Learning to Let Go for Freedom of Mind

The more we acquire, the more we desire. It is precisely for this reason that we can never possess everything. Loosen your grip, lower your baseline for happiness, and cherish all that you already have. If you keep chasing what you want but cannot obtain, you may end up losing even the happiness you currently possess!

Life is an intriguing process: when you are a child, you long to grow up; but when you grow old, you yearn to return to childhood. In the end, people always pursue what they do not have. This only complicates an originally simple life, tormenting you to the point of sleeplessness and restlessness.

Often, a complicated life actually brings negative effects to your career and well-being; those who live simply and focus on one thing tend to achieve more. In life, some things may seem attractive but are not truly suitable for you. Thus, a happy life requires understanding how to choose and how to let go.

Joseph Schumpeter was one of the most renowned economists of the twentieth century. In his youth, he was determined to become the most famous knight in all of Europe, the most envied lover, and the most outstanding expert in economics. As time went by, Schumpeter realized that achieving all three goals was nearly impossible. Even if he could, it would leave him exhausted and devoid of happiness. So, he gave up the first two wishes and devoted himself to economics, ultimately achieving tremendous success in the field.

You can't have both the fish and the bear's paw. In a person's limited journey through life, if you wish to achieve something and also live happily, you must learn to simplify. Make a life list for yourself—write down the most important goals and pursue them one by one. The true essence of life lies in traveling light; life should return to simplicity.

Looking back through history, many have achieved nothing due to a lack of goals, but there are also countless regrets caused by having too many goals and striving for perfection in everything—"falling before the battle is won, leaving heroes in tears." Such people may be highly capable, but their ambition is so high that they wish to succeed in every field. Ultimately, exceeding their own limits, they not only find themselves powerless but also meet with failure in all endeavors.

Ethan Chen, the painter and film director who died young, collapsed on the set of his film "The Barber." His dedication is certainly admirable, but it is not worthy of imitation. Someone commented on him: "Mr. Chen, naturally strong-willed and excessively perfectionistic, strained the strings of his life and competed with himself, attacking multiple fields at once, unwilling even to take time for a hospital visit. In the end, the film industry gained an expendable 'The Barber,' but China lost a great painter far too soon."

Live simply—do not try to do too many things at once. Life is but a single autumn for grass and trees; in the blink of an eye, it passes. Only by living simply can you live happily, and only by living happily can you truly possess a life of happiness.

No matter how ordinary life may seem, a mother who can take good care of her whole family already deserves our deepest respect. Not only should we think this way, but those who quietly devote themselves also need to have this confidence. Those who fail at the art of success are often those who cannot find greatness within the ordinary. As Phil Bailey said: "Do not only praise towering things; plains and hills are just as immortal."

One day, the king wandered alone in his garden and was surprised to find all the flowers and trees withered, leaving the garden desolate. After asking the gardener, the king learned that the oak tree had died because it was not as tall and upright as the pine; the pine had died of jealousy because it could not bear as much fruit as the grapevine; the grapevine lamented its constant crawling on the trellis, unable to stand tall or bloom like the peach tree, and died of anger; the morning glory sighed for not having the fragrance of the lilac and fell ill... All the plants lost their vitality because they envied and were jealous of each other. In the end, what brought the king joy was that a small herb called "relaxed grass" was still growing lush and strong.

The king looked at the most ordinary of all, the relaxed grass, and asked, "Little relaxed grass, all the other plants have withered away. Why are you so optimistic and strong, without a trace of discouragement?"

The little grass replied, "O King, I am not at all disheartened or disappointed. Because I know that if you wanted a banyan tree, or a pine, some grapevines, a peach tree, a morning glory, or a lilac, you would have asked the gardener to plant them. But I know you want me to be just a small relaxed grass."

An ancient philosopher once said: "A day without great troubles or disasters is the greatest happiness."

The ancient Greek philosopher Epicurus said: "Happiness is the absence of bodily pain and disturbance of the soul."

Only by accepting ordinary life can we, like the relaxed grass in the story above, grow strong without worries—regarding sunshine and rain as the greatest gifts from heaven, and living joyfully every day.

Be a relaxed grass content with ordinariness—embracing both happiness and success. Why not choose such a life?

2. Even without money, you still have the right to enjoy happiness.

I'm sure you've encountered this: when you invite a friend out to have fun, they frown and reply painfully, "How can I have fun without money?"

"How can I have fun without money?" This seems to have become a catchphrase for some people nowadays. People can't help but wonder: Without money, does one really have no right to enjoy happiness?

The answer is, of course, no. Within certain limits, money can bring a sense of happiness, but it can never monopolize happiness, because money is not directly related to happiness. Besides money, there are many other determinants of happiness.

