Be humble——and other lessons from the philosophy of water
You may know thisfeeling:?you wake up to multiple unread notifications on your mobilephone.?Your calendar is already packed with meetings,?sometimesdouble- or triple-booked.?You feel engaged, you feel busy.?In fact,you feel productive.?But at the end of it all, something still feelsmissing.?You try to figure out what it is.?But before youdo,?the next day starts all over again.?That was how I felt two yearsago.?I felt stressed; I felt anxious.?I felt a bit trapped.?Theworld around me was moving very quickly.And I didn't know what to do.?Istarted wondering to myself:?How do I keep up with all this??How dowe find fulfillment?in a world that's literally changing as fast as we canthink,?or maybe even faster?
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I started looking foranswers.?I spoke to many people, I spoke to my friends,?I spoke to myfamily.?I even read many self-help books.?But I couldn't findanything satisfactory.?In fact, the more self-help books I read,?themore stressed and anxious I became.
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(Laughter)
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It was like I wasfeeding my mind with junk food,?and I was becoming mentally obese.
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(Laughter)
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I was about to giveup,?until one day, I found this.?"The Tao Te Ching: The Book ofthe Way and Its Virtue."?This is an ancient Chinese philosophyclassic?that was written more than 2,600 years ago.And it was by far thethinnest and the smallest book on the bookshelf.?It only had 81pages.?And each page had a short poem.?I remember I flipped to oneparticular poem.?Here it is.?It's beautiful, isn't it?
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(Laughter)
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Let me read it out toyou.
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"The supremegoodness is like water.?It benefits all things without contention.?Indwelling, it stays grounded.?In being, it flows to depths.?Inexpression, it is honest.?In confrontation, it stays gentle.?Ingovernance, it does not control.?In action, it aligns to timing.?Itis content with its nature?and therefore cannot be faulted."
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Wow! I remember whenI first read this passage.?I felt the biggest chills down my spine.?Istill feel that today, reading it to you guys.?My anxiety and stress justsuddenly disappeared.?Ever since that day,I've been trying to apply theconcepts in this passage to my day-to-day life.?And today, I'd like toshare with you three lessons I learned so far?from this philosophy ofwater --?three lessons that I believe have helped me find greaterfulfillment?in almost everything that I do.
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The first lesson isabout humility.?If we think about water flowing in a river,?it isalways staying low.?It helps all the plants grow and keeps all the animalsalive.?It doesn't actually draw any attention to itself,nor does it needany reward or recognition.?It is humble.?But without water's humblecontribution,?life as we know it may not exist.?Water's humilitytaught me a few important things.?It taught me that instead of acting likeI know what I'm doing?or I have all the answers,?it's perfectly OK tosay,?"I don't know.?I want to learn more,?and I need yourhelp."
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It also taught methat, instead of promoting my glory and success,?it is so much moresatisfying to promote the success and glory of others.?It taught me that,instead of doing things where I can get ahead,?it so much more fulfillingand meaningful?to help other people overcome their challenges so they cansucceed.?With a humble mindset,?I was able to form a lot richerconnections with the people around me.?I became genuinely interested inthe stories and experiences?that make them unique and magical.?Lifebecame a lot more fun,?because every day I'd discover new quirks, newideas?and new solutions to problems I didn't know before,?all thanksto the ideas and help from others.?All streams eventually flow to theocean?because it is lower than them.?Humility gives water itspower.?But I think it gives us the capacity to remain grounded,?to bepresent,?to learn from and be transformed by the stories of the peoplearound us.
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The second lesson Ilearned is about harmony.?If we think about water flowing towards arock,?it will just flow around it.?It doesn't get upset, it doesn'tget angry,?it doesn't get agitated.?In fact, it doesn't feel much atall.?When faced with an obstacle, somehow water finds asolution,?without force, without conflict.?When I was thinkingthrough this, I began to understand?why I was feeling stressed out in thefirst place.?Instead of working in harmony with my environment,?I wasworking against it.?I was forcing things to change?because I wasconsumed by the need to succeed or to prove myself.?In the end, nothingdid.?And I got more frustrated.?By simply shifting my focus fromtrying to achieve more success?to trying to achieve more harmony,?Iwas immediately able to feel calm and focused again.
