Have confidence in yourself

     Confidence Creates Miracles

    . Confidence enables people to create miracles. Throughout history, every great figure has been guided by strong self-confidence in their life and career.

    Napoleon once declared, "The word 'impossible' does not exist in my dictionary." What a bold confidence! It was precisely this confidence that inspired unparalleled wisdom and immense ability, making him a renowned general who swept across Europe. Therefore, only by believing in oneself can one unleash boundless courage, experience the joy of life, and maximize one's potential.

    Before World War II, Paul Getty was already a world-renowned figure due to his success in the oil business. Shortly after the United States entered World War II, the U.S. Secretary of the Navy strongly invited him to oversee the Spartan Aircraft Company and aviation schools, telling him, "This will be the greatest contribution you can make to the Navy and the motherland."

    In April 1942, the U.S. Navy requested Spartan to produce Grumman fighter wings. Experts predicted that it would take at least 15 months of preparation time to officially begin production. Paul Getty, however, proposed to complete the preparations within six months.

    Paul Getty was full of confidence in his plan. He selected 50 equally confident and outstanding workers and sent them for rigorous training and learning, while preparations for manufacturing tools were also underway. Soon, the 50 trainees returned, and 10 sets of tools were ready. Production began before the six-month deadline was even over. After starting work, Getty lived with the workers almost every day. Under his leadership, the workers' productivity was ten times that of other factories manufacturing the same type of aircraft…

    When people asked Getty about the secret to his success, he said, “The key to success is to firmly believe in your own judgment, have your own opinions, and be confident and optimistic about success, rather than blindly following authority.” When Getty was

    young, he bought a piece of land in Oklahoma, believing, based on his experience, that it would contain considerable oil reserves. He consulted a geologist. After examining the land, the expert confidently reported, “This land will not produce a single drop of oil; it's best to sell it.” Getty listened to the expert and sold the land. However, not long after, a high-yield oil well was drilled on that land. It turned out to be a high-yield oil area.

    In 1931, the US economy was in recession, and stock prices plummeted. Getty believed the US economic fundamentals were sound and that stock prices would rise sharply as the economy gradually recovered. He then bought millions of dollars worth of shares in Petromcia. In the following days, the stock market experienced some decline, and Getty was confident the drop was nearing its bottom. However, Getty's colleagues, terrified by the Great Depression, strongly urged him to sell his shares. Their unanimous opinion swayed Getty, and he ultimately sold his Petromcia stock. Eventually, Getty's initial judgment proved correct; in the following years, the oil company raked in profits. Afterwards, Getty regretfully remarked, "Truth often lies in the hands of a minority. Losing confidence means losing everything."

    In 1932, Getty recognized the enormous potential of Middle Eastern crude oil and sent negotiators to Baghdad. After repeated negotiations with the Iraqi government, he intended to purchase the mining concession for a promising plot of land for only a few hundred thousand dollars. Just then, global crude oil prices suddenly fluctuated, leading to the widespread belief that investing in the Middle East at this time was unwise.

    Getty, once again swayed by public opinion, overturned his initial judgment and ordered his men in Baghdad to terminate negotiations. As a result, more than a decade later, when Getty decided to re-enter the Middle East, the situation was quite different. He ended up paying over ten million dollars more to secure the mining concession for that piece of land.

    The lesson of failure due to a lack of confidence was profound and invaluable.

    In the years that followed, Getty, "stubborn as he was," ultimately became one of America's most successful businessmen.

    Confidence is a magic wand; once you truly establish it, you will find your entire being transformed. Your temperament will be more refined, your abilities stronger, and your attitude towards life will become more optimistic.

    Victory belongs only to those who are confident in all aspects. Those who, even with opportunities, dare not seize them and lack the confidence to succeed, will only end in failure. Only those with absolute confidence, who can stick to their opinions, and who have the courage to strive can maintain their ambition in their careers and achieve success.

    Those who ultimately triumph in the struggle for survival exude confidence in every action. Their vibrant and energetic demeanor naturally commands special respect. Conversely, those defeated and mired in hardship often appear dejected and lacking in decisiveness and confidence. Their actions and speech easily convey an impression of weakness and incompetence.

