Every person has their own valleys — that’s perfectly normal. There is nothing under heaven that shoots straight to the sky without pulling back first to rest and consolidate. So what do I do when I’m in a valley?
Simple: first, do your best to contain the damage. Then pick up a few books, rest for a few days, and take stock of your mistakes — think it all the way through until you’ve truly understood. Once your vital energy (Chi) has recovered, move forward again. The weightiest matters in life are all endured this way. And it is precisely this kind of tempering that causes the carp to grow dragon scales.