The Awakened Mind: Unlocking Your Inner Power for Transformation

We are a fortunate generation. We've witnessed the greatest leap forward in human history—an era of technological progress, material abundance, and interconnectedness. Our lifespans are longer, our measured intelligence is higher, and our wealth is greater. And these advantages can often be passed down to the next generation through genetics or inheritance. But no matter how advanced our technology becomes, there's one thing that can never be directly passed down: our mindset.

Simply put, 'mindset' refers to our attitude towards people and events, and the judgments and choices that follow. Everyone enters this world with a blank slate regarding their outlook on life, their worldview, and their values. All our tendencies, habits, and patterns must develop from this basic human starting point. This is true for you, me, our parents, and our children—no one gets to bypass this developmental stage. Yet, for many, this starting point is rather unformed. They naturally seek simplicity, ease, comfort, and certainty. This innate tendency governs them, forming the baseline for their emotional responses. However, most people caught in this state are largely unaware of it.

Our ignorance about ourselves makes us seem like "someone awake while asleep." I know it's impossible to be simultaneously "awake" and "asleep"—the two are clearly contradictory. But before you point out the logical flaw, perhaps take a look with me at the typical trajectory of our lives. You might just agree with my description. Barring unforeseen circumstances, most people follow a path of "education—career—relationships" as they grow, carried forward by the inertia of life. When we're young, hardly anyone imagines their future will turn out poorly; we assume a good life will simply unfold naturally. In our naivety, we think: even if we can't quite figure out the specifics yet, sheer confidence is enough. Youth feels invincible, right?

Reality, however, doesn't always match our expectations. After years fueled by this boundless confidence, most people find they haven't become exceptional. Instead, they find themselves constantly conforming to societal norms and coping with daily hassles, starting to just go with the flow. They spend their time mindlessly scrolling through phones or playing games, feeling little pressure, but also little drive. They figure life is manageable enough, and keep a flicker of hope alive somewhere inside. Occasionally, they might make a noise of struggle or frustration, but then they revert to making short-sighted choices, indulging in immediate comforts. They remain largely oblivious to how the world really works: unaware of the underlying structures and frameworks of things, unclear about effective paths and methods for making progress, uncertain about what they truly want, what they're capable of, or who they will ultimately become...

These individuals drift along until a certain age, then suddenly realize they feel powerless in the face of the world. The gap between their dreams and reality seems immense, and they're bogged down by the pressures of life and work. Meanwhile, their more successful peers seem to have surged far ahead, leaving them behind. In that moment, they feel anxious, agitated, and jolted awake as if from a long dream: "Why didn't I learn the truth about the world sooner? Why didn't I wake up in time, during my best years?" But even these tearful questions seem too late; the optimal time seems to have passed. After all, life is a one-way street; there's no starting over. Ultimately, they have to shatter their pride, resigning themselves with sighs of helplessness to accept a life of mediocrity.

A smaller group is luckier; they "open their eyes" at the right age. They manage to escape the common pitfalls of growing up and begin intentionally improving themselves, preparing for a better future. Slowly, they pull ahead of the pack, surpassing many of their peers. Soon enough, however, they hit a plateau: they want to be diligent, but inertia always seems to win; they want to work hard, but keep finding themselves stuck in inefficiency; they want to master new skills, but constantly face setbacks and detours. They read countless books, only to forget most of what they learned. They put in tremendous effort, seemingly all for naught. It feels like the harder they push, the more confused they become; the more they strive, the more lost they feel. This paints a picture of the "awake while asleep" person—and frankly, it was a portrait of my past self as well.

For a long time, I lived like someone not fully awake. I didn't understand myself, had no real direction or conviction in life, and felt I had little control over my destiny. Back then, although I was very dedicated to my job, my free time was almost entirely consumed by mindless activities. Whenever I had a moment, I'd get together with friends, often drinking to excess. I regularly stayed up late and never proactively picked up a book or exercised. My ways of killing time involved watching funny videos, reading gossip news, and playing mobile games. If there was truly nothing else to do, I'd just wrap myself in a blanket and sleep the hours away... Deep down, I subconsciously assumed this carefree life would just go on forever.

Until one day, unexpected events drastically changed the life paths of two friends very close to me. I couldn't help but ask myself: What if those things happened to me? If everything I had now was suddenly stripped away, what would I have left? What skills did I actually possess? What mark, if any, had I left on the world? These questions sent a chill down my spine, because I suddenly realized I was capable of almost nothing truly substantial.

From that moment on, an anxiety unlike anything I'd ever known welled up inside me. I realized with stark clarity that I couldn't go on like this. I had to clear my head and stop drifting aimlessly. I had to acquire more skills so I wouldn't be powerless when challenges arose. I had to proactively build accomplishments instead of passively enduring my circumstances...

