A reader asked me today: Master Chi, in your view, what level of achievement does a person need to reach on this land to be considered someone who has truly “made it”?
I thought about it, and here’s the answer I gave. Taking everything into account, this is what I’d call the “standard comfortable configuration” for an ordinary person.
Use it as your own benchmark — reaching it is good, surpassing it is even better.
1 — Own a three-bedroom apartment of 100 square meters or more in a major city. A space where your family can live comfortably without feeling cramped and breathless. If you also have additional properties or commercial units bringing in rental income, that’s icing on the cake.
2 — Own a domestic new energy or hybrid vehicle in the 200,000 RMB range, with no car loan. A domestic car at this level is more than adequate for daily commuting — comfortable, functional, and paid off.
3 — Have a stable, grounded job with growth potential, earning ideally 15,000 — best of all 20,000+ RMB per month, and one that connects you to society’s broader resources rather than keeping you caged in an office cubicle like a bird in a box.
4 — Have a partner who is emotionally stable and grounded in their values — someone who can shoulder difficulties alongside you and lift each other up. Children who stay on the right path, with good upbringing and reasonably decent grades.
5 — Be in good health, free from hereditary illness or chronic conditions that cause ongoing suffering. Able to eat well, sleep soundly, and move through life in a body that lets you do the things you love.
6 — Total savings exceeding 500,000 RMB — which may include financial products, funds, and assets — ideally ones that continue generating steady cash flow.
7 — A solid social network that can offer meaningful support in legal, medical, everyday life, and business matters when it counts. At the very least, don’t find yourself completely isolated with no one to turn to.
8 — A sound, resilient mindset. The ability to sustain happiness, positivity, and optimism within reasonable limits — and to know what to do to release your mental pressure when it builds.
9 — No hidden time bombs waiting to explode and drag you into an abyss — no catastrophic financial, health, safety, or social risks lurking beneath the surface. At most, just small, manageable problems.
10 — At least one hobby — reading, fitness, travel, fishing, baking, collecting, gardening, or anything that genuinely absorbs your energy and brings you joy.
These ten conditions. If your current life aligns with all of them, Master Chi can tell you with full confidence: your life is already exceptionally good.
In fact, many people with far greater net worth and higher social standing than you may not live as comfortably as you do.
Because while they may surpass you in certain areas, the risks and pressures they carry grow in geometric proportion — to say nothing of the enormous toll taken on their health and emotional well-being.
I speak from experience here. Every time I do a destiny reading for a wealthy merchant or a celebrity — analyzing their life pattern (格局) and prospects — I feel the truth of this saying deep in my bones: “Life holds no perfection; fame, wealth, and power are all just addictions.”
That’s enough for tonight. We’ll talk about something deeper tomorrow.