NowIknowthattherearenotimesinlifewhenopportunity,thechancetobeanddogatherssorichlyaboutmysoulwhenithastosuffercrueladversity.TheneverythingdependsonwhetherIraisemyheadorloweritinseekinghelp.WheneverIamstruckdown,inthefuture,byanyterribledefeat,Iwillinquireofmyself,afterthefirstpainhaspassed,howIcanturnthatadversityintogood.Whatagreatopportunitythatmomentmaypresent……totakethebitterrootIamholdingandtransformitintofragrantgardenofflowers.
AlwayswillIseektheseedoftriumphineveryadversity.
IdonotknowhowmanydaysIhavebeengiventospend,butIdofeelmyhandsaregettingempty.Takingstocksilently,Ifindthatmorethaneightthousanddayshasalreadyslidawayfromme.Likeadropofwaterfromthepointofaneedledisappearingintotheocean,mydaysaredrippingintothestreamoftime,soundless,traceless.Alreadysweatisstartingonmyforehead,andtearswellingupinmyeyes.
Thosethathavegonehavegoneforgood,thosetocomekeepcoming;yetinbetween,howswiftistheshift,insucharushWhenIgetupinthemorning,theslantingsunmarksitspresenceinmysmallroomintwoorthreeoblongs.Thesunhasfeet,look,heistreadingon,lightlyandfurtively;andIamcaught,blankly,inhisrevolution.Thus—thedayflowsawaythroughthesinkwhenIwashmyhands,wearsoffinthebowlwhenIeatmymeal,passesawaybeforemyday-dreaminggazeasIreflectinsilence.Icanfeelhishastenow,soIreachoutmyhandstoholdhimback,buthekeepsflowingpastmywithholdinghands.Intheevening,asIlieinbed,hestridesovermybody,glidespastmyfeet,inhisagileway.ThemomentIopenmyeyesandmeetthesunagain,onewholedayhasgone.Iburymyfaceinmyhandsandheavessigh.Butthenewdaybeginstoflashpastinthesigh.
WhatcanIdo,inthisbustlingworld,withmydaysflyingintheirescapeNothingbuttohesitate,torush.WhathaveIbeendoinginthateight-thousand-dayrush,apartfromhesitatingThosebygonedayshavebeendispersedassmokebyalightwind,orevaporatedasmistbythemorningsun.WhattraceshaveIleftbehindmeHaveIeverleftbehindanygossamertracesatallIhavecometothisworld,stark-naked;amItogoback,inablink,inthesamestark-nakednessItisnotfairthough:whyshouldIhavemadesuchatripfornothing!Youthewise,tellme,whyshouldourdaysleaveus,nevertoreturn
Forevenaslovecrownsyousoshallhecrucifyyou.Evenasheisforyourgrowthsoisheforyourpruning.Evenasheascendstoyourheightandcaressesyourtenderestbranchesthatquiverinthesun,soshallhedescendtoourrootsandshakethemintheirclingingtotheearth.
Butif,inyourfear,youwouldseekonlylove’speaceandlove’spleasure,thenitisbetterforyouthatyoucoveryournakednessandpassoutoflove’sthreshing-floor,intotheseasonlessworldwhereyoushalllaugh,butnotallofyourlaughter,andweep,butnotallofyourtears.Lovegivesnaughtbutitselfandtakesnaughtbutfromitself.Lovepossessesnot,norwoulditbepossessed,forloveissufficientuntolove.
Lovehasnootherdesirebuttofulfillitself.Butifyouloveandmusthavedesires,letthesebeyourdesires:
Tomeltandbelikearunningbrookthatsingsitsmelodytothenight.
Toknowthepainoftoomuchtenderness.
Tobewoundedbyyourownunderstandingoflove;
Andtobleedwillinglyandjoyfully.
Towakeatdawnwithawingedheartandgivethanksforanotherdayofloving;
Torestatthenoonhourandmeditatelove’secstasy;
Toreturnhomeateventidewithgratitude;
Andthentosleepwithapayerforthebelovedinyourheartandasongofpraiseuponyourlips.
Icanhelpmanystudentslearnthingswell.Icanplaywithmystudents,too.Sowearegoodfriends.IwanttobeadoctorwhenIseemanydoctorssavetheirpatients.Tobeadoctorisreallygreat.IthinkIcanbeadoctorwhenIgrowup.