In 2017, at the age of 36—an age many might consider past prime for major change—I resolutely began my own journey of exploration. I discovered that simply having things to do every day isn't awakening, nor is simply trying hard every day. True awakening is a deep-seated desire originating from within—one that focuses on the long term, requires patience, and involves leveraging the power of cognition to make time an ally. I realized that the fundamental difference between people lies in their cognitive abilities. This is because cognition influences choices, and choices shape destiny. Therefore, the essence of growth is achieving greater clarity in one's own cognitive understanding. I began to broadly explore knowledge from various fields—brain science, cognitive science, psychology, behavioral science, sociology, and others. Through this, I saw the potential for my own growth, understood what I truly wanted, gained clarity on some underlying principles and truths, and learned the methods and paths to achieve my aspirations. From confusion to alertness, from feeling lost to finding clarity, I gradually unlocked the secrets of what I call "awakening of desire" and "awakening of method." I learned how to spark and sustain the inner drive for self-improvement, and how to shift from relying on arduous willpower to being propelled by scientific cognitive strategies.

When I started sharing these thoughts and methodologies online, they resonated deeply with many readers. They were amazed by the transformation I had undergone in a relatively short period. They proactively sent feedback, saying my articles explained complex ideas clearly and provided eye-opening insights, giving them strength and hope. At the same time, they constantly shared their own struggles with growth, hoping I could help find answers. Through these questions, I saw countless individuals eager to grow, which solidified my decision to help others alongside my own continued development.

On the last day of May 2018, I launched a Q&A column on my personal WeChat public account, 'Qing Nao' (meaning 'Clear Mind'). This added the role of 'growth consultant' to my identity. Although it was an amateur endeavor, it gave me extensive exposure to a wide range of "confusion samples" (indeed, many case studies in this book stem from these real questions). After addressing a multitude of diverse growth challenges, I discovered that the methodologies I had explored could actually resolve the confusion and struggles faced by the vast majority of people. Whether interpreting fundamental concepts like brain structure, the subconscious, metacognition, and deliberate practice, or providing strategies for using specific abilities like self-control, focus, proactivity (action-taking), learning capacity, and emotional regulation (including cultivating essential habits such as early rising, meditation, reading, writing, and exercise), I found I could offer relatively unique explanations of the underlying principles and provide concrete, actionable methods.

This accumulation of insights and methods sketched out the basic shape of this book. But when you truly grasp the nature of this book, you'll see that practice and change are its core. Therefore, you should treat it more like a workbook—something to revisit often, reflect upon, and put into practice until real change occurs, rather than simply reading it once to satisfy intellectual curiosity. Of course, you might be particularly interested in a specific topic and jump straight to that chapter. That's perfectly fine. However, if time permits, I strongly recommend reading from the beginning. This is because foundational concepts are introduced progressively, building upon each other like interlocking blocks, and background information from earlier sections can significantly aid comprehension later on.

I believe this book is suitable for anyone who desires personal growth, regardless of your profession, age, or role in life. It offers insights for everyone. It will be particularly helpful for those who lack patience, are anxious for quick results, or feel overwhelmed by anxiety; for those currently without clear life goals and feel adrift; for those who want to improve but only know how to rely on sheer, grueling willpower; for those seeking effective learning methods to boost their academic or professional performance; and for those wanting to understand the fundamental principles of growth and proactively create their own achievements. If you see yourself in any of these descriptions, this book will undoubtedly bring you moments of clarity and help you internalize a genuine cognitive drive for change.

Furthermore, I especially hope young people—particularly students who haven't yet fully entered the professional world—will read this book. You are at the starting line. If this book can spark an awakening for you now, you can avoid many potential detours in life, putting yourself steps, perhaps even leaps, ahead of your peers. Think of it as directly conserving your precious life energy!

And if you feel you've already missed your "prime" years? That truly doesn't matter. Because "now" is always the best time to start. That isn't just a comforting platitude; it's a fact. Grandma Moses began painting seriously at 76 and held her first solo exhibition at 80. Wang Deshun walked the fashion runway at 79. Chu Shijian started a successful orange orchard venture at 74. Even if you're 60 today, they might playfully tell you, "Kid, don't sweat it, you've still got at least 20 years to start fresh whenever you want!" Of course, that's a bit tongue-in-cheek, but the point is clear: if you give up on growth, you'll likely be the same person five or ten years from now. But if you choose to change, you open the door to becoming a completely new version of yourself. Life has no fixed course. If you don't make an effort, time will pass anyway. So, taking action is always better than inaction; starting is always better than giving up. As long as you hold onto hope, any time is the best time to begin.

If you've read this far, then let the act of turning this page be our handshake: "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Zhou Ling. Let's embark on this journey of awakening together!"