    Therefore, the higher a person's self-confidence, the higher their life's trajectory. Confidence determines the height of one's life. Don't wait for others to give you confidence; cultivate unwavering self-confidence. This will make you feel powerfully capable of navigating life, fostering optimism and filling your life with joy.

    Believe in yourself;

    becoming an outstanding person requires ample self-confidence. Believe you are the best, believe you are the best, and believe you will succeed.

    A young man, after a period of unsuccessful work, felt his future was hopeless and became extremely frustrated and dejected.

    One day, he confided his troubles to an elderly man. After listening, the man gave him an oil painting and said, "Take this painting to the market, but no matter who wants to buy it, don't sell it." The young man went to the market, and on the first, second, and third days, no one paid any attention to it. It wasn't until the fourth day that someone inquired about it. By the seventh day, the painting was fetching a good price. The young man took the painting to the elderly man, who said, "Take it to an auction." Finally

    , the painting was bought by a wealthy businessman for an astonishing price. In reality, the painting was just a beginner's work, a very ordinary painting.

    The same principle applies to people: if you believe yourself to be ordinary, you will never achieve great success; if you firmly believe you are a valuable talent, you will surely succeed through your own efforts. You become what you believe yourself to be.

    Forbes is one of the three major magazines alongside Fortune and Business Week. David Makeke is the editor-in-chief of Forbes. Once, David Make announced he was going to fire an employee. One employee was so worried and nervous because he felt his performance at the company was terrible that he couldn't help but go directly to David Make and ask, "David, are you firing me?" David Make slowly replied, "I hadn't decided who it was yet, but since you reminded me, it's you." The employee was fired on the spot.

    The world is full of opportunities for success, but also full of the possibility of failure. Therefore, we must continuously improve our ability to cope with setbacks and interference, adjust ourselves, enhance our social adaptability, and firmly believe that failure is the mother of success. If we can learn something after each failure and treat each failure as a prelude to success, then we can turn negativity into positivity and inferiority into confidence. Having confidence in ourselves will allow us to find our own way of survival and development in the vast space of the future. The future world is full of countless possibilities for success, and these opportunities are equal for everyone; the important thing is to have confidence in yourself. So, how can we make ourselves more confident?

    In fact, gaining confidence is very simple: start now, start with every little thing.

    1. Trust your desires and thoughts. Try to act more in accordance with your will and intuition than before. If you've always wanted to try something new, do it and enjoy the experience. When shopping for clothes, try on some new styles; don't always pick the clothes you're used to wearing. Buy clothes that suit your taste; don't let the salesperson influence your thinking. When you have a genuine feeling or thought, don't rely on your friends or partner to confirm your opinion. The more you trust your own values ​​and preferences, the less you'll need to defend yourself.

    2. Every morning while washing up, smile and say to yourself in the mirror, "Good morning! You'll have more confidence today than yesterday." This will at least give you a positive start to the day. Remember to be energetic, persuasive, and convince yourself when you say this.

    3. Praise yourself. Don't be afraid to look in the mirror; don't miss any opportunity. Carefully examine yourself in the mirror and say to yourself, "You look really good." After doing this for several weeks, you'll be more truly accepting of yourself. 1. Make a list of things you should have done but haven't done due to fear. Then, rank them from easiest to hardest according to their difficulty.

    2. Choose something you enjoy doing, do well, appreciate, and others appreciate, and develop it systematically. A person's self-worth will inevitably increase if they have something they can fully master, enjoy doing, and that they and those around them appreciate.

    3. Choose the easiest thing to handle and clearly consider your rights that have been violated in this matter. Write down how you want to express your attitude to the violator, then bring an empty chair, pretend to be the violator, and practice what you're going to say or use in body language. Each practice session will naturally increase your confidence. Once you've mastered it, you'll unconsciously express your dissatisfaction and take action to protect your rights. After a successful start, handling more difficult things will be no problem at all.

    4. Play to your greatest strengths. Everyone has their own unique talents. Great achievers know to focus their energy on what they do best. When you concentrate on what you can do best, you'll feel your confidence soar. If you project confidence, others will respect your decisions and feelings more.

