Self-Cultivation

The sage Mengzi wrote a famous article 2,300 years ago. His wise words have encouraged a lot of people to face the adversity intrepidly.

“If a person is predestined to take on a great mission and play a role in the history, he has to endure a process of hard tempering, which exercises his mind by suffering, toughens his sinew and bone by toiling, and subjects him to extreme poverty, and tortures him near to crazy. By this means, he will cultivate himself inner strength, build unusual wisdom, and increase his capability.”

So, we should thank those people who gave us a hard time. They provide a playground for us to reflect us, to practice endurance and patience, to cultivate virtues, and to develop a strong nerve.

I ever met a very unreasonable girl, who made up dirty details and spread evil words about me. I didn’t know it until several people asked me to find a lawyer for myself. I was so hurt and argued with her. The result was that I looked as dirty and as bad as her. I learned from it, if we ignore slanderer, the slander will go back to the slanderer. A girl who ever slandered me got a reputation as evil liar.

But I still have to thank her; she exercised my mind, patience and personality. No one can make me angry anymore. I can keep calm and peaceful with any difficult people. I enjoy a good family life and am adored by my husband and parents-in-law. Thank God send us a difficult person or even an evil one to test us, practice us and prepare us for a better life and a big mission.

If people can hurt us, our self-cultivation is not enough. No one can hurt us without our permission.