The ancients often used "as cutting and grinding, as carving and polishing" to encourage self-improvement. After all, no one is perfect; if one can correct their mistakes, it is a great virtue! The key lies in whether one possesses the ability to reflect.
Our state of mind shapes the world we perceive. Those with a joyful heart see a world worth celebrating; Those filled with hatred see a world of anger; and those consumed by sorrow see a world of sadness.
There is a kind of fate that is only recognized as eternal during sleepless nights; a feeling that is only acknowledged as longing upon waking from a dream; a gaze that is only seen as attachment at the moment of parting; and a mood that is only realized as loss after separation.
There are two outcomes for those who fail to adapt to their environment: either they transform it, or they are eliminated by it. Similarly, there are two outcomes for those who do not follow the tide: either they ride the waves forward, or they are swept away by them.