13. Mother says as long as I admit my mistakes, she will hold my hand again; you say that sometimes, admitting mistakes allows us to hold hands once more. Relatives will always forgive, because you are their child; but lovers often find it hard to forgive, because we are all children at heart.
14. Poverty is not scary, but always waiting for relief is; loneliness is not scary, but being trapped in long-term solitude is; unemployment is not scary, but refusing to seek work is; illness is not scary, but being bedridden is; failure is not scary, but total defeat is.
15. You may forget your age, but you must never ignore your health.
16. Unexpected happiness is like sunlight piercing through dark clouds, carrying a brilliant luster; it is also like a fragrant plant, tranquil and natural, without any forced intensity. Even if you sometimes feel that happiness has eluded you, in those very moments, you can appreciate how precious it truly is.
17. Longing is the busiest boat in the river of the heart; you cannot help but sail far, just as you cannot refuse the passage of time. Longing is an omnipresent web in human relationships; you cannot help but be entwined, just as you cannot refuse to reminisce about life.
18. A girl's sentiment often lingers in the space between love and friendship—deeper than friendship, yet lighter than romance. This sentiment is enough to make the tree of life lush and green; whether in sunshine or rain, or amidst frost and snow, it allows life to shine with a beauty that is felt the moment it is read.
19. The autumn wind rises, and leaves return to their roots; the still waters flow east, and the moon shines on a lonely night. In the eyes of many, autumn carries a sense of desolation and loneliness. People often feel the 'sorrow of autumn' in this season, lamenting the impermanence of life.
20. The era grants many opportunities to everyone, yet many people continue to complain even when they possess them. If eternal truths are not given new meaning under new social circumstances, they are either no longer truths or no longer eternal.
21. What is happiness? It is masking one's sadness and smiling at everyone. When the heart is pure, everything is pure; when the heart is at ease, everything is at ease. Nothing in this world is perfect; once you understand and accept it, that is perfection. If you have not discerned someone's true character, do not reveal your heart to them. Only those capable of independent thought possess boundless strength. You may persist for love, but do not let love wound you; do not waste your time on those who do not care to share life with you.
22. Without waves, the true nature of a sail cannot be shown; without twists and turns, the joy of life cannot be tasted. Adversity is life's strict teacher, and only the strong can become its distinguished students. Do not mistake opportunity for temptation, and do not mistake temptation for opportunity. Many people spend most of their lives being led away by temptation, thereby missing vast amounts of real opportunity. Life is a wise elder and an erudite teacher; it often guides us through life's mysteries like gentle spring rain, providing us with profound inspirations.
23. It is not great dreams to fear, but the fear of not daring to dream. Even if you are mocked for those unreachable dreams, do not mind too much; compared to them, at least you still have dreams. Through persistence and hard work, your dreams may eventually come true. Dreams are the stage of life, yet often they are locked in the empty buildings of our environment by time. Only by persisting as a happy clown, striving with all our might and patience against time, can we finally smile at life in victory.
24. To those who praise everything: say little; to those who condemn everything: believe little; to those who are indifferent: trust no one; to the outstanding: trust but do not depend; to the ordinary: trust and depend; to the detestable: neither trust nor depend. There is no feast that does not end; the final destination of life is death. The moment of eternal sleep is also the end of a grand ball. The people encountered and the stories shared in that ball will ultimately vanish like smoke as the soul drifts away.
25. Encountering setbacks on the path to your goals is not scary; what is scary is doubting your own abilities because of them. As long as your spirit remains unbroken and you dare to take a leap of faith, there is hope for victory.
26. Learn the principles of Yin and Yang to find peace of mind. Light accompanies darkness, right accompanies wrong, progress accompanies decline, highs accompany lows, prosperity accompanies adversity, joy accompanies pain, strength accompanies weakness, gain accompanies sacrifice, labor accompanies rest, speed accompanies slowness, closeness accompanies distance, beauty accompanies ugliness, love accompanies hate, and glory accompanies shame. All things follow this principle; the differences are simply part of the balance.
