Excellence is a **habit

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Excellence is a *habit; laziness is also a *habit. Excellence is a habit that is difficult to develop, while laziness is a habit that is easy to form. The first sentence is: Excellence is a *habit. 　　 　　 This sentence was said by the ancient Greek philosopher Aristotle. If excellence is a kind of *habit, then laziness is also a kind of *habit. When a person is born, aside from their temperament which may vary due to innate factors, everything else is largely shaped by later experiences, as a result of family influence and education. Therefore, every word and action of ours are habits formed over time*. Some of us have developed good *habits, while others have developed bad *habits. So from now on, we must turn excellence into a* habit, making our excellent behaviors* normal and turning them into our second nature. Let’s* habitually think creatively, *habitually do things diligently, *habitually be kind to others, *habitually appreciate nature. 　　 　　 Note: One must know how to \"pretend,\" and do so continuously without interruption; over time, such pretense becomes real, it turns into a habit. For example, showing up on time for meetings – if you keep pretending to do so, even for 30 years, then, after enough time, it will indeed become a habit. The second sentence is: Life is a process. 　　 　　 Although the outcome of things is important, the process of doing them is even more crucial, because a good outcome makes us happier, but it is the process that enriches our lives. 　　 　　 The ultimate outcome of human life is death, but we cannot say that our lives are meaningless because of this. There is little permanence in the world. When college students are in a relationship, they say every day that they will love each other for life, but this is not true in reality. Statistical data show that out of 100 couples of college students in a relationship, 90 end up breaking up, and half of those who do get married eventually divorce. Do you think love can last forever? So the most honest way to put it is: “I am truly loving you right now, at this very moment.” ”Maybe you will go through a breakup tomorrow, and after that we will experience the pain of a broken heart. This experience is also a process of enriching your life. 　　 　　 Note: Life itself actually has no meaning; it is you who assign to your life the meaning you wish to see it have. Therefore, enjoying the process of life is in itself a form of meaning. 　　 　　The third sentence is: The shortest distance between two points is not necessarily a straight line. 　　 　　 In human relationships and when carrying out tasks, it’s difficult to get things done straightforwardly. Sometimes we need to wait, sometimes we need to cooperate, and sometimes we need skills. When we do things, we encounter many difficulties and obstacles. Sometimes we don’t have to push forward stubbornly; we can choose to find ways around the difficulties and obstacles, which might make things go more smoothly. Think about it: when we talk to others, we still have to consider which words sound better. Especially in a complex society like China, one must learn to find ways to understand others; only by making people see you as mature and excellent can you succeed in getting things done. 　　 　　 Note: If you are taking a math exam, be sure to state that the shortest distance between two points is the straight line segment. If you are walking from A to B and there is a direct path available, but no one takes it, it’s better not to take that path either, as there might be a trap. When doing business in China, linear thinking often runs into obstacles; this is the wisdom of handling affairs in China, which is characteristic of that country. 　　 　　 The fourth sentence is: Only those who know how to stop know how to speed up. 　　 　　 When skiing, my biggest realization is that I can’t stop. When I first started learning to ski, I didn’t hire a coach. I watched others ski and thought it was easy – it’s just sliding down from the top of the mountain, right? So I put on my skis and slid down in an instant; I went from the top of the hill to the bottom, actually rolling down and taking many flips. I found that I had no idea how to stop or how to maintain balance. Finally, I practiced over and over again *how to stop on snow and slopes. After practicing for a week, I finally learned how to stop, glide, and stop again on any slope. At that moment, I realized that I could ski, and I dared to rush down the slope at high speed from the top. Because I know that as long as I want to stop, I can do so by just turning around. As long as you can stop, you won’t hit a tree, a rock, or a person, and you won’t die in an accident. Therefore, only those who know how to stop know how to move at high speed. 　　 　　 Note: Using a car as an analogy, a BMW can reach 200 kilometers per hour, while a Chery can only reach 120 kilometers per hour. Why? The engines are roughly on par; the difference lies in the braking systems – after driving 200 kilometers, the brakes stop working, haha, my God! 　　 　　The fifth sentence is: Giving up is a form of wisdom; flaws are a blessing. 　　 　　 When you have six apples, never eat them all, because if you do, you will only have eaten six apples and experienced just one flavor, namely the flavor of apples. If you give away five of the six apples to others, although it seems like you’ve lost five apples, in reality you gain the friendship and goodwill of those five people. In the future, you will be able to get even more; when others have other fruits, they will definitely share them with you. You will receive an orange from one person, a pear from another, and eventually you might end up with six different fruits, six different flavors, six different colors, and the friendship of six people. One must learn to use what one has to exchange for things that are more important and valuable to them. Therefore, giving up is a form of wisdom. 　　 　　 Note: My personal principle is that every surrender must be a form of elevation; otherwise, there’s no need to surrender ； Every choice must be an elevation; otherwise, do not choose. 　　 　　 The greatest joy in life lies in achieving what we desire through effort; therefore, having flaws means we can strive to become more perfect, and having shortcomings means we can work harder. There is an American TV show about a wealthy man who left his descendants an endless fortune, only for them all to end up as drug addicts, suicides, prisoners, or mental patients. Why is this the case? Because this wealthy man left so much money to his descendants that they could inherit a large fortune without having to work. With a large inheritance, you can buy almost anything. So, when a person has nothing lacking, their space to survive is taken away. It’s such a joyful thing when we wake up every morning and feel that there is something missing in us today, that we need to be more perfect, that we still have goals to pursue!