Level Your Mind and Desire Becomes Easier to Fill

Second, befriending an outstanding person is more important than almost any decision we make. By learning from their successful experiences and models, we can gain enormous benefits in a very short time; and through their failures, we discover what mistakes to avoid and what paths not to take. They help us save precious time, choose the right direction, and avoid unnecessary detours.

We should recognize the gap between ourselves and those we envy, take them as models and goals, amplify their strengths while avoiding their weaknesses, follow their virtues and shun their faults. By actively improving ourselves and striving upward, we can transform jealousy into motivation, rather than letting it disturb our inner balance.

Feeling jealous of others is not frightening; what matters is whether we can face our jealousy honestly. If we can turn jealousy into a driving force for success, constantly urging ourselves forward and transforming negativity into positivity, we may even catch up with or surpass others as a result.

(2) Learn to use positive psychological suggestion.

In life, we unconsciously create many idols in our minds and gradually become accustomed to looking up to them, feeling that they are out of reach. In fact, this is a cognitive error. Life does not have high or low, noble or humble. At any time, we must not belittle ourselves. Only by challenging ourselves and surpassing our former self can we hope to become stronger than others.

After World War II, due to the economic crisis, unemployment in Japan soared and factory profits plummeted. In order to survive, a food company on the verge of bankruptcy decided to lay off 13 employees. Among those targeted were cleaners, drivers, and unskilled warehouse staff—over thirty people in total.

The manager spoke with them, explaining the intention to lay them off.

The cleaner said, "We are important. Without us to keep the workplace clean, beautiful, healthy, and orderly, how could you devote yourselves wholeheartedly to your work?"

The driver said, "We are important. Without drivers, how could so many products be swiftly delivered to the market?"

The warehouse staff said, "We are important. The war has just ended, and many people are struggling with hunger. Without us, wouldn't these foods be stolen by beggars wandering the streets?"

The manager felt their arguments were reasonable, and after weighing the options, decided not to lay anyone off, but instead revised the management strategy.

In the end, the manager had a large plaque hung at the factory gate with the words: "I am important."

Every day, when employees arrived at work, the first thing they saw was the phrase "I am important." Whether they were frontline workers or white-collar staff, everyone felt valued by management and thus worked with great dedication.

This simple statement mobilized the enthusiasm of all employees. A few years later, the company quickly rose to become one of the most famous firms in Japan.

Therefore, as long as anyone believes they are important, they can create miracles.

The secret of life is to cultivate your strengths. In the coordinate system of life, if a person stands in the wrong position—trying to make a living by their weaknesses rather than their strengths—it can be terrifying, and they may sink into perpetual inferiority and disappointment.

There are countless paths to success, and everyone can choose the one that suits them best. The key is not to measure yourself against others, but to make an accurate assessment of yourself.

Every person harbors a unique talent, like a sleeping giant waiting to be awakened—this giant is potential. Heaven never shortchanges anyone: it gives each of us endless opportunities to fully develop our strengths. If we use our potential well, we too can become an Einstein or an Edison. No matter how others judge us, no matter our age or the obstacles before us, as long as we believe in ourselves and our potential, we will achieve something.

There was a girl with a scar on her left forehead. She felt ugly, had no confidence in her appearance, avoided greeting others, and even disliked lifting her head when walking. Every day, her mood was low.

One day, her mother gave her a hairclip, saying that if she pinned it to her hair, it would cover the scar. The girl carefully placed the clip in her hair in front of the mirror, and indeed, the scar was hidden. She immediately felt prettier, so she wore the clip out. Just as she was leaving home, she was so happy that she accidentally bumped into someone coming toward her. Smiling, she said, "Sorry," and went off to school.

All day, the girl felt wonderful, as if everyone was kinder to her than usual. She greeted others proactively, listened attentively in class, and felt as though every teacher was paying attention to her. Especially after school, several classmates who rarely spoke to her actually invited her to walk home together.

