The World Is Always Beautiful, Keep a Broad Heart

Life is an attitude; it all depends on how you choose to face it.

The moon waxes and wanes; people experience fortune and misfortune from dawn to dusk. Optimists see the ray of sunlight breaking through the clouds, while pessimists only notice the clouds obscuring the sun.

The world is not hostile at every turn; as you walk through life, learn to be broad-minded whenever you can. Plant a sun in your heart—let its light warm you, let optimism guide your steps.

Carry sunshine in your heart, and walk with joy.

Life is like a door: some people lament the darkness inside, while others savor its quiet; some worry about the wind and rain outside, while others delight in the freedom beyond. In truth, life is all about attitude and mood—maintain a good mindset, and your world becomes a paradise of happiness.

1. Happiness is a state of mind, a spiritual condition.

Happiness is the eternal theme of life, something everyone longs for. Yet some people live exhausted, unable to find joy, always blaming fate, complaining about their careers or families... In truth, only you decide whether you are happy—by your own breadth of heart, your own openness.

Helplessness and troubles quietly follow us through life. While we cannot change life itself, we can change our mood. Adjust your attitude, take a fresh look at those around you and the scenery nearby, and you may discover unexpected rewards and surprises.

Often, our unhappiness comes from dissatisfaction with what we already have. Happiness is everywhere—if you look with your heart, boldly seek it in different ways, keep your spirit light, and live with grace and brilliance.

“Set out for happiness, the world is so vast. Let the wind blow and the rain fall—dreams will always arrive.” An ordinary song expresses our heartfelt wish. Life’s road twists and turns, lined with both flowers and thorns, but no matter the hardships, they should not make us retreat. Because setbacks are the prelude to success, and behind happiness lies strength—an incomparable power.

With more sunshine, health, happiness, and warmth, your heart too will become warm. Right and wrong still exist, resentments still linger, but with a change of mindset, what you see is a whole new landscape.

Circumstances arise from the heart, and they shift with the heart. Not letting go, not seeing through, not being able to act—these are our common ailments. We easily see others’ affairs as clear as reflections in water, but when it comes to ourselves, we become like elderly people with dim eyes.

In truth, whether you laugh or cry, it’s just another day! Tomorrow’s suffering has not actually arrived—so why furrow our brows in worry for it?

On the ruins of a fifteenth-century church in Amsterdam, there is an inscription: “Things being thus, they could not be otherwise.” We must understand that once something has happened—even if it does not match your wishes—you can only bear the outcome as it is.

Yet when you are mired in pain and dissatisfaction, if you only immerse yourself in present discomforts, then even if opportunities come knocking, you will overlook them. Therefore, when facing difficulties, the rational approach is: never prepay tomorrow’s misfortune! When misfortune truly arrives, remain calm and focus your energy on remedying it, so you can minimize its harm.

To live well, you must look forward, even if the road ahead is full of unknown dangers; you must also look back, to be grateful for all the help and care fate has given you.

If you wish to say goodbye to misfortune, no one else’s help or comfort will be effective. Because all your emotions are controlled by yourself—only when you have thought things through and cherish what you have can you calmly digest and accept so-called misfortune, and let yourself open up with joy.

Whether our destiny is painful or joyful, it is the most precious gift from heaven. We must learn to accept, to be tolerant, to love, to cherish, to be broad-minded, and to find contentment in simple living. Let the soul possess an inner, ultimate, unadorned beauty, so our lives shine all the more brightly.

Happiness must be cultivated by oneself, and felt with the heart. If we truly savor life, drizzling rain brings delight, gentle breezes bring comfort, clear skies bring ease. A simple, sincere greeting conveys friendship; a silent, steady gaze conveys encouragement; a firm, warm handshake conveys support—even a cup of plain water handed to us contains deep care. In fact, life is always surrounded by happiness. As long as we experience it with our hearts, joy often accompanies us.

Happiness is actually a state of mind, a spiritual condition. Happiness comes from within, and you can always create a mindset of "I am happy":

Smile: If your mood is always low, if your shoulders droop and every step feels as heavy as lead, you’ll truly feel miserable. With a face full of sorrow, no one will want to engage with you. So, how can you change this? It’s simple: take a deep breath, raise your head, straighten your chest, and let a smile appear on your face. Smiles, like yawns, are contagious. If you genuinely smile at someone, it’s impossible for them to stay angry with you.

