The Higher the Aspiration, the Wider the Path

Xuefeng

Oct. 20, 2023

In places where competition is fierce, survival conditions become harsher, and relationships between people become more tense, making the acquisition of survival resources more brutal.

The simpler and easier the pathway to obtain survival resources, the more intense the competition becomes.

For a job that anyone can do, the more sought-after it becomes, the fiercer the competition. For a job that only one in ten people can do, the competition is relatively less fierce. Then, for a job that only one in a hundred, a thousand, a million, or a billion people can do, we find that the fewer people who can do it, the less competitive it is because there are not many people competing with oneself.

For example, a surface coal mining company recruiting miners will attract many applicants. However, the “Mariana Trench Exploration Company,” due to the high difficulty involved, would likely struggle to find more than a few suitable candidates worldwide. A government unit recruiting civil servants, hiring ten of them, may attract hundreds or thousands of applicants, making the competition fierce. But if Elon Musk is recruiting someone capable of controlling the global nuclear weapons button to prevent nuclear-armed countries from launching nuclear weapons, probably only very few people can be found in the world at present.

In 1997, I went to the Harare labor market to recruit a male flower worker and a female worker for laundry, cleaning, and hygiene. When the car arrived at the market, before I could even get out of the car, many people surrounded it. There were many people who wanted to do flower work and household chores. Later, when I went to the market to recruit shop assistants, the situation was the same. Then, when I opened a bar and tried to recruit a bartender, there were very few suitable candidates. Later, when I opened a nightclub and tried to recruit a DJ mixer, I couldn't find one! I had to hire a GJ mixer instead.

From this, we discovered a small secret, which is that if you want to find a job with low competition and high income in society, you must have special talents and be different from others. Without putting in effort and undergoing rigorous training during our upbringing, we can only compete with many others for our livelihood.

This involves the question of the meaning of life, that is, from an early age, we must consider what kind of work or career to engage in. Each person has 24 hours a day, and where we allocate our time and energy is a major factor in whether we will be happy or not in our lives.

Now, there are thousands of job types in front of us. Which one will you choose? For example, shining shoes, making shoes, repairing shoes, herding sheep, herding horses, farming, gardening, being a shop assistant, a police officer, a taxi driver, a delivery person, a grocery store manager, a restaurant owner, a teacher, a civil servant, a worker, a soldier, a workshop technician, an engineer, a professor, a painter, a doctor, a lawyer, a judge, a musician, a performer, an entrepreneur, a writer, and so on.

We find that the faster the income comes, the simpler and more accessible the job is, and the more people can do it, the more intense the competition will be. For example, shining shoes on the street can bring income on the same day, working as a laborer, a teacher, or a civil servant can bring income in the same month, and farming and gardening can bring income in the same season. However, to become a professor, an engineer, or an entrepreneur, requires upfront investment, effort, and more investment.

In conclusion, to avoid fierce competition and maximize income, one must first invest. The longer the investment period, the fewer competitors there will be, and the greater the benefits will be.

At this point, we find that due to the need for survival or the pressure of survival, most people have given up investing and turned to seeking quick profits. They go where they can make money quickly and engage in work that can bring immediate gains. As a result, the number of elite individuals in all walks of life is decreasing, while outstanding individuals are becoming fewer and fewer, and the number of ordinary people is increasing.

Everyone is familiar with the story of "Mencius' mother moving three times". Why did Mencius' mother "move three times"? It was actually for her son's aspiration. In the end, because of his high aspirations, Mencius became a great thinker who has been passed down through the ages.

The higher the aspiration, the more one must endure long-term solitary struggles. One must endure rigorous training and withstand the temptations of money, power, fame, and beauty. Additionally, one must persevere in focusing one's mind and spirit on one's ideals. Finally, one must invest one's time and energy in one's own career. Do not be hasty for quick success. Those who are hasty for quick success will never become outstanding figures.

So, what is the highest aspiration?

Whether it is herding sheep, shining shoes, farming, or becoming a professor, a doctor, or a financier, the ultimate result is death. It's considered good to live safely until the age of seventy or eighty. Thinking about life's brevity, tossing around, and eventually becoming a handful of ashes in a bone ash box, thinking of such an end, all hopes are dashed.

Therefore, we find that becoming a celestial being is the highest aspiration in life. Not only can one enjoy the joys of life to the fullest, but there is also a wonderful future ahead.

Do you want to become a celestial being?