Have you ever thought that from the establishment of the Qin Dynasty in 221 BC to today, this seemingly long 2,245 years is actually just 2,245 harvests of wheat.

In fact, when the reform and opening-up was announced in 1978, it had only been 66 years since the fall of the Qing Dynasty.
If a person's life is 70 years, then 2,245 years is just the lifespan of 32 people living and dying in succession. We are always carried away by some grand words, immersed in some grand narratives and hollow concepts. In fact, it’s better to be more practical and think about this brief life—what is it really for?

When I was young, I learned poetry, "The bright moon during the Qin era, the passes during the Han." It actually wants to tell you that the land you stand on now is the same land that Qin Shi Huang and Emperor Wu of Han once stood on. Generations of life are endless, and the river moon looks the same year after year.

It actually wants to tell you that the crescent moon you look up at is the same moon that Li Bai and Su Shi saw.

The Great Wall of ten thousand miles still exists today, but the Qin Shi Huang of that time is no longer seen. It actually wants to tell you that all the eternal hegemony, fame, and fortune will eventually become ruins in the face of time. Living life in a way you like is more worthwhile than chasing after fleeting glory.

So-called life is just a few dozen wheat harvests. The biggest problem for ordinary people is self-esteem.

The amplification by the media, the halo of wealth and status make us always think that successful people are geniuses born with extraordinary talent, invincible. Their abilities, foresight, and vision far surpass ordinary people.

While admiring these people, we tend to look down on ourselves, thinking that we are just not capable enough, stupid, or have a small mind.

We see others’ superhuman existence as an inevitable result of objective ability, and regard our own mediocrity as deserved.

In fact, when you come into contact with those in power and wealth, you will find that these people are just ordinary people, and even their virtues, character, and abilities are not better than yours. Their status and abilities are not proportional at all; it is precisely because of the dazzling halo that they hide their mediocrity or even incompetence.

If there is anything extraordinary about them, it is one thing: mastery through practice. Those who deal with affairs are skilled in techniques and processes; those who deal with people are proficient in social tricks. If you become familiar with these, you can do it too, even better.

Another is that they hit the right opportunity—maybe by chance, maybe because of the trend, maybe by subjective choice. In short, they got lucky, made their first pot of gold, and from then on, it was unstoppable.

It’s not that successful people are useless; indeed, they have their own traits and brilliance. But just like you have your own traits and brilliance, there’s no real difference.

So, when you realize that many people you admire are just fakes, you don’t need to be nervous about facing them or mythologizing them.

You also don’t need to blame yourself or exhaust yourself thinking you are inferior to others. What you should pursue is not just relentless ability, but more importantly, courage, ease, and a mindset that uses external things to your advantage without entanglement.

Treat success and failure as experiences rather than gains and losses, be unafraid of others’ gazes, care less about gaining or losing, and ignore all worldly illusions.

Disassemble the complex of life with a cynical attitude, and be serious only in front of the most important people and matters. Then you will abandon many worries and love yourself lightly and freely.