《Be a little tougher on yourself, get a little closer to success》

If you’re not a little tougher on yourself, you’ll never know just how excellent you are

◆ Every day, we come into contact with plenty of “tough” people. White-collar worker Katie is in an environment like that. In her view, her boss is practically a sadist. If the boss is in a bad mood, everyone will suffer. If her performance is not good, she gets scolded; even the slightest mistake at work leads to being scolded. If she’s stuck in traffic and late, she not only gets criticized, but also fined. Even if she’s only one minute late, there’s no escape. Katie’s work isn’t going smoothly—she can’t win her boss’s approval—but she doesn’t dare to quit easily. As a “mortgage slave,” she counts on her salary every month to pay off the loan. If she quits in a fit of anger, who knows whether she’ll be able to find a good job?

◆ Since she’s already fallen to rock bottom, can life really get even worse?

◆ “Toughness” is a kind of will, a kind of spirit—an unyielding determination to fight on and on, failing repeatedly yet not giving up, in order to achieve one’s goals; it is a stubborn, unwavering belief in refusing to give in, refusing to give up, and refusing to abandon.

◆ Keeping your head down and obeying the rules is no longer just self-protection in cleverness—it’s slow self-destruction; it’s inviting your own downfall.

◆ Only be a little tougher on yourself, because “only by enduring hellish trials can you develop the power to create heaven; only with fingers that have flowed with blood can you play the world’s greatest swan song.”

◆ In today’s society, the weak are not allowed to cower in one corner. People with weak inner strength are destined to be swallowed by the strong.

◆ Afraid of wolves in front and afraid of tigers behind—you’ll never find a new way out.

◆ As the ancients said, if you don’t enter the tiger’s den, how can you catch the tiger cub? A person who lacks the courage to face risks gives up on the chance of success from the very beginning.