…and most of these can be resolved through simple means.
Take some people, for instance — they spend their entire day brooding over trivial, inconsequential things, dragging themselves into a funk so heavy it feels like a stone pressed against their chest.
Then they push themselves to the dead of night — when hormones are at their most volatile — and turn to emotionally charged music, to melancholy little passages designed to stir feeling, desperately searching for answers.
These complicated rituals are, in truth, completely pointless.
Here’s what you need to remember: no matter how large the problem — even if it feels like the weight of the sky — the way to reset your emotional state is this: find a place flooded with sunlight and full of good energy (Chi), and walk briskly for an hour or two.
Walk until you break a light sweat and your heart beats a little faster. You’ll notice your mood lifting noticeably — because the body starts releasing positive endorphins, dopamine, and a cascade of beneficial hormones.
Human beings, as a species, have two essential truths encoded in our genetic blueprint:
- What you call “emotions” are simply biochemical reactions — a convergence of various hormones firing inside the brain.
- Long-term confinement in a closed, stagnant space may give a sense of security, but sustained, gentle movement is the single most reliable source of positive feedback your body knows.
This is precisely why, when facing the same life hardships, athletes tend to be far more optimistic than artists.
By the same logic, people in sun-drenched tropical countries are, as a general pattern, far more cheerful and buoyant than those in the cold, dark reaches of Scandinavia.
Today is Saturday. If the weather where you are is looking fine, Master Chi’s advice is simple: go outside and walk. It’s the best way to replenish your energy (Chi).