Lately, I’ve been receiving all kinds of anxious messages. Brothers and sisters, one after another, spirits sinking low. Either the career path looks unclear, or the road ahead feels rough and uncertain.
Because I move through a wide range of circles and encounter people at many different levels of life, I have some honest thoughts I’d like to share with you.
1 — Much of your anxiety comes from blind comparison.
There’s always this nagging feeling that everyone else is quietly making money while you alone have been left behind. But in the real world, the vast majority of people right now are in a “just getting by” state — not particularly good or bad, just… that’s how it is. Out of pride, people still put up a polished, presentable front. And naturally, they’re not going to show you the chaos in their own lives either.
I want you to understand: we’re all on the same ship. Your anxiety and your struggles — I feel them too.
2 — Even so, life must go on. What needs to change is the strategic approach.
I don’t believe this era is one suited for aggressive moves or rapid wealth-building. Everyone I know — businesspeople, merchants, operators, including myself — is doing roughly the same two things:
In work: slowly closing the wounds, stopping the bleeding, restructuring and recalibrating the framework of life.
In daily life: avoiding unnecessary disruption, placing profit lower on the priority list, and elevating joy, family, and health.
If there’s a third thing, it’s filling your life with as much positive, optimistic energy as possible — bright, open-minded friends who lift the room.
Humans are social creatures, and we are also products of our environment. The difference between living under clear skies versus living under a persistent gray haze — that impact is visible to the naked eye.
3 — As ordinary people, never fall into the trap of thinking human will can conquer heaven. The wiser path is to align with heaven.
In other words: right now, above all else, avoid the stubbornness of charging headlong against the tide.
Thinking back over the past three years, nearly every friend who quietly chose the conservative path is doing just fine — stable, nothing dramatic, but no disasters either. Those who decided to seize the moment and push forward aggressively? Most found themselves in awkward situations. Some were even dragged along by friends, talked into heavy investments in new ventures — and the endings were almost universally awkward.
What does “aligning with heaven” actually look like? When it’s raining, don’t go out. Stay home. Rest. Enjoy time with family. Read a book. Get some exercise. Unremarkable — and completely correct.
4 — I believe the road ahead will be a slow warming, a step-by-step recovery.
First, “rational stratification” will become increasingly clear. Reality will show each person their own weight — what they’re actually capable of and what kind of life they should be living. Once the impulsiveness and the restlessness fade, people will naturally return to a calmer state of mind. Unrealistic ambitions will give way to grounded habits.
At that point, once you’ve recognized the true boundaries of your own ability, you’ll naturally redevelop a sensible relationship with money. Not extravagant, not penny-pinching — spend when it’s worth it, save when it’s not. That is the real signal of recovery.
5 — These days, I talk often with community members, and I’ve noticed something genuinely interesting.
The desire for a better life hasn’t been extinguished. But many people’s thinking has grown noticeably more mature. This is a very, very good thing.
Because only when you accept that you’re an ordinary person can you truly figure out how to live the life that fits you.
You’ll realize that having an ordinary job, an ordinary income, and living in an ordinary city — that’s not failure. It’s simply the natural state of things. You’ll also realize that your generation’s real task is to preserve this ordinary life, and to make whatever effort falls within your reach.
Don’t squander what you have. Don’t ruin your livelihood. Don’t cause trouble. Don’t create drama. Light and unhurried. Safe and content. That’s already something very, very good.
6 — As the title says: the most difficult period is finally about to pass.
Don’t rush. Don’t panic. Hold steady.
At this stage of life, the real danger isn’t lack of opportunity — it’s letting greed undo everything you’ve already built. Now, more than ever, patience is essential. And patience is not surrender.
What we should be doing is doubling down on the most fundamental investments — the ones with the highest long-term return.
Run. Jog slowly and let it clear your mind, flush out your veins.
Lift weights. Let your muscles and bones be reforged, again and again, until they’re stronger than before.
Read. Work through quality books, one by one. Evolve your thinking. Strengthen your inner foundation.
Curate your circle. Place yourself in better environments. Learn from and draw close to people who are genuinely excellent.
Only then — when a real opportunity finally arrives — will you have the full capability to reach out and hold it firm.