Chapter 2 | Live Positively

Before discussing how to 'live positively,' we must first face a truth: time is limited.

Most people have a vague sense of 'someday' about life, never truly calculating — after sleep, work, and chores — how much truly 'self-directed' time remains.

This exercise transforms abstract lifespan into concrete visual marks. When you see the past squares already colored in and the future ones still blank, the urgency of 'living for yourself' becomes real.

Before discussing 'being positive,' we also need an objective understanding of our current state. Emotional shadows or chronic tension can silently dim the light in life.

We've prepared a three-dimensional assessment covering emotions, stress, and tension to help you identify potential psychological risks from a professional perspective.

This isn't about diagnosing illness, but about gaining clear awareness of your mental foundation before making active choices.

Looking back at your life — how many choices did you truly make yourself? How many were driven by circumstances, others, or society?

A passively chosen life is like a pre-written script; you're just an actor, an NPC following the script set by societal norms.

An actively chosen life may be full of uncertainty, but at least it is YOUR life.

Having seen the finiteness of time, think again: which life do you want?

Positive living requires both the enthusiasm to experience and the physical and mental capacity to do so. Health isn't everything in life, but it is the foundation of all possibilities.

Modern psychological research (Mark Travers, 2025) shows that specific types of hobbies effectively build psychological resilience against depression and anxiety. We categorize hobbies into three types, corresponding to three layers of health protection:

'Physical Foundation' — physical hobbies (running, swimming, tai chi) maintain bodily function through physiological mechanisms, providing a physical base for mental health.

'Creative Capacity' — creative hobbies (writing, painting, cooking) provide a sense of achievement through producing tangible work, effectively combating depression and loneliness.

'Cognitive Reserve' — intellectual hobbies (reading, chess, learning new skills) continuously challenge cognitive boundaries, strengthen neural connections, and directly reduce the risk of cognitive decline.

Interest also has levels: from passive sensory stimulation ('sensory interest') to active exploration ('conscious interest') to deep alignment with personal values ('vocational interest') — the higher the level of interest, the stronger its protective power for health. High-level interests are the best brain health supplements.

Many people equate 'living positively' with a positive mindset, forgetting that the body is the foundation that carries everything.

Alzheimer's disease is the seventh leading cause of death globally, with one new case every three seconds. However, a 2024 Lancet study shows that addressing 14 modifiable risk factors can reduce the risk by 45%.

You don't need to become a health expert. But if you want your future self to have enough cognitive and physical capacity to experience life — now is the best time to start taking action.

In previous sections, we discussed how to actively care for your body, cultivate hobbies, and manage emotions — all investments in your future. But there's a question often avoided: when there are no children by your side, who will accompany you in old age?

'No children by your side' doesn't only apply to single or childfree individuals. Children living abroad, losing an only child, estranged parent-child relationships, or children with insufficient care capacity — these situations are more common than we think. China now has over 120 million one-person households; living alone is no longer a fringe phenomenon. The traditional elderly care system assumes children as the primary caregivers, but this premise no longer holds for a growing number of people.

'New Community Aging' starts from this premise: beyond family and market-based solutions, actively building and cultivating a 'non-blood-related mutual support community.' It doesn't require you to move in with anyone right now, but asks you to start nurturing relationships that can age together with you. Meanwhile, embodied AI robots are approaching — handling monitoring, reminders, alerts, and other repetitive care tasks, allowing human energy to focus on emotional support and shared decision-making.

Placing this in the 'Live Positively' chapter is intentional: its essence is proactively arranging for your later years — just like investing in body, brain, and relationships.

Living positively doesn't mean trying so hard — it means living actively and with awareness.

Take care of your body and emotions. Spend time with people and things that give you meaning.

Start today, start with every small choice — for present joy and future freedom.