Relax: Happy people always tell themselves, “I feel happy. I will do better and better in all things. I will become happier and happier.” If you repeatedly say things to yourself, like “I am relaxed” or “I am calm,” over time these words will enter your subconscious.

Recall pleasant memories: Now, let’s try to imagine a joyful mental image together. First, relax your jaw, lift your cheeks, open your lips, turn up the corners of your mouth, and tell yourself, “Recall some happy moments.” Visualize happiness—play it back for yourself like a TV show. This is the method of creating joyful mental imagery.

2. Please remember: people who walk with a smile have better luck.

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The ability to endure pain and to cope with any unexpected event is a fundamental trait for achieving victory.

Although everyone hopes for a happy and smooth life, no matter how hard we try or how well we balance things, some sadness and pain are inevitable. The disappointments, frustrations, and pains that come with the trifles of daily life are as normal and natural as the change of seasons. You need to silently endure and digest them.

Here’s an interesting story about two clams and a crab. Though the story is short, it contains deep meaning, teaching us how to accept necessary pain and sorrow.

One clam complained to another: “I am in great pain. That ugly grain of sand rolls around inside my body, making me ache all over. I can’t rest for a moment!”

Upon hearing this, the other clam cried, “I would rather suffer like that! Everyone knows that once you get through this hardest time, you’ll produce a beautiful pearl. How enviable that is!”

A crab overheard the two clams talking and couldn’t help but step forward, saying, “Actually, neither of you needs to complain! Clam with sand inside, accept your brief pain—what awaits you is lasting treasure. Clam without sand, please wait quietly; as long as you let sand enter your body, every day is an opportunity. Even if you never get sand, aren’t you enjoying ease and happiness? Why envy another’s fate?”

Step out of the prison of 'I,' communicate and compare with others, and reference each person’s life path and choices—this is an easy way to break through pain. Because mutual comparison lets us clearly see facts and truths we once overlooked. For example: your job may not be prestigious, but your salary is steady; your appearance may be ordinary, but your children are ambitious; your boss may be harsh, but your spouse is gentle… Once you sincerely feel grateful for heaven’s gifts, you’ll be embarrassed to exaggerate your trivial pains. And when the self-suggestion of 'I am the most unfortunate person in the world' disappears, your pressure and burden lighten, and even great suffering melts away easily.

In fact, a person’s endurance for pain is a touchstone for self-ability. Often, enduring pain does not mean giving up resistance, but rather finding a way out of sorrow and creating a brighter tomorrow from hardship.

Among the outstanding Allied commanders of World War II, British General Bernard Montgomery rose to fame for defeating Germany’s renowned general Rommel. He made his name by besting the 'Desert Fox.' Yet few know that Montgomery’s childhood was spent in painful endurance.

Montgomery was the fourth child in his family. As a boy, he was lively and disliked studying, often acting out against his parents’ wishes. His mother, who had a strong obsession with cleanliness, was frequently infuriated by his antics, leading to constant scolding and neglect. At times, she would even attack her poor son with words like, 'You’re only fit to be cannon fodder.' She criticized and belittled him in front of others, giving them more reason to look down on him. Her harshness and coldness wounded Montgomery deeply. As a result, after entering the army as an adult, he never again sought contact with his mother.

However, the harm inflicted by his mother did not cause Montgomery to sink into despair. Though he lived daily under a shadow, he accepted his fate, ignored criticism and ridicule, and persisted in doing what he believed was right.

In Montgomery’s later memoirs, he wrote: 'The ridicule and contempt I faced due to my lack of maternal love in childhood forged my indomitable will and extraordinary wisdom. Without these qualities, I would not have become the Montgomery I am today.'

No matter how painful, only by enduring the ordeal, daring to face reality, and doing what you ought to do, can you unknowingly gain confidence and find a new path. Montgomery was just such a person—unwilling to be crushed by pain, bold enough to break free from adversity, and able to create immortal achievements.

Human existence is not meant for suffering, but when hardship comes, we need not fear it. Facing change bravely and enduring pain without shrinking back opens the valve of willpower.

Internationally acclaimed director Ang Lee endured a period of extreme hardship before achieving fame. After graduating from NYU’s drama department, he did not begin his career as he had hoped, but instead fell into the predicament of graduating only to be unemployed. During that time, his wife, a pharmaceutical researcher, went out to work every day, while Ang Lee became a stay-at-home 'chef,' caring for the children and practicing his cooking—he did this for six years, and the ordeal was beyond what most people can imagine. Fortunately, Ang Lee’s pain was only temporary. Most of the time, even while doing simple housework in the kitchen, he endured and transformed like a butterfly chrysalis before its emergence, letting the ideals deep in his heart gradually come true through constant planning. In the end, he seized his opportunity and achieved his dreams.