When she got home, the girl excitedly told her mother, "Mom, the hairclip you gave me is truly magical! Today I felt amazing—I've never felt this good before." She then recounted everything that had happened at school.

Her mother listened and, puzzled, said, "But daughter, you didn’t actually wear the hairclip today. Look, after you left this morning, I found it at the door!"

The change in the girl in this story was entirely due to positive self-suggestion. Persisting in positive psychological self-suggestion is crucial for changing one’s situation and gaining new ways of thinking.

So, in real life, how can we use positive psychological suggestion to determine our approach to work and life?

① Use language for self-suggestion. Motivational phrases should be positive and affirmative, such as: "I am unique," "I am full of confidence in myself."

② Use the environment for self-suggestion. The environment can mean people, objects, light, sound, and more. For example, when feeling irritable, you can listen to soothing music.

③ Use actions for self-suggestion. When anxious or tense, you can expand your chest and take deep breaths; when feeling low, you can walk with your hands behind your back.

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④ Use self-packaging for self-suggestion. Cutting your hair short can make you look youthful and energetic; wearing long hair can make you appear elegant and beautiful; rarely changing your clothing style can suggest a steady personality that does not follow the crowd.

⑤ Use mental imagery for self-suggestion. When feeling negative, pessimistic, or dissatisfied, recall pleasant scenes of past successes; when facing adversity and your confidence wavers, imagine successful people persevering through hardships.

(3) Do not be burdened by fame and power.

In real life, fame and status are often seen as the standards by which success is measured. Thus, pursuing reputation, status, and honor has become a very common mindset. For many, only having fame and power means realizing their value. In truth, the purpose of life is not about becoming famous or building a family, but about facing reality, striving for it, savoring existence, and attentively experiencing the beauty of life.

Life is a journey, and fame and fortune are merely external things. As long as we press forward and honestly face all we have or will have, we discover that what satisfies a person can be much or very little. Between heaven and earth, life passes in a flash, like a chance actor who quickly steps on and off the stage. Since life is so short, we must cherish it, avoid greed for power, and not brew our own bitterness.

Everyone has their own way of living. Each person has their own pursuits; each contributes differently to society. A happy person is not necessarily the richest or most powerful, but is certainly the wisest. Their wisdom lies in understanding the true meaning of life: flowers do not bloom just to wither, but to shine.

In the pursuit of life, our desire for fame and power must be kept in check; otherwise, life becomes overly utilitarian and dull.

It is undeniable that those who enter the center of power gain many material and reputational benefits. Precisely because there are benefits and temptations, so many people pursue them at all costs. Throughout history and in reality, how many tragedies have unfolded around power? Many of life’s troubles arise from greed for power; many disasters are caused by the same. Therefore, when pursuing fame and power, we must remember: a noble person values wealth, fame, and power, but must obtain them through proper means.

Some people neither seek promotion nor wealth. They do their jobs conscientiously, return home on time, receive a modest but reasonable salary, spend evenings with their loved ones watching TV, take their children to the park on weekends, play basketball when young, practice tai chi when older, avoid anger and anxiety, are content and happy, and live long lives. Such a life may seem "ordinary," but the satisfaction and leisure it brings cannot be felt by those who constantly chase after fame and fortune, exhausting themselves.

Margaret Mitchell, author of the masterpiece Gone with the Wind, once said: "Only after you lose your reputation do you realize how burdensome it is, and what real freedom means." Behind great fame is a weary heart, living only for others. We often envy celebrities’ glamour, but do we understand their struggles? To live freely, happily, and at ease, we must learn to be indifferent to fame and profit, sever ties to power and wealth, avoid fighting for office, neither boast in high position nor feel inferior in low position, and joyfully enjoy a clear, unburdened heart, savoring the happiness and ease of life.

Learning to view power and status with a peaceful heart is an effective way to avoid the traps of desire, and is also the wisdom for achieving happiness and joy in life.

TIPS: Are you a person who finds contentment and happiness?