In his life, he wrote more than 1 million words of diaries, letters from home, notes, etc. In meritorious service, he wiped out the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom, completed the suppression and twisting in the north, and extended the life of the Qing Dynasty for decades; In education, from the Imperial Academy to the Governor of Zhili, countless talents were trained along the way. At the same time, he was the first person to start westernization in Qing Dynasty and sent students to study abroad. After his death, his life savings were only enough for his own funeral.
He is honored as three immortal historical figures who have made meritorious deeds, established virtues and made statements, which is well deserved!
How did a man with an average qualification who walked out of the mountains of Hunan achieve such great achievements in just over 6 years?
Looking at his memorial, letters and notes, we can see that he used "36 words" to knock himself to death all his life. The following is divided into eight chapters, and these 36 words are given to you one by one.
1. ambition: if you don't have an ambition, nothing can be achieved in the world; Where there is a will, there is a way;
be a first-class person. "ambition" is the determination and belief to pursue the goal of life, which determines the purpose of life and career and dominates the firmness of achieving the goal. Life begins with determination. If you don't stand up, there is nothing in the world; If you can aspire to it, you can do anything. Zeng Guofan firmly believes that everyone can be a sage, and he has set himself a lofty ambition of "not being a sage, but being an animal". "Zhi" provided spiritual source power for his life, and his fame career began with the word "Zhi".
(1) Nothing is impossible in the world if you don't set your mind on it
(2) If you are not a sage, you will be an animal
(3) The higher your ambition, the greater your achievement
(4) Choose your teachers and friends carefully, and make friends with people with aspirations
2. Perseverance, a stone can be carved; If you want to achieve a little success, start from constancy;
nothing is impossible without perseverance. "Heng" is the foundation of holiness, that is, sages and heroes, and great undertakings have to be made from this word. There are three elements: one is "persistence", which lasts for decades and never stops; The second is "concentration", look for one thing, and go all out if it is the same; The third is "gradual", which accumulates over time and makes a mickle. Keep these three, there will be a day of success.
(1) Perseverance can make a stone
(2) To do great things, we must start with the word "perseverance"
(3) There is a definite goal, from beginning to end
(4) Life is always the first virtue
3. Speciality: everything is expensive and specialized; Be expert and refined, and disperse with disputes;
use your strength to the point. Zeng Guofan said that the skills of westerners are so excellent because they concentrate on everything they do, drill deeper and deeper, and gradually reach the extreme. He believes that in order to catch up with the west, we must have the word "expert". All his life, big and small, he devoted himself to it. Seek teachers' colleges, friends' colleges, feelings and things, thus summing up the hard truth that "everything is expensive." People's energy is limited, but the world is endless. If you want to make a difference, you can only succeed by concentrating your strength and fighting annihilation.
(1) Authoritarianism: being single-minded, you can succeed
(2) Concentration: having two purposes, you can't succeed
(3) Specialization: hard work is like digging a well, and everything is expensive
(4) Specialization: the strength of the West lies in specialization
4. Familiarity: Practice makes perfect. Everything is familiar, and familiarity can be strong;
stupid kung fu also pays off. Familiarity is a kind of stupid kung fu. Zeng Guofan learned to write poems, familiarized himself with Su Shi's and Lu You's poems every day, and never tired of them all his life. At last, his mouth was full of saliva and witty sentences came out. Practice is stupid, but it makes perfect. Zeng Guofan was an official in running the army, and all of them verified the merits of the word "cooked". You should know that all kinds of skills in the world can't be relied on if they are not refined by "familiarity".
(1) Practice makes perfect, and wonderful things are never over-ripe
(2) Everything is expensive, and familiarity can be strong
(3) First set up a scale, then refine it
5, Yu: There are many rivers, and tolerance is great; Broad-minded, more help;
Open your mind. The turmoil in the official sea and the official career are all blocked, and it is impossible to be entirely independent by individuals. In the meantime, it is inevitable that it will be bumpy. If you are depressed in your chest and complain about others, it will not only be useless, but will easily lead to disaster and injury. At this time, it is inseparable from the word "Yu". Those who are "rich" are full of rivers, and tolerance is great. Zeng Guofan believes that broad-minded and magnanimous is the decisive character of whether a person can take on a big responsibility. There is no blame for abundance, and there is no dispute for abundance. Being a man, living in abundance, and keeping it in chastity, is difficult to understand and has no disadvantages.
(1) the word "broad" should be used as medicine to treat the heart
(2) the amount of the disease is too small to be a major event in the world
(3) the word "abundant" can help out the danger
6. Quiet: quietness can lead to light, and anger can hurt the body; Quiet and self-cultivation, quiet and far-reaching;
if you don't move, you can take the initiative. Static energy is vivid and can brake more. If you move more, you will make more mistakes, and if you move less, you will have less trouble. Silence is not only the method of inner cultivation, but also the way to change in an opportune moment. Zeng Guofan knows the wonderful truth of the word "quiet" and can do things without moving. He has repeatedly warned his son that being active and restless is one of his major disadvantages. Nowadays, everyone likes to move and be quiet. I don't know how many hidden dangers there are in the hustle and bustle!
