Sharing a little-known approach to becoming stronger: find your true noble benefactors, and let good people change the course of your fate.
Look back on your own experiences. When good things happened to you, wasn’t it always one or two key people who made the difference — giving you the opportunity, giving you the help? The various people in your network, at certain moments, combine their influence to determine the direction of your life and the level of your fortune. This is why we must learn to build good relationships, and learn to rely on them.
Relax — accept the fact that you haven’t done well.
Then, put all your energy into solving the actual work problems.
From there, here are the things you need to do:
Gather all the weaknesses you already know about, work to improve them, and make sure you don’t repeat mistakes you’re already aware of. Humbly ask your supervisor where else you’re falling short. Whatever your supervisor teaches you, write it down. Having it in writing means you’ll remember it accurately when you review it later — and if anything is unclear, you can ask your supervisor to confirm you’ve understood correctly. Anything that helps your performance should also be documented, so you can refer back to it when you review your progress later. Once you’ve gone through these steps, your supervisor will see that you’re willing to learn and willing to put in the effort — and they’ll feel their time teaching you hasn’t been wasted.
Many people who seek consultations tell me that their direct supervisor plays favorites. Leaders are human too — and humans come with subjective feelings.
If their way of doing things runs counter to yours, the two of you simply won’t click.
He has an inexplicable aversion to people taller than himself — you’re 185cm, so you get the cold shoulder.
She’s envious of your looks, so she treats you like a thorn in her side.
Master Chi’s Response
This time I’ve written out a 3–4 hours-per-day study plan designed for those with full-time jobs or daytime classes.
❗This plan is for reference only — there’s no need to follow it rigidly.
For real results, every minute of study needs to count. Don’t rush through a passage just to stay on schedule when you haven’t actually read or listened carefully.
That said, this plan assumes you’ve already memorized at least 80% of the vocabulary. If you haven’t ✅, I’d recommend spending 1–2 months on vocabulary first — otherwise, your listening and reading will both hit a wall at basic words.
From where things stand, the broader environment still needs some time to warm up. But that leaves us — those living within it — feeling a bit suffocated, with something quietly pressing down on the chest.
That’s what mental exhaustion feels like.
Because I feel it too, just like you.
So what should we do? Act like those who’ve given up — spending their days in a rage, lashing out and insulting others? Or simply abandon all effort and ambition altogether?
The vast majority of work exists for one purpose alone: survival.
Young people carry a significant misconception — that work must be the vehicle for pursuing their ideals and expressing who they are.
But work, at its core, is simply the act of trading your labor for a livelihood.
Work demands your labor. Not your emotions.
Many people are unhappy at work because they have loaded it with far too much meaning.
These past couple of days, I’ve had many brothers and sisters leaving messages in my comments section, hoping I’d speak to this topic. Most of us are feeling some version of “off” right now — and I feel it too.
I thought it over, and I want to casually work through a few points, moving from the small to the big. Let’s see where the conversation goes. How much meaning you draw from it — well, that depends on your own insight.
In the quiet of the late night, this is the best time for an honest conversation.
I know exactly why you clicked on this article. It’s because lately you’ve been feeling drained, anxious, and lost.
And in your daily life recently, you’ve surely been running into one obstacle after another — unexpected setbacks, people dismissing you, misunderstandings piling up.
I understand, my dear friends. All of it.
So I sincerely hope you’ll take a moment to really read what comes next:
Tonight’s article, though brief, is anything but light — because this artwork is simply too worthy of our careful contemplation.
This painting is the work of Russian-born artist Konstantin Korobov.
My personal interpretation, from Master Chi’s perspective, goes like this: the small lamb in the painting can represent each and every one of us — ordinary people, pure, naive, and simple. We carry no wicked desires of our own, yet we also lack sufficient strength to protect ourselves.
Student Question:
Hello. I have a few questions about salary discussions that came up during an interview.
① They say whoever reveals their number first during salary negotiations loses. Does this apply only to fresh graduates, or to everyone?
② During a recent interview, when we got to salary, the manager asked what my expected pay was. Not wanting to show my hand, I turned it around and asked about their compensation structure. The manager gave a vague answer: base salary, commission, bonuses, and so on. I pressed further and asked about the salary budget range for the specific role I was interviewing for. The manager said it would depend on my abilities and what the company allocates per level — specifics would be discussed after a second interview.