Wake Yourself Up, Change Yourself

Before his passing, Jung told his disciple, “Don’t even have the thought of changing others!” It’s indeed easy for changing others to backfire, but changing oneself can fulfill one’s desires. In fact, changing others is difficult, but changing oneself is even more so. As the saying goes, “People can know the universe, yet not know themselves; the self is more distant than any planet.” Regardless, as we are our own subjects and life only happens once, it’s destined that we should treat ourselves well and take responsibility. So how should we treat and take responsibility for our own lives? We should awaken ourselves, comprehend ourselves, change ourselves, fulfill ourselves, forgive ourselves, and live as ourselves.

Awakening and Understanding Oneself

As we grow older, we find that our world has more pressure and less nagging. The pressure comes from being responsible for our own livelihood, while the lack of nagging stems from those around us gradually assuming we are mature and should handle everything ourselves. We used to think we could venture out on our own, carefree, but when our families truly set us free, we can’t even manage three meals a day. When enduring hunger, we realize the cruelty of reality. It must be said that many people who once fantasized about a free life find loneliness, boredom, and pain when living alone. There are no friends around, just an empty rented room, and we spend our days watching endless videos on our phones, sometimes crying, sometimes laughing. You don’t know if you’re lonely or numb, but you’ll admit that you never thought you’d end up like this. After a while, you’ll find yourself lost, like a frog asleep at the bottom of a well, struggling to breathe in the darkness. At this point, you need to be awakened. Whitman said, “Always face the sun, and the shadows will be cast behind you.” Only you know if you’re doing well. The only one who can truly awaken you is yourself. We often think we understand ourselves the best, but that’s not true. Many times, we are slaves to “ourselves,” obeying its every command without thinking, judging, or refusing. You should be cautious not to blindly follow the voice in your head and comprehend the essence and laws of all things. One day, you’ll realize that those who think they understand themselves are only seeing illusions in this shallow world, while those who truly comprehend themselves can find their value and unique potential.

Changing Oneself and Fulfilling Oneself

Only by changing oneself can one fulfill oneself. Understanding oneself is just the first step; change is not merely a matter of words. This is why most people, even though they know they are not living well, happy, or purposefully, still won’t change. It’s because these people lack the determination to change; after a few days of effort without seeing results, they lose interest, motivation, and hope, and quickly change their direction. They spend their nights fantasizing about the future, getting excited about the endless possibilities. But when they wake up the next day, everything remains the same, including themselves, repeating what they did yesterday. Kugelman said, “Those with far-sighted vision don’t notice what’s right in front of them, while those with near-sighted vision see clearly.” They are enthusiastic about success, anxious and worried about the future, constantly thinking about how to achieve success quickly. If you expend your precious time and energy on trivial matters, what will you have left for the important things? Let go of the obsession with success, reduce your attention to other unimportant matters, and only then can you truly focus and do your own work. Always start by looking for reasons, opportunities, and possibilities within yourself, and you’ll find that over time, there’s no problem you can’t solve. Just as Feuerbach said, “What theory cannot solve, practice will solve for you.” Once you take the initiative, practice, become independent, and grow stronger, the whole world will make way for you. If you are incompetent and like to make excuses, even if the whole world makes way for you, you won’t get far. Only by actively changing and improving yourself can you fulfill yourself. I saw a question online: What is the ultimate purpose of our daily discipline and diligence? A highly upvoted answer said, “Because you have to choose a consistent way of life for yourself, you have to give your life some meaning, and you always have to tell yourself, ‘I have to do something.'” It’s deep; you have to do something to know what you truly want. You have to change yourself first to know how to fulfill yourself.

Forgiving Oneself and Living as Oneself

Everyone has their own unique strengths and weaknesses. Often, people can’t change or fulfill themselves because they only focus on their weaknesses. There are no perfect people in the world, just as no two leaves are exactly alike. Similarly, if you only focus on your weaknesses, your strengths won’t have the space and time to shine. If you spend your precious time and energy only on picking out your faults and shortcomings, how can you extend your potential and showcase your talents? One sign of maturity is knowing how to confidently display your strengths while graciously accepting your weaknesses. By equally embracing your deficiencies and flaws, life will not be dull but will radiate brightly. Embrace your shortcomings, understand your limitations, forgive your faults, and live out your strengths. Just as Hölderlin said, “People should dwell poetically in the world, even in dangerous places, and grow the power to save.” Every life should be treated with kindness, and every person should be sufficiently tolerant of themselves, especially when facing difficulties, and should give themselves a warm embrace. Not for anything else, but to inspire yourself to live with more strength. Just as we return successfully from the vast and dangerous sea to the quiet and warm lakeside home. Those family members who eagerly await your return don’t ask for anything from you; they just want to see you healthy and safe. Returning to your own land, feeling secure and comfortable, free and at ease, just like a warm and beautiful dream. When you let go of the past and live in the present, you forgive yourself and live as yourself, peacefully and contentedly.