先苦后甜 - Why Easy Choices Lead to a Hard Life - Chinese Daily Podcast

Li Ming, I'm so tired! I really almost couldn't get out of bed this morning. My bed seems to have magic, constantly pulling me toward it. What's wrong? Did you stay up late again last night? Ah, you're right, as expected. I started watching a new TV series last night. It's so beautiful, I just want to watch one more episode—just one more. As a result, I stayed up until 2 a.m. Haha, I completely understand. But you see, this is a very interesting choice. I chose to keep watching TV last night. You were very happy and comfortable back then, weren't you? Yes, I'm especially happy. But this morning? It's become especially difficult to get up this morning to go to work. You may feel very tired throughout the entire day. Yes, I really want to drink three cups of coffee right now. Now that you mention it, it does seem to make a bit of sense. Last night's ease has turned into today's difficulty. You're right, I've been thinking about a topic recently, It's a difficult choice—easy living. Easy choice, hard life. I think the example we just mentioned is the best one. Oh, a difficult choice, a relaxed life, That statement is quite interesting. Please tell me more about it. Alright, actually, the principle is very simple, We can start looking from our daily lives, For example, take the matter of getting up in the morning. Yes, go on. I get up at 6:30 every morning, To be honest, when the alarm goes off, My first thought was also, Just ten more minutes of sleep—my bed has magic too. Hehehe, so you're the same too. Yes, everyone is the same. At this moment, I have two choices in front of me, One choice is easy, Just turn off the alarm and go back to sleep. Sleep until half past seven, then rush to get up. Another option is difficult, It's just about getting up immediately and leaving the comfortable bed. So, do you choose that difficult thing every single day? I tried hard to choose the difficult one. I get up at half past six, Then go running outside for half an hour, After finishing my run, I took a shower. Eat breakfast quietly again. When I was ready to go to work at eight o'clock, I feel that my energy level is particularly high. Feeling that today has started off wonderfully. I understand, you made a difficult choice this morning. Just get up and exercise. So your day becomes very relaxed, Very energetic. And me? This morning I made an easy choice. Just keep sleeping. My day began in chaos. And it feels very tired and very difficult. That's exactly what I mean. It's the same with eating dinner. After work, we were both very tired when we got home. What is the easiest choice? Order takeout, or eat instant noodles. Fast and convenient. Yes, what about the hardest choice? Go to the vegetable market to buy groceries. Then go home by yourself to wash the vegetables, Chopping vegetables, cooking I have to wash the dishes after cooking. This process is indeed quite troublesome. Yeah, it's quite troublesome, isn't it? It requires time and effort. But if we choose to eat takeout every day, Is it good for our physical health in the long run? May gain weight, may not be healthy. Indeed, takeout food is generally quite oily. There is also a lot of salt, If cooking at home, Although it was a bit difficult at the time, But we can choose healthy foods, It's better for the body. In the long run, A healthy body, Life quality would be much higher. This is true relaxation. Absolutely correct. So whether it's sleeping or eating, These small daily matters, They all influence our future lives, Short-term comfort, It could cause long-term trouble. Now that you mention it, I suddenly thought about learning Chinese. That makes sense too. Oh, go on then, tell me. Look, We have many listeners who are learning Chinese. What is the easiest way to learn Chinese? I'm tired today, I'm not studying anymore. My friend invited me to go out and have some fun today. Then I won't learn it. Words are so hard. I'm not memorizing anymore. Well, these choices are indeed very easy. Rest and happiness can be obtained immediately. But what about the outcome? As a result, a month passed. Half a year has passed. I've realized I haven't made the slightest progress in Chinese. Seeing others being able to chat in Chinese, But he couldn't utter a single word. At that moment, one would feel very difficult inside. I regret it deeply. Yes, what is the difficult choice about learning Chinese? No matter how busy or tired you are today, Tell themselves they must study for at least half an hour, Memorize ten new words every day without fail. Keep listening to a Chinese conversation, Stick to reviewing the material learned yesterday, These things might be a bit boring to do. It's even a bit painful. Yes, this process is difficult. But if you persist, You will find that your Chinese level has improved a lot after one year. You can chat with Chinese people. I can understand Chinese movies. Can understand our podcast. Back then, Your Chinese world will become very light and joyful. What you said inside is all correct. But sometimes I feel especially sad, For example, I feel that I am making an effort to study every day. But it doesn't seem like there's any progress. At that moment, I really wanted to give up. I feel like doing something relaxing. I completely understand this feeling. Almost everyone who learns a language goes through this stage. That's perfectly normal. I have a small summary; it might be helpful. Speak quickly, speak quickly. When you feel that you are not making progress, You shouldn't always look forward. You can look back. What does "回頭看" mean? What I mean is, You can take out what you had one month ago, or content learned three months ago, Take another look. You will be surprised to discover, Those texts that seemed especially difficult to you at the time, It seems so simple now. Those words you didn't know at the time Now you've met them all. At this moment, You will clearly see your own progress. Wow, this method is really great. We always look at what we haven't mastered yet. So it feels very difficult. But if we look back, What we have already learned, That would bring a great sense of achievement. Yes, this sense of accomplishment will give you the motivation to keep going. Learning a language is like planting a tree, Water and fertilize it every day, It might be a long time. You can't even see any changes in it. This process is difficult. But as long as you persist, One day it will suddenly grow into a large tree. Bring you shade and fruit. At that time, That's when you enjoy a relaxed life. Your analogy is truly excellent. Learning is like planting a tree. I've remembered it. Whenever I feel like giving up in the future, Just think about the Chinese