Today is cruel. Tomorrow is crueller. And the day after tomorrow is beautiful.
Interpretation
This quote highlights the struggles of today and tomorrow while suggesting that hope and beauty will ultimately emerge.
Jack Ma's quote reflects on the difficult and often harsh realities we face in our lives today and in the immediate future. However, it conveys a powerful message about resilience and optimism, indicating that despite current hardships, a brighter and more beautiful future awaits us. It encourages individuals to endure through tough times with the belief that better days are ahead.
In practice
During a motivational speech about overcoming challenges.
Hong Kong people say Hong Kong needs to preserve its uniqueness. I say Hong Kong's uniqueness is in its diversity, its tolerance of difference cultures... China does not want to see Hong Kong in decline. I have full confidence in its future.
If we are a good team and know what we want to do, one of us can defeat tons of them.
It's not that other countries steal jobs from you guys. It's your strategy. Distribute the money and things in a proper way.
Helping doing business easier, we choose the name Alibaba because it is a global company. It is founded in China, but it was created for the world.
In the beginning I just wanted to survive. For the first three years, we made zero revenue. I remember many times when I was trying to pay up, the restaurant owner would say, 'Your bill was paid.' And there would be a note saying, 'Mr. Ma, I'm your customer on the Alibaba platform. I made a lot of money, and I know you don't, so I paid the bill.'
Even if your competitor is still small in size or weak, you should take him seriously and treat him as a giant. Likewise, even if your competitor is massive in size, you shouldn't regard yourself as a weakling.
Attention is like energy in that without it no work can be done, and in doing work is dissipated. We create ourselves by how we use this energy. Memories, thoughts and feelings are all shaped by how use it. And it is an energy under control, to do with as we please; hence attention is our most important tool in the task of improving the quality of experience.
Actions are but lifeless forms whose soul is the secret of sincerity in them
I am bound to tell what I am told, but not in every case to believe it.
Simplicity is power. The power to do less of what doesn't matter and more of what does.
You have no responsibility to live up to what other people think you ought to accomplish. I have no responsibility to be like they expect me to be. It's their mistake, not my failing.
I worked for Harperβs Bazaar. They fired me. I recommend that you all get fired; itβs a great learning experience.
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