People who suffer losses often say:
“Loss can become a blessing.”
People who lose money or possessions say:
“Losing money may help avoid greater disaster.”
Timid people say:
“The tallest tree catches the strongest wind.”
Those who narrowly escape danger say:
“Surviving disaster brings future blessings.”
People who suffer injustice say:
“Justice may come late, but it will come.”
Officials who leave office say:
“Life feels lighter without power and responsibility.”
Those who fail in politics comfort themselves by saying:
“A blessing may hide within misfortune.”
A poor man’s wife may say:
“When men become rich, they often change.”
A husband who fears his wife may joke:
“It’s good to have someone managing things for me.”
A wife whose husband never cooks may tell others:
“A man always staying in the kitchen lacks ambition.”
People living on the top floor say:
“The top floor is great. Climbing stairs is exercise, the air is fresh, and nobody disturbs you.”
Meanwhile, people living on the first floor say:
“The first floor is convenient. No stairs, easy access, and less tiring.”
Someone fired by their boss may proudly say:
“I fired my boss instead.”
Everything we own—houses, cars, gold, and possessions, whether visible or invisible—is temporary. None of it truly belongs to us forever. Wise people view all wealth as external things outside the self.
Dale Carnegie once said:
“If we cannot get what we want, we should not let worry and regret ruin our lives.”
We should forgive ourselves and become more open-minded.
According to the ancient Greek philosopher Epictetus, the essence of philosophy is this:
“True happiness comes from reducing dependence on external things.”
The Roman philosopher Seneca also said:
“If you are always dissatisfied, even owning the whole world will not make you happy.”
Even if a person owned the entire world, they could still only eat three meals a day and sleep in one bed at night. A worker digging ditches can enjoy these same simple pleasures—and may even eat and sleep more peacefully than Rockefeller.
True Freedom Comes From Letting Go
The ability to see material possessions as temporary is a sign of wisdom and clarity.
It is not only a form of courage and intelligence beyond worldly thinking, but also a broad-minded attitude toward life and the future.
Anyone who can truly do this will live more lightly, more freely, and more peacefully.
Such people can let go of worries, accept life calmly, and face difficulties with an open heart.