Poor people have their own joys in life, and rich people have their own pains. Everyone has their own way of living; happiness does not depend on the amount of money, but on the attitude with which one approaches life. Happiness and joy are by no means the exclusive privilege of the wealthy.

One winter afternoon, a blind man and woman entered a small shop. The man, holding a stick, led the woman by the hand; both seemed to be in their early thirties. At that moment, the clerk noticed their feet, covered in mud and without socks, curled up inside worn shoes, already purple from the cold.

The two groped their way to the counter and said, "Boss, we'd like to buy two pairs of cotton socks. Could you please show us some? We have money."

After speaking, they reached into their worn cotton coats and pulled out a handful of crumpled bills. The clerk counted the wrinkled notes and said, "This is only enough for one pair."

The man was a bit embarrassed. The woman beside him tugged at his sleeve and said, "Your legs aren't good. Why don't we buy a pair for you, and I'll go without?"

The man replied, "What are you saying? I'm a man; it's fine if I'm a little cold. I think we should buy a pair for you. Boss, please give us a pair in a nice color."

The clerk brought them a pair of green socks. The man felt them and said, "They feel nice; the quality must be good. Boss, what color are these socks?"

The clerk told him they were green. Upon hearing this, the man shook his head, "Let's take a red pair instead. My wife looks good in red."

His words stunned the clerk. When the clerk handed the man a pair of red socks, he witnessed a scene that moved him for life: the woman, tightly clutching her husband's sleeve, pressed the red cotton socks he had just handed her to her face, sniffed them repeatedly, and on her face—purple from the cold—a blush appeared. In her tearful eyes, there was a profound sense of gratitude and happiness.

The man knelt down, took off the woman's muddy shoes, wiped her feet with his worn coat, knocked the mud off her shoes, and then carefully put the red socks on her feet. Afterward, he stood up, gently smoothed her wind-blown hair with his hands, and carefully tied her scarf, saying, "Now it's good—your feet won't be cold anymore." The woman nodded contentedly and walked away, led by her husband.

Let your spirit fly free; do not let it be imprisoned by money. There are many things in the world more beautiful than money, and happiness does not necessarily depend on wealth.

When my son was in second grade, his teacher assigned homework: they were to act as little reporters and interview their fathers. There were six questions, most of them factual—such as where do you work, what do you do, and so on. The fifth question was: "What is your father's dream? How will he achieve it?"

The father said, "I have three wishes: The first is to be able to eat; the second is to be able to sleep; the third is to be able to laugh."

The son looked at his father and said, "Other dads have grand dreams—like becoming scientists or astronauts. Your wishes are just making things hard for your kid."

The father replied, "How about this: after you write down my answers, add an essay titled 'My Father in My Eyes' at the end, so your teacher knows you didn't just make this up, but that this is really your father's nature."

The son thought it made sense, so he quickly wrote an essay without paragraphs.

The next day, the father asked his son, "What did the teacher say?"

The son scratched his head, a little embarrassed, and said, "During class, the teacher called me up front and said my interview and essay were excellent. She gave me 98 points—the highest in the class, even higher than the model student. She even read my essay aloud to everyone."

"Did she say why?"

"She said her husband’s work hasn’t been going well lately. He hasn’t slept well for days and eats very little. She found Dad’s three wishes very meaningful."

Even without money, you still have the right to enjoy happiness. Of course, this is not to urge you to give up pursuing your goals or the wealth you need in life, but to encourage you to accumulate life’s richness in the details beyond money, and to seek fulfillment and joy in the ordinary.

Ask yourself: Can you eat? Can you sleep? Can you laugh?

If you can eat, sleep, and laugh, what reason do you have to be sad? Lower your baseline for happiness appropriately, remember these three simple conditions, and a happy life will surely be yours.

3. Accept your true self—become spiritually wealthy, and do not complain about your shortcomings.

People are always adept at finding aspects of their appearance that are inferior to others—such as being short, unattractive, or lacking a slender figure—and they are strict about these flaws. Once they discover them, they feel sad, complain, and become self-conscious. These so-called shortcomings are all innate, not acquired, so feeling sad about them is a waste of effort.

On the contrary, when it comes to weaknesses of character, people are often tolerant, accepting, or even indifferent, even if these weaknesses hinder their growth and improvement. Rarely do they think to change them. In fact, character is cultivated after birth—it is shaped by habits—so change is possible.

When people fall into this mental trap, it means they cannot sense joy from their own effort and achievement. Because what troubles them will never change in their lifetime, most of their days are destined to be filled with worry, inferiority, and complaints. Such a life is truly sorrowful.