Many times you get lost, you feel confused, nothing fills you up and you don’t really know what the meaning of your life is. Other times, problems overwhelm you, you suffer from anxiety and you can’t see anything clearly. How about turning to eastern wisdom? we have found some Chinese proverbs to give meaning to your life and be happier.
Wise Chinese proverbs to reflect on life and happiness
It has worked for millennia and there is no indication that it will become obsolete. Chinese wisdom is known in areas such as medicine, but it also focuses on emotional health. If you want to be happier, if you want to give meaning to your life, read these Chinese proverbs carefully.
1 You can’t stop the bird of sadness from flying over your head, but you can stop it from nesting in your hair
In life there is suffering and we cannot look the other way, nor can we avoid it. What we can avoid is wallowing in our own drama and never letting go.
2 He who gives way, widens the way
A proverb about kindness, generosity and friendship that can help you to be a more empathetic person and feel better about yourself.
3 Jade needs to be carved to be a gem.
The potential must be developed. Creativity is carried within, but you have to work on it. Success is possible, but you are in charge of shaping and carving it until it becomes a true jewel.
4 The one who has moved the mountain is the one who began by removing the small stones
Frustration often paralyzes you because you embark on titanic vital or professional projects. Why don’t you start at the beginning, with the little things, with the small details? This way you will be able to move the mountain.
5 It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness
You can hardly avoid complaining when things don’t go the way you want or when everything becomes complicated. This Chinese proverb reminds you of something you already know: just complaining will not make it, you have to find solutions.
6 People fix their hair every day, why not their hearts?
You may be worrying too much about appearances and the outside. You may be focused on your social life, your work or others. And that makes you walk away from yourself, so it’s time to look into your heart.
7 Even the tallest towers start on the ground
A proverb about humility, not to be confused with false modesty. It doesn’t matter what position you are in because you can always go up. Or forward, as the case may be.
8 Do not despair, from the blackest clouds to water falls that is clean and fertile
Those dark moments when depression lurks are complicated. With this proverb you will be able to remember that every crisis is an opportunity and that the best experiences can come out of the worst moments.
9 You can’t guide the wind, but you can change the direction of your sails
And if you are tired of fighting because you have proposed the impossible? There are adversities, obstacles too, and sometimes you can overcome them and other times you will have to find a new path.
10 A snowflake never falls in the wrong place.
There are things that happen for a reason. It doesn’t matter if you believe in God, in karma or in destiny. What is happening to you is happening for a reason and the only thing you can do is accept it and extract a lesson that will help you in life.
11 Opportunities don’t just happen, you create them.
You can’t sit back and wait for it to happen. One thing is that our destiny has some written guidelines and another thing is that you remain immobile waiting for what has to happen to happen. Go out and make it happen.
12 The glory is not in never falling, but in getting back up every time you fall
Fall down, get up, shake off and walk again. You may have had to do it several times and you may have to do it many more times. Falling is for the brave, cowards don’t usually fall because they never take risks.
13 A cabin in which to be happy is better than a palace in which to cry
The best lesson to understand happiness is that you don’t find it in material things. Forget about shopping, luxuries or money, because you will not find well-being there.
14The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best moment is now
Yes, surely you have missed more than one opportunity in life. And? You are always on time to do it. When? Right now.
15 Time is like the water of a river, nothing remains, it is always different
This Chinese proverb tells us that life is a constant evolution.
16A single conversation with a sage is worth as much as a month studying books.
And it is that a wise person can give you the key to find the way that is why it is important to always listen.
17Judging is a way to hide their own weaknesses
A wise Chinese proverb that makes you reflects on the hidden truth when we judge.
18A wise man can sit on an anthill, but only a fool sits on it.
Only fools remain where things are not favorable to them.
19The longer the string, the higher the kite will fly
A Chinese proverb that refers to giving people space and allowing them to fly as high as they can.
20 you must enter the tiger’s den to catch its cubs
Because sometimes you have to take risks to achieve what you want.
21 dig the well before you get thirsty
As the saying goes, ‘ cautious person is worth two ’.
