Learning in the world can only be broken by diligence
When I was studying in the countryside of Hunan in my early years, one night, Zeng Guofan recited an article. There was a thief lurking under the eaves of his house, preparing to steal something after Zeng Guofan finished memorizing his books and went to bed. But after waiting for several hours, the thief heard the rooster crow. Zeng Guofan was still endorsing the book and had no intention of sleeping. The thief was really impatient, jumped out, walked up to Zeng Guofan, and said angrily: "Why do you study when you are so stupid?" ?After saying that, he recited the article fluently and walked away.
In terms of talent, Zeng Guofan is really not that high in this regard. He took the exam 7 times in a row, and it was not until he was 23 that he passed the exam. Zhang Zhidong, one of the four famous ministers of Wanqing Dynasty, was admitted as a scholar at the age of 13, Zuo Zongtang was admitted at the age of 14, and even Li Hongzhang was admitted as a scholar at the age of 17. But even so, the other three regarded him as their teacher. Such achievements are inseparable from Zeng Guofan's diligence and persistence.
Talent is what God gives you, and no one can control it. Diligence is something that everyone can do. Ordinary people can only stick to a habit for a month, but he can stick to it for a lifetime. This is what makes him special. As for calligraphy alone, he continued to practice it until he was old. The letters, diaries and memorials he wrote throughout his life were all in regular script or running script.
All victories are ultimately a victory of values. In the letters he wrote home to his son, he always reminded his son that hard work can make up for his weakness, and God will reward his hard work.
Diligence and hard work, the first value is getting up early, the second value is perseverance; generals and generals have no talent, saints and heroes have no talent, as long as people are determined, they can do it. Zeng Guofan's "Letter to the Family of Zeng Guofan" I do everything with diligence and hard work. You can't seek fame too quickly or seek results too quickly.
Don’t stop when you are sleepy. If you get through this, you can make less progress.
Keep progressing and struggling, enduring and working hard, and the day will come when you will be prosperous and diligent. ? Zeng Guofan's "Letter from Zeng Guofan's Family"
2
It is important to know the shortcomings, write them down and correct them
When Zeng Guofan was young, he was also a man with many shortcomings. people. After entering the Hanlin Academy at the age of thirty, he met all kinds of outstanding talents across the country, which also aroused his awe and sense of shame. Influenced by traditional culture since childhood, he determined to imitate the saints of ancient and modern times. At the age of thirty-one, Zeng Guofan set himself twelve daily lessons, constantly reflecting on himself and correcting his behavior.
Zeng Guofan had the habit of keeping a diary throughout his life, and he did not stop until the day before his death. When he was young, because he was idle, his great-father wrote a letter home pointing out his shortcomings. After seeing it, he immediately repented and corrected himself. From then on, he used diligence to overcome laziness, and insisted on getting up early throughout his life, except for the occasional illness.
In terms of talent, many people look down on Zeng Guofan's clumsiness. He is not considered smart. When he is studying, he will not read a book until he has finished it. He will not read the next sentence if a sentence does not make sense. Write down what you didn't do well yesterday one by one, and fix it bit by bit today. He never forgets to tell his family how to seek the right path, correct their deeds, and establish righteousness. Even in the military camp, facing the uncertainty of life and death every day, he still did not forget his studies and lessons.
He once taught scholars: First, they must have ambition, secondly, they must have knowledge, and thirdly, they must have perseverance. If you have ambition, you will not be willing to be humble; if you have knowledge, you will know that knowledge is endless, and you will not dare to be self-satisfied with one thing; if you have perseverance, you will be able to accomplish anything. All three are indispensable. ? Zeng Guofan's "Letter from Zeng Guofan's Family"