Every reader who has come to me for a destiny framework (格局) reading has likely heard me say this: whatever state you’re in right now is fundamentally the result of every decision you’ve ever made.
What this means is simple: no matter where you stand today, there is always a reason to be found.
If you’ve achieved success and financial freedom, it’s because the version of you from years past made far-sighted decisions — and followed through on them.
Let me be honest with you from the start: getting this article published was genuinely not easy.
I had originally planned to release it in late December. But it got stuck in the content review process multiple times. On top of being a long piece, it went through several rounds of revisions before finally reaching a “clean” state today.
The thing is, there’s nothing particularly sensitive in the content itself. After much reflection, the only explanation I can offer is that the original writing was simply too sharp and pointed. After all, this is an article that could fairly be called an essential primer on the Chinese MBA.
Let me start with some everyday thoughts. These days, Mr. Wong Kar-wai’s Blossoms Shanghai has been enormously popular. The costume design, set dressing, solid script, and brilliant performances from the cast have all been exceptional.
But from a personal standpoint, Blossoms Shanghai is ultimately a supreme work of art.
And precisely because it is art, it has its own limits — there are things that are difficult to articulate and inconvenient to portray on screen.
These past couple of days, as the year winds down, something rather remarkable has been happening.
The comment section of my public channel — and the private messages on my knowledge platform — have been flooded with dozens, sometimes hundreds of messages every single day. And nearly every one of them is asking the same question: Master, do you think 2024 will be better?
My position on this has always been clear.
1 — After much thought, I’ve decided to write this short piece — a little mental massage, if you will.
After all, as adults, you can’t endlessly pour your heart out to family all day, and doing it with friends doesn’t quite feel right either.
So naturally, things get bottled up inside.
Since that’s the case, let me be the one to offer a few words of genuine comfort.
Likewise, I — Master Chi — hope you’ll think of me as one of your own. If something is weighing on you, feel free to share it in the comments.
Honestly, I’m not one for Western holidays — but among all of them, Christmas Eve is the one exception I hold dear.
Simply because the name in Chinese carries such a beautiful weight: 平安夜 — the Night of Peace and Safety. Ping ping an an.
Just hearing it warms the heart.
And warmth is something we’ve all been craving lately.
Let’s be honest — these past two years have been delicate for most of us. You know it, I know it.
Student Question
Hello Master, I’m writing about a problem rooted in my family of origin. My mother is hardworking and down-to-earth, but she has always been prone to anxiety, suspicion, and endless nagging. Her parenting style was very strict when I was young — strict enough that, despite decent grades, I nearly fell into depression during my final year of high school.
Years have passed since then. My father, through hard work and perseverance, has built a solid material foundation for our family. Yet my mother still nags — relentlessly, without end. I genuinely don’t know how my father has sustained what feels like a suffocating marriage for this long.
I’ve consumed a lot of content from so-called relationship coaches and marriage consultants. It all boils down to one word: nonsense. Just like people who teach others to build businesses while they themselves are nothing more than ordinary office workers — many who give relationship advice are themselves unhappily married, or completely alone.
Remember: the more important something is in this world, the more it calls for returning to simplicity. The greatest truths are always the simplest.
Student Question: How do you view the tendency to lose interest in a job after only a short time? I’ve held two jobs, and I feel like my enthusiasm for both faded quickly. My first was a customer service role that I held for a year and a half, until I realized there was no room for growth and the work was entirely mechanical. So I moved to a second job in sales, hoping to build my courage and communication skills and develop a habit of continuous learning.
Brothers and sisters, these words come to you as a friend.
Tonight’s piece is straightforward — I simply want to have a genuine conversation with you about how to actually live life after your thirties.
Because so many of you have written to me, pouring out your grief and despair.
Telling me you’re past thirty, no longer young and full of drive, lost in an uncertain world, with no idea where your future lies.