(Minghui.org) Greetings Master! Greetings, fellow practitioners!
First of all, I would like to thank my fellow practitioners for their encouragement and support, which helped me let go of my attachments. I would like to tell you about my cultivation experiences while working in a media project.
Seven years ago I resigned from my everyday management job and joined an independent Chinese language media company established by practitioners.
The newspaper developed well, and we soon got into a positive cycle. With new products developed, the team grew rapidly. Our advertising revenue not only covered the normal living expenses of our staff, but also provided profit to support new media development.
However, these good times did not last. On a macro-economic level, the newspaper market shrank rapidly. The advertising market, which provided the life blood for media companies, was rapidly diminished by online and social media platforms. The print media market was rapidly disappearing. As the COVID virus ravaged the world in 2020, especially during the prolonged lockdown in Melbourne, Sydney and other cities, our newspaper’s advertising revenue plummeted and many clients did not return.
The newly expanded editorial team and the newly launched online platform required huge investment, but these new ventures didn’t result in immediate financial returns. Our office, which used to be filled with laughter, became cold and quiet during lockdown, and only a couple of practitioners and I came into the office.
A pessimistic atmosphere permeated throughout the media project. One of our coordinators whom we relied on, as well as our key technical and design staff, had to leave the project for various reasons.
Persevering and Getting Through Difficult Times
Looking back, this was the biggest “crisis” I encountered since I joined the project.
In October 2020, our advertising revenue dropped to less than half of what it had been before, but the printing cost kept rising. At this time, I accepted the position of main coordinator in the office. The overall coordinator in the Sydney office was worried about our situation, but said he would fully support and share my work.
My human thoughts were really heavy, and I was filled with them. I felt that the savings I put away in the past few years by working hard on newspaper advertising would soon be gone. I complained a lot: I complained that the projects we had hastily launched were not successful; I complained that the other practitioners were not very thoughtful, and did not have foresight, and that our younger staff members could not understand the hardships of the project and started leaving when the salary decreased. I often behaved without compassion. Although I got along well with most of my colleagues on the surface, I was always plagued by this “grievance” inside. It was very difficult for us to carry out our business.
At this time, another practitioner reminded me that whenever the Melbourne sales team performed poorly, we would strengthen our Fa study – and when we improved our Fa study together and focused on cultivation, our sales performance would miraculously improve. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we hadn’t met face to face. Our morning Fa study routine was not consistent, and there were many interruptions. This practitioner told me, “You are the coordinator, so you should lead everyone to read the teachings together.”
After hearing this, I immediately realized that this was Master enlightening me through this practitioner’s mouth. I was so busy doing things, and so tired of dealing with all kinds of difficulties, that I had neglected my Fa study and practice. I always looked outward when unexpected things happened.
I am especially grateful for the reminders, and I realized that this was Master’s way of giving me the opportunity to cultivate with a clear mind. This is the most crucial factor in doing media work well.
We immediately encouraged each other to study the Fa together every morning and to participate in group discussion.
Every Monday evening we have a group Fa study and sharing. My coworkers and I open our hearts, look inward, and expose our deep attachments: such as jealousy, attachment of self-interest, lust, and the pursuit of fame, and so on. Usually these attachments are deeply hidden. The thick black substance cannot be removed, causing obstacles to our own cultivation improvement, as well as affecting the development of the project.
There were many kind-hearted reminders from fellow practitioners during our discussions. For example, someone said I was unfair, someone else said I was selfish, and others said that I sometimes spoke in a very harsh tone, hurting others, and so on. Some of these reminders really hit me hard, but I understand that these sharings are crucial to my improvement. Gradually, I also developed the habit of looking inward, being more understanding and tolerant of others. I knew that the bad substances were being removed, my own xinxing was improving, and my capacity was expanding.
The state of our group was also improving. We did the exercises during our lunch break, and the energy field in the office kept getting better and better. I was full of energy. I visited clients with other practitioners. We signed new sales orders one after the other.
At the same time, our advertising revenue stopped declining, and the newly launched digital marketing business started to get on the right track.
Dafa Gives Us the Wisdom to Take the Media in a New Direction
After I began running the media team, I truly experienced the wisdom and power of being strengthened by Master after we improved our xinxing.
When running a business, it is important for entrepreneurs to be clear about the “company culture” and the core competencies of the business. I enlightened that the corporate culture of our media company is the: “culture of cultivation.” With this culture of cultivation, we have a strong competitive edge. Because cultivation is the source of wisdom for the success of our media, it is also the fundamental guarantee that we can get over various obstacles.
When we implement this cultivation culture in our daily operations, and, at the same time, learn professional business skills from human society, we will make breakthroughs in our projects and have a big impact in society, achieving the goal of clarifying the truth and saving people.
I am not trained as a professional media person. I have great respect for the editors, reporters, technicians and designers in our team. I see myself more as a salesperson, who brings financial resources to the project so it can flourish.
Master tells us:
“If you are able to cooperate well in terms of management, really spend more effort on increasing your readership, and can manage to improve your profitability, then you will be able to guarantee a salary for a portion of your staff. And afterwards, when things are managed better and better, you will become an enterprise that has completely normal operations, you will be able to support the paper yourselves, and you will be able to provide for those who are involved. This is fully achievable. In previous years I referred to this as “a goal.” Now I would say that it’s something doable.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. X)
Master’s teaching fully convinced me that by strengthening our business management and relying on the project itself, we could grow and prosper. Not only could we clarify the truth and help Master rectify the Fa, we could also provide a secure working environment for all the practitioners who are committed to validating Dafa through the media project.
In fact, within a year after the pandemic began, our newspaper reached a good level of profitability and was able to pay salaries closer to that of a regular enterprise in society, attracting more practitioners to get involved.
At a time when the traditional print media market was declining rapidly, our approach was to retain as many readers as possible. At the same time, we promoted both the print paper and online version, serving local businesses in a variety of ways, and opening up new income channels.
Master tells us:
“Many Chinese language media outlets are having a hard time surviving in the current economic recession, with some already having folded. If you can manage to do things a bit better, your paper will grow even faster. Nothing happens by chance. If you do a good job, it’s possible that others will further make way and leave you with a road that, as you are saving sentient beings, is wider [than at present] and your readership will grow. And with such changes, circumstances will be more favorable for your paper’s success. But you have to know to capitalize on this opportunity and think of ways to render your paper more stable, like normal media companies.” (“Fa Teaching Given at the Epoch Times Meeting,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. X)
Looking back on the difficult times during the pandemic, I realize that it was righteous thoughts that overcame our human attachments. Because we held on to the righteous thought that our media is such an important tool for telling the truth, it had to be kept available for the world to see. It was Master who helped us find a way to survive: the world learned the truth of Dafa through newspapers and websites, and many businesses felt the beauty of Dafa through their interaction with us.
Every new member who joined our team after 2020 now participates in our weekly group Fa study on Monday, and we talk about our cultivation experiences based on the Fa. When we read the teachings together like this, the team is relatively easy to manage, because everyone looks inward when things go wrong, and we all realize that we not only need to study the Fa and do the exercises, we also need to improve our professional skills. Only then can we serve our clients well, influence everyday people and validate Dafa.
The digital marketing team was established 3 years ago, with Master’s guidance and the cooperation of fellow practitioners. We are now able to provide a variety of services to clients, including website design, online marketing, and social media marketing. Some sections of our digital business have begun making a profit, which has played an important role in maintaining the healthy operation of the media group.
The business environment is still tough, but my heart and those of my fellow practitioners are very solid, and this solidity comes from Fa