"We live to listen" to the little things on life's journey.

"We Live to Listen " is a collection of essays published by Nha Xuat Ban Tre (Youth Publishing House) in December, continuing the series of books "Are We Happy Living?" and "We Live Because ..." which have been warmly received by readers in recent years.

The essay collections by author Nguyen Phong Viet are always released at the end of the year and have become a spiritual gift that readers look forward to giving to friends, relatives, and themselves.

"These days, let's be like a train preparing to enter the station. Let's gently release the accelerator and brake pedals. Our hands should also leave the steering wheel or the control screen. Let the train, following its momentum, slowly drift towards its destination station," quoted from the work.

Chúng ta sống để lắng nghe từng điều nhỏ bé trên hành trình cuộc sống - 1 — Book cover of "We Live to Listen" (Photo: Tre Publishing House).

Over 40 articles in "We Live to Listen" are slices of life told through an emotionally rich "filter": "That morning, I saw a flower," "Nights gazing at the sky," "Hugs," "Going home for Dad to cut my hair," "Don't let an apology become a debt"...

The author leans towards observing things that originate from within, practicing "listening" to the vibrations from inside.

The collection of essays "We Live to Listen" reflects a serene state of mind. "We await good news and are ready to accept bad news, we turn inward, we find joy in small achievements whether we are a firefly or a star in life…".

The author reminds each of us, at some point in our lives—once, many times—to delve deep within ourselves. To rediscover ourselves, to listen to ourselves, and then to see ourselves from the very depths of our hearts.

Sharing his journey of finding inner peace and expressing it through his writing, Phong Viet says that everything on his page follows a path of initial turmoil, like many others, and then, over time, he realizes the value of peace.

"Every journey has a price to pay. Before I could maintain a calm state of mind with my words, I honestly spent many days struggling with the idea of pouring my heart out onto the page."

Each of us has a different life journey and purpose, but I believe everyone hopes to live a happy life.

"I've only just taken a few steps on my journey to a joyful life, and I want to share my thoughts with readers, hoping that perhaps they can do something to make their lives more peaceful and free from unnecessary worries," he said.

He explained that peace and happiness are small pieces that people can perceive when they pay attention to life.

Chúng ta sống để lắng nghe từng điều nhỏ bé trên hành trình cuộc sống - 2 — The more than 40 articles in the book are slices of life told through an emotionally rich "filter" (Photo: Tre Publishing House).

"Family" and "kinship" are themes that are mentioned repeatedly in this collection of essays.

"What kind of home do we want to live in? Being a parent, those moments of self-reflection when we're with our children, the overwhelming emotions of 'holding a little one in our arms' (title of an article)..."

Readers will feel a sense of empathy, along with a little anticipation for the moment of returning home to reunite with loved ones at the end of the year.

"Who am I?" and "How do I want to live?" are questions that everyone, from philosophers to individuals, has asked themselves at some point in their lives.

Phong Viet chose to answer through stories and observations that helped him understand himself a little better. "I'm just a human being," "We live to listen," "How do we want to leave this world?", "I just need to be myself"...

The author tells their own story and opens up space for readers to slow down and reflect on their own answers.

Loneliness is also a topic of global concern, with its effects on people's health and mental well-being. But if we listen to our inner voice, moments of loneliness are unavoidable.

In this collection of essays, the author writes about moments of "sitting alone somewhere" as "a lonely species," accepting and befriending it because "only through suffering and bleeding can the heart and soul develop immunity." This is a more serene approach and interpretation of loneliness.

"Loneliness, for me, is not an inherent human trait. However, the way we think allows us to view loneliness in a more multifaceted way."

I used to deny loneliness many times, but eventually realized that the only thing I could do was accept it and live with it. I don't exactly love loneliness, but I've come to see it as a friend, someone I can talk to when that friend is around.

Loneliness is a part of human life, so embrace it and, if possible, talk to it to transform those seemingly solitary moments into valuable experiences for intellectual growth…,” Phong Viet shared.

Chúng ta sống để lắng nghe từng điều nhỏ bé trên hành trình cuộc sống - 3 — Author Nguyen Phong Viet at the time of the release of "Why Does It Have to Hurt So Much?".

When reading *We Live to Listen* , readers will see themselves reflected somewhere in the book, and upon closing it, the greatest lasting impression will be love, serenity, and hope.

"Hopefully, with my very simple perspectives on the human psyche, readers can find a part of their own psyche within it, with the same vibrational frequency…," Phong Viet said.

Nguyen Phong Viet, 43 years old, born in Tuy Hoa ( Phu Yen ), is a poet and journalist.

His published poetry collections have become publishing phenomena, selling tens of thousands of copies.

Some of his published poetry collections include: Passing Through Memories, From Love to Affection, Born to Be Lonely...

In recent years, Phong Viet has temporarily stopped publishing poetry and switched to writing essays in a gentle and warm style.

He said he wasn't giving up poetry, but simply wanted to take time for his poetic feelings to settle and deepen.

Instead, he uses the essay form to convey different emotions and perspectives on life that poetry cannot express.

Speaking about his future plans, he said he "will continue with essays," and by Christmas 2025 he will return to poetry with a new work, hoping to bring people more enjoyment with fresh emotions.

Author Nguyen Phong Viet will be signing copies for readers at the launch of "We Live to Listen" at 9:00 AM on December 17th, at Phuong Nam Book Cafe, Ho Chi Minh City Book Street.

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