I heard this story from my sister. A man worked hard on his own and became very successful. He told his sister that she should work on her own first instead of relying on him. So the sister worked at the bottom job for a decade without getting anywhere. Now the man regrets not having provided his sister with a higher starting point in her career. He realizes that she could have progressed faster if given a high platform to start with. Life is too short to let her struggle at the bottom for so long.
The story emphasizes the importance of having opportunities and the support and assistance of others, ideally close relatives, for us to rise up faster in career. By encouraging his sister to start from scratch and leaving her there for a decade, the man inadvertently let her waste a decade, letting go of the potential for faster advancement that could have come with a higher starting point.
If you don't have a successful sibling or relatives to provide you with a higher platform to start your career, it's crucial to be proactive: seek out mentors in your field, start networking as early as possible, be resourceful and keep looking for opportunities for growth and advancement.
While having help from others can be a huge boost, your own efforts and determination play a crucial role in your own success.
Finally, I'm leaving Beijing for New York at 2:40 am on April 29. I took the time to bid farewell to friends and relatives and promised to meet in Beijing next year.