(1) quiet to cultivate one's morality, not quiet to be far away
(2) sitting quietly for health preservation, keeping one word is better than taking all kinds of medicine
(3) being calm is the only way to do things
(4) people hit the first time, I hit the second time
7, light: when people and I are together, we must look at it evenly. On the occasion of fame, you must look down;
taste the true meaning of a good life. People who are ambitious care about a lot and pay attention to a lot, so they are often hardworking and bear the burden of humiliation. At this time, we should use the word "light" to get a comfortable solution. Zeng Guofan was busy all his life, but he kept in good health by being calm, lived with indifference, served as an official by being dull, and studied by being far away. He had a calm day in his chest and was blissful in life.
(1) When government affairs are involved, it's easy to have fun.
(2) If self-esteem is often unremarkable, you will achieve great things.
(3) When you become famous, you must look down.
(4) Send the majestic in the distance.
8. Leisure: Life is too short to cover it. Busy and easy to make mistakes, and more calm;
only when you are free can you accommodate great events. When you are in charge of doing great things, you often have to take big risks and decide big doubts. Its physical and mental stress and tension are unbearable and imaginable. If you have a word "leisure" in your heart, you can leave a piece of pure land, relax and be at ease. "Leisure" is the pressure reducing valve on the high-pressure furnace; Leisure is a landscape painting in the White Tiger Festival Hall. "Leisure" is Kong Mingqin in the empty city plan. Take quiet while moving, steal leisure while busy, and reveal the great wisdom of life in plain.
(1) leisure: things are often wrong because of busyness, and they are more leisurely
(2) leisure: the word "leisure" is the secret of nourishing the heart
(3) leisure: you should put it down if you can afford it
(4) leisure planning: at a critical moment, fight with the word "leisure" to settle the storm. Take a break from your busy schedule and relax in a small place;
you can't scratch your eyebrows and beard. For everything is divided into global and local, small and big. If you don't make any distinction, you will be laborious and get twice the result with half the effort. Zeng Guofan, after overwork, had an epiphany one night. When doing things, there is relaxation, grasping the big things and relaxing the small things, which is more efficient. Zhuge Liang is an outstanding person, and the main reason for but before he could conquer, he was dead's success lies in his grasping major issues and not knowing the beauty of the word "loose".
(1) Take a break from the busy schedule, and the word "loose" means
(2) Great things must be fought, and small things may be relaxed
(3) Financial management tips: come loose, sell well
1. Be clear: people are self-aware, and self-awareness is clear; Bias is dark, and listening is bright;
the brighter the eyes, the brighter the heart. Li Hanzhang said that Zeng Guofan had a profound knowledge and was far away, and no one could match him. Zuo Zongtang said: It is better to know people's wisdom and seek the loyalty of the country. No matter how far-sighted, knowledgeable and self-aware, it is inseparable from the word "Ming". Zeng Guofan said: "To take on great events is all about the word' bright' and' strong'." The word "Ming" is the most difficult to get and the most indispensable quality of success.
(1) If you do great things, you should focus on your knowledge, and then you can supplement them.
(2) You can stand tall only if you look far ahead.
(3) You should be wise to protect yourself and take the word "Ming" as the first priority.
(4) If you know people's wisdom, you must be a prophet.
(5) People value self-knowledge.
conquer the world by the word "earnest". Mao Zedong and Zeng Guofan, two Hunan people, both advocate the words "seeking truth from facts" and "being serious", precisely because pragmatism is an essential spirit for those who do great things. Zeng Guofan regarded the word "real" as the foundation of achieving great things, and believed that only by being down-to-earth and starting from a shallow and practical point can the cause last.
(1) "seeking truth from facts": the pragmatic spirit of two people who have achieved great things
(2) Only by keeping a simple scale can they achieve great things
(3) When employing people, they should use simple and reliable people
(4) Doing things should be shallow and practical
(5) Knowing what's going on in the world very well, it is better to get seven points
. Brave and brave, majestic and heroic;
What a hero! He never gives up easily. Stubborn personality is not a bad thing, it can be turned into a strong spirit, and it can often achieve extraordinary things. Zeng Guofan believes that being strong is the virtue of self-reliance, and being strong is an essential quality for those who do great things. He summed up his life style and came up with this "hard word formula". "Hard" and "strong" are synonymous, that is, "hard bones" as Mao Zedong said and "China backbone" as Lu Xun said. "Hardness" is the basic spirit of a hero's personality and the immortal gene of China people's self-improvement.
