Yanwen’s blog

Since the start of the year I have intended to present my year plan to my readers. Here it is now.

Last year I promised to write a post every day. I'm glad to say that I have kept my promise whenever I can. This year I'm going to keep the same with one bonus. I'm going to insert a tiny bit of Chinese toward the end of my writing.

Of course, writing will become easier everyday when I can always leverage my proficiency in both languages. More important is the thought that, like it or not, there is something in Chinese culture that is hard to ignore -- (1) having the oldest continuous civilization in human history (2) the combination of her massive landmass and population.

Another amazing fact is, throughout its long history, China has been ruled by minority groups who were not Han majority, e.g. the famous Genghis Khan of the Yuan Dynasty and the last Qing Dynasty. Regardless who ruled this vast land, they all eventually adopted and assimilated into Chinese culture.

There is a Chinese saying: 一口吃不成大胖子(Yī-kǒu chī bù-chéng dà pàng-zi). The literal meaning is: You can't become fat with just one bite. Metaphorically, it can mean many things, e.g. you can't achieve a huge accomplishment overnight or with a single kick. Rome was not built in a day. Regarding Chinese culture, it took 5000 years for China to be China.

Monday I had my annual physical with a nice Korean-American doctor. Everything went well before phlebotomy. The blood drawing nurse tried my right arm first, then the left one. When blood didn't come out at her first jab, she started poked around underneath my skin within my flesh. It was so painful that I let out a shriek, despite myself.

She stopped, looked nervous and quickly apologized. I hurriedly comforted her, "Oh, it's okay. It’s just me. They always have a hard time drawing my blood. My arms are too fat."

I lied. This is almost the first time that I felt so painful. I lied in order to alleviate any anxiety the nurse might have felt. I lied to cooperate with the nurse and create a more positive atmosphere. I lied to show my understanding, hoping my lie could help her less nervous and get her job done. I think sometime we all need to lie in order to reassure others, to reduce anxiety or stress in others, especially when working with little children.

Two days have passed since then. I'm still thinking about the incident. Yesterday my sister told me that she did something rather upsetting today, that she broke two things. I comforted her, "it's okay, 旧的不去，新的不来" (Jiù de bù qù, xīn de bù lái), meaning, the new can't come if the old refuses to go. Out with the old, in with the new. The implied idea is: in order to embrace new opportunities or experiences, one must be willing to let go of the old or familiar zone. Let's embrace the new and forget the past!

This is my last one on Thomas Corley's Rich Habits book. Before I let go of Corley's book, I'd like to mention one thing in rich people: BELIEF, specifically, they have an unshakeable belief in their own ability to determine their own destiny.

In Corey's survey, about 90% of wealthy people do not believe in fate. Instead, they believe that they are in control of their lives. About 79% of the rich believe firmly that they have the ability to work hard and rise above poverty and be part of the wealthy class. Over 90% of them believe that hard work is more important than high IQ. They hold the belief that diligence can change and compensate for any inherent weaknesses that they get at birth.

They set goals, not wishes because they can't control the outcome of a wish, but they can control the outcome of a goal. They guard themselves against self-limiting beliefs. About luck, they believe good luck is just the by-product of their good habits. Their positive habits lead to all the good things in their lives. There is no bad luck in their vocabulary.

People may debate about the nature vs. nurture, which plays crucial roles in human development. Nature refers to everything that we are given genetically while nurture involves the impact of environment, upbringing, and experiences. There is a Chinese saying "人定胜天" (Rén dìng shèng tiān) meaning "Human effort can triumph over nature." The saying expresses fully the belief in the power of human will, determination, and effort in overcoming whatever people get at birth, however insurmountable they may seem.

The lives of the wealthy can very well end this debate now.

This is my fourth writing on Thomas Corley's Rich Habits book.

The third category of rich folks habits can be grouped under one thing: DISCIPLINE. Let's look at some of the habits of the wealthy:

-- reading at least 30 minutes each day, instead of swiping videos or surfing the internet aimlessly

-- setting goals and focus on it for each day, month, and year, instead of drifting aimlessly

-- having a purpose in life, 

-- persistent, with passion, 

-- save 20%, not over-spending

-- control your emotion

-- listening 5 times more than talking

-- finish tasks for today and every day with “DO IT NOW” mindset

When you look at these habits of the wealthy, you might be thinking: I understand they are good habits. I can do it for a day or two but I don't have the perseverance to keep it up till it becomes part of me.

What we need most is discipline. Discipline means self-control, determination, the will power to keep going until we reach our goal, until we complete the task on hand, until a good habit is formed, until triumph.

At this moment, I can't think of a better proverb than this one, 世上无难事, 只要肯登攀 (Shì-shàng wú nán-shì, zhǐ-yào kěn dēng-pān): No mountain is insurmountable in the world as long as you are willing to climb. In other word, where there's a will, there's a way.

This is my third writing on Thomas Corley's Rich Habits book.

The second category of rich folks habits deals with time management. They know very well that TIME is their biggest asset in life, that they make full use of their time to maximize values at work. Therefore, habitually they don't waste their time on trivial things, like watching TV, surfing on the internet aimlessly, gambling, engage in gossips or small talks.

The message is this: everyone is given the same amount of time each day—no more no less. However, the way people habitually spend their time can make a vast difference in the long run.

It is said that President Richard Nixon studied Mao Zedong's poems before he visited China in 1972. He quoted this in his conversation with Mao, 一万年太久，只争朝夕(Yī wàn nián tài jiǔ, zhǐ zhēng zhāo xī) "Ten thousand years are too long, let us seize the hour," emphasizing the urgency of taking immediate actions instead of waiting for a distance uncertain future.

Mao Zedong, Richard Nixon and the wealthy people share this understanding: they all keenly realize that time is a crucial resource that should be best utilized.