Last weekend, I had dinner with a group of brothers from Jiangsu, along the banks of the Huangpu River.
This has been a time-honored ritual among our small circle — most of them are old connections from the years when my family was in real estate.
Though we’ve all since moved into different fields — some forging excellent local ties and making a fortune in those earlier years, others pivoting to industry and riding the wave to grow their companies — the bond between us has never wavered.
But these past few years… well, it’s been complicated. Everyone has their own hardships to carry.
What surprised me most was this: our gathering was meant to be eleven people. One brother who had confirmed just days before never showed up. When I asked around, I found out he’d had an accident the night before last.
It happened so suddenly, so unexpectedly, that his family hadn’t even had time to notify his close friends. I only received the obituary three days later.
Why did this happen to him?
Because he was never someone who could rest. He moved fast, acted decisively, and demanded immediate results from everything he touched.
But in recent years, so many of his efforts had simply disappeared into silence — money going in, nothing coming back, not even a ripple.
Day after day, he was consumed by rage, with suppressed anxiety and frustration swirling around him. Finally, after several sleepless nights on top of years of accumulated exhaustion, a round of heavy drinking wrote the last line of his story.
When I heard the news, I felt a pang of guilt. These years, I’ve been cheering on the friends, family, and brothers around me every single day — but there are always people who slip through the cracks.
If only I had called him a few days earlier, just to offer some comfort. Maybe the ending would have been different.
With that thought weighing on my heart, I want to take this moment to say a few things to you:
★ — I’ve always said that life moves in rhythms — stretches of smooth sailing, stretches of rough going, alternating endlessly. When things are flowing your way, seize the moment and push forward boldly. When things are difficult, enjoy your life — don’t force results that aren’t ready to come.
★ — In truth, every one of us is utterly small before the great current of our times. There is no version of this where individual effort alone lets you swim against a raging flood. When the current is against you, don’t lower your head and charge into it — learn to steer your boat along with it.
★ — Don’t forget what we’re ultimately here for. I have never believed the purpose of life is simply to make money. Whether you’re at ten million, a hundred million, several hundred million, or a billion — each level brings its own corresponding anxiety and pain. Money is not the answer. Living well, savoring quiet leisure, enjoying the company of family and close friends, pursuing interests that enrich your spirit — that is the substance of life.
★ — If you truly can’t contain your drive, then at least resist the urge to go all-in during difficult times. Instead, build up your financial reserves and energy, and channel that spirit into exploratory, learning-oriented ventures.
★ — Read good books. Take care of your body. Manage yourself. Don’t let bad people or bad events dictate your state of mind. I repeat this every time, because it matters that much.
In short: I hope you can find stillness within yourself. Don’t let the seemingly comfortable, affluent “life winners” you see online throw you off your own pace.
I’m not joking — I personally know many of the so-called “premium lifestyle influencers” from the Yangtze River Delta region. What I’ll tell you is this: every household has its own difficult scripture to read. What they show you is only their most polished, most radiant, most carefully staged side.
The real pressures of their daily lives? You’ll never see those. Because if you did, you’d realize that behind everyone’s gleaming facade, there is always a floor littered with feathers.
So: live well, and be yourself.
Believe me — whether in business or in your career, what the long arc of life truly rewards is not who made the most money at the peak. It’s who maintained the balance between work and life, and kept smiling the longest.
Sincerely — if you and I can share a big, genuine smile for a whole lifetime, that is the greatest karmic merit (福报) and good fortune this world has to offer.
As for money — it matters, yes. But it is not what matters most.
Would you agree, my brothers and sisters?