    7. Continuously broaden your horizons. Continuously broaden your horizons, apply new knowledge, and through practice, you'll better understand changes in the internal and external environment, thus cultivating your confidence.

    Don't suppress your potential .

    Failure has a negative impact on many people, creating permanent obstacles in their minds. They no longer dare to try; they cling to the boundary between success and failure, afraid to cross it, believing their abilities are limited.

    When training whales to jump high, managers first mark a certain height with white lines. Whenever a whale jumps to that height, it is rewarded with food. In this way, the whales progress from 1 meter, 2 meters, 3 meters… all the way up to over ten meters. Clearly, success is not achieved overnight, but through continuous improvement, step by step. Many people are impatient for quick success; they want to jump 10 meters in one leap. If they don't reach that height the first time, they believe they lack ability, becoming discouraged and completely negating themselves. They doubt themselves in everything they do, refusing to put in any real effort. They often give up halfway through when faced with setbacks. They limit their potential, hinder the development of their abilities, and ultimately achieve nothing.

    The same applies to life. If you believe your potential is limitless, that you are excellent enough, and that your achievements will far exceed what you have now, then you can truly reach your goals. Some people, however, remain stagnant. They don't believe they have the ability to improve, so they only do what they can currently do, ultimately being eliminated by those who come later.

    When Bill Gates initially asked Ed Roberts, the developer of the world's first microcomputer, to use his BASIC programming language on his computer, Roberts, because he was just a teenager, didn't believe him at all. But Gates eventually succeeded in testing it on Roberts' computer, astonishing Roberts, who immediately decided to buy the software according to Gates' terms. When Gates chose to drop out of college to pursue a career in computer science, his parents didn't believe he could succeed. They entrusted Storm, a highly respected figure in the computer industry and business, to persuade Gates. However, it was Storm, widely recognized as a gifted debater, who was ultimately convinced.

    In the end, Bill Gates achieved tremendous success through persistent effort and unwavering confidence.

    The human brain's potential is limitless. Even many successful individuals who have achieved great things, such as Einstein and Newton, only developed about 10% of their brain's potential. Ordinary people utilize even less of their brain's potential, resulting in enormous waste. A large amount of brain energy is consumed by self-doubt and blind confidence.

    Therefore, you must believe in yourself, believe in your ability to continue improving, to challenge higher goals, and to climb higher peaks. This is how you will achieve great success in your career.

    Using stillness to control movement, careful consideration

    and meticulous action:

    Lao Tzu's *Tao Te Ching*, Chapter 26, states: "Heaviness is the root of lightness, stillness is the master of restlessness. Lightness loses its root, restlessness loses its master." This means that composure and forbearance are the foundation of frivolity, while calmness and seasoned maturity are the master of restlessness. Impulsive actions lead to the loss of balance, and reckless actions lead to the loss of dominance. Thus, stillness and movement are a pair of contradictions in the movement of things, with stillness being the principal aspect. Using stillness to control movement conforms to the dialectic of the movement of things.

    Using stillness to control movement is not only a strategy but also involves character cultivation. Those who lack strategy and are devoid of wisdom will find it difficult to achieve; even those who understand strategy but lack corresponding character cultivation and the qualities of forbearance and composure will find it impossible. The strategy of Liu Bei "temporarily taking refuge in the tiger's den" described in *Romance of the Three Kingdoms* embodies this idea. Liu Bei, serving under Cao Cao, constantly faced the danger of losing his head. However, he feigned indifference to politics, spending his days fetching water and tending vegetables at his residence, intending to seize an opportunity to leave and establish himself as king.

    In military warfare, patience can lead to victory. In 618 AD, Li Yuan established the Tang Dynasty using the strength of peasant uprisings, but various separatist forces still opposed the Tang. In August 619 AD, Liu Wuzhou, a separatist force in northern Shanxi, sent his subordinate Song Jingang to approach Xinjiang, posing a significant threat to the Tang Dynasty.

