Lessons from History: Overcoming Adversity
The history of mankind refers to events and accidents that occurred in the past, and it also refers to objects that record the events in writing. Even we judge history in a narrow sense as “recorded” events, the history of mankind is already thousands of years old, and thousands of years of history teach us many lessons.
The renowned military strategist Han Xin played a vital role in the unification of China under the Han Dynasty, a pivotal moment that brought order to a nation in turmoil following the collapse of the Jin Dynasty.
When Han Xin was young, his mother died and he even had no money for her funeral, so he went around begging for food. While begging, one day, he met a woman at a fishing spot and begged for food. For several days, she graciously provided him with food.
He thanked her and said he would “definitely repay the favor”.
One day, he faced off against bullies in the marketplace, even when they challenged him to either engage in fight or cower beneath their skirts. He avoided the fight, saved his life, and crawled through their skirts.
He endured years of ridicule and humiliation, persevering as a humble soldier until fate granted him the opportunity to rise as a commanding general in Liu Bang's army.
He started to achieve great feats and gradually expanded his control over northern China.
With about 30,000 troops, he attacked the Zhao Dynasty. But the forces of the Zhao Dynasty gathered a massive army of 200,000 soldiers.
He camped in front of the river, and secretly moved 2,000 cavalry into the enemy's rear.
There was a river behind him and 200,000 enemies in front.
The Zhao Dynasty belittled the Han Xin army's suicidal position.
They came out from their castle and started attacking the Han Xin army near the river, but was unable to win over the Han Xin army, which was fighting desperately to avoid drowning.
Meanwhile, the castle of the Zhao behind was occupied by Han Xin's cavalry, As the Zhao army retreated from the river, they were taken aback to see their castle occupied, causing them to run away the battlefield.
The Zhao Dynasty's army became scared and began to flee, and their army of 200,000 men fled toward the river and was annihilated by the Han Xin's army.
In one day, the large army of the Zhao collapsed.
He later occupied all of northern China, and eventually won the final battle against the Chu army, unifying China into the Han Dynasty.
Afterwards, Han Xin completed the unification of the Han Dynasty by destroying the Chu Dynasty, and he eventually returned to his hometown and returned the favor by giving a large amount of gold to a woman at a fishing spot.
During the Goryeo dynasty in Korea, General Gyu Yang bravely withstood the onslaught of 400,000 Khitan soldiers, successfully defending his fortress for an entire week with a mere 3,000 soldiers at his command.
Subsequently, as the enemy ceased their assault and advanced southward, he made 1,700 soldiers into a guerrilla unit, orchestrating strategic maneuvers behind the Khitan army. Engaging in seven battles within a single month, he killed more than 20,000 enemy soldiers while safeguarding 30,000 innocent civilians.
After failing to capture the king of Korea, the Khitan army retreated, seizing many Koreans as hostages. He persistently engaged in guerrilla warfare, consistently rescuing civilians with a limited number of troops while also launching strategic attacks to eliminate the enemy forces.
In his final encounter, he bravely faced the enemy, killed a thousand enemy soldiers while saving a captive civilian. However, his troop found themselves encircled by the Khitan emperor, and after fighting all day, he got a rain of arrows and died like a hedgehog.
Throughout history, triumphs and setbacks intertwine, revealing the resilience and fortitude of extraordinary individuals who weathered challenges, persevered, and pushed forward on amidst adversity.
They managed to survive, and in the meantime, they achieved the extraordinary with limited means, crafting a miracle out of scarce resources.
In other words, it shows that survival, patience, and the will are very important.
Human life is not easy, but business is no more dangerous than warfare, and the courage and perseverance of great people, and their determination and refusal to quit inspire me with the courage and motivation to persevere in the world of business.
Reflecting on the resilience of historical figures who triumphed over adversity and consistently achieved miracles in challenging circumstances, I am motivated to persevere with the belief that there are still opportunities to explore and challenges to overcome.
Regardless of the outcome for Omnis Labs Company in the future, I am committed to persevering and pursuing every opportunity until the very end, entrusting the rest to destiny.
