We must learn to persist, but even more so, we must learn to let go. As the ancients said: "Great letting go brings great gain; small letting go brings small gain; no letting go, no gain." Clench your fists, and you hold nothing; open your hands, and the world is in your grasp! From childhood, we are taught how to work hard, how to persist, and how never to give up. In reality, however, there are many moments when we need to learn how to release.
Life is warm because of shared affection, and days are happy because of shared love. Life is short, so there is no need to pursue too much; the heart is small, so it need not be filled to the brim. A home need not be luxurious, only warm; love need not be romantic, only lasting. In simplicity, we feel truth; in concern, we feel warmth. Happiness is actually simple, as long as someone understands; joy is actually easy, as long as someone is by your side.
Not every effort in life yields the desired result. What we call "possession" is often just fleeting satisfaction. We can ask for anything, give wholeheartedly, display freely, and pursue deliberately, but we do not need to possess without limit. Breaking balance destroys harmony, and without harmony, life eventually perishes. Whether it is happiness or suffering, it comes when it comes and goes when it goes.
In the past, I feared hearing friends say, "You've changed," as if I was somehow less than before. Now, when I hear it, I just smile. In truth, don't we all change? Personality, habits, even appearance and physique—anything can change if you decide to and persist. No one remains invincible forever; enough bumps will dull one's sharpness. No one has the right to mock the past. Growth is simply the continuous process of correcting oneself.
To maintain what should be maintained is helplessness; to maintain what should not be maintained is incompetence. To fail to maintain what should be maintained is ignorance; to fail to maintain what should not be maintained is stubbornness.
