not everyone can be special

In a quiet but powerful moment of the k-drama Love Next Door, a sister sits down with her younger brother to deliver a harsh yet heartfelt truth: "Not everyone can be special." It's the kind of line that stops you in your tracks because it cuts straight through the dreams we’re often encouraged to chase.

The sister continues. It's a pep talk. She reminds him that not everyone will achieve greatness, and that's okay:

Baek Dong-jin.

I've lived for 13 months longer than you, so I'm speaking from experience.

Not everyone can be special.

Most people just live ordinary leaves.

And the same goes for me.

So don't be too obsessed with becoming someone great.

Just find what's valuable to you in your life.

That's more than enough.

I’ve had dreams of greatness—the desperate kind. I remember a particularly emotional moment when I was 22 and studying abroad in Italy, hearing stories of a family who built castles that have stood the test of centuries. I thought to myself, I would do anything to be great. It was an all-consuming desperation.

The brother in this pep talk finds himself in a similar spiral. Obsessed with achieving greatness, he makes rash decisions in his pursuit of wealth and recognition. He loses his mother’s money in a fitness influencer scheme, hoping for a shortcut to success. Instead of learning from his boss—a seasoned bodybuilder—he dismisses him, convinced there’s an easier way to stand out. His desperation blinds him and he isn't able to have humility, patience, or dedication.

I'm not saying you shouldn't aspire to great things, but the focus should be on what's right in front of you. Just do the next right thing. Everything you need for meaning and success is in the process, not in the results.