ThenIcanhelpmanypeopleoutofdanger.Iwillbethehappiestgirlintheworld.IwanttobeareporterwhenIwatchTVeveryevening.Wecangetlotsofimportantinformationfromthem.Theymaketheworldsmallerandalsomakeushappy.IwouldliketobeareporterwhenIgrowup.
AndIcanlearnalotaboutChinaandtheothercountriesaroundtheworld.Icanmeetmanysuperstarsaswell.Ihavelotsofdreams.Ithinkmydreamscancometrueoneday,becausethere’sanoldsaying“wherethereisawill,thereisaway.”
Anotherfriendofmineinquired,"HowshouldIlivemylife"Againmyanswerwas,"Beafighter."
TheauthorofInPraiseoftheFightersays:
Ridingontheceaselessrushingtorrentoflife,Ishouldpursueandovertakeitsoastocreateanevengreateranddeepertorrentofmyown.
IfIwerealamp,itwouldbemydutytolightupthickdarkness.IfIweretheseatide,Iwouldmarshalrollingwavestocleansethebeachofallaccumulatedfilth.
Thisquotationreflectsaptlythestateofmindofalighter.
Fightersarebadlyneededinourtime.Butsuchfightersdonotnecessarilygotothebattle-fieldguninhand.Theirweaponsarenotnecessarilybullets.Theirweaponsmaybeknowledge,faithandstrongwill.Theycanbringtheenemysuredeathwithoutdrawinghisblood.
Afighterisalwaysinpursuitoflight.Insteadofbaskinginthesunshineunderaclearsky,heholdsaburningtorchinthedarknessofnighttoilluminatepeople'swaysothattheycancontinuetheirjourneytilltheyseethedawnofanewday.Itisthetaskofafightertodispeldarkness.Insteadofshirkingdarkness,hebravesitandfightsthehiddendemonsandmonsterstherein.Heisdeterminedtowipethemoutandwinlight.Heknowsnocompromise.Hewillkeeponfightinguntilhewinslight.
Afighterisperenniallyyoung.Heisneverirresoluteorinactive.Heplungesdeepintoteemingcrowdsinsearchofsuchverminasfliesandvenomousmosquitoes.Hewillfightthemrelentlesslyandrefusetocoexistwiththemunderthesamesky.Tohim,lifemeansnothingbutcontinuousfighting.Heeithersurvivesbywinninglight,orperisheswithhisbodycoveredalloverwithcutsandbruises.Inthecourseofthestruggle,itisthe"future"thatservesasthebeaconlighttohim;the"future"givespeoplehopeandinspiration.Hewillneverlosehisyouthfulvigor.
Ateveryturnwecomeacrossitsmystery.Ateachnewlevelwebecomemoreofthepersonweweremeanttobecome.Inlonelytimes,whenwepassthroughastormofdisappointment,wefindourfaithisunshaken,ourstrengthstillstrong.
Believeinyourfaith.Setthevisionbeforeyoureyes.Writedownyourmostsinceredreamsandwhentheopportunitycomes,stepintoyourdream.Itmaytakeoneseasonormore,buttheresultisthesame.Makebigdreamsandthengooutandmakethemrealities.Thehighesthopesofthedreamerarerevealedwitheverysteptakenintheirjourneytotheimpossible.Foraseasonwemustprotectthedreamsothatitcangrowquietlyontheinside.Butifwetenderlycareforourdeepestexpectations,slowlybutsurelythedreamwillbecomenewlife.
Dreamingisanactoffaith.Thelightofyourexpectationswillcastofftheshadowsofadisbelievingworld.Godhasgivenusthedreamerasagifttolightanunbelievingworld.
Findyourtreasurewithinandcherishit.Tomorrowiswaitingforyoutotakethefirststep.
Theysaythey’dliketodothisorthat,butthentheyofferalltheexcusesintheworldforwhytheycan’tdowhateveritis.Nomatterwhattheexcusesare,theonlythingthatisusuallylimitingthemistheirownself-perception.
IfI’velearnedanything,I’velearnedthataperson—anyperson—maydoanythingtheysettheirmindondoing.Thethingsyouneedarewillingnesstoworkforwhatyouwant,patiencetolearnwhatyouneedtoknowand,mostimportantofall,beliefinyourself.Youonlyneedaseed,andthenyourfaithinyourselfwillgrowwithyouasyoumoveforward.
