Self-Cultivation

Student Question: Hello Master, I’ve been thinking about starting a side hustle lately. I’ve found there are just too many options out there. I tried a few before and the results were mediocre. Should I go with something I enjoy — like writing, which I’m quite fond of — or should I chase future trends? I’m not sure which direction gives me the best advantage. I’d love your guidance. Master Chi’s Response:

Student Question Master Chi, I’ve been running a self-media side hustle for about a month now. The problem I keep running into is this: I need to write articles and post regularly, but I feel like my insight isn’t sharp enough — and sometimes negative emotions creep in. Sometimes I feel like I can’t write anything at all. And when I do manage to write something, it doesn’t feel good enough. How do I solve this?

Student Question Hello, Master. The era of rapid residential development feels like it’s behind us now. Real estate is entering a phase of contraction — fewer projects, slower growth, falling prices. In terms of residential investment, making quick money is getting harder by the day. Looking ahead, beyond residential properties, what other areas in real estate are worth paying attention to? How do we find our footing again and reposition ourselves?

We talk about striving all the time — but we should also talk about enjoyment. After all, striving is meant to raise the quality of your own life. A life of abundance and genuine pleasure is the true destination of all that effort. When it comes to “enjoying life,” I see five distinct levels. The higher you climb, the richer your joy. A few thoughts, for what they’re worth. I hope you take something useful from this.

Student Question Master Chi, I often hear people talk about cultivating your network, leveraging your connections. Some people even think that adding a big-name figure on WeChat counts as expanding their network. What’s your take on this? Master Chi’s Response I don’t think you need to deliberately “cultivate” anything. Here’s an example. When you’re a teenager, a teacher might tell you: you need to pursue growth. So how do you grow? The teacher says: surround yourself with people who are also growing.

The topic of “how ordinary people can accumulate tens of millions in assets” has been blazing hot lately. Open any platform and you’ll find crowds frantically debating it. To stay current, I spent last night reading through the top takes on this topic — and the more I read, the more my brow furrowed. The reason is simple: nearly every one of those seemingly well-reasoned articles was written by people who neither possess tens of millions in assets themselves, nor have any real experience operating in capital circles.

I like to get straight to the point. This article is written specifically for women who started with nothing — women poised to rise against the odds. The more ordinary your birth, the more impoverished your family of origin, the more this article can do for you. Those of you who have followed me for a while know the depth of my work in destiny reading (命理), so when I say this, I have my reasons.

Student Question: Hello, Master. I’d like to start an RV travel blog as a side hustle. How should I plan and execute this? Master Chi’s Response: Start by asking yourself one question. If someone else was already doing this — would you admire them? Would you follow them? Let me give you something practical to chew on: the competitive edge of a travel blogger has nothing to do with the routes they take, and nothing to do with the vehicle they drive.

Student Question I’ve just been assigned to my company’s internal controls and audit department. My day-to-day work involves monitoring other departments to prevent errors and auditing them for issues. Since I’m new to this role, do you have any advice? Master Chi’s Response Here’s a general direction for you: First, get a thorough understanding of the basic situation in each department — so you have a clear picture in your mind. Get to know your direct supervisor and understand how they want this work approached. In the workplace, beyond doing your own job well, earning your leader’s recognition matters greatly. Learn from your colleagues about the key things to watch out for in daily work. Build this foundation first, then move forward with your work — and you’ll definitely achieve twice the results with half the effort.

I can say this with full responsibility: the vast majority of mediocre and poor people have no concept of a force that exists in this world called “accumulation.” And precisely because they don’t understand it, they spend their entire lives chasing fleeting opportunities. The result? They don’t catch a single one — and they’ve wasted the best years of their life in the process. A truly smart person, even starting from absolute zero with nothing to their name, will from the very beginning choose a city that suits them — and commit to that city as their primary battleground for the next decade without wavering.