In a recent interview, an actor revealed that he hasn’t filmed any movies in over two years. He’s been gradually reducing his workload and focusing on the life he truly enjoys.
He frankly stated that he chose not to act anymore:
“You have to learn to let go of certain things.”
As people reach middle age, they realize that spending too much time and energy on external pursuits can lead to emptiness and neglect of inner cultivation and spiritual growth.
If one continues to pursue high-end lifestyles and superficial glory, happiness will eventually be consumed by endless desires.
After entering middle age, one must learn to live a low-key life in three aspects to truly enjoy life and become spiritually wealthy.
Low-Key Emotions, Far from Inner Turmoil
A friend’s older sister was a beauty and came from a well-off family. She got divorced at a young age, bringing her daughter back to her parents’ home.
Despite her youth and beauty, she couldn’t find a new partner. Every time she went on a date, she would repeat the same story about her unhappy marriage and emphasize her past hurts and disappointments.
This scared men away, and even her young daughter got tired of hearing the same story:
“Mom, it’s been years; can’t we move on?”
She was stuck in her emotions, wasting energy and exhausting herself.
“You must control your emotions; otherwise, your emotions will control you.”
Life is about moving forward. As emotional animals, humans can express emotions, but shouldn’t be controlled by them.
If we can look at things calmly and avoid inner turmoil, we’ll be able to move forward with a clear mind and a heart that’s full of hope.
Low-Key Face, Family Top Priority
A couple in their 80s started a business, but it failed, leaving them with debts of over 200,000. To pay off their debts, they worked even harder.
After several setbacks, they finally paid off most of their debts and had an epiphany:
“Happiness doesn’t require a lot of money.”
They began to reduce unnecessary social interactions, stopped pretending to be rich, and stopped sending their kids to expensive private schools.
After the debt crisis, they moved from a big city to a small town, rented a small house, and started a bed-and-breakfast business.
Although they still worked hard, they didn’t feel the same pressure as before.
They learned to be content with what they had and didn’t need to compare themselves to others.
As one netizen said, “In the past, I would buy things impulsively, but now I think twice before making a purchase.”
Most people no longer overspend to impress others, but instead, focus on their own needs.
Low-Key Partner, Rich in Self-Cultivation
A beautiful friend hoped to change her fate through marriage.
Although her husband’s family was wealthy, he was laid-back and only cared about his family. My friend was unhappy and created a series of plans to transform him:
She forced him to study, take exams, learn childcare, and exercise regularly.
She even asked him to borrow money from his parents to start a business.
However, after a year and a half, their life didn’t improve, and her husband eventually asked for a divorce.
High expectations can destroy love and marriage.
Lower your expectations, cultivate yourself, and reject “command-style improvement.” Focus on your own growth, and don’t project your high expectations onto others.
In life, we often have explicit or implicit expectations of our partners.
Hope they can understand us, hope they can improve their lives, hope they can put us first….
The writer says, “The less you demand from others, the more at peace you’ll be.”
Excessive demands and expectations can lead to resentment and trouble.
Instead, focus on self-cultivation, nourish your soul, and pursue personal excellence.
For example, you can enrich your inner world through reading and writing, cultivate your heart through music and art, or improve your emotional intelligence to better manage relationships.
Lower your expectations, focus on yourself, and cultivate your inner strength.
A person’s strength begins with letting go of high expectations and cultivating oneself.
“Once you reach middle age, you don’t have time to waste; you must focus on what’s truly important.”
I deeply agree.
As you enter middle age, time is limited, and you don’t need to carry too much emotional baggage.
Lower your emotional expectations, learn to let go, and avoid emotional black holes.
Lower your facial expectations, simplify your life, and don’t be too concerned about what others think.
Lower your partner expectations, be objective, and focus on self-cultivation to achieve inner fulfillment and satisfaction.
Simplify your life, and you’ll become a happy, powerful, and simple person.