16. Only when you define success within your own heart can you attain truly controllable happiness and lead a consistently fulfilling life. The strong see the peaks of hope, while the weak see only the cliffs of danger; those who complain about fate only invite further misfortune.
17. There are three paces of time: the future arrives late, the present flies like an arrow, and the past remains forever still. If you wish to achieve something, start now. Sometimes our relationship is hard to define: sometimes we feel like friends, sometimes more, and sometimes you feel like a total stranger. Wealthy people pursue an affluent life, while wise people pursue a high-quality life. The ultimate goal of a quality life is happiness; living happily is more meaningful than living richly.
18. This is a common mindset; because of it, the vast majority of people spend immense time sitting in a well, looking at the sky and overthinking the 'correct' goals of life, yet never taking a single step forward.
19. There is no path beneath your feet; once you start walking, a path is made. There is no pit in the ground; if you accidentally fall, a pit is created. For most people, no one will pave a ready-made path for you to walk easily; you must rely on your own relentless efforts to forge your own way. To walk well, one must walk steadily; to walk far, one must walk uprightly. Whether the path is smooth or rugged, rainy or sunny, keep moving forward—the footprints left behind are the beautiful notes of life.
20. It is easy to live at home for a thousand days, but hard to go out for even a moment. In reality, the difficulty lies not in leaving home, but in how you lived while you were there. If you rely on others for everything at home—having food brought to you and chores done by others—how can you not struggle when you venture out? No matter how busy or professional one is, basic life skills are essential. For someone too pampered, being asked if they can eat or use the restroom by themselves at a restaurant might seem like a joke, but it is a bitter one.
21. Sprint like a youth, but live like a farmer.
22. If you cannot change the outcome, perfect the process.
23. When sick, I do not want to die; when competing, I do not want to lose. Death and defeat are, in essence, the same thing.
24. A busy person is tested by one devil, but a lazy person is tempted by a thousand.
25. Even when working for others, maintain the mindset of a boss.
26. Life is like a rushing river, and we are but leaves upon it; we can either drift with the current or create our own waves.
27. Life is a book that I read with my whole heart and soul; I read it with great struggle, yet with great happiness.
28. It is not about refusing to consume, but refusing to waste; it is not about tightening one's belt to save money, but using one's intellect to choose better ways to consume—'buy what is right, not what is expensive.' Consumers should learn to analyze and compare, practicing rational consumption by considering timing, cost-effectiveness, and utility. The goal is to live a decent life while spending less.
29. Whether inheriting a large estate from parents, meeting a beautiful girl, or becoming a major shareholder in a business... when facing situations involving your own interests, would you step on your brothers to seize everything for yourself? Would you turn against your kin for profit? If you are of the same blood, why commit fratricide? No matter how great the rift, do not do things that bring joy to enemies and pain to your own people.
30. Just like telling lies, telling the truth can also be a means of navigating life.
31. Only by not disregarding every brick and tile can a skyscraper be built; only by not indulging in every word and deed can a noble character be formed.
32. When you mock others, you might not feel happy; when you mock yourself, you might not feel unhappy either.
33. Only the things of true value are worth choosing. But you must realize that the most valuable things often cannot be measured by price.
34. The noisy era fades away like the wind, while a heart tempered by life becomes calm and soft, sowing seeds of warmth and cultivating a peaceful state of mind. No longer chasing fleeting prosperity, one realizes that time is a ruthless sword that withers everything; beautiful flowers must fall, and grand scenes will eventually dim. Only the tranquil years, accompanying a simple life, watching the steady flow of time and listening to the birds and flowers, will carry us to the end of our journey.
