These past few days I’ve been out in Southeast Asia — scoping business opportunities, exploring investments, building ventures. Met many people, got a lot done. Today I’m finally heading to Phuket for a brief breather before returning home.
But the moment I closed my eyes on the plane, barely five minutes of rest before a flood of thoughts came rushing in.
Fair enough. Experiences are only truly absorbed once you’ve taken the time to reflect on them. I haven’t posted in a few days, so let me share what’s been on my mind with you all.
1. The wider your world becomes, the more clearly you see it: the Chinese people are truly a remarkable civilization. Diligence, perseverance, and dedication seem almost coded into our DNA — we are exceptionally skilled at grinding and pushing forward.
But here’s the thing: that alone can only guarantee you a decent life — enough to survive comfortably, but not enough to truly live richly.
Because hustling and building wealth may look similar on the surface, but they are fundamentally different things.
2. Anywhere in the world, wealth is built on comprehensive capability — and no place will reward you simply because you wore yourself out physically.
Truck drivers in America, loggers in Canada, healthcare workers in Singapore, luxury hotel staff in Thailand — all work incredibly hard.
Delivery riders, couriers, and ride-share drivers back home work incredibly hard too.
As adults, we must be clear-eyed about this: hardship, exhaustion, and frustration ≠ a path to wealth.
Sadly, many people refuse to accept this truth. And when they can’t, their mindset cracks — they grow resentful, bitter, and eventually their actions go off the rails.
3. What I mean by “going off the rails” is this: in the prime of your years, you give up on thinking and planning altogether — or you chase some shortcut, some high-stakes gamble to flip your fate overnight.
Put simply: being too passive or too reckless will both lead you nowhere.
What’s interesting is that most ordinary people spend their lives ping-ponging between these two extremes — too passive, then too reckless — and never manage to hold steady in the middle.
4. In my view, those four words — steady resilience — represent a threshold most people will never truly cross in their lifetime.
Resilience means emotional stability: the ability to stay calm and grounded even after you’ve been wronged, worn down, or knocked hard.
It means allowing everything to happen — the good and the bad — taking it all in stride and turning it into nourishment for your own growth.
Steady means that no matter what highs or lows come your way, you keep your head down and your eyes locked on the core objective of each phase.
It means letting all the unimportant noise pass you by with a quiet smile.
5. Once you’ve internalized steady resilience, you’ll quickly enter what I call the “ascending flow state” — and from that point on, building wealth and elevating your comprehensive capability becomes far more natural.
You’ll gradually come to understand that every aspect of the world holds wisdom. Behind every level of success, every tier of standing, lies a corresponding way of thinking and operating.
You’ll realize that even with just ¥100,000 in savings, with careful positioning, you can use that money to dramatically grow both your capabilities and your resources — until you have ¥500,000.
And with ¥500,000, applied wisely, you can complete your initial capital accumulation — then set your sights on a million, several million, ten million, and beyond.
6. Equally important is minimizing the major mistakes in your life.
Don’t drift into disreputable circles. Don’t let yourself get entangled with six relations (六亲) that pull you down rather than lift you up. Don’t let an unreliable partner hold you back. Don’t touch wealth opportunities that exceed your understanding. Don’t grind away in industries with no future. Don’t let a disordered lifestyle become your norm. Don’t silently drain your own health…
If a person goes through life without making any major mistakes, their life will generally be smooth and fulfilling.
7. Likewise, the path to building comprehensive capability and genuine wealth is actually quite simple — it’s about consistently repeating the things that work in your favor:
Seek wisdom from circles above your current level. Learn from mentors who have tangible results. Read high-quality books that present knowledge as a coherent system. Review and reflect on your daily life regularly. Do small business ventures within your current capability. Brainstorm strategies with reliable friends. Exercise consistently and prioritize sleep.
Many people will read this list and think, “that’s all pretty obvious.” Yet almost no one actually follows through.
Knowing something is one thing. Doing it is another. Doing it consistently, and doing it well — that’s something else entirely.
8. My own state right now is very clear.
When I’m building and working, it’s 100% commitment — pushing for the best in every detail.
Even if something doesn’t pay off in the end, I’ll accept that reality calmly. I’ll still aim to see it through with integrity.
It’s fine. Don’t be afraid. Many things in this world require several rounds of exploration before results emerge. That’s what makes them hard to break into — and what makes your eventual mastery of them your own moat.
Once something is running well, sustaining itself, generating steady returns — I still make a habit of learning from the best in the industry. I study carefully why they’re stronger and better than me.
And when it’s time to enjoy life, I’m fully present in that too — taking in the scenery along the way, eating well, drinking well, staying well. The best for myself and my family.
First class only. Top-tier hotels. Michelin dining or the best local spots.
If building a career is a form of spiritual cultivation (修行), then enjoying life is a form of experience.
Both deserve to be done well. And as it turns out, simplicity — living with clear purpose — is almost always the best way.