Experience often outweighs formal education. In modern society, most jobs do not require extensive academic knowledge; a university degree is often sufficient. A fraction of what is learned in college may never be used in practice. Rather than spending excessive time in school, one should embrace continuous learning through work. Learning applied skills in the workplace can be more effective than a year of academic study. Thus, one should pursue growth through practical experience.
1. The years we pass carry both fulfillment and imperfection. Life is like a song, and time flows like water, never to return. In life's critical moments, a single mistake can become a lifelong regret. Such episodes may cause us much distress, but since they cannot be undone, we must learn to let them go and continue our journey.
2. If you have six apples, do not eat them all. If you give five to others, you may lose the fruit, but you gain five friendships. When others have fruit, they will surely share with you. You might receive an orange from one, a pear from another, and eventually find yourself with diverse fruits and six friendships. Letting go is a form of wisdom.
3. Be a simple person: do not let profit destroy friendships, and do not let wealth corrupt your character. Respect your elders, care for the weak, be sincere, and live with a clear conscience. Be kind, grateful, and maintain an optimistic outlook. Do not complain or become negative; cherish your health and mind your words and actions.
4. Life requires endurance. Beauty and ugliness, good and bad, are merely perceptions within one's own heart. Much of the pressure and trouble we face comes not from society, but from our own selfish thoughts and distractions. Many things can be resolved through patience and letting go. Life is but a dream; by being more open-minded and composed, life becomes much easier.
5. Life is like a river that winds through obstacles before peacefully flowing into the ocean. The small, beautiful moments in daily life often occur during tender times. People long for enduring affection, but must realize that relationships are like buildings; if built with poor materials, they will crumble under storms or earthquakes. Relationships require careful maintenance to withstand the tests of time.
6. The heart is tea, and tea is the heart. A cup of tea reflects the myriad things in the world. Buddhists see Zen, Taoists see Qi, Confucians see ritual, and merchants see profit. In the mortal world, tea grows cold as people leave—this is a natural law; tea growing cold because of people's indifference is the reality of human nature. Life is like tea: initially tasteless, then bitter, and finally sweet. Everything stems from the heart; when the mind is calm, the heat fades.
7. Still water does not breed fish, and withered trees do not bloom.
8. Those who can lighten the burden of others are truly valuable in this world.
9. Using borrowed authority may work temporarily, but it will eventually lead to contempt.
10. A beautiful life is not something that falls from the sky or is granted by others; it must be created through one's own efforts.
11. There are many inexplicable aspects of life, and obsession is one of them.
12. The most pitiable thing in life is to be consumed by jealousy.
13. Life is like a boat rowing against the current. If one is satisfied with the status quo and abandons the oars of pursuit, the boat will drift backward, run aground, or crash, never reaching the shores of success.
14. Life is like sailing against the tide; only through persistent struggle can one reach the upstream.
15. Life is as fleeting as the epiphyllum flower; rather than burying the seeds of regret, it is better to nurture the sprouts of passion.
16. A life of pursuit is fulfilling and inspiring; a life of mere play is degrading and wearying.
17. Virtuous people interact with detachment, avoiding using power for personal gain, maintaining deep but pure connections. Petty people interact solely for personal interest, their relationships as sticky as honey, yet often ending abruptly due to conflicts of interest.
18. People often say "empty fame is a burden." While it offers temporary psychological satisfaction, it holds no real value. Struggling for fame is a primary source of conflict and suffering. People often fight and turn against friends or kin for worthless prestige; what benefit does such a burden bring?
19. Superior conditions are not the key; the key is the determination to overcome oneself and the perseverance to keep going.
20. An exceptional person should possess the ability to apply knowledge broadly, drawing multiple conclusions from a single principle and learning much from a little.
