(1) What I learned from the ancient saying

Recently I have been reading a book named The 36 strategies of ancient war. The first strategy is about hiding your true intention in common ways.

I summarize the principles into three steps: firstly, to obey the opponent in appearance with your own intention in disguise; secondly, to grasp the opponent's shortage or blind point; and the last step is to lead the opponent's attention to other aspects and even ignore that it is by your guide.

Many years ago, when Li Shiming, the emperor of Tang Dynasty was so worried because his 300 thousand troop couldn't go aross the ocean to reach the fighting site, he was almost desperate. Then he might have to go back home and withdraw his plan to beat his opponents.

At that time, one of his strategy consultants gave him a tip. He was told that a master had been found to absorb all the water in ocean. Li Shiming was so excited. He could not help wondering what technique was going to be applied in solving this issue. So he went to see the master and followed his consultants down a path with both sides covered by cloth. When he reached a kind of glorious building and was having dinner with the master, he suddenly felt the ground moving, the wind blowing and the sea waving him up and down. What happened? Wow, all people were on the boat sailing into the ocean center.

This is where the saying was coming from - hide a secret from the emperor , and moved him to a boat in the sea by his own willingness.

Well now, what ideas have you got from listening to this story?

I think I have got two. The first one is when I am trapped in a dilemma, I may ask myself, is there anything I am so afraid of ? Is there any other opportunities that I can discover to help me out? The second one is when I am trying to get other people's support, I may ask myself, how about his worry or limit? Can I exchange some benefit from helping him so that we can cooperate and work together?

Let me give you an example. In the TV serial my latter half life, 3 roles have their own worry and I see a lot of meaningful enlightenments in their dilemma struggling.

Let's talk about Luo Zijun

She is a pretty, young, gentle and considerate lady. In her eyes, those pretty girls are her unbearable threat to her family. Is that true?

The TV plays show us that she just ignored her most trustful ugly woman her real enemy.

Luo Zijun has 3 fatal weaknesses:

1. She doesn't believe she can live well by her own capabilities.
   She always searches for care and love from her husband Chen Junsheng, so that Chen will continuously offer her what she needs in material. She doesn't try to live by her own effort, neither in mental world, nor in real world.

2. She has an empty heart. She doesn't really enjoy something nice in life. She doesn't care about other people's sneer at her or does she care anything that will fulfill her power or strengthen her capabilities. She doesn't desire anything outside her family so she cannot get beneficial input from outside world either.

3. She doesn't think she has the potential to satisfy her own needs, so she doesn't make any positive action at all. She felt pity about herself all day and all night, not awaring of her advantages and opportunities. She hesitated for many hours, imagining the obstacles in front and felt deeply unsafe in every minute.

I felt unsafe too, when she said Chen Junsheng had promised her an easy life and she was so released because she had such a wonderful husband.

Don't you feel sorry for this lady? Though she is beautiful and has college background, all of these cannot make her feel proud of herself. She let her life a fake flower, because the real flower will live under both sunshine and rain shower as well, won't it?