Looking at successful professionals, their achievements stem not only from opportunity and personal effort but crucially from their emphasis on self-cultivation. Dong Siyang, author of Becoming a CEO at 21 and a successful entrepreneur herself, stresses the importance of workplace refinement. She regularly reads classical Chinese texts on self-cultivation and distills her insights into the following "Three Principles" for our consideration and learning.
1. Don't Treat the "Present" as a Stepping Stone
Many people view the present as a stepping stone, always believing tomorrow will be better. Their minds are constantly preoccupied with various goals, plans, and calculations. If you also treat today as a stepping stone in life, you miss your rendezvous with living. Everything in your life is concentrated in this very moment.If you spend your entire life treating the present as a stepping stone—thinking about goals while drinking water, eating, or even sleeping—when exactly are you truly living in the moment? When have you ever truly lived? Life is like a dream, perhaps. Goals may be achieved, but the joy is fleeting, rarely bringing lasting fulfillment.
Therefore, the present is not a stepping stone for life, nor a transitional phase.If you treat the present as a stepping stone or transition, you'll only find happiness upon achieving something, and the entire journey will be fraught with pressure. Happiness is actually quite simple: it emerges when you can live in the moment, be grateful for it, and elevate your spiritual state through the hardships of the present. 2. Let Go of Greed Taoism often speaks of "grasping tightly." When children are born, their hands are always clenched shut.Yet when a person completes their life journey, they must always "let go and depart." This perfectly reflects our existence. For a person, nothing in this world is more precious than two things: life itself and wealth. While we have life, we spare no effort in pursuing wealth. Our hands grasp relentlessly, always striving to hold onto more. But what does it matter how much we grasp?When impermanence arrives, even the physical body disintegrates—how much less so the possessions we accumulate?
The purpose of life is not to amass material wealth, but to refine our character and humanity through life's lessons. Let the radiance of humanity illuminate every shadowed corner of existence.
As Buddhism teaches, "All phenomena are empty, yet cause and effect endure."Do not assume death is distant. When the Sichuan earthquake struck, who could have foreseen it? In mere seconds, skyscrapers, mountains, and rivers all collapsed.
While we live, we must learn contentment, accumulate blessings and wisdom, shed our bad habits, and elevate our spirit. Otherwise, relentlessly chasing external pursuits will only drag our character downward.The rebirth in the next life is determined by the habits and karma accumulated in this life. Birds of a feather flock together; one's destiny is self-made. Those who cannot let go of greed will be reborn among even more greedy beings or fall into more dreadful realms of existence. Only the supremely virtuous attain "blessings of humans and celestials." The Buddha taught: "Only when the karmic retribution of body and mind is thoroughly purified will the spark of enlightenment arise."Unquenchable craving only erects more barriers for one's soul! This is no superstition! Try quieting your mind and body, and you shall connect with your inner spirit.
The surest path to relinquishing greed is through giving. Help others without expectation or desire, nourishing your being with virtuous energy—only then will you taste the true joy of being human. Master Gaozi said: "Food and sex are human nature."But beasts also possess "the nature of eating and sex." As the most intelligent beings among all creatures, humans must distinguish themselves from animals. Within every human heart lies an innate urge to do good. The energy of kindness nourishes the soul and elevates one's spiritual realm. Therefore, by consistently performing acts of kindness, one can more deeply experience the true joy of being human! Such actions align with the spirit of "humanity." Otherwise, in the next life, one might very well be reborn into the "animal realm"!
3.All things are already within me. Confucius said: "All things are already within me. Turn inward and be sincere—there is no greater joy." As a human being in this world, everything is already sufficient and complete. To live, to be a good person, and to embody the spirit of humanity through one's actions—this is the greatest joy in life. It is not necessary to have a house or a car to be a good person!
Do not mistake the successful or wealthy as our life's benchmarks. In truth, we should look to the ancient sages and virtuous men as our models. Take Yan Hui, for instance. Confucius praised him thus: "How virtuous is Hui! With a single basket of food and a gourd of water, dwelling in a humble lane—where others cannot endure the hardship—Hui remains unaltered in his joy. How virtuous is Hui!"
Why was Yan Hui so joyful? His happiness certainly didn't stem from poverty or laziness. He was exceptionally diligent and dedicated. His joy didn't come from filling an empty, flawed heart with external possessions. Rather, it arose from within—a joy born of inner fulfillment and cultivated virtue. This happiness remains unshaken by external circumstances, and this confidence cannot be measured by wealth or fame.If our hearts are hollow, they resemble bottomless pits—no amount of gold, silver, jewels, or so-called fame and fortune can ever fill them. Conversely, if we possess a sound and beautiful spirit and character, then even if we are poor or endure hardship, as long as we adhere to truth and walk the right path, we can forge a truly confident, joyful life journey that is uniquely our own.