tree I'm currently planting. It's not just about health and learning, The same applies to work and money issues. How do you say this? For example, regarding money, After receiving my salary each month, What is the easiest choice? Of course, it's shopping, shopping, shopping! See a new outfit you like, buy it. See the newly released phone, buy it. Having a big meal with friends Drink delicious milk tea, These things bring great happiness. Yes, the moment you spend money is truly joyful. This is an easy choice. But what was the outcome? By the end of the month, You realize you have no money. If money is suddenly needed, For example, when one is sick, Or there's something at home. You will find it extremely difficult. I can relate to this so much. When looking at the credit card bill, It's really difficult. What about the difficult choice? It's just that every month after receiving my salary, Force yourself to save a portion of money first. Watching others buy new things while I can't afford to. At that moment, one might have felt a bit uncomfortable inside. It is indeed quite difficult. One must endure with patience. But one year, five years, ten years later, The money you save keeps increasing. You can use this money to travel. Go learn something new. Or give you a sense of security whenever needed, At that time, your life will be much easier than others'. That makes sense. In China, Aren't people of our older generation particularly懂得 this principle? They seem all very good at saving money. Yes. In Chinese culture, We often use a term called "enduring hardship." Endure hardship, Is it something very bitter to eat? Not meant literally, The meaning of "吃苦" is, For the sake of a long-term, better goal, Willing to endure hardship and difficulty now. Our parents or grandparents, They didn't have good living conditions when they were young. So they understood, Now living frugally and working hard, They are all doing this for their children to have a better life in the future. For the future of the family. I see. Enduring hardship means choosing the difficult path first. This is truly a term with very distinctive Chinese cultural characteristics. Yes. In work as well, At the company, A new project has come in, It's hard. I need to learn a lot of new things. Overtime might still be required. At this moment, the easy choice is, Ah, this is too difficult; I can't do it. Then give the opportunity to someone else. The difficult choice is to accept this challenge. Although the process will be very hard, I'm very tired. You're right. But when you have diligently completed this difficult project, You not only acquired new skills, was also recognized by my boss and colleagues, Your future career development path will become much easier. Broader. And those who always choose simple tasks, One might just keep standing still. Liming, We've talked so much, I completely agree with your opinion. But why do we all know what we should do? But why is it so hard to do? My brain seems to always urge me to make the easy choice. This is a very good question. Because our brains are naturally inclined to Immediate gratification. Immediate gratification? Yes, it's about instantly getting happiness. Eat a piece of cake, Happiness is on horseback. Lying on the sofa watching TV, Comfort is on the horseback. Spending money to buy things, Happiness is also immediate. Our brains really love this feeling. I see. And those difficult choices, For example, sports, Study, Saving money The positive outcomes they bring are not immediate. The benefits of exercise may not be felt for up to a month. The progress of learning may not be noticeable for another half a year. The sense of security that comes from saving money may not be felt for several years. Our happiness has been postponed. So our brains don't like it. What should we do then? How can one make their own brain Willing to do those difficult things But the right thing? We can use some small methods Deceive our brain. Oh? That sounds interesting. First, Make the difficult choice a little easier. For example, You want to go running the next morning, Then you can do it before sleeping Just prepare the sports clothes and shoes and place them by the bed. That way, the next morning when you wake up, Put it on and you're ready to go. The initial steps are simple. It will be easier to stick with it. This is good. Just like learning Chinese, I can keep the book and notebook on my desk forever. rather than placing it on the bookshelf, I can see it as soon as I sit down. Learning will then become easier. Yes. Second, The difficult choice given to you A small, Timely rewards. For example, Tell yourself, If I study Chinese for one hour today, I'll reward myself by watching an episode of my favorite TV show. That way, your brain can also immediately receive happiness, It will be more willing to cooperate with you. I like this method. The things one enjoys doing As a reward after putting in effort. Third, Imagine the future. When you don't feel like studying, Or when you feel like spending money recklessly, Stop for a minute, Think seriously for a moment, If I persist in studying today, Me a year from now, How well can you speak Chinese? If I save the money today, Me in five years What can I do with this money? See the轻松 future life more clearly, Your motivation will be even stronger now. Hmm, Draw a clearer blueprint for the future. Now that you mention it, I think making difficult choices It doesn't seem that scary after all. It is not meant to make us suffer, but in a smart way Invest in our future happy life. You're absolutely right. It's just investment. Invest in your own future. Thanks so much today, Li Ming. I feel full of energy, I have made up my mind, I'm not watching TV dramas tonight. I should go to bed earlier. Exercise tomorrow morning as well. Great! I hope you can do it tomorrow. I can definitely do it. Alright, We talked a lot today. In summary, Regardless of whether it's for our physical health, Or for the sake of studying and working, Or our money, Do something difficult earlier. But the right choice, Future life will truly be much easier. This requires a bit of patience from us. Go and see farther places. Yes If you'd like to review the content of our chat today, You can check out our blog. We have placed the complete transcript of the conversation above. We'd also like to hear your story. On the journey of learning Chinese, What difficult choice have you ever made? For example, I'm memorizing vocabulary every day while getting up early, Did you give up time to hang out with friends in order to attend Chinese class? Feel free to leave a comment below our blog and let us know. Alright, That's it for today. Friends in the audience, See you next time. Goodbye.