Random Walk Newsletter, Issue 18#
Observations & Insights#
It's not seeing hope that makes you persevere, it's persevering that allows you to see hope#
Recently on YouTube, I came across TVB's "Endless Road," where the protagonist grows coffee in Yunnan. There was a line that left a deep impression on me. The protagonist said, "It's not seeing hope that makes you persevere, it's persevering that allows you to see hope." After hearing this, I was quite moved. It took her six years of perseverance before she started to see progress.
Thinking about myself, I've been diligently memorizing vocabulary for a month, but I still struggle to read an article. I've been self-studying iOS development, following video tutorials, and I've only managed to complete a small demo. These are far from the visible results I hoped for.
About saying no#
"Most of the embarrassing moments of my life happened when I wanted to say no, but ended up saying yes (or saying nothing at all).
Most of the missed opportunities in my life happened when I wanted to say yes, but ended up saying no (or saying nothing at all)."
In recent years, after reading many psychology books and hearing people's stories, I've realized that saying "no" at the right time is definitely something worth learning. At the same time, missed opportunities happen because of hesitation, not saying "yes" in a timely manner.
Equanimity#
Rather than material wealth, what I need more is equanimity when expectations are not met and when there is a lack of material resources.
Everyone has moments of regret, and in those moments, how should we respond? It seems that besides equanimity, there are no other good solutions. The past is already a fixed fact, and the outcome cannot be changed. So let's strive to accept it with equanimity.
What is life#
While we try to teach our children all about life, our children teach us what life is all about.
After thinking that I have gained life experience, I naturally feel that I have a certain qualification to teach children. When giving advice, it might be helpful to pause and think carefully: are we really right in what we say? Perhaps it is the way children live every day that truly embodies the essence of life, such as "living in the present moment." No one can surpass children in this regard, right?
Audiobooks & Books#
Super Brain#
Lately, I've been listening to audiobooks while running and taking walks. One that left a deep impression on me recently is "Super Brain," which covers topics on how to take care of the brain.
The author (Dr. Amen) summarizes his approach in three sentences: eat well, exercise more, and engage in joyful reminiscence.
Regarding the third point, the author mentions that happiness is a skill. Since it is a skill, it can naturally be strengthened through practice. Therefore, it is important to think about joyful things more often. For the brain, the more you exercise this skill of happiness, the stronger it becomes.
That's all for this issue of the newsletter. If you have any questions, please feel free to email me. Thank you for reading.