When the major life cycle (大运) has yet to turn favorable, the struggle truly feels overwhelming — and I suspect many readers felt this acutely this year. Setting aside hearsay and rumors, even the close companions in my own circles — regardless of how large their operations have grown — would be hard-pressed to say this year has been particularly joyful. Never mind one long red candle on the index today; looking at the capital markets across the whole year, the picture is murky at best. And so the wolves and tigers in my world — the bold, the sharp — have grown listless and distracted. No wonder: the market hasn’t fully broken down, but neither has it rebuilt itself. In the end, it all comes down to reading the sky, watching the dragon’s face. Whether you’re hunting opportunities or positioning for the future, this isn’t the optimal moment. But the weight of capital costs and the steady erosion of value — those are real worries that gnaw at all of us. So be it: grab a plane ticket, get away, take a holiday, clear your head.
If you pay close enough attention, you’ll notice that in today’s world, two qualities have been completely forgotten — utterly overlooked.
Yet the power and significance of these two qualities are immense. Possess them both, and greatness becomes within reach — regardless of where you stand in your life’s destiny framework (格局).
Those two qualities are: forgiveness and letting go.
Don’t believe me? Look at the people around you. The moment two people fall out, a grudge is born — and rarely released.
Today’s news, every single piece of it, deserves our deep reflection and careful consideration. Because everything happening today is the overture to a new era arriving — one that countless people may remember, yet just as many will overlook. Every time history’s wheels begin their thunderous advance, the hidden force capable of moving mountains and parting seas is always seen by the world as simply the natural order of things. Only when heaven and earth have transformed, when oceans have turned to mulberry fields, do people realize they have witnessed history — and participated in it.
Master Chi Management Post: I just came across an article about Putian. It moved me deeply.
This place was among the first in China to be occupied by Japanese pirates (wokou). It was once bathed in blood — bodies everywhere, the people devastated.
The older generation of Putian people have always celebrated Lunar New Year on the fifth day of the first month, because the days before were mourning days for the dead.
This week has been genuinely hectic, so let’s talk about something lighter: vacation.
Personally, I’m someone who loves traveling — so much so that I’ve managed to accumulate a certain brand’s global traveler status purely through leisure trips. That might sound a bit indulgent, but after all these years of exploring the world, I’ve come to realize just how much I’ve gained from it.
Because there are certain ways of seeing that simply cannot be unlocked through screens or photographs. Only by being there in person can you truly acquire them.
Student Question: Hello Master! I have a small question and hope you can help me think it through: how should I best allocate a very small amount of USD? I graduated from the US just over a year ago. I had saved up $20,000 from part-time work — my entire personal savings at the time. The journey back to China during the pandemic and the quarantine costs ate into some of that. Recently, with the exchange rate so high, I converted nearly $10,000, and now I have $5,000 left. This week the rate is still high but slightly lower than last week, and the Fed last week apparently called its rate hike “the final one.” I don’t understand the forex situation very well — will the rate trend lower over the long term? If so, is now the peak, and should I convert while I still can? Besides converting, are there other allocation options? I’ve thought about putting this money into the US stock market — stocks or funds — but I keep hearing that US stocks have been crashing badly, so I haven’t dared to move. What’s your view on the US market? Or is my amount too small to bother with, and I should just convert it all back and focus on finding ways to build wealth domestically? Thank you in advance for your guidance! Please forgive me if my description or thinking is muddled.