    Li Shimin, following his father's orders, led a group of troops to Xinjiang upon hearing the news, set up camp, and confronted Song Jingang's army. At that time, Li Shimin's army was short of food, and morale was somewhat low. Seeing this, Li Shimin dispatched elite troops to transport supplies and sent small groups to flank the enemy and seize their food, quickly improving the situation. Li Shimin's subordinates seized the opportunity to suggest launching an attack on the enemy. Li Shimin dismissed the idea, saying, "Song Jingang's army has come from afar, without reinforcements or sufficient supplies. They are eager for a quick victory. If we attack now, we'll play right into their hands. Instead, we should confront them directly, stay indoors, and wait for them to starve. When their food and supplies are exhausted, they will naturally flee. Then we can pursue them and wipe them out in one fell swoop." His generals nodded in agreement.

    Sure enough, eight months later, Song Jingang's army ran out of food and supplies, and the entire force lost its will to fight, retreating listlessly. Li Shimin then led his army in pursuit, killing and capturing tens of thousands of enemy soldiers.

    If Li Shimin hadn't calmly analyzed the situation, he might have hesitated and followed his generals' advice to engage the enemy, thus playing into their hands. Instead, he remained inactive, waiting for the opportune moment, and ultimately easily defeated the enemy.

    As Su Xun of the Song Dynasty said, "One act of forbearance can withstand a hundred acts of bravery; one moment of stillness can control a hundred movements."

    In June 1287, the rebel generals Jin Jianu and Tabudai, led by Nayan, approached Kublai Khan's camp with 100,000 troops. Kublai Khan commanded his army to surround them, but the rebels adopted a strategy of holding their ground and refusing to engage in battle. The Minister of Agriculture, Terge, suggested that although the Yuan army had surrounded the rebels, their numbers were vast, and the disparity in strength was significant. The best approach was to use a feint to force the enemy to retreat without a fight.

    Therefore, he ordered Kublai Khan's parasol to be raised, and invited him to sit calmly in a chair under it. Terge then offered Kublai Khan a toast with a beaming smile. Nayan's generals, observing this, assumed that Kublai Khan's composure in such circumstances indicated a pre-arranged plan, and thus became suspicious and dared not act rashly.

    The Left Chancellor, Li Ting, realized the enemy had fallen into the trap and concluded that their morale had wavered, and they would surely escape under cover of night. He suggested to Kublai Khan that he lead a dozen or so strong men, equipped with cannons, to infiltrate the enemy lines at night and fire upon them. This suggestion was implemented, and the enemy indeed fled in disarray.

    As the rebels retreated, Kublai Khan ordered Li Ting and the Grand Censor Yishtemur to each lead Han and Mongol troops in a two-pronged pursuit. They chased them to Shilemenlin, where they captured the enemy leader, Nayan, in a single battle and executed him on the spot. The Yuan-Mongol Nayan Rebellion was thus quelled.

    In short, patience and composure, using stillness to control movement, are the hallmarks of strength and integrity. In business competition, restraining the desire for quick wealth, calmly analyzing the course of events and all aspects of the situation, choosing the appropriate time to invest, and adopting a steady strategy—seeking development rather than sudden riches—is the correct way to achieve wealth.

    A calm and composed mind is crucial to avoiding unexpected

    disasters and misfortunes, which often happen in an instant. Faced with sudden calamities, most people cannot bear it and tend to panic and expose their weaknesses. However, the young Wang Xizhi possessed extraordinary qualities, able to remain calm and composed in the face of adversity, and deal with it with wit.

    Wang Xizhi's family was a prominent clan in the Eastern Jin Dynasty. His two uncles were key figures in supporting Sima Rui's establishment of the Eastern Jin Dynasty: one was Wang Dao, who served as the prime minister; the other was Wang Dun, who served as a general, controlling the military power of the Eastern Jin. At the time, there was a saying that "Wang and Ma share the world." The Wang family's power and status in the Eastern Jin regime were unparalleled.

    Although Wang Dun had already reached the pinnacle of his position and enjoyed all the riches and honors, he harbored great ambitions, his eyes fixed on the throne in the imperial palace, yearning to taste the feeling of being emperor. Wang Dun's strategist, Qian Feng, constantly encouraged Wang Dun's ambition to seize the throne, and he himself also intended to use this opportunity to become a founding hero.