22The bigger the chaos, the closer the solution is
This wise Chinese proverb makes us see that sometimes chaos and changes for solutions to arrive.
23Who is afraid of suffering, already suffers about fear
Why stop living for the fear of…? Better not let fear dominate your life.
24A blind horse always scares itself
Because ignorance makes us afraid, even of ourselves.
25Different locks must be opened with different keys
Because for each situation there is a different solution and there are always different ways to reach each person.
26It is easier to change the course of a river than the character of a man
There are people who never change, that must be clear.
27When you drink water, remember the source
Do not forget who has given you a drink, the people who have always really supported you.
28A bird does not sing because it has an answer. It sings because it has a song
A wise Chinese proverb about human nature.
29Before being a dragon, you have to suffer like an ant
As this Chinese proverb says, you are not born successful, for this you have to work long before.
30Love your neighbors, but don’t ditch the fence
Even if you have a good relationship with the people around you, it is always good to set some limit so that there is a good understanding.
31A man who cannot tolerate small misfortunes can never achieve great things.
According to Chinese wisdom, it is necessary to have the capacity for suffering to achieve something in life.
32He who does not know how to smile should not open a store
Because everyone should do what they are really good at in life and not force themselves to do something else they don’t like.
33Before starting the work of changing the world, walk around your own house three times.
You are absolutely right, right? First resolve and change from within and then you will try to change the world.
34 When God wishes to send disaster upon a person, he first sends him some luck to enjoy and see if he can receive it in a decent way. When God wishes to send blessings on a person, he first sends him a little misfortune to see how he can bear it.
This Chinese proverb defines the idea of yin and yang very well. According to Chinese wisdom, luck and misfortune are somehow connected.
35Your teacher can open the door, but you must enter by yourself
Because in life, even if there are people who help you and make things easier for you, it is you who has to move forward and grow.
36Better a diamond with a flaw than a stone without one
Choose those people who are worth it in life, do not settle for less.
37Pay as much attention to your interior as you pay to your image
Because the important thing is that our soul is at peace. We must feel good inside and out.
38Correct the wise and you will make him wiser, correct the fool and you will make him your enemy
This Chinese proverb explains that people with wisdom accept criticism and even learn from it, while those without it tend to respond negatively to criticism.
39Learning without thinking is lost work, and thinking without learning is dangerous.
This proverb from Confucius, a Chinese thinker from the 5th century BC, makes us reflect on the true attitude of learning.
40Giving your son one skill is better than giving him a thousand gold pieces
Because by learning a skill you can fend for yourself for a lifetime.
41Talking a lot and getting nowhere is the same as climbing a tree to catch a fish.
And it is that, as this Chinese proverb says, talking just to talk is useless.
Very valuable Chinese proverbs and lessons for everyday life
Chinese culture has passed down wise proverbs from generation to generation that can still make us reflect today. Inspirational phrases on how to appreciate life, how to live in the present, lover human relationships. The following collection of popular Chinese sayings may help you or teach you a life lesson. Don’t miss them!
42Seek a light instead of eternally haunting the darkness
Because always complaining about our life only attracts more darkness, it is best to find a way to stop being in that situation.
43Correct your mistakes, if you have made them, and beware of them if you have not made any
It is a wise Chinese phrase that we must apply in life if we want to live with dignity of spirit.
44When the winds of change blow, there are those who build walls, but there are also those who build mills.
Because we always have two options (or several) when faced with changes: closer allow them to flow.
45 give me a fish and I eat for a day. Teach me to fish and eat for a lifetime
For Chinese wisdom it is important to learn to fend for yourself.
46Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I might remember, involve me and I’ll understand.
When you involve people in what you’re going through, it’s much easier for.
47Hearing something a hundred times is not as good as seeing it once.
And it is that the experiences lived are unique and unrepeatable.
48I got mad because I had no shoes. Then I met a man who had no feet
Before regretting your misfortune, value and appreciate what you have in life.
49Control your emotions or they will control you
It is common for emotions to direct our lives, but we can put an end to it by being the owners of our own destiny.
