A lot has happened recently — and honestly, it’s been enough to weigh on anyone. Thousands of words can be distilled into a single character: nán — “difficult.”
When it comes to “difficult,” I actually have plenty to say. I grew up in a merchant family, experienced all kinds of dramatic highs and lows, and went through more than enough of life’s warmth and coldness. I’ve been through the wars, as they say.
So I also know clearly how to face difficulty — and ultimately how to overcome it.
Given that some of the more sensitive points aren’t suited to elaborating in detail, today’s article will be presented as a flowing series of suggestions.
This is, in a way, a test of your insight. But I believe that after reading it, you’ll naturally have a clearer sense of the current and future landscape — and of your own position within it.
You must believe this: reading the situation clearly and knowing your own place in it are absolutely the most critical matters in your life these next few years. One right step leads to more right steps; one wrong step leads to more wrong steps.
1 — Recognize reality: you are absolutely not the only one in a low point right now. The whole world is.
The reason I put this first is simple: only when you accept this reality can you rationally and objectively free yourself from the mindset of “why is everything going wrong for me?”
And you can transform what was a deflated, defeated state into a calm, composed one.
This isn’t about putting a positive spin on things, nor is it about pushing any particular agenda. But over the past six months, I’ve been closely tracking major data from around the globe, and I’ve maintained frequent, close contact with many dear friends overseas. Almost every piece of feedback, in one way or another, points to the same objective truth: life is hard for everyone, and almost everyone feels confused and uncertain about the future.
Among the friends conveying this reality to me: the president of a top international investment bank, a veteran magnate in international trade, an artist living long-term in Western Europe, even a hotel owner in a tourism-dependent country — and of course, countless others spread across every industry and corner of the world.
In other words: as you read these words right now, there are hundreds of millions of people facing situations far worse and more precarious than yours — living far less stably and safely than you are.
So there’s really no need to keep sinking into that spiral of “why is everything going wrong for me?”
The occasional sigh is fine. But sighing every day only drains your spirit and vitality — it’s utterly pointless.
Remember this: even though I haven’t seen your BaZi (Four Pillars of Destiny) chart, I can still tell you with full confidence — your current low point is simply one phase of your life. It’s a phase, which means it will pass, and it will be overcome.
So if you can, I strongly encourage you to build some self-discipline and start finding things to do that give you constant, visible signs of progress. Fitness, reading, a side project — all excellent choices.
In short: don’t blindly chase a quick fortune in this environment, but don’t aimlessly idle either. That is what I ask of you right now.
2 — Seriously reassess your career path — and get yourself onto a new ship that’s about to set sail.
On this point, two things I want you to genuinely take to heart — consider them a wake-up call:
● Many old economic and business models will be completely swept away in this era of transition. They may not disappear overnight, but their sunset trajectory is inevitable. So the moment you sense your own career is falling into that category — please, do not hold onto false hope. Do not hold onto false hope. Do not hold onto false hope. Start immediately looking for new, thriving industries to move into. Otherwise your career will be dragged down into the depths along with the sinking ship.
● At the recent Party Congress, there was one key phrase pointing toward the future that you must understand: “Keep the focus of economic development firmly on the real economy.”
In my view, the “real economy” here doesn’t simply mean light and heavy industry or advanced manufacturing. It refers to industries that can meaningfully strengthen comprehensive national power — those making real contributions in people’s livelihoods, healthcare, defense, new energy, food and agriculture, and high-end domestically developed sectors.
The contrast — the opposite side of the coin — would be industries oriented purely toward entertainment, gaming, and speculative finance and their affiliated sectors: industries that contribute little to real national strength.
So right now, I think the most important thing you can do is find a quiet night — when you can think clearly and calmly by yourself — and work through a few absolutely critical questions:
Is my current career actually stable or not? Because stability is the only foundation for future growth.
Then: is my current stability a healthy steady progress, or an ominous steady decline? If the latter — what new directions should I be exploring right now?
The sooner you think these through, the better. Otherwise, by the time you’re forced to make a decision, you’ll find yourself completely blindsided — and all the good opportunities will already be taken.
At that point, you’ll have no one to blame but yourself for not preparing in advance.
3 — Manage your assets and wealth prudently — stop chasing fast money.
In my personal philosophy, the measure of a good business — or a good investment — is absolutely not how spectacular the short-term returns are. The era of overnight wealth is long gone.
Starting four or five years ago, I stopped caring about so-called “all-in, double your money” opportunities. Anything with that flavor, I won’t touch.
The only things I move on are the steady, modest-return opportunities — the kind that don’t earn much in the short term, but over time compound like a snowball, quietly growing larger year after year.
On the other hand, over the past three years I’ve also cultivated a posture of “a little extra caution.” If I were to describe it in animal terms: I’ve shifted from being a wolf who hunts and enjoys the thrill while making money, into a careful, steady, resolute tiger.
Projects, properties, stocks that feel uncertain, opaque, or vaguely problematic — I won’t touch them. I only move on targets where I’m fully in control and highly confident. Better to earn less than to lose big.
People have asked: how did I predict this year’s market catastrophe?
My answer is simple: I didn’t actually foresee the extent of the carnage. But I was at least certain that at such a critical juncture, many things lacked any certainty. And when there’s no certainty, no one can predict the trend — and when you can’t predict the trend, don’t gamble blindly. It’s pure speculation. You’d do better at the baccarat tables in Macau — at least you’d have a 49% chance.
So what follows is something I consider extremely important for you — because it is also the warning I’ve given myself for the next three years:
Over the next three years, your greatest asset will not be how much cash or wealth you have on hand. It will be your own depth and judgment.
Because over the next three years, if you fail to move in step with — or in harmony with — the current of the times, then no matter how much wealth you possess, it will dissipate rapidly through a series of mistakes and misjudgments in just a few short years.
Examples of exactly this are, quite obviously, everywhere around us.
So: holding on to what you have matters more than earning more.
I believe that in the coming era, your depth and judgment will be built from these elements: the stability to withstand an onslaught of negative emotion; the pragmatism to keep earning steadily, even in small amounts; the continuous willingness to absorb and learn from a changing world.
To put it plainly: over the next three years, what matters most is the steadiness to keep walking forward — and the composure to walk and observe at the same time.
Because the road ahead, even if things go smoothly at a macro level, doesn’t guarantee that you and I will find the same at a personal level.
As for what your future ultimately holds — only your own heavenly destiny can answer that.
One more thing: never believe that in adversity, you can make it through entirely alone. That is a myth.
For most people facing hardship and low points, what they need most is a circle of trustworthy friends — people to joke around with, laugh with each other, and trade perspectives and insights back and forth.
With that, even the darkest of valleys will be walked out of before long.