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I started askingquestions like:?Will this action bring me greater harmony?and bringmore harmony to my environment??Does this align with my nature??Ibecame more comfortable simply being who I am,rather than who I'm supposed tobe or expected to be.?Work actually became easier,?because I stoppedfocusing on things that I cannot control?and only on the things that Ican.?I stopped fighting with myself,?and I learned to work with myenvironment to solve its problems.
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Nature does nothurry.?Yet, everything is accomplished.?That's Tao Te Ching's way ofdescribing the power of harmony.?Just as water is able to find a solutionwithout force or conflict,?I believe we can find a greater sense offulfillment in our endeavors?by shifting focus from achieving moresuccess?to achieving more harmony.
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The third lesson Ilearned from the philosophy of water?is about openness.?Water is opento change.Depending on the temperature, it can be a liquid, solid orgas.?Depending on the medium it's in,?it can be a teapot, a cup or aflower vase.?In fact, it's water's ability to adapt and change and remainflexiblethat made it so enduring through the ages,?despite all the changesin the environment.?We also live in a world today of constantchange.?We can no longer expect to work to a static jobdescription?or follow a single career path.?We, too, are expected toconstantly reinvent and refresh our skills?to stay relevant.
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In our organization,we host a lot of hackathons,?where small groups or individuals cometogether?to solve a business problem in a compressed time frame.?Andwhat's interesting to me is that the teams that usually win?are not theones with the most experienced team members,?but the ones with members whoare open to learn,?who are open to unlearn?and who are open tohelping each othernavigate through the changing circumstances.?Life islike a hackathon in some way.?It's calling to each and every one of us tostep up, to open up?and cause a ripple effect.?Now, we can staybehind closed doors and continue to be paralyzed?by our self-limitingbeliefs, such as:?"I will never be able to talk about Chinesephilosophy?in front of a huge audience."
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(Laughter)
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Or we can just openup and enjoy the ride.?It can only be an amazing experience.?Sohumility, harmony and openness.?Those are the three lessons I learned fromthe philosophy of water so far.They nicely abbreviate to H-H-O,?or H2O.
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(Laughter)
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And they have becomemy guiding principles in life.?So nowadays, whenever I feelstressed,unfulfilled, anxious or just not sure what to do,?I simply askthe question:?What would water do?
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(Laughter)
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This simple andpowerful question inspired by a book?written long before the days ofbitcoin, fintech and digital technology?has changed my life for thebetter.?Try it, and let me know how it works for you.I would love to hearfrom you.
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Thank you.
