Again, I wished the time would pass by more quickly so that I could get away from this world. I had lost my dream and passion and direction for my life. I became very irritable. Two years ago, I met Master Shifu who helped me find my lost dream. He told me I have beautiful movements but that I didn’t understand the philosophy of Kungfu. I got curious, so I decided to learn from him. He began to teach me Tai Chi (or Tʹai chi chʹuan) instead of Kungfu. At first, I almost ran away from the slow, dance‐like movements; he finally began to show me the philosophy behind those movements. “Imagine you are the only one in the world: grow from the soil, push up the sky, and play with the Qi (energy) around you like a ball.” He said this so quietly, that I thought I saw the Qi ball in his hands. Soon after, I tried this, and my heart became so peaceful and my mind became so clear. I loved this form of martial art more and more because it pushed away all my worries and unhappiness when I practiced it. It was relaxing practicing Tʹai chi chʹuan, and afterwards, my brain functioned much better. I began to be calm and thought more carefully before any decision. Magic soon happened: my grades improved . . . a lot! I found my confidence and my passion growing again. Suddenly I understood that only smart people will do something that seems nonsense but actually is very useful. Even though I am no longer trying to be a Kungfu master, I still want to do my best to improve the world, to help those people who need it, and to make my family and friends happy. My new dream is a direction, not a final destination. It does not have to be achieved but rather is both a guidepost and engine which leads me forward.
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