Gentle Breeze | Those who can endure will ultimately be extraordinary

Zhu Xi of the Song Dynasty said in "Zhuzi Yulei": "In general, things must be done patiently. Once you start to feel tired of it, you won't succeed." He warned his disciples that everything must be done patiently; if you fear trouble and avoid it, you are destined to fail. Similarly, Geng Dingxiang of the Ming Dynasty also regarded patience as an important reason for achieving good governance and virtue. In his "On Patience," he wrote: "Patience is the source of all goodness. Therefore, patience is essential." The admonitions of the ancients still inspire us today: there are difficulties and easiness in matters, troubles big and small; enduring small troubles can accomplish small tasks; enduring big troubles can ultimately achieve great things.

Patience, as the name suggests, means being patient and diligent without getting tired of troubles. Outwardly, it is being practical, hardworking, and diligent; inwardly, it is persevering effort and indomitable spirit. Zeng Guofan of the Qing Dynasty repeatedly emphasized "patience" in his diaries and family instructions: "The most precious quality in a person is to endure humiliation and be patient." "When encountering thorny problems, one must work hard on the two words 'patience.'" "The word 'patience' is very meaningful. The dangers of human nature and the hardships of the world can only be overcome by patience." "There is a 'patience' method in reading. If one sentence is not understood, do not read the next; if not understood today, read it again tomorrow; if not mastered this year, read it again next year. This is called patience." These words are both encouragement to himself and advice to others.

Patience is indeed a compulsory course in life. Only by enduring troubles, loneliness, coldness, and hardship can one gain experience and grow. On the contrary, if one is impatient and always anxious, things will only become more chaotic and troublesome, which is neither helpful to the matter nor beneficial to oneself. It is said that ordinary people have many troubles, and impatience is the source of chaos. In ancient times, when two armies faced each other, sometimes one side would send people to shout insults at the opposing camp. If the generals were impatient and easily annoyed, they would often get angry quickly and rush into battle hastily, resulting in being captured or killed once they left their camp, sometimes leading to total defeat.

Conversely, if one can endure troubles and humiliation, and keep calm in heart and mind, one will not be disturbed or thrown into disorder. Mao Zonggang, a literary critic of the early Qing Dynasty, commented: "There has never been anyone who could bear heavy burdens without enduring humiliation, nor anyone who could endure humiliation without bearing heavy burdens. Great achievers throughout history have exerted themselves all their lives, relying on these two words: bearing burdens; their lifelong learning depends on these two words: enduring humiliation." Whether bearing burdens or enduring humiliation, both can be called patience.

Calmness amid countless matters is patience; resilience amid numerous difficulties is patience; perseverance amid monotony and dullness is also patience. The two characters "patience" may seem unremarkable and ordinary, but in fact, they are as heavy as mountains and as magnificent as the vast sky. Writer Shen Congwen especially liked the word "patience." In an article about his creative experience, he said: "I don't hope to be smarter than anyone else, only to be a little more diligent and patient." He repeatedly rejected others' praise of him as a genius, saying he had no special talent, just patience. Shen Congwen was patient in writing; every manuscript of his showed traces of repeated revisions, sometimes more than a dozen times. He was patient as a teacher, carefully and meticulously correcting students' essays, writing suggestions and corrections even more than the original text.

Patience is needed everywhere in life, and those who can be patient will ultimately be extraordinary. The ancients said, "Success or failure is not determined by the high places, but by the low places; not by the elevated places, but by the flat places. It all depends on whether a person can endure troubles in thorny situations." Throughout history, those who cannot endure poverty often lament their poverty and age, losing ambition and spirit; those who cannot endure wealth and honor become dizzy-headed once they achieve success. Those who cannot endure failure often become mentally depressed and lose willpower; those who cannot endure success become complacent after small achievements and stagnate. Only by continuously tempering oneself in patience, adjusting one's mindset, eliminating restlessness, not indulging in empty dreams or vain fame, enduring hardship and troubles, actively striving, and working solidly, can one accumulate small victories into great success and take small steps to travel a thousand miles.

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