Many people go through their entire lives without ever understanding this: the essence of life is nothing more than a brief experience spanning a few dozen years.
That’s all.
As long as you live comfortably and at ease, honoring yourself and not letting down the people around you — that is the highest form of success in the world.
As for grand ambitions, fame and fortune, being heaven’s favored child — all of that is terribly hollow stuff.
Because within just a decade after you’re gone, the world will slowly and completely forget you, until every trace of your existence is finally erased.
And those things that feel earth-shatteringly important right now? They’re really nothing more than an insignificant grain of sand in the span of a life.
So don’t dramatize your emotions, and don’t let the small things in life drag you into depression and gloom.
Instead, cherish every bite of food, every landscape, every connection, every friend — every moment of joy, every laugh, every happiness.
We should feel each of these fully, and let them linger warmly in our hearts.
These are the truly precious treasures of a life well-lived.
Just as some readers come to me with worried faces asking, “Master, my wealth fortune, my marriage prospects, my career — none of it is going well. What should I do?”
The best answer, honestly, is simply this: lift your spirits and face life with the most open, sunlit mindset you can.
If you succeed, count yourself fortunate. If you lose, accept it as your destiny.
Win, and you gain something tangible — everyone rejoices. Lose, and you gain experience — that’s not so bad either.
Mindset is the answer.
Even now, I consider myself an ordinary person — still chasing the full spectrum of human emotions and desires, still drawn to the pleasures and temptations the world has to offer.
But I’ve also slowly come to understand that the core meaning of life is simply this: live your own days well, care for your family, support your friends, and offer some positive influence and encouragement to my readers. That is enough.
Anything beyond that — I can’t manage it, and I don’t aspire to.
In the same way, I hope you too can release the obsessions that weigh too heavily on you.
Take care of yourself and your loved ones, focus on your work, and learn to find the small beautiful moments scattered throughout ordinary days.
That is the finest state of being.
In this human world, Heaven and Earth are the true masters — you and I are merely passing guests.
One day, the wind will blow through, and we will each look upon those we love — and bid them farewell with a free-spirited laugh.
And in the final chapter of it all, we will meet each other again. [embrace]