Happy enjoyment of life

A girl wrote to Sanmao: "I am twenty-nine years old this year, unmarried, is the lowest-level clerk of a customs broker, often after I leave work, back to the rented bucket room, in the face of material and spiritual life is quite poor, feel the value of living, very ... I'm sorry, my bleak mood, can't be expressed in words. I feel inferior, please tell me, what is the ultimate purpose of life? I am such a humble person (my appearance is too ordinary), and my ability to work is limited, I can't say that I have any special interest, and I have never been interested in me by the opposite sex. I really envy you, I wish I could live like you, but unfortunately I can't, please write more books to show me and enrich my life, otherwise, I really don't know what happiness there is in living? ”

Unhappy Girl: From your short self-introduction, it seems very shocking that twenty-nine years old is just young, and there are many incorrect definitions of the lowest level, poor, bleak, inferior, ordinary, humble, limited ability, etc. In my personal experience, I have also pondered many times what the meaning and ultimate purpose of life is, but at present I have only one answer, a very simple one, that is, "to seek true freedom" and then enjoy life. Unhappy girl, your mind is not free, right? Of course, I have not achieved absolute transcendence, but as you wrote in your letter, I no longer use them on myself, although we are similar in comparison.

If I were you, the first thing to do was to increase the expectation and importance of the self, sweep away the string of inferior words in the letter from life, and never look down on yourself again. You have a legitimate profession, you can afford to rent a room, your appearance is not bad, you know how to further explore the meaning of life after commuting, this is a very beautiful thing, why do you feel humble? It is a great pity that you feel humble because you have not looked at yourself with your own subjective eyes, but with the general utilitarian eyes of society.

A person who does not appreciate himself is difficult to be happy. Of course, from your letter, it is easy to see part of your mood, your ability to express is not weak, from your words, you can clearly see a single woman in the city for life helpless and sad, this helplessness, not superficial, is worth valuing.

Practically speaking, without talking about the illusory method, if I lived in what you call the "bucket room", if it were me, the first thing I would do was to decorate my room. I would paint the room bright white, make myself a beautiful curtain on the window, I would put a small ordinary radio at the head of the bed, make a bookshelf in the corner, change the light bulb with a warm and warm lampshade, and then, I would go to the flower market, carefully pick a few pots to see the pleasant bonsai, and put them in my window. If I still have any money left, I'll go buy a few copies of the famous paintings— the poster-like ones— and hang them on the wall.... In my estimation, it will not exceed four thousand Taiwan dollars, of course, except for the radio, everything is done by yourself, which saves the cost of craftsmen, and life will be much more interesting.

The room is beautifully furnished and is the first step in enjoying life to change your mood, and for me, it is no longer a bucket room. Then, when I pay a paycheck — if I were you, I'd buy myself a beautiful and practical dress for very little money. If I don't feel cheerful enough, I'm likely to go to a hairdresser's shop and spend a hundred Taiwan dollars to trim my hairstyle that stays the same all year round, change my look, and give myself a refreshing happiness. I'll pick out a few pale cosmetics for myself or buy a new pair of shoes the next month when I'm paid again. Of course, the salary is still paid every month, and there are four or five hours of free time after work, at that time, I may go to the youth club to sign up for Chinese, flower arrangement or other interested courses, and do not have the pressure to take classes twice a week, which is another way to change the environment and enrich myself.

You see, if I were you, I would slowly change. I go to class, maybe make some friends, and since my little room is so beautiful, maybe I can occasionally invite friends to sit down and talk about their lives and dreams. Slowly, I no longer feel so inferior, I have the courage to contact good and virtuous people (such people are still many in society), and I will find that everyone is very ordinary - but beautiful, just like myself.

I will also find that a beautiful life does not require too much money to achieve. I also no longer care that the opposite sex is not interested in my feelings, because my own life is enriched little by little, and it is too late to enjoy myself.

If I were you, I would no longer wait for Sanmao to come out with a new book, I would write my own notes, write for my own appreciation, I will slowly find that what I write myself also has style and fun, I am really a lovely woman.

Unhappy girls, please act! Don't rely on others to give you happiness. You first go to the room to arrange it, force yourself to do it, you will find that things are not as difficult as you think, and, interest can be sought, try east and west, as long as you think you like it, then cultivate it, become a pastime after work.

However, I still feel that the deepest happiness in this world is to help others, not just to enjoy it in the world of the self—of course, it is also important to enjoy the life of the self. You first imagine yourself as others, help yourself build confidence, make up your mind to change your current way of life, make yourself lively, don't let your life do the loss of money and sadness, at least you have to try it, try your best, okay? There are many, many ways to enjoy life, the problem is that you must have action, and fantasy is not OK. The next time you write to me, the girl who signed Happy, delete the word "no", okay?

Your friend Sanmao on