Chapter 156: Self-confidence
The author has something to say: Everyone, please do not attack those who say Big Brother is crazy, saying Big Brother is talking nonsense, saying everything bad about Big Brother. It is completely unnecessary. Many masters tell stories when they preach the Dharma. If someone gives you a gift and you don’t accept it, won’t it return to them? This is just Dharma, a way to advise people not to enter the realm. Big Brother does not need to be like this at all. If he sees those who speak well and understand, he will say more. If he sees those who don’t understand and speak against him, Big Brother will not get angry. This is called going with the flow. You should also not get angry by being swayed by circumstances. Do not fight with people to protect the Dharma. Protecting the Dharma means protecting the thoughts in your own heart. Big Brother is a living Vajra and an iron Arhat. He will not have any emotions upon hearing unpleasant words in the eyes of worldly people. Instead, he will smile and continue to move forward. Consider them as encouragement for Big Brother, giving him more room for improvement. Hahahaha. And you also know Big Brother’s temperament. If I really wanted to teach these kinds of people a lesson, I would directly start chanting the Ma Liming Divine Incantation, hahaha. But I won’t get angry; I’ll just find it fun. So don’t get angry, okay? Let’s have fun in this game of life. We’re playing to be happy, so why get angry? Hahahaha.
Also, don’t find Big Brother long-winded. Brothers and sisters who give Big Brother gifts, please don’t get carried away! Taking care of your own life is the prerequisite! Big Brother hopes you will all get better and better. If you read the book multiple times, Big Brother will also get some of that advertising fee. It seems like for every amount of advertising, Big Brother gets a fraction, right? And then there’s reading the book, or asking for updates, which also seems to contribute, but Big Brother doesn’t know the specifics and hasn’t researched it. Although it’s not much, it’s fine. Please take care of your own lives.
Don’t get carried away because you like Big Brother and spend all the money you have for buying delicious food on Big Brother. This is something Big Brother does not want to see. You must take care of your own lives first, this is the prerequisite. Otherwise, the meaning of Big Brother writing this book will be lost. Supporting Big Brother should also depend on your own circumstances. Make a rational decision, don’t be impulsive.
For example, many children have just entered society, and some are still in school. They don’t have much money themselves, so why would they give gifts to Big Brother? If I knew you gave gifts to Big Brother and then couldn’t afford to eat delicious food or even buy a drink, I would cry. I’m not lying to you, I would really cry. Please don’t make me cry, I want to be happy. In your eyes, I am Big Brother, and Big Brother must have the demeanor of Big Brother. In my eyes, you are Bodhisattvas. Every cent you give is the care you Bodhisattvas show to Big Brother. Big Brother is ultimately not an unfeeling god, but has lived like a god. He will remember this kindness. Even if Big Brother truly becomes a god, he will be a god with emotions and righteousness, not some idiot god who doesn’t know good from bad. That’s not Big Brother, and it’s not worthy of being called Big Brother; that’s just a big idiot~!
How much money you spend on incense is in your heart, not in the money. Not spending money won’t affect Big Brother writing an awesome book for you. Big Brother’s greatest wish is to integrate everything he knows and has learned into the book. In Big Brother’s own words, even a child suffering from depression should be able to break free from their cage and become a warrior after reading it~! That’s what I want to do~! I want to give everyone who reads the book energy in their hearts~! Become your own powerful self~! Conquer all melodrama~!
Thank you for your support of Big Brother~! Brave warriors growing upwards~! ）
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Returning to the main topic.
Not long after, Gouzi called again. He really didn’t know what kind of videos to film. He filmed a few, modified some popular videos and sent them out, but there was no effect.
The boy said helplessly, “Why are you so stupid? Learn the method! Why do you always expect results right from the beginning?”
There’s an Elder Sister who films herself picking up scraps every day and has gained over seven hundred thousand fans. What does she rely on?
One is the characteristics of her videos: positive content, combined with perseverance and the determination to see things through. Another is her courage to not be afraid of embarrassment and to let go of her face.
Think about it, does she need seven hundred thousand people to watch her pick up trash? But why does she still do it? Because people want to watch. People want to see her process of picking up trash every day, the things she encounters, and they are curious about what she will pick up tomorrow.”
“Old Ghost, I understand all these things you’re saying, but sometimes I have great ideas, but when I persevere and don’t see results, I get a little discouraged. Sigh…”
Seeing Gouzi like this, the boy had no choice but to explain another use of the power of the heart.
“In this world, there is a most powerful force that drives people forward. Many people call it the power of the heart. Use it to propel yourself to do the things you want to do.
The way to use the power of the heart is to fixate your thoughts on the thing you want to do, concentrating your mental energy on this one point every day, absolutely believing in yourself, telling yourself that you can definitely do it! I am invincible! I am the most awesome! There is nothing I cannot achieve!
Whether it’s building an airplane or building a cannon, first believe that you can build it!
Then continuously believe that you can accomplish this task. During the process, observe and, amidst all adversity, perceive the patterns that lead upwards.
If it’s low here, don’t be discouraged! Flip it over and look at the other side, it’s rising! It’s going up! If it’s low there, it doesn’t matter, look at this side again. This side is a little better than before, not exactly low, still high! If both sides are low, look at the third change. The third has increased a little, it has increased! As long as you can see the upward trend in everything, you will discover that you are constantly improving! The more you do this, the more successful you will be!
