Work is work, and life is life. In work, we play professional roles; in life, we embrace our true selves. Work is but a small part of life; never mistake the tools of survival for the entirety of your existence.
Be careful, you said, we cannot afford to take a single wrong step. Yet sometimes, even the most stern person might suddenly forget and look back, searching for the news of lotus flowers and the traces of the mountain moonlight from years past.
May you always maintain a sincere, open, and upright character. Just as a cactus, if its thorns are removed, it can no longer win people's admiration. Complaining and cursing are the moans of cowards and the cries of the incompetent; only passion and the courage to pioneer represent the spirit of the strong and the resolve of reformers.
I only use servants, not talented people. Of course, one can utilize talent.
In a calm and orderly life, people do not need to be told how to live or where to go. But in times of peril and panic, there is a great need for a guiding light, a confident smile, and a pair of steady eyes to unite the anxious people and overcome difficulties together. This is the "momentum" required for a hero to emerge.
Sharpening one sword for ten years is too slow; sharpening ten swords in ten years is just right.
Even if friendship ends, integrity remains. In a sense, after a relationship is severed, refraining from speaking ill of the other party is a way of preserving one's own reputation.