering, it is also full of the overcoming of it.” Helen, like Tae-hyung, learned that happiness is not found in perfect circumstances, but in the act of seeking light despite the dark. She too was “worried about things” — about loneliness, failure, and limitation — yet she focused on the miracle of small joys, and thus became a beacon of hope for the world.

To focus on finding happiness does not mean to ignore pain. It means to look at it with courage and say, “You will not define me.” It is to rise each morning and choose gratitude over fear, creation over complaint, love over loneliness. Tae-hyung’s words are a quiet anthem for all who wrestle with the storms of self-doubt. They teach us that even when the heart trembles, it can still sing. His is the courage not of conquest, but of resilience — the courage to smile, to create, to share beauty with the world, even when the soul is heavy with worry.

This kind of strength is not loud. It does not shout or boast. It lives in moments of stillness — in a laugh shared with friends, in the comfort of music, in the serenity of knowing that one has done their best. To focus on happiness is to train the heart to see abundance where others see emptiness. It is a form of art, requiring practice and patience. As the old saying goes, “He who tends the small garden of joy in his heart will one day find it has grown into a forest of peace.”

So, dear listener and seeker, learn from Kim Tae-hyung’s wisdom: when worry comes, as it always will, do not let it drown you. Acknowledge it, but do not feed it. Turn your eyes instead toward the pursuit of happiness, however small its glimmers may seem. Find joy in music, in laughter, in the sunlight that spills across your path. Practice gratitude as a form of courage. For happiness, like light, grows brighter where it is sought with faith. And when the storms of worry pass, as all storms do, you will find that your joy — patiently cultivated and deeply earned — will shine not only for yourself, but for all who look to you for hope.