In fact, this was not an isolated case. In the environment at the time, although I was a skilled educator, I found it difficult to be promoted to a leadership position. I was often assigned to teach the most challenging classes. To break through this limitation, I chose to pursue a master's degree, leaving Henan to enroll in the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).
During my graduate studies, I was extremely busy. I executed every task assigned by my supervisor with full dedication. Thanks to my high level of effort and efficiency, I quickly published two papers in a journal associated with Cambridge University in the UK. Subsequently, I became the course leader and officially assumed the role of academic group leader upon graduation, while also being selected as a Young Scientist at CAS.
Due to my outstanding academic achievements, my rank was exceptionally promoted from Lecturer to Associate Professor. I was actually on track to become a full Professor directly, but the organization felt my promotion was too rapid, so they assigned me the rank of Associate Professor. At that time, I was the youngest scientific group leader.
Later, I had the opportunity to go abroad for further research. My leader stated that public funding for international travel was limited and did not wish to prioritize my application. Faced with this, I did not wait for passive assignment; instead, I utilized my academic results and influence to apply for my own funding. Looking back, I have always held my destiny in my own hands. I first focused on becoming excellent, which gave me the capital and leverage to take charge of my own career. No matter what task I faced, I strived to be the best, thereby accumulating sufficient resources and confidence. If I had underperformed, I would have lost this leverage. Therefore, the key is to stand out from basic work, prove one's value by doing things well, and then choose a direction one is passionate about. This is the true way to master one's destiny. I hope everyone can learn from this experience and adopt this effective strategy.