    The two men, finding themselves kindred spirits, became close friends.

    One early summer morning, shortly after Wang Dun rose, Qian Feng rushed through the gates of the Wang residence, heading straight for the main hall. Wang Dun, having received the message, immediately went to meet him. Qian Feng hesitated, then gave Wang Dun a meaningful look. Wang Dun raised his right hand and waved it away, several servants discreetly withdrawing. The two closed the door and began discussing the secrets of their "rebellion."

    Qian Feng spoke to Wang Dun in a highly mysterious tone, in a low voice. Qian Feng seemed to be bringing Wang Dun ominous news; as he listened, Wang Dun's brow furrowed. The two men spoke tensely and quietly for a while. Suddenly, Wang Dun stood up abruptly, gesturing with his hand, about to speak, when he stopped abruptly. He had seen through the window that the curtains in the opposite room had moved slightly, reminding him that his nephew, Wang Xizhi, was still asleep in bed.

    Wang Xizhi was only eleven or twelve years old that year and was usually Wang Dun's most favored son. Wang Dun regarded the intelligent, quick-witted, and highly perceptive Wang Xizhi as one of the symbols of "honor" in maintaining the Wang family's prestigious status, and as the most outstanding member of the next generation. Therefore, he often kept Wang Xizhi by his side, having him live in his residence. This time, Wang Xizhi had been staying at Wang Dun's house for several days, and his bedroom happened to be right next to the living room. When Qian Feng arrived, both sides were tense, and Wang Dun completely forgot that Wang Xizhi was sleeping in his room. It wasn't until Wang Dun stood up and saw the curtain move that he remembered. He was greatly alarmed and said to Qian Feng, "Oh no! Xi'er is still sleeping here. What if he overheard what we were saying?"

    Planning a rebellion to seize the throne was a blatant act against the will of the world; if word got out, the planners' lives and fortunes would be utterly destroyed—a fact that Wang Dun and Qian Feng were well aware of.

    Upon hearing Wang Dun's words, Qian Feng, his eyes flashing with murderous intent, urgently said to Wang Dun, "General, if the plan is leaked, we'll all be doomed. A petty person is no gentleman, and a ruthless person is no true man!" Qian Feng urged Wang Dun to kill Wang Xizhi.

    For a long while, Wang Dun remained silent.

    "General, to achieve great things, one cannot be afraid to act. Hesitation will only lead to disaster!" Qian Feng anxiously urged Wang Dun to act.

    Hearing Qian Feng's words, Wang Dun hardened his heart, stamped his foot, and said, "Yes,

    I cannot let sentimentality cloud my judgment." Then he turned and nodded towards the room where Wang Xizhi slept. "Xi'er, don't blame your uncle for being heartless!" Wang Dun said, drawing his gleaming Green Dragon Crescent Blade with a "whoosh," and rushed towards Wang Xizhi's bedside, Qian Feng following closely behind.

    Wang Dun lifted the bed curtain with his left hand, ready to strike, but suddenly stopped. Wang Xizhi was sound asleep, snoring softly, his head tilted to one side, his chest rising and falling with each even breath. Wang Dun lifted the curtain, but Wang Xizhi didn't react. Wang Dun looked at his beloved nephew with affection, relieved that his plot hadn't been overheard, and abandoned his plan to kill him. Wang Dun sheathed his sword, took Qian Feng's hand, and left.

    What a close call! Wang Xizhi almost became a victim of his uncle Wang Dun's blade. In fact, Wang Xizhi had been awake since Qian Feng entered the room and had overheard his uncle's conversation with Qian Feng. He quickly realized his perilous situation.

    When Wang Dun approached with his sword, Wang Xizhi's heart pounded in his chest. He tried his best to calm himself, keeping his eyes closed and his expression composed, appearing completely asleep, revealing no flaw. This is why Wang Dun didn't strike.

    Wang Xizhi, through his "quiet sleep," avoided an unnecessary disaster and saved his life.