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(Applause)
中文翻譯如下：
你可能有過這種感覺：?早晨醒來今穿，看到手機上 許多條未讀的通知抗蠢。
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你的行程日歷已經(jīng)被各種會議填滿，?有時候甚至要同時做兩三件事烫止。?你覺得自己很投入，很忙碌替蔬。?實際上皆的，你還會覺得自己很有效率。?可一天結(jié)束后怨酝，你卻總是覺得還缺了點什么，?并試圖弄清到底少了什么那先。?但在你想明白前?同樣的日子又已來臨农猬。?這就是我兩年前的感受。?我覺得壓抑售淡，焦慮斤葱，?感覺自己陷入了困境。?周圍的世界在快速運轉(zhuǎn)著揖闸，?我卻不知道該如何應對揍堕。?我開始問自己：?我該怎么做才能跟上世界的步伐？?我們應該怎么做?才能在這個飛速變換的世界里?找到滿足感汤纸？
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我開始尋找答案衩茸。?我和許多人聊過這個話題，?包括朋友蹲嚣，家人递瑰。?我甚至讀了很多勵志的書，?但一直找不到讓自己滿意的答案隙畜。?說實話抖部，讀過的勵志書越多，?我就變得越壓抑议惰，越焦慮慎颗。
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（笑聲）
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這就像是在喂我的大腦吃垃圾食品，?然后自己變得“心智肥胖”了。
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（笑聲）
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我差點就要放棄了俯萎。?直到有一天傲宜，我發(fā)現(xiàn)了這本書。?《道德經(jīng)》：一本闡釋道德品行的書夫啊。?它是中國古代哲學經(jīng)典函卒，?大概成書于2600年前。?它也是目前書架上最薄撇眯，最小的一本書报嵌，?只有81頁。?每頁上都有一首小詩熊榛。?我記得當時翻看到了這樣一首詩锚国。?請看。?寫得真好啊玄坦，是不是血筑？
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（笑聲）
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我來讀給你們聽：
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“上善若水。?水善利萬物而不爭煎楣，處眾人之所惡豺总。?居，善地转质；?心园欣，善淵帖世；?言休蟹，善信；?與日矫，善仁赂弓；?政，善治哪轿；?動盈魁，善時。?夫唯不爭窃诉，?故無憂杨耙。”
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我記得當時看完這段文字后?感到脊背發(fā)涼飘痛，醍醐灌頂珊膜。?讀完剛才這一遍，我依然有那種感覺宣脉。?我的焦慮和壓抑感瞬間消失了车柠。?從那天起，?我就試著將這篇文章中的理念運用到日常生活中。?今天竹祷，我想和你們分享谈跛， 目前為止我從水之道中?所學到的三個道理——?是它們，讓我在做每一件事時都獲得了?更大的滿足感塑陵。
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第一個道理感憾，是要保持謙遜的態(tài)度。?試想令花，河流中的水?總是在低處汩汩流淌吹菱。?有了水，植物才能生長彭则， 動物才能存活鳍刷。?可它卻從不居功自傲，?也不需要塵世的褒獎和認可俯抖。?它很謙遜输瓜。?如果沒有水這樣不求回報的貢獻，?現(xiàn)今世界上的生命可能就不復存在了芬萍。?水的謙遜讓我明白了以下幾點尤揣。
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其實我不必表現(xiàn)得像個萬事通，?一副什么都知道的樣子柬祠，?說出“我不知道北戏，?我想要學習更多，?我需要你的幫助漫蛔∈扔”?沒什么丟人的。
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水的謙遜還讓我明白莽龟，為自己尋求成功之道?遠不如幫助他人成功 來得快樂和滿足蠕嫁。?與個人的成功相比，?幫助他人克服困難毯盈，走向成功?才是更有滿足感剃毒，更有意義的事。?懷著一顆謙遜的心搂赋，?我發(fā)現(xiàn)自己能和身邊的 人建立更深厚的聯(lián)系赘阀。?我想聆聽他們的故事和經(jīng)歷，正是這些經(jīng)歷脑奠，?讓他們成為了現(xiàn)在獨特的自己基公。?我發(fā)現(xiàn)生活變得更有趣了，?因為每天我都能發(fā)掘新點子捺信，新想法酌媒，?還有之前從來不知道的解決問題的新方法欠痴，?多虧了身邊的人給我的建議和幫助。?百川最終匯入廣闊的大海秒咨，?因為大海在低處喇辽。?謙遜賦予了水以力量。?不過我想到的是雨席， 謙虛使我們能腳踏實地菩咨，?活在當下，?取人之長陡厘，補己之短抽米。