Ifyourself-perceptionisthatyoucan’taccomplishsomethingbecauseyou’renotsmartenough,thentakethetimetolearnwhatyouneedtoknow,andthenyourself-perceptionwillchange.
Ifyourself-perceptionisthatyoucan’taccomplishsomethingbecauseyouneverfinishanythingyoustart,thengoandfinishsomethingandchangeyourself-perception.
Ifyourself-perceptionisthatyou’retoolazy,toobusy,toounworthy,toounfocused,toodepressed,ortoodependentonotherstoaccomplishgreatthings,thenyou’reright.Youarethatbecauseyoubelieveyouare,butinfact,youcanchangethat!Lifeischange,andthepastdoesn’tequalthefuture.Yourrealitytodayistheresultofyourpastbeliefsandactions.Changeyourbeliefsandactions,andyouwillchangeyourfuture.Whetheryouthinkyoucanoryoucan’t,you’reright.Youarewhatyouthink.
Thinkaboutthatthenexttimeyouneedanexcuse.
Thatday,Idraggedtheheavycartwearilytothefootofthemountain.Lookingaheadatthelongascent,Icouldnothelpbutrecoilinfear.Thought,todayontheirownapersonabsolutelycannotpullup,musthavesomeonetohelpaline,isdifficult,justhappenedtocomeoverawarm-heartedpasser-by.Hesawmydilemmaandsaid,"It'sokay.I'llhelpyou."Said,convenientlandingrolledupsleeves,openedapairofcartposture.
So,Iclenchedmyteethandpulledhard.Inthewarmpeople"comeon,comeon"thesoundofthedrum,wefinallypulledthecartothetopoftheslope.WhenIthankedthewarm-heartedmanforhishelp,hesaid,"Youdon'tneedtothankme.IhavesprainedmybackthesetwodaysandIcan'texertmyselfatall.Iwasjustyelling'Comeon'.It'suptoyoutopullthiswagonup."
Thestoryofmyfarmerfriendremindsmethattheroadoflifeisnotthesame.Afamousmanoncesaid,"Allthatiseasyisdownhill."Theroadoflifeisnotsmooth,itisnoteasytogoforwardwithouteffort.Manytimes,justbecausewegiveuptrying,wemisstheopportunitytosucceedinvain.Theresultisahalf-assed,fruitlessreturn.
Ilookedatherinsurprise,andthenIcouldnothelpadmiringthegirlfromthebottomofmyheart.
Rememberafewyearsago,Sasawastheonepullingsuitcasesandmovingeverythreemonths.Atthattime,SashahadjustarrivedinChengdu,hadnoplacetostand,hadjuststartedherjob,waslivingatightlife,sherentedthecheapesthouse-ofcourse,livinginsuchahouse,theremustbealotofproblems.A70-square-meterhousewasseparatedfromadozenrooms.Atnight,otherroommatesplayedcards,drank,chattedandwatchedTVdramas,andthenoisewassoloudthatpeoplecouldnotfallasleep.SometimesImeetroommateswhodon'tlikehygiene.Idon'tthrowawaythegarbageinfrontofthedoorforfourorfivedays.Inthehotsummer,theroomstinks.
Once,thelandlordkickedheroutlessthanhalfamonthaftershemovedin.Itwasacold,windynight.Shepackedup,packedup,foundanall-nightfastfoodrestaurant,orderedacupofcoffee,andmadeitthroughthenight.
Sasasaiditwasthemostdesperatemomentofherlife.Shewonderedifshewouldbeadriftfortherestofherlife,ifshereallycouldnolongerpursueherdreamshere.Thinkingofthesadplace,shebegantocry,andevengaveup,thinkingthatitwasbettertogobackhome.Butfinally,shegrittedherteethtocomeover,withsteadfasteffortsandstrongwilltoreversetheirownlife.
Butitdoesn'treallymatter.Yearslater,whenyoulookback,theonlythingthatmakesyoufeelrealandproudisthatyouwalkedthroughlifewithyourheadheldhigh.
Imaynevergetridoftheso-calledloneliness,alsocannotseetheso-calledfuture,alsocannotunderstandwhysohardtorealizethedream,butIstilldoit.Forexample,ifItoldyoutheendingofherrelationshipatthebeginningofthetheater,youwouldsayitdoesn'tmatter,Iknow,Istillloveyou,oryouwouldturnaway.Ifitwereme,Iwoulddefinitelylikeheragain,that'sall.