Yesterday, a reader wrote in with a question:
Student Question: “Hello, Master Chi! I’d like to ask about the weekly mini-goals you encouraged us to build in your last article — what kind of change or benefit do they actually bring to a person’s destiny? My concern is: can such tiny, tiny little goals really produce any meaningful results? I hope you can explain the reasoning behind this. Thank you.”
Weakness and ignorance are not obstacles to survival — arrogance is.
These past couple of days, the market has been a sea of red, and my inbox has been flooded with messages from brothers and sisters pouring their hearts out. While everyone’s pain is different, the ask is always the same: “Master Chi, we got hurt this time — can you talk about this awful market?” Of course I can. It’s been a while since I touched on this topic, and right now is honestly the perfect time to share some genuine wisdom — far more fitting than any ordinary day. People only truly open their ears after they’ve been stung and hurt. So today, let me speak freely about how I personally understand “losses” and the “gambling ecosystem of the market” after all these years.
I firmly believe that if you take the assignment at the end of this article seriously, it will bring about a genuine transformation in your life.
A reader once sent me this question: “Master Chi, why do some people — who clearly have no real ability — keep getting lucky windfalls from the universe, one after another?”
My direct answer: impossible. First, a person with no real ability might stumble into unexpected money once in their lifetime — at most. Second, even if they do, they won’t be able to hold onto it. If someone keeps receiving windfall after windfall, it only means they have qualities and advantages that you simply haven’t been able to see yet. They definitely do. You just can’t read them.
More than one friend has told me that the festive spirit of the New Year and other holidays feels increasingly hollow these days — especially during the years when fireworks were banned and large gatherings weren’t possible. Their view: holidays are just a synonym for time off, nothing more.
Whenever friends vented like this, I’d give them a breezy reply: “But time off is wonderful — peace and quiet is the finest luxury of all.”
Student Question:
Master, hello! During this year-end period I’ve been frequently revisiting your past articles, and every single word has helped me grow — I want to express my gratitude first.
What moved me most, actually, was the single mother you wrote about in your last article. Her grounded, feet-on-the-ground approach truly impressed me — because, truth be told, I am also an ordinary single mother, raising two children here in Hefei, a city that’s decent enough to call home.
Part 1
Home is the origin of everything.
If someone in your eyes seems to face one setback after another, mired in endless troubles, yet somehow remains cheerful and full of vitality — just look into their home environment, and all your answers will reveal themselves.
Because their family is undoubtedly their greatest pillar of strength, providing a steady warmth that never wavers.
Equally, if someone in your eyes appears perfectly composed, with no apparent reason for sorrow, yet they remain depressed and in pain — just look into their home environment, and every mystery dissolves.
(This piece is a classic revisit, so that new readers won’t miss a gem from the archives.)
Today, Master Chi wants to talk with you about two things: noble benefactors (Gui Ren) and inner circles.
For most people who grew up without privilege, the knowledge they lack most is the art of transactional exchange in human relationships.
The result? Many have worked hard enough to develop real ability — but they remain alone, never managing to break into a tier where they can share the spoils with other powerful people.
After extensive contact with both the wealthy and the general public, I came to realize why ordinary people can work themselves to the bone their entire lives and still amount to nothing: they simply don’t understand where wealth comes from or how it actually operates.
This is why they stumble through life making one bad move after another — and in their relentless anxiety, they get harvested by one predatory scheme after another until there’s nothing left.
We begin with a reader’s letter:
Dear Master Chi, I apologize for this unsolicited intrusion — I am truly sorry to disturb you. But I have been unable to sleep lately, and in the stillness of late nights, anxiety and restlessness overwhelm me. I hope you will forgive this abrupt letter.
I am a mother and homemaker. A friend recommended your writings, and I was deeply moved. I read every single post carefully. I feel so far behind your other readers — it is quite humbling.
There have always been people who misread me — saying Master Chi is a cold-blooded social Darwinist, someone who judges everything by achievement alone. Think what you will. And frankly, they’re not entirely wrong. Because I have always believed, from start to finish: the higher your achievement and the greater your wealth, the more complete and fulfilled your life will be.
Why this conviction? Because countless facts have convinced me that wealth is inextricably linked to every other dimension of life. Unlock wealth, and you unlock the rest of your destiny.