One day, two days, one month, two months, one year, two years, don’t worry about whether there are results. As long as it’s rising, it will eventually blossom and bear fruit. Keep your eyes on the future, not on the present. No one sees significant changes by looking only at the present, but if you see improvements in all aspects, then it is silently growing stronger.
Extend the timeline, and if you look at the river of time, you will see the seed of a flower growing. It will get bigger as time goes by, and eventually, it will blossom!
This might be the last time the boy teaches Gouzi. If Gouzi can’t figure it out himself, then whatever he says will be in vain.
Because Gouzi lacks self-confidence, and secondly, he doubts what the boy says. Forget about buddies and brothers, even a biological father would be useless. Although they seem to be communicating in human language, Gouzi simply doesn’t understand the meaning behind the words. He wants to win but doesn’t believe he can win. If he’s told the method to win, he doesn’t believe it. How can he win?
If the boy wanted to do something, he would only become more motivated the more he did it. He wouldn’t care about whether it would succeed or not. Once he started, he would already be on the path to success because he could see the pattern of success. Eating a bite every day, and after eating for a long time, he would eventually become fat.
It’s like how he always used the borrowed strength to fight back in the past.
For example, before he attained enlightenment, if someone spoke ill of him, belittled him, or looked down on him, when resentment arose in his heart, he would channel that energy back into his ambition, boosting his fighting spirit. He would tell himself, “I refuse to be defeated! I will stand up and make them watch me from afar! I will not rest until I achieve this!”
When feeling wronged or sad. “Damn it~! If I didn’t have negative emotions, how could I practice controlling them? This is helping me cultivate! I not only want to use this to practice controlling my emotions, but I also want to use this method to create emotions for myself, and then use those emotions to increase my strength!”
At any time, in any place, if he wants to be joyful! Even Jesus couldn’t stop him! Because he decides for himself!
He can borrow any kind of negative energy and use it to enhance a certain positive strength, transforming and upgrading it, changing the energy attribute.
Depression isn’t about being unable to control oneself, right? I’ll use this state to practice how to better control myself!
Isn’t anxiety about making you overthink? I’ll use it to cultivate how not to overthink and to counter-control my thoughts.
If this isn’t good? If that isn’t good? I’ll do the opposite.
Anything that can harm me will ultimately achieve me!
I am heaven! I am the root of everything that turns the universe around. I control myself, and use it for my benefit!
If I am timid, I can train myself to be bold. If I am not timid, how can I become bold?
Reverse thinking, rebirth from desperate situations.
The Buddha said: When the mind arises, all phenomena arise; when the mind perishes, all phenomena perish.
For a phoenix to be reborn, it must first go through fire. If a person is to attain Buddhahood, they must first defeat demons.
Thoughts are inherently mutable. By leveraging their mutability, thoughts turn, flowers bloom, and Bodhi naturally arises.
Let the wind blow and sway me as I please. Let the rain help me grow savagely. When wind and rain come together, it is my opportunity for sublimation.
…
After Gouzi finished this phone call with the boy, he studied it himself for a while and actually sold over ten orders, then it cooled down. A week later, it improved a little, sold a few orders, then cooled down again. This repeated.
This made Gouzi’s heart flutter. Every time he saw a glimmer of hope, it was cruelly extinguished by reality.
This made Gouzi very dejected. The confidence he had just built was gradually worn down in this state, and he became disheartened.
When the boy learned about this, he couldn’t bear to see his brother continue to be dispirited and said to Gouzi:
“In life, sometimes you really shouldn’t dwell too much on gains and losses. This will wear down your fighting spirit. The trajectory of fate is never a straight line, but a continuously changing curve. In doing anything, there will be ups and downs. You might think there’s no pattern, but our ancestors have already said it very clearly: when things reach an extreme, they reverse. When life reaches its peak, it will inevitably begin to decline. When it declines to the extreme, it will transform into a new beginning.
Taking doing things as an example, every matter is not immutable. You must learn to see that curve. Low doesn’t necessarily mean low; it might be the early stage of preparing to rise. Don’t get too excited when it’s high, as it might also turn into a decline.
All things in this world are large and small curves following a pattern. Flowers bloom and fall, people come and go, prosperity and decline, sun and moon revolve, all are within this pattern.
Only one pattern needs to be grasped well, and that is a straight line: the heart! Although the heart is also within this pattern, fluctuating between good and bad, joy and sorrow, if you let go of all these, focus directly on one goal, block out the thorns on the road, and don’t get pulled or delayed, or even blocked.
Then you can break through thorns and be invincible! Forge ahead and achieve the goals in your heart.
Only this one line can be called a straight line, but this line requires unwavering will and resolute determination to support it.
Brother, if a person doesn’t even believe in themselves, then what in this world can they believe in? If someone who doesn’t even believe in themselves tells you they believe in this and that, would you believe them?”
Gouzi casually replied, “I wouldn’t.”
Hearing this, the boy smiled and said, “That’s right. The premise of believing in anything is self-confidence. If you don’t believe in yourself, what’s the use of believing in anything?”
