This morning I wrote a short piece, and one line in particular — “Take a moment to think clearly: how much are you really getting out of your job?” — resonated with so many readers.
I said that not to encourage you to quit your job immediately and go start a business — because that’s a genuine one-in-ten shot at survival.
But I do genuinely want you to think clearly: what can your job actually bring you? And beyond work — where should you really be directing your energy?
What follows is sincere advice from Master Chi:
1 — In today’s world, having a relatively stable job is actually quite fortunate. Most jobs don’t offer any great future prospects, but they can give you a life that’s “good enough and steady.”
Pay close attention: “good enough and steady” is itself a precious state — because that stability gives you a starting point from which to push toward something new.
So don’t expect too much from your job. Put in 60–70% effort — enough to get by and deliver — and channel that remaining 30–40% into the areas where your natural talents can grow. That’s the smart play.
2 — Don’t complain that you lack wealth fortune and luck. True wealth and luck, in the end, still have to be earned.
I don’t believe that throwing money into a field you know nothing about counts as “earning it.” That’s reckless gambling with no thought of consequences.
Real earning means being willing, night after quiet night, to turn something over in your mind again and again — understanding its full story, its rules, its inner logic — until you reach the point where you know clearly how things will unfold.
At that point, you’re ready. Then you can seriously begin putting in real effort and real money to test the waters.
3 — No matter how good your personal luck is, it’s nothing compared to the driving force of the era.
Over the past couple of years, in private conversations with friends, I’ve consistently said: remain firmly bullish on our country — especially high-tech industries — because our hard capabilities are genuinely strong, and there will be many, many opportunities.
From mid-last-year onward, I’ve repeatedly mentioned in my articles: semiconductors, computing power, chips, electricity, banking, and more. Some readers followed these ideas and have been well-rewarded over the past year — and I’m genuinely glad for them.
Other readers had their own ideas — which I completely understand — like those who invested in Baijiu (Chinese white spirits) and other sectors.
My view is this: first, I hold Maotai myself — and quite a bit of it.
I’m also well aware that the old-guard heavyweights aren’t the favorites of this current cycle. But that’s fine — as the broader environment gradually recovers, their turn will come. It’s only a matter of time.
Capital chases returns. When any sector has climbed high enough, money naturally begins to flow away in search of new targets — and at that moment, the old-guard names sitting in the valley will once again become highly sought after.
So don’t rush. Wait a little longer.
4 — I know some of you feel anxious. You feel like you’ve missed too many opportunities, or that you’re no longer young — that if only you’d started accumulating in your twenties, how different things would be.
Let Master Chi give you one very honest truth: of all the people I’ve encountered who achieved financial freedom, a significant portion didn’t start gaining real momentum until after 35. A large portion started at 40 or 45. A smaller number at 50.
Why?
Because it takes reaching a certain age before a person truly understands: “Going it alone with brute force won’t break things open. You have to learn to hold good assets — and borrow the momentum of the era and the nation.”
Simple as this sounds, you simply cannot grasp it until you’ve lived enough.
So look around: why do those who hold great wealth tend to be about five years older than the ages I just mentioned?
It’s because once the truth becomes clear, five years is enough to create a complete transformation — or at the very least, for a seed to grow into a sapling.
5 — Above all, do not resist your current situation in your mind while doing nothing in practice. Over time, this not only drains your spirit — it quietly causes your Chi fortune (qi yun) to slip away without you realizing.
The end result is “stormy seas within, not a single step forward” — and it accomplishes absolutely nothing.
My position remains unchanged: start by observing more, trying small things, and reflecting seriously. Use time to grow more and more mature, until you can broadly anticipate the general direction of things.
Once you’re there, begin steadily and seriously rolling the snowball.
That — and only that — is the true path to financial freedom and life freedom. Clear and certain.
I’ll add nothing more at the end of today’s article. I have only one sincere wish: read this piece again, and then tell yourself — going forward, where should you be putting your energy.