21. I love a certain kind of flawed beauty; I love graceful and elegant postures, and I love a silence that speaks louder than eloquence. I would rather see "ugliness" ten times a day, provided it contains flashes of novelty and wisdom, than see a hollow and insignificant beauty once a month. Living each day well is living a life well. In this world, there is nothing to boast about and nothing to lament; often, people do not stumble on their flaws, but on their own advantages. Entrust your worries to the breeze; mastering oneself is a lifelong lesson.
22. If others stand far away, we move closer to shrink the distance; if others are cold, we treat them with warmth to foster closeness. Only through proactive giving can we reap abundant fruits. Face life with a smile, but also face your own sadness and pain. The strongest moment for a person is not when they persist, but when they let go. When you choose to empty your hands, no one can take anything from you! So many lament their helpless fate, forgetting that the most powerful words in the world are: "I don't care."
23. Learn the principles of Yin and Yang to find peace of mind. Light has darkness, right has wrong, progress has regression, high tides have low tides, prosperity has adversity, joy has pain, strength has weakness, gain has giving, labor has rest, speed has slowness, closeness has distance, beauty has ugliness, love has hatred, and glory has shame. All things follow this logic; the only difference is the degree.
24. Gratitude stems from kindness, and kindness is the essence of humanity. Be grateful for the hardships of parents in raising us, the warmth of siblings, and the guidance of teachers and friends. Be grateful to adversity for sparking motivation, to suffering for building strength, to setbacks for bringing wisdom, and to enemies for bringing clarity. Let the kindness of others be engraved in your heart and repay it abundantly. Help others and forget the act immediately, seeking no reward. Gratitude makes everything beautiful and brings lifelong happiness.
25. The older generation is often too selfless, living cautiously and exhaustingly; the younger generation is often too self-centered, living with constant worries and exhaustion. In reality, one cannot live solely for others and lose oneself—gaining social significance but losing the self; nor can one live solely for oneself and disregard others—gaining self-satisfaction but losing connection. Can one exist in isolation from society? The essence of life lies in balancing oneself with others, and the internal with the external.
26. People tend to listen to views that align with their own, and some even prefer flattery and praise, reflecting human vanity and conformity. Wise people seek common ground while respecting differences, while the truly brilliant seek novelty through difference. Those who differ may differ in interests or goals, or objectively in level and perspective. In similarity, one sees what was unseen; those who differ can be peers, and those who differ can be teachers.
27. If we want more roses, we must plant more rose bushes.
28. The power developed by a person of conviction is greater than that of 99 people of mere interest.
29. Only by burning your boats can you turn the tide.
30. Look forward to beautiful aspirations and cultivate a positive mindset.
31. Novelty is the soul of art, and beauty is its life.
32. Changing consumers' inherent ideas is as difficult as climbing to the sun, but it is not impossible.
33. Spending ten years to sharpen one sword is too slow; spending ten years to sharpen ten swords is just right.
34. Leave a way out for others, otherwise, you will ultimately be the one harmed.
36. Every legendary life is filled with beautiful prophecies and positive defenses; every mediocre life is filled with crude prophecies and negative defenses.
37. Wealthy people do not necessarily wear luxury brands, yet some people without money borrow heavily to buy them just to compete. Once the desire to compete arises, one is led by vanity. Those controlled by vanity live according to others' perceptions, abandoning their own stance and judgment, blindly following the preferences of others—if others say a brand is good, they agree, even going to extreme lengths to possess what others deem "good," even if it does not suit them.
38. To know oneself is to evaluate oneself objectively—neither overestimating nor belittling; to understand one's strengths and weaknesses, and to discover unique charm and potential; to recognize one's characteristics, ideals, values, interests, abilities, and personality.
39. My soul counsels me: do not be proud of praise, nor sorrowful of criticism. Before this counsel, I doubted the value of my work until fate sent me both admirers and detractors. Now I understand: trees do not crave praise when they bloom in spring and fruit in summer, nor do they fear criticism when they shed leaves in autumn and wither in winter.
40. The noisy era fades 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 splendor, one realizes that time is an unfeeling sword that consumes all—even beautiful flowers must scatter, and grand scenes must dim. Only the tranquil years accompany a simple life, gazing at the steady flow of time, listening to birdsong and smelling flowers, walking together until the end of life.