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我所學到的第二個道理，是保持平和的心態(tài)糙置。?想想看云茸，如果水為石頭所阻，?它會繞過那塊石頭谤饭。?它不會沮喪标捺，不會憤怒，?不會被激怒揉抵。?實際上亡容，它不會有任何情緒。?當障礙擺在面前時冤今， 水總能找到解決辦法闺兢，?不借助武力，也不引起沖突戏罢。?當我想明白這些時屋谭，我開始懂得?為什么之前的自己會感到壓抑。當時的我并沒有與 周邊的環(huán)境和諧相處帖汞，?而是站在了它的對立面戴而。?我強迫身邊的事物改變，?因為我想通過成功證明自己翩蘸。?到最后，事與愿違淮逊，?于是我變得更加沮喪催首。?從追求更多的成功?到追求更多的和諧，?我很快感到了內(nèi)心的平靜泄鹏， 專注度也提高了郎任。
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我開始問自己：?如果這樣做，我的內(nèi)心會更加平和嗎备籽？?我能和外界和諧相處嗎舶治？?這符合我的天性嗎分井？做真實的自己讓我感到很坦然，?不需要迎合別人的期待霉猛。?工作也變得簡單起來尺锚，?因為我不再糾結(jié)于 在我掌控之外的事。?而只專注于我力所能及的事惜浅。?我不再與自我抗衡瘫辩，?也學會了和所置身的環(huán)境和平相處， 解決其中的問題坛悉。
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“道恒無為伐厌，?而無不為“。?這是《道德經(jīng)》對“和諧”的力量的描述裸影。?就像水解決問題從不 借助武力挣轨、引起沖突一樣，?我相信轩猩，從追求成功?轉(zhuǎn)變?yōu)樽非蠛椭C刃唐，?能夠讓我們收獲更大的滿足感。
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我從水之道學到的第三個哲理界轩，?是保持開明的思想画饥。?水從不抗拒改變。?隨著溫度變化浊猾，水可以是 液體抖甘、固體或氣體。?在不同器皿中葫慎，?水可以成為茶壺衔彻、杯子或花瓶的形狀。?事實上偷办，正是水隨機應變艰额， 順其自然的特性，?使得不論環(huán)境如何變化椒涯，?水都會經(jīng)久不腐柄沮。?我們生活在一個不斷變化的世界中。?一成不變的工作將不復存在废岂，?一輩子只從事一個工作的 情況也越來越少祖搓。?我們需要不斷地更新我們的技能，?方能在社會立足湖苞。
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在我工作的地方曾經(jīng)舉辦了 很多次編程馬拉松比賽拯欧，?個人或小團體聚在一起，?在規(guī)定時間內(nèi)解決商業(yè)問題财骨。?我發(fā)現(xiàn)那些獲勝的隊伍?并非擁有經(jīng)驗豐富的成員镐作，?但它們的成員大多樂意學習藏姐，?甘于放棄，相互幫助该贾，?共同適應環(huán)境的變化羔杨。?人生在某種程度上就像一場競賽。?需要我們每個人邁步向前靶庙，敞開心扉问畅，?由此引發(fā)積極的連鎖反應。?我們大可以緊鎖心門六荒，麻木不仁护姆，?用自己的執(zhí)念限制自己，例如：“我永遠無法在這么多觀眾面前?談論中國哲學掏击÷言恚”
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（笑聲）
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又或者，我們可以敞開大門砚亭， 享受這段旅程灯变，?這將是一次無與倫比的體驗。?謙遜捅膘、平和添祸、開明，?這是迄今為止 我從水之道中悟出的哲學寻仗。?它們可以簡稱為H-H-O刃泌， （謙遜=H，平和=H署尤，開明=O）?或是H2O （即水的化學表達式）耙替。
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（笑聲）
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它們已經(jīng)成為我的人生指導原則。?現(xiàn)在曹体，每當我感到壓抑俗扇，?不滿，焦慮箕别，或是無所適從的時候铜幽，?我就會問問自己：?水會怎么做？
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（笑聲）
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這個簡單而有力的問題 是受一本書的啟發(fā)究孕，?一本古籍啥酱，遠在比特幣、科技金融和數(shù)字技術(shù)出現(xiàn)前就誕生了厨诸，?卻使我的生活變得更美好。?嘗試一下禾酱，看看它 對你將有什么樣的影響微酬。?我將洗耳恭聽绘趋。
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謝謝你們
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（掌聲）
