22/8/2024 Podcast Reflection

Today's Podcast:

思文，败类:当未来不确定，我们该如何保持快乐？

I started my 24-hour fast, and now with only 2 hours left, I’m feeling super hungry. During this time, I listened to a podcast about how to stay happy when the future is uncertain. I know Siwen from her stand-up comedy shows, and I enjoy her humour because it’s always relatable to our lives. In this podcast, she and another guest discussed the current economic situation in China, which isn’t as good as it used to be. They are social media celebrities and haven’t worked in a traditional office setting for a long time. Recently, the other guest has been considering returning to an office job, but the reality is tough—many jobs now have age restrictions, often requiring candidates to be under 30 or 35, making it difficult for women of a certain age to re-enter the workforce.

They also talked about how spending habits are changing. Initially, people liked shopping on Taobao, an e-commerce platform, but now they prefer Pinduoduo, a cheaper alternative, or even 1688, an e-commerce site for wholesale. Siwen mentioned that she has started saving money and feels less desire to buy new things. She’s happy when she finds a good deal or something for free. For me, happiness is seeing her bank account balance grow. I give myself a set amount to spend each month, most of which goes toward socialising with friends.

Siwen also pointed out that life is a cycle—it’s never all good or all bad. When you’re going through a tough time, you can be sure that better days will come. She shared a story about a friend who recently spent a lot of money on surgery. Although Siwen isn’t earning as much from sponsorships right now, she’s still happy because she’s healthy and doesn’t need to spend money on health issues. In the past, she had severe health problems that prevented her from doing anything for a long time. For Siwen, being healthy and able to work is enough to make her happy.

I believe that feeling anxious or unhappy about an uncertain future stems from having too many desires. It’s important to recognise that what we take for granted might be a luxury for others. There’s no reason not to be happy—the bad times will pass, just as the good times will. I love the Chinese phrase 不以物喜，不以己悲, which means "not to become attached to material things and not to pity oneself." It perfectly encapsulates this idea.