(Minghui.org) We can say that most people have some regrets at the end of their lives – perhaps they didn't get along that well with their loved ones, or that they didn't help others enough, or that they didn't end up contributing much to society. Some feel that they have wasted their entire lives away. I am certain that I would be one of them had I not started to practice Falun Dafa.
Growing up, I was taught at home and in school that I needed to be “outstanding.” And as a student, I was judged by my grades. With the pressure of school work and interpersonal relationships, I was often depressed. The day before the high school entry exam, I had an emotional breakdown in the bathroom.
“I don't want to take the tests!” I cried. My parents and teachers were very concerned about me at that time.
Moreover, I had been sickly ever since I was a child. I had my tonsils removed at age of 4, and I was a regular patient at the doctor's office. But all of this changed when I started practicing Falun Dafa at the age of 18.
Blessings from Dafa
My mother brought the book Zhuan Falun home one day, saying that it was very popular at her workplace. I picked up the book and started reading. Tears kept flowing as I read through the book. I could hear a voice shouting in my head, saying “I found it, I finally found it!”
I finished the book in one night. The next morning, I wrote in my diary, “Today is the first day of my new life.”
I was a selfish and self-centered person. As I learned to follow the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance, my temperament mellowed, and I became more altruistic.
My health also improved greatly. As the years passed, it seemed that my body stopped aging in my twenties. People around me are often surprised when they find out how old I really am.
In the past, I often would argue with others over the slightest disagreement. After I started practicing Falun Dafa, I started to take personal differences lightly, and I am able to accept different people and different opinions. As a result, more people wanted to interact with me. Today interpersonal relationships no longer bother me.
As the tension in my mind eased, my school work became easier and my grades improved dramatically. I was accepted by the university and graduate school of my choice. After graduation, I was hired by a Fortune 500 company and became a business manager, a position with interesting work and good benefits.
Later on I met my husband, who is also a Falun Dafa practitioner. He has been taking care of me in every possible way. In the past eight years that we have been married, he always protects and tolerates me. My in-laws treat me like their own daughter – I could have never dreamed of having such a happy family life.
Cultivating Character
Of course, there are always tests in cultivation. For example, when I got a new manager, she was not pleased with my work. She thought I was good at completing tasks that were given to me, but lacked initiative and was not proactive enough. In short, I was a good foot soldier.
At first, I was a little confused because my previous manager was very pleased with my work style. But as a practitioner, I knew that I have to unconditionally look within, to self-reflect and correct myself. So I changed my work style: I started to plan my own work. As soon as the manager decides on the direction, I would utilize the resources and make a plan, follow through and eventually produce the result.
After several months of hard work, my manager praised me publicly for my improvement. Other managers also acknowledged my progress. Now I am able to plan and organize work according to available resources; I am able to bring up my own ideas, monitor the situation at the front-line, and help my manager make the appropriate decisions. For my diligence, I have gained trust from both managers and co-workers alike.
Positive Outlook on Life
Outside of work, I learned to write opinion articles and am also a producer of non-profit films. Through cultivating Falun Dafa, I learned to always keep a positive attitude in life. I tell myself not to be anxious, not to blindly follow others and not to mindlessly chase fame and fortune.
I have found the guiding light of my life. Success to me is doing well in what I should do in society to benefit others. What is mine will be mine, and what is not I will not get, even if I pursue it. As practitioners of Falun Dafa, as long as we strive to do our best to meet Dafa's standards, the blessings will naturally follow.
I want to express my deepest gratitude to the founder of Falun Dafa Mr. Li Hongzhi. From the bottom of my heart – Falun Dafa is good!
