On May 7, Xiumin enlisted and began his mandatory military service. As the oldest member of EXO, Xiumin has said many wise things over the years and these are just 13 of the sweetest and meaningful quotes by him that we can hold close to our hearts as he is off in the military for the next 18 months. (English Translations are taken from @xiuminquotes)

1. “The best thing in life is being able to do what people say you are not able to do.”

Xiumin has never been one who is limited to what others think of him, he has always exceeded expectations as an exceptional performer. 

2. “My position isn’t really defined. it’s not the main dancer, main vocal, big and tall visuals or rap, so what exactly is it? After much worry, I’ve come to realize the color is my own color.”

Xiumin brings a unique flavor to EXO and he is well-rounded in almost every aspect. He has come a long way to show his strengths and improve on his weaknesses while he is on stage.

3. “I think the direction in which I walk will become a path, you have to build your own road. nobody can do that for me, and even if they do, the choice is up to me.”

Xiumin believes that we all hold the destiny to our own future and it is up to us to choose correctly to work our way to the future that we aspire to have.

4. “For the rest of my time, I’ll probably spend it working as part of EXO and EXO-CBX. I have decided to do so.”

For Xiumin, his future is set on being with his groupmates and putting EXO at the center of his life. We are always thankful for the dedication he continuously shows towards the group and the love he has for being part of EXO. 

5. “It's a cliché if I just say be happy, right? of course, being happy is important. But more realistically, make good plans and fulfill those plans one by one.”

When asked about plans he hopes to achieve in 2019, Xiumin mentions how being happy is definitely one he strives towards, but he notes that it is also important to make plans that we can strive towards and to push ourselves to do better.

6. “I think there are no greater gifts than love and concern. I am actually more greedy to receive those feelings more profoundly and continuously, rather than physical things.”

In 2018, Xiumin stopped accepting gifts from fans and the reason he gave was that he would much rather receive love and concern from EXO-Ls since he found that to be better than anything money could buy.

7. “Thank you with all my heart for cherishing and loving me every year.”

On his 30th Birthday, Xiumin told the fans thank you for showing him love as they do every single year.

8. “I feel like EXO-Ls and EXO's relationship is like a butterfly and flower ~ EXO-L is a butterfly and EXO is a flower, butterflies and flowers have a symbiotic relationship right? We cannot live without each other!”

Xiumin always says the sweetest things and this analogy of flowers and butterflies really warmed the hearts of fans everywhere.

9. “No matter what performance, I can't go on stage without feeling nervous since I have the desire to give a perfect show without making mistakes.”

Xiumin always strived towards putting on a great performance no matter how big the stage and no matter how many people were watching. It is from how he gives his 120% in every single stage that we can see the dedication he has to being an idol. 

10. “I'm always confident when it’s EXO.”

Xiumin’s love for EXO can always be seen from how he speaks about the confidence he has in his members and how they give him strength and a desire to want to do better.

11. “I find strength when I think of my fans and the people around me that care for me. I have to improve more, so I can’t help but work hard all the time. I’m most influenced by the members who are always near me, as well as our managers. Even though it’s a job, we have to feel affectionate about each other [to carry out this job]. Seeing that, I feel thankful, and I feel like I should do better.”

In an interview with Harper Bazaar, Xiumin mentioned how fans and his members are his pillar of strength that keeps him going. He also mentions how they are the source of his power and the ones that make him want to constantly work harder. 

12. “After ten nights of sleep, I'm going in. Can I ask something? Please take care of my members.”

At the last Japan EXO-CBX concert, Xiumin thanked the fans for a really, really good night before making a request that they continue to look after his members even while he is away in the army. As the oldest Hyung in EXO, Xiumin always made it a point to look out of the younger members. 

13. “Everyone, please wait for me! It's really not that much time. I’ll make sure I won’t get hurt and I will return healthy. I love you. Goodbye!”

At his last solo fan meet, Xiumin asked the fans the wait for him as he promised to stay safe while in the military and to return healthy.

EXO-Ls will definitely wait for Xiumin and we wish nothing but the best for him as he heads off to serve in National Service. Stay safe and take care of yourself while you are in the army, Xiumin!

You can support Xiumin by checking out his solo song, "You", on SM Station that will be released on 9th May, 6 pm (KST).