In 1932, the great writer George Bernard Shaw visited Shanghai. Lin Yutang went aboard to meet him and said, "There has been strong wind and snow for many days, and today it has finally cleared. You are fortunate to see the sun upon arriving in Shanghai." Shaw smiled and replied, "It is the sun that is fortunate to see me in Shanghai."
A landlord once mocked the great poet Pushkin, asking, "Who has more wealth, you or I?" Pushkin replied, "That is hard to say. You have hundreds of serfs, but if your steward doesn't send money from the countryside, you would have nothing to spend. As for me, though I have only 33 letters, they can always ensure my livelihood."
American President Abraham Lincoln, who was short in stature, was asked mockingly, "How long should a person's legs be?" Lincoln answered, "Long enough to reach the ground when walking."
German scientist Otto and his brother lived in extreme hardship while researching gliders, often struggling to afford even one meal a day. A sympathetic landlady looked at the thin brothers and said, "What's going on? You spend so much on useless things and cannot even afford enough food, like vagrants!" The Otto brothers laughed and replied, "Madam, you are mistaken. We deliberately tighten our belts because, just like a goose, if we become too heavy, we won't be able to fly."
Life often brings disappointment, but in times of adversity or rainy days, have you considered that there is a sun within your heart? Your confidence, openness, and optimism are the sun within you, the sun that illuminates your life.
"It is the sun that is fortunate to see me in Shanghai." The greatness of Shaw, Pushkin, Lincoln, and the Otto brothers is closely linked to their confident, open, and optimistic mindset. No matter the circumstances, they always carried a radiant sun within, and this inner light illuminated their paths, enabling them to achieve extraordinary lives.
