This I Believe

I believe in Wu Wei, the Taoist practice that champions moving with intention instead of hustling for the sake of motion. I hope to be like water—soft and yielding, yet persistent enough to wear down hard obstacles one splash at a time. Strength isn’t always loud or obvious, rather it rests upon the quiet grit to choose what matters and let the rest go.

I believe that not much good comes from fast ascension. All mastery requires time—the ebb and flow, the discomfort, the emotional turbulence. Those moments are, paradoxically, the most satisfying. If I don’t stumble early, I’ll fall harder later. I was rarely the sharpest nor smartest growing up, but I’ve always been persistent. I will never give up. I have full confidence that I can accomplish anything I set my mind to, not because I am exceptional, but because I keep going.

I believe in curiosity. If I’m curious, I might like something; if I like it, it might become the most important thing; and if it becomes the most important thing, I can make an impact through it. That mindset fueled my early interests in video journalism and Model UN, even when people told me those activities “didn’t matter” for college admissions. They mattered to me, and that was enough.

I believe in spontaneity shaped by circumstance. Growing up in Northeast China, surrounded by Russian and Japanese neighbors, I had a lot of questions and fell into history. Moving to the U.S. sparked an interest in international relations and the evolving U.S.-China landscape. Today, those forces converge in the techno-politics of AI, which led me, unexpectedly but inevitably, to Mayfield. Curiosity pulled me in, but circumstance opened the door.

I believe in letting go. In my first quarter at Stanford, I took a class called “The Good Death” and learned a variety of death rituals across religions. Particularly, I resonated with the Taoist idea of Flow of Life, and that I will return to nature as if I never existed. I want to create an impact while I’m here, but I also know the world will evolve without me. That truth brings calm, not fear.

I believe in doing the right thing in ways history would honor, not for recognition, but for integrity. 

I believe in laughter. I believe in being kind and considerate to all that I meet. And I believe in always choosing to see the goodness in people.