Shindo

📰 Morning Calm | Faker Interview – Part 2 “Finding My Way Again Whenever I Feel Lost” Q. Rather than simply being known as someone who plays well, you're often seen as someone who never loses their composure. Is there a principle you've always held yourself to in order to maintain that stability? #Faker: Honestly, I'm not that strong-minded of a person. I'm actually more easily affected by different things than people might think. Being emotionally calm is probably just part of my natural personality since I was young, but other than that, I'm no different from anyone else. There are times during games when I have to pull myself together, or when I need to find a way out of a slump on my own. There are always ups and downs along the way when you're trying to maintain a good level of performance. Maybe that's why I've spent so much time learning about my own mindset throughout my career as a pro player. I've looked into different things and thought about how I could become better. I think because I'm not naturally that strong-minded, I've always tried to be more open to learning and accepting new things. Q. Is there anything you've been doing consistently lately to manage your mindset? #Faker: This year, I felt like my mindset wasn't in a very good place. I felt like I wasn't as mentally strong as I wanted to be. So lately, I've been writing in my journal quite a lot. Since I tend to get emotionally affected by things, when that happens, I try to put those feelings into words or set new goals for myself. Once I get those emotions out and put them down on paper, it's much easier to find my direction again. Q. But from the outside, you seem like someone who rarely loses their composure, almost like a poker-faced player. #Faker: Is that so? (Laughs) During games, I usually try to stay calm. And there are definitely times when I'm not shaken at all. But there are also plenty of times when that's not easy. When that happens, I try to think back on my past experiences and remember how I got through similar situations before. I put a lot of effort into staying calm and keeping my composure. I think composure isn't something you simply have. It's something you have to keep finding your way back to every time. Q. Just before a match, when your concentration reaches its peak, what becomes clearer and what fades away? I'm also curious how you manage your mindset before a big event like the Asian Games. #Faker: Before a match, I try my best not to get too caught up in winning or losing. When you become too focused on the result, you get nervous, and that can put you in a mindset where you can't perform at your best. So I try to leave just one thought in my mind: 'I'll simply play based on everything I've practiced so far.' I put winning and losing aside and focus only on what I've prepared. I also meditate before matches. Once I've calmed my mind as much as possible, I can focus entirely on the game. Q. With all the constant practice and repetitive routines, do you have any ways to refresh yourself or find something new? #Faker: Our daily routines are quite packed, and we spend a lot of time practicing. Still, I try to make good use of whatever free time I get. I just do whatever I feel like doing at the moment. I've always read books from time to time, but lately I've really been enjoying reading. I also play board games like chess. I think being able to make those little moments within my fixed daily routine completely my own is what brings something new into my day. 📰: morningcalm.koreanair.com/ko…