The Supreme Feng Shui Within a Person - Silence

In the teahouse, old Zhang was teaching his apprentice how to brew kung fu tea. When the water boiled, the teapot whistled loudly, but old Zhang said, “This pot is ruined.” Seeing our confusion, he pointed to a matte purple clay teapot on the cabinet: “A truly good pot remains as quiet as if asleep when the water rolls.”

There’s a saying: “The ruthless speak little.” Just like old Zhang’s noisy teapot, the louder the boiling, the more energy is lost.

I came across an excellent formula recently that I’d like to share:

High-Energy Life = Priorities + Deep Focus + Quality Relationships

Priorities means knowing what to do, what not to do, what to do first, and what to do later - this involves energy management.

There’s a saying: “Choice is greater than effort.” Priorities are a form of choice. From small decisions like what to do when you get home, what not to do, what to do first, what to do later - all reflect your consideration of priorities.

For example, choosing to play games instead of spending time with your girlfriend, or choosing to scroll through short videos instead of reading. These are all choices about what you consider important.

Deep Focus requires a crucial ability - the power to filter, which is “not responding”: not reacting, not being affected, and certainly not getting entangled. Filter out people and things that drain your energy immediately, preventing them from interfering with your magnetic field.

Only then can you focus deeply on more important things in your life - such as career, growth, family…

The third point is Quality Relationships. Harvard University’s 85-year study - the “Harvard Study of Adult Development” - tells us that the secret to happiness is simple and pure.

This study began in 1938, with researchers tracking 724 men from different backgrounds, observing their lives from adolescence to old age. Through 85 years of data analysis, the research found that what correlates most strongly with happiness is not wealth, fame, or even health, but the quality of interpersonal relationships.

A quality relationship, a quality partner, is like a power bank - when you lack energy, they give you energy; when you’re in a bad mood, they comfort you. A poor relationship, on the other hand, consumes enormous amounts of your time just through emotional drain.

In today’s information-overloaded era, “not responding” isn’t easy. Dozens of unread red dots on WeChat, various short videos competing for your attention, subway advertisements bombarding you relentlessly…

True feng shui isn’t about decorative items in your entryway, but about creating a soundproof room for yourself.

Building up for a big move relies on restraint, not on noise and clamor. Some people start “showing off” before they’ve accomplished anything.

Psychology has a “Self-Determination Theory” that divides motivation into internal and external types. People who constantly want to display their efforts spend too much time on “showing.” If someone likes their posts, they’re full of energy; if no one pays attention, they become discouraged.

Those who focus on the task itself are like tree roots growing into darkness - silent on the surface, but already deeply intertwined underground.

My friend Xiao Lan told me about her lesson. A few years ago, when competing for a department supervisor position among three candidates, she and a competitor argued heatedly in meetings. A few days after the meeting, the leader promoted the third person who had remained quiet throughout.

The leader said privately: “The quiet one seems reliable.”

I once watched a video of a true Japanese sushi master whose breathing was so light when making sushi that it seemed he was afraid of disturbing the rice grains in the vinegared rice. When passing plates, even the angle of his wrist rotation was controlled to minimize sound.

This kind of silent cultivation is called “kung fu” or “craftsmanship spirit” in China, “shu-ha-ri” in Japan, and “flow experience” in psychology.

This echoes what the Tao Te Ching says: “Great sound is soundless.”

When viewing murals in Dunhuang, the guide said the secret to colors that don’t fade for a thousand years is “three alums, nine dyes” - paint one layer of color, brush one layer of alum water to fix the color, and repeat.

Isn’t adult cultivation the same? As the saying goes: “Two years to learn to speak, a lifetime to learn to be silent.” For every word spoken, nine parts of silence are needed for settling.

Eckhart Tolle says in “The Power of Now”: “When you no longer need to attract attention, you possess power.”

In the gym, the person with the best physique who comes most regularly never takes selfies in front of mirrors. His muscle definition speaks for itself, and the sound of sweat dripping on the floor is more “loud” than any social media check-in.

Next time you feel anxious, lock your phone in a drawer for two hours and spend those 120 minutes focusing on one small task. You’ll discover that when the world quiets down, what’s truly important in your heart will surface. Like after a storm, wet signs may be toppled and askew, but the deeply buried roots have grown another solid inch into the darkness.

Let’s encourage each other.