What makes the clam endure pain is the splendid pearl; what makes Ang Lee endure hardship is a beautiful future.

Therefore, don’t wait for some legendary stroke of luck, nor complain about the temporary absence of opportunity. Perhaps opportunity is quietly sleeping on its way to you, and your persistence is the only way to awaken it. Start with the smallest effort, then use a complete plan and unceasing action to bring opportunity to your door.

Seek the truth within your heart—kindness.

Kindness is the lighthouse of life. It not only illuminates our path forward, but also brings light to others and the world. Only those who have truly practiced kindness can understand its meaning—'suffering loss is a blessing' becomes clear in this context.

We chase after wealth with all our might, yet do not realize that kindness is the world’s most precious treasure—a fortune beyond price, and the true resting place of our souls. Kindness lies deep in each of our hearts; even in those weighed down by sin, a ray of goodness can always be found shining through the cracks of the soul. When we think ourselves failures, or even empty-handed, at least we still have time and the future; when we think ourselves poor, or worthless, at least we still have smiles and kindness. Kindness is a vast, all-embracing heart; it is a magnanimity that does not fuss over gain or loss, or cling to good and bad; it is an invisible, untouchable beauty; it is a supreme, noble quality. Life shines brilliantly because of kindness.

1. Ignite the warmth in others with your own warmth; nourish your kindness by practicing kindness.

Kindness seems like an outdated word. In the struggle for survival and in all kinds of relationships, the principles of profit and power appear to have long replaced the principle of morality.

Of course, we also know that blind kindness is unreliable in certain situations. We’ve heard many fables equating kindness with foolishness, such as 'Mr. Dongguo' and 'The Farmer and the Snake.' How laughable the kind farmer and Mr. Dongguo seem! These stories tell us that if your counterpart is a wolf or a snake, kindness means courting disaster.

But let’s also consider: among those who need help, how many are truly venomous snakes or fierce wolves? Among all living things in the universe, how many are really snakes and wolves?

During the Jiaqing era of the Qing dynasty, there was a man named Zhou Weicheng, famous for his filial piety. It’s said that an old man, after meeting Zhou and talking with him, found him extraordinary and immediately promised his daughter to Zhou in marriage.

This incident may sound exaggerated, but even more remarkable things followed.

A friend who had once done business with Zhou fell on hard times and, unable to survive, came to seek help. Zhou Weicheng, without hesitation, gave him money to support him.

However, when this friend was leaving, someone found goods from Zhou’s shop in his luggage. Everyone was furious and reported it to Zhou. Unexpectedly, Zhou quickly ordered the goods to be put back into his friend’s bag and especially instructed everyone not to expose the incident. Later, when the friend returned, Zhou treated him just as warmly as before.

The shop assistants felt Zhou was too kind. Zhou smiled and said, "There are two stories I can never forget. Let me tell them to you."

"One man, surnamed Wu, from Huizhou, did business around Fuyang. At the end of each year, late at night, he would carry a lot of gold and walk through the alleys. Whenever he found a poor family, he quietly placed gold in their courtyard, doing so without a sound. Thanks to him, many poor families enjoyed a lively New Year, though none ever knew who had given them the money.

"Another man, surnamed Jiao, from Jiangning, once brought 300 gold pieces to Fuyang for business, but happened to encounter a flood. Many families were submerged. In a hurry, he took out all 300 gold and declared: whoever rescues a person from the river, for each person saved, he would give one gold piece. At his words, all who could swim rushed to save people. He kept his promise, and many victims were rescued. Not only that, he also provided food and drink for the disaster victims, and after the flood, gave them travel money to send them home. That trip to Fuyang, he didn’t do any business, but spent all 300 gold. Yet, from start to finish, the merchant named Jiao never uttered a word of regret."

Before the beauty of human nature, there are three kinds of people: some are numb and indifferent; some, by contrast, realize their own pettiness; and others use warmth to ignite warmth in others and kindness to nourish their own kindness.

Therefore, no matter what setbacks or hardships you experience, you must steadfastly protect the kindness in your heart. Only then will you not lose your way in the complications and clamor of the world; only then will your inner world be filled with sunshine and the fragrance of a hundred flowers; only then will your journey through life be accompanied by light songs and laughter; only then will you be able to withstand all the storms and frosts on the road of life.