    The skill of "stillness" is so important, so how did Zeng Guofan understand Zhou Dunyi's doctrine of "cultivating stillness"? Zeng Guofan realized that

    only when the mind is extremely still can the body remain completely still, seemingly without any distracting thoughts. However, this does not truly experience the state of "stillness." The true state of "stillness" arises when the mind is completely closed off and dormant, yet a spark of lively thought emerges, like on the winter solstice when yin energy is almost gone and yang energy begins to stir. At this time, the root is firm and the foundation is solid, and only then can everything be accomplished.

    Zeng Guofan believed that a mind as still as water, free from delusions, indifferent to fame and fortune, and viewing all things with detachment is beneficial to health. This aligns with the Buddhist view of "cutting off delusions."

    All of Buddhism boils down to one point: cutting off delusions. Delusions are also called fantasies. Our minds are constantly filled with thoughts and fantasies, like scenes from a movie, or a ceaseless waterfall, never stopping for a second. This kind of thinking mind is the "delusional mind." Cutting off deluded thoughts and eliminating false ideas is truly difficult, as the ancients said, "Cutting off deluded thoughts is like stopping a forty-mile-long stream." However, the numerous desires for fame and fortune, anxieties about gain and loss, jealousy, unreasonable desires, and boundless wild thoughts within these deluded thoughts are things that can be diligently eliminated.

    A pure heart with few desires, content

    with one's lot, and avoiding comparisons with others are essential for inner peace and tranquility. Not clinging to external circumstances, being content with one's lot, and knowing when to stop are the keys to finding joy in contentment. As the saying goes, "Comparing yourself to others will only make you miserable." Zhang Zhongjing, an outstanding physician from the late Eastern Han Dynasty, was skilled in both treating illnesses and maintaining health.

    Zhang Zhongjing's mastery of health preservation techniques hinged on cultivating a pure and desireless mind, eliminating distracting thoughts, maintaining mental tranquility, and avoiding fickle or unrealistic ambitions. He also diligently cultivated an aversion to jealousy. Even after achieving high office, he remained indifferent to power, influence, and wealth, never troubled by material possessions. He continued to dedicate himself to studying medicine and practicing the virtues of saving lives and treating the sick. He used his spare time daily to treat the common people, without any airs, always available whenever needed. He treated all patients equally, regardless of kinship, wealth, or social status, charging only the cost price. He even provided financial assistance to the poor who couldn't afford medicine. His actions displeased his family. One day, his wife complained, "We didn't expect you to get promoted or become wealthy, or to enjoy a life of luxury with you. But you're busy every day, and we're busy with you, even spending our money. We're not rich either!" Zhang Zhongjing smiled calmly and said, "This is a trivial matter in life; why think about it so much?" As the saying goes, "A selfless heart makes the world vast." Removing the word "selfishness" eliminates countless worries and anxieties! As Zeng Guofan said, "The honest are content and have no worries, the greedy worry about not having enough; the content are always happy, finding joy in contentment."

    Compared to outward actions, inner peace is fundamental; the spirit is the origin of human life. To cultivate oneself successfully, one must work on "stillness." Even if one wants to accomplish great things, one must still cultivate this "stillness."

    A clear mind, free from selfish desires and idle thoughts, is a crucial element of health.

    Zeng Guofan was known for his strict self-discipline in this regard. The valuables he moved back to his hometown from the Nanjing government office mainly consisted of books; his clothing was generally worth no more than three hundred taels of silver. On November 22nd of the tenth year of the Tongzhi reign, Zeng Guofan moved to the newly renovated Governor-General's Office. He visited the garden west of the office, which was still under construction. After his visit, he exclaimed, "Just a casual glance makes me deeply ashamed of my overly luxurious residence and excessive indulgence." This was his last visit two months before his death.

    In his later years, feeling his health was failing and that he was "disgracing this official post," he repeatedly submitted memorials earnestly resigning from his post. He believed that "wealth, honor, and fame are all worldly vanities; only a broad mind is truly enjoyable."

    Zeng Guofan put considerable effort into curbing his desires and achieved a state of mental tranquility, which is worthy of our learning and should serve as a lesson for us.

    Prepare yourself, think carefully, and act cautiously . Tranquility leads

    to far-reaching achievements. Only by calmly and peacefully taking each step in life can one go further; those who are restless and impatient will never achieve great things.