50 the one who returns from an adventure is not the same one who left
Because adventures change our way of perceiving the world.
51All things change and we change with them
That’s right, as the Chinese proverb says, in life we are not static, we change as things change.
52It takes more than a day for a river to freeze one meter deep
Sometimes you have to wait and be patient for things to happen or problems to be solved.
53Even the hare bites when cornered
Because anyone who is not treated well ends up defending themselves.
54If you always give, you will always receive
A good way to take life, in the end all the good you do for others will be returned to you.
55Learning is a treasure that will follow its owner everywhere.
As this Chinese proverb says, once you have learned something, it will serve you for a lifetime.
56Spilled water is difficult to recover
When you do something wrong you can’t always go back, that’s why it’s important to always be aware of our actions.
57Don’t be afraid to grow slowly, be afraid to stay static
Perfect Chinese proverb for those people who have a hard time growing up.
58He who depends on himself will achieve the
For Chinese wisdom it is important to learn to be autonomous in life.
59Before you tell secrets on the way, look in the bushes
You never know who might be listening behind the bushes…
60What you hear may be false, but what you see is true.
Because you never know if rumors are true, but experience is what defines the truth of the situation.
61A fool judges people by the gifts they give him.
When they only look at the gifts that are given to them and do not know how to look inside people.
62A beam, no matter how big it is, cannot support an entire house on its own.
A Chinese proverb that talks about the importance of foundations in human relationships and teamwork.
63There are many paths to the top of the mountain, but the view is the same
In the end, there are many paths to reach our personal goals; it is up to us which path to choose.
64stillthread connects those who are destined to meet
Wisdom believes in destiny, as the essence of human relationships.
65All things are difficult until they become easy
A wonderful Chinese proverb that helps those times when something costs us. Once you’ve learned it, once you’ve gained experience, it’ll be like you’ve been doing it all your life.
66Everything has its beauty, but not everyone can see it
A wise phrase from Confucius, which appeals to the beauty of all human beings.
67We can study until old… and even then we won’t finish
Because we can spend lifetime learning but we can never know everything.
68Experience can lead to skills
A wise Chinese proverb about the importance of gaining experience in life.
69The bird that gets up early is the one that gets the worm
This Chinese proverb is reminiscent of the famous Spanish ‘ God helps those who get up early ’.
70A fraction of time is a piece of gold. But it is difficult to buy a fraction of time with a piece of gold
As this Chinese proverb says, time is not bought, time is lived and enjoyed, and time passes.
71There is no person who has a thousand good days in a row, nor a flower that stays red for a hundred days.
We all have good and bad that is something natural.
72Solve one problem and you’ll keep a hundred others away
Because it is important to solve the problems that arise in life.
73Distant water does not put out a nearby fire
In order to put out a fire, a problem must be faced.
74A wise man makes his own decisions, and an ignorant man follows public opinion.
A Chinese proverb about wisdom that appeals to autonomy and decision-making capacity.
75He who thinks a lot about each step he takes will always stand on one leg.
As this Chinese proverb says, it is important to be decisive in life and not doubt the decisions and steps we take so much.
76One generation plants the trees, and another enjoys their shade
Therefore, it is important to value what ours.
77Dogs have no prejudice against the poor
A Chinese proverb that makes you think about how we often judge others for no reason.
78If you want to be happy for an hour, take a nap. If you want to be happy for a day, go fishing. If you want to be happy for a month, get married. If you want to be happy for a year, inherit a fortune. And if you want happiness for life, help someone else
Because deep down in our hearts, what is contributing something to society and helping those around us.
79If you want your dinner don’t insult the cook
Being contemptuous of someone who offers you a plate of food is unacceptable.
80Opportunity knocks on the door only once
As this Chinese proverb says, do not miss the opportunities that come your way in life.
81What you do not wish for yourself do not do to others
The phrase of the thinker Confucius about one of the basic rules of morality and behavior.
82A closed mind is like a closed book, just a block of wood.
Nothing could be done before a closed mind, because it does not allow knowledge to penetrate it.