(1) Unless you have a strong spirit, you can never achieve great things
(2) Career articles are all made from the word "stubborn"
(3) Being strong is a strong thing, and there is nothing that can be done in the world
(4) It is more important for people to strive for self-improvement, and it is better to ask for others than to ask for themselves
(5) The harder it is, the stronger it is. If you are tired of material desires, you will lose your career;
all good things must be saved. Thrift is not about saving a few taels of money. Such a trivial matter is related to a person's fame and career, even his own life. If you are frugal, you will be self-reliant and self-respecting, and you will not ask others; If you manage your family frugally, your family business will flourish and never fall; If you are an official, you will be frugal and honest, and you will be invincible. In troubled times, thrift can hide wealth and cherish happiness, and protect ourselves from disasters.
(1) the word "frugality" has four wonderful uses
(2) the way to stay at home, but advocating frugality can last for a long time
(3) poverty and self-improvement, and the frugal Dont Ask For Help
(4) it is difficult to change from frugality to extravagance
(5) it is too early to enjoy happiness, and it is difficult to get old
. Steady steps, strong pen and ink;
it's important to be steady and calm. "Dignified and heavy is your face", this sentence is by no means a lie from fortune-teller, but a valuable experience summed up by Zeng Guofan from knowing people and employing people. He said, "If a gentleman is not heavy, he will not be arrogant" and "The appearance is unique, all in the word' heavy'". "Heavy" is steady and calm, so that you can take on major events and stay calm in times of crisis. A person's Rong Zhi is the embodiment of his personality and intelligence. Zeng Guofan's sense of speech and sense, he likes thick people the most, but hates frivolous people the most. The method of knowing people takes the word "heavy" as the first.
(1) A gentleman who is not heavy is not intimidating
(2) Act prudently, and win or lose
(3) Thick is your face, and frivolous people can't use it
15. Lian: lead an honest and clean life and be strict with yourself; Abstinence and greed, self-denial;
hold fast to the symbol of protecting officials. Being clear, diligent and cautious are called the three precepts of ranking officials, among which the word "clear" ranks first. Whether the official is doing well or not can be known as long as he has money or not. Zeng Guofan regarded the word "honesty" as the foundation of life, worked all his life and adhered to the six-character formula of "no money, no fear of death". As the saying goes, financial care is meticulous, and no desire is just. When it comes to corruption, it's like being addicted to drugs, and it's hard to get rid of it. No matter how high the official is, how great the work is, if he is infected with corruption, all his efforts will be wasted. Therefore, Zeng Guofan called the word "Lian" "the symbol of protecting officials and the root of life."
(1) The word "clean" is the first meaning of being an official
(2) Honesty is the foundation of life
(3) Honesty is bound to serve the public
(4) Don't try to gain both fame and fortune for an official
(5) People die for money, and less greed and less disaster
(6) Those who do great things. Laziness mistakes oneself, diligence promotes wealth;
Diligence is the most important thing in life. The essence of life is to be diligent. No matter whether the qualification is mediocre or intelligent, the family is poor or rich, it is not the decisive factor for an individual to achieve his career. Zeng Guofan is not a brilliant man. His success is nothing more than a word "diligence". From the degree of diligence, one can predict how much he can accomplish.
(1) Diligence is the first duty of an official.
(2) Diligence makes you a hero.
(3) Being the first person in the world who can suffer first-class hardships.
(4) The way to get rid of laziness is to get up early first.
(5) Being diligent makes you bright is the secret of being a good official. Deliberate, cautious people benefit;
one more point of caution, one more point of success. Caution is not a virtue, but an indispensable quality for a great hero. Lv Kun said: "Those who are cautious will get a point, and those who suddenly get a point will lose a point. If they are cautious, they will get it all, but they will lose it all." Zhu Xi also said: "The real great hero, however, will come out from the place of fear and fear." Zhuge was cautious all his life. Zeng Guofan took Kong Ming as a model and supported the rudder of life with the word "caution". The official sea was ups and downs, and there was no danger. Xiao Yishan compared Zeng Zuo and the other two, saying, "Guo Fan wins with caution, while Zong Tang wins with heroism." It's really a good theory.
(1) The word "caution" must be used to steer the ship in the official sea storm.
(2) Be cautious, high and not dangerous.
(3) When a disaster comes from your mouth, you should be cautious when you speak.
(4) Speak to your boss, and you must be very cautious.
(5) Anyone who is disintegrated by ginseng is careless in employing people. Loyal and filial, loyal and respectful;
to do great things, we should build a good brand. In the eyes of ordinary people, "loyalty" is always associated with "foolish loyalty". In fact, "loyalty" is not only a moral law, but also the golden rule of life. Self-study with the word "loyalty" can calm the mind and cultivate a strong spirit; Treating people with the word "loyalty" can make true friends and help each other; Doing things with the word "loyalty" has a spirit of concentration, perseverance and invulnerability. The word "loyalty" is the only way to be promoted and promoted, and it is also the only way to go down in history. Look at all ages, who hates loyal people?
(1) loyalty and filial piety are the cornerstones of life
(2) loyalty in matters, and handling affairs as one's own
(3) loyalty and righteousness in running the army can be worth a million soldiers in one word <