The concept of "letting go to gain" implies that we can only reach the shores of success by relinquishing comfort, affluent environments, an easy life, or even money, time, and fame. Isaac Newton had a brilliant life, formulating Newton's three laws of motion and synthesizing predecessors' experiences to reach the pinnacle of classical mechanics. However, what was he doing during the last 24 years of his life? Was he continuing his research or making significant breakthroughs in mathematics? No, he was not. Blinded by money and fame, he became intoxicated with flowers and applause, immersed in wine and delicacies, effectively ending his scientific exploration. After turning 60, he frequently attended various banquets, accepted numerous titles, wore various medals, and held various positions, ranging from President of the Royal Society to Master of the Mint. He was also busy engaging in power struggles with other prominent figures in the scientific community, resulting in no significant achievements in the final 24 years of his life. It was precisely because Newton could not let go of money, fame, and the lifestyle of the upper class that he failed to bloom again in his scientific career.
Marie Curie and her husband extracted a few grams of radium from tons of coal slag. She won the Nobel Prize twice and received many other honors, yet she viewed them lightly. When a friend visited and saw her young daughter playing with a medal, he asked: "Madame, surely you know how high an honor it is to receive a gold medal from the Royal Society of Britain. How can you let a child play with it?" Marie Curie replied: "I simply want my children to know from a young age that honors are like toys; they are only for a moment of play and must never be held onto forever, otherwise, one will achieve nothing." It was precisely because of this mindset that Marie Curie was able to win the Nobel Prize twice.
Indeed, gaining something is a joyous occasion. You have reason to celebrate with "In life's joys, one must revel; let not the golden cup face the moon in emptiness," and reason for the ecstasy of "Rolling up poems in joyful madness, seeing all of Chang'an's flowers in a day." However, one must not become addicted to success to the point of forgetting home. Excessive indulgence will erode your fighting spirit, scatter your focus, blur your vision, and hinder your progress. Only by letting go can we gain. As Tagore said: "If you bind gold to a bird's wings, can it still fly high?" Honors, rewards, comfort, and wealth are the same. We desire them and feel gratified upon obtaining them, But we must never carry them as a heavy burden, for they become the resistance that prevents us from soaring higher.
