Confucius, who is considered to be one of the most important philosophers in China, left an immeasurable influence in the East Asian social and intellectual history.
The theories of Confucius touched subjects of ethics, and even philosophies which relate to personal and governmental morality, the correctness of social relationships, and also justice among the others.
Although his ideas were ancient, they are still quite relevant in modern society. Below, you can read some of his teachings. Learning to follow them will definitely change your life for the better.
1. Simply keep going.
The Chinese philosopher wisely instructs that we have to keep going on in the journey of our life. Although consistency can be quite hard to achieve, harder than we can imagine, it is the only key which will help us reach our destination.
We have to continue persisting and never give up. We are going to attain our goals, and that may not be carved in stone, but one day we will definitely when we persist in moving on.
2. Be in good company.
It doesn’t matter if we are aware of the fact or not, those people that we spend most of our time with will greatly influence our behaviors and thoughts. Therefore, we have to take time in considering the company around us.
When we have the right friends who care about us and we care about them will make a positive and social circle. They are important in our happiness and development too.
3. Practice patience.
As we all know, good things need more time in order to happen. When we practice patience, we will prevent ourselves from succumbing to the temptations given by negativity.
We have to remember that patience is a virtual which honors not just our ability to wait, but also the ability to keep a good attitude while we wait. Once when we acquire the good thing which we were waiting for so long, we will not just have it, but also we will have the right attitude.
4. Let go of everything wrong.
Just like Confucius said:
To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.
Sometimes, we probably struggled with setbacks and heartbreaks in life. Remembering such bad times will make us stuck in life and will also prevent us from living the best in our life.
So, instead of seeing the wrongs done to us as negative, we can conquer it by seeing the wisdom that it brings to us. We should learn how to let go of the wrongs and keep going with ease, while we are on our way of achieving goals.
5. Watch our anger.
One saying of Confucius goes like this:
When anger rises, think of its consequences.
Anger, when left unchecked, is going to lead us to quickly do some terrible things which we are going to regret soon.
Every time when we are angry, we should step back and remember the 5-5-5 rule. We should ask ourselves if it will matter in five minutes, five days or 5 years. If the answer to the question is no, we better move on.
6. Open to adjustments.
Sometimes, our life will not go on a linear pattern. Confucius advised that if we cannot attain our goals, we should also not change our goals but change our plan of action.
We should learn to make adjustments in our life, like a sailor that constantly adjusts his sails in response to the winds that he cannot control.
7. Everyone is our teacher.
Regardless of how lowly or highly a person seems to be, he or she carries lessons which are helpful in our development.
For instance, when someone comes along, we should ask what the other person can teach us, or we may also ask ourselves what we can teach him or her.
8. All or nothing.
Confucius said:
Wherever you go, go with all your heart.
Regardless of where life takes us, we have to go with our all being. We should also put our heart, body, mind, and soul in everything we do. When we put all in, everybody is going to notice our energy and passion. Changing this world can also be possible.
9. Sharpening our tools will pay off.
According to another saying of Confucius:
The mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.
This, in fact, means that preparation if the key in all undertakings. We could not perceive success with inadequate means. As greatness does not come easily, we have to put in a lot of hard work in order to achieve success in life.