I had an affinity for the guitar when I was in college. I kept wanting to sign up for lessons, but because I was busy with studying abroad, I forgot about it. Recently, with my family's encouragement, I regained my interest in guitar and found a teacher. The teacher is young, younger than I am. During the first class, the teacher asked me, "Do you think people of my age should be considering marriage? What are your thoughts on marriage?"
　　
　　I was a little shocked to hear this, but because of my regular practice of maintaining my heart and mind with qigong, I was able to respond calmly and share my views on marriage with him. He told me about his experience so far, which included countless sad stories. It was apparent that he was still in the midst of suffering.
　　
　　During the second class, we each started talking about the situations at work. The teacher worked in finance. Not only did he have a lot of stress, but he also had to put on a mask every day. It was obvious that he wasn't happy. He only chose to stay because of the type of job and its stability. I thought of what Shifu often said to us: You can treat your work like playing a game. If you find something fun in it, then you'll make yourself happy. Therefore, I told my teacher that he should have a happy attitude no matter what he did. In this way, he could face whatever adversities were out there.
　　
　　During beginning of the third class, I could feel that my teacher's mood wasn't great. I said to him, "You don't look happy today. What happened?" It turned out that in addition to the stress at work, he also had trouble letting go of a past relationship. I felt bad for him after I heard his story. He was still young and healthy, but couldn't live happily because of a past relationship. It just wasn't worth it. I thought of myself once, when I had lived unhappily like him because of the past. It was only after I joined Tai Ji Men, became a dizi, and received guidance from Shifu that I was able to get a happy, fresh start. I shared my story with him and, at the same time, gave him support. I told him that even if his relationship had failed, he had to let it go. After all, there's no relationship on earth that lasts forever. As for my past self, I had to be willing to bravely face my problems in order to find an answer.
　　
　　In the fourth and fifth classes, my teacher still talked relentlessly about his past. I guided him to think positively, and to not let himself live in the past.
　　
　　By the sixth class, he was sharing happy stories with me, which signified that he had let go of his past and wasn't attached to it anymore. I further encouraged him to open his heart, and not let his work dominate his life; to sometimes relax and take a stroll outside. I also told him that, based on this experience, he should realize how I allowed him to see his own uptight personality and how it affected his body and soul.
　　
　　Looking back on my sixth guitar classes, I did learn guitar, but I also understood why Shifu constantly reminds us to maintain a positive outlook, learn to be happy, and care for others. Right now, most people have jam-packed schedules. It's easy for us to forget about our family and close friends. Through this experience with my guitar teacher, I remind myself to maintain a happy heart and care about others.