    When Allen was nine years old, he started his first job on his grandfather's farm in South Dakota—collecting dried cow dung by hand. Most children wouldn't want to do this kind of hard work, but Allen did it exceptionally well, even though it seemed like a terrible job with no pay, only free room and board provided by his grandfather.

    After a while, Allen's grandmother picked him up from school and told him, "Allen, Grandpa is going to give you the new job you wanted. You'll have your own horses to herd because you did an outstanding job collecting cow dung last summer." He was overjoyed with his first promotion. A small belief took root in his mind.

    Later, Allen became a butcher in South Dakota, earning $1 a week. The job was still disgusting, but his principle was simple: if he did his job well, he would definitely get promoted and then be able to get rid of this job. Sure enough, he became someone who generated $50,000 in value every week. Who dared to underestimate him then? Thus, the young man took his first step towards success—a $50-a-week Associated Press reporter. Despite this, he remained steadfast in his belief. Ultimately, he became a CEO with an annual salary of over $1.5 million.

    Remember the story of catching birds in Lu Xun's "My Old Home"? A sieve is propped up on a stick with a long rope attached, and millet or rice is scattered underneath. The rope is held at a distance, and when a bird enters the sieve to eat, the rope is pulled from a distance, trapping the bird inside.

    A man used this method to catch pheasants in a mountain forest. After setting up the sieve and hiding, a flock of nine pheasants flew in. Perhaps because they were hungry, six pheasants soon entered the sieve. He raised his hand to pull the rope, but then thought, "The other three will go in too, I'll wait a little longer." However, after waiting a while, not only did the other three not go in, but three more emerged from under the sieve. He felt very regretful and told himself, "I'll pull the rope even if only one more goes in." But then, two more came out. If he pulled the rope then, he could still catch one more, but he was unwilling to accept his lost good fortune, thinking that some should at least return. Finally, even the last one came out.

    Waiting requires calmness, without greed or impatience, preparing oneself, thinking carefully and acting cautiously, and finding the right opportunity to attack. Only in this way can one obtain the best path and breakthrough to success.

    Avoid acting impulsively .

    Impulsiveness is a psychological phenomenon characterized by particularly strong emotions and weak rational control. It often accompanies recklessness, and its characteristics include a lack of composure in the face of adversity, a tendency to get easily angered, a rush to express opinions, and hasty decisions. Speech is often blurted out without strategy or consideration of consequences.

    Impulsive people are open and honest, without reservation. Whatever thoughts are on their minds, they pour them out, and once they've vented, they become calm again. Li Kui, a hero of Liangshan, was such a person.

    Li Kui, one of the Liangshan heroes, and Yan Qing went out and stayed at a manor. Upon hearing the manor owner, Old Man Tai, say that Song Jiang had abducted his daughter, Li Kui immediately shouted at Yan Qing, "Brother Yi, listen to what this old man is saying! My brother is a hypocrite, not a good person!"

    Yan Qing advised him, "Brother, don't be so rash, there's no such thing!" Li Kui said, "He went to Li Shishi's house in Dongjing on his own; I'm afraid he won't do it here." Ignoring the advice, Li Kui rushed back to Liangshan, cut down the apricot-yellow banner that read "Acting on Behalf of Heaven," and pointed at Song Jiang, cursing, "I always thought you were a hero, but you're a beast! What a terrible thing you've done!" Later, when the truth came out, it turned out that a bandit had impersonated Song Jiang, and he finally realized his mistake.

    Li Kui in this story is a typical example of an impulsive person. Although he is honest and straightforward, he lacks depth and thoughtfulness. The level of a person's speech is related to their psychological state; different psychological types manifest differently in their speech.

    Impulsive people are often in a state of high excitement, like a gas stove that's about to ignite at the slightest spark. This manifests as a lack of composure, a quick temper, an eagerness to express opinions, a talkative nature, and hasty decision-making. Their words are often blurted out without careful consideration, strategy, or consequences. This can either leave the listener embarrassed and unable to communicate, expose themselves completely, or provoke and enrage the listener, leading to a counterattack. Therefore, people should think calmly, be careful with their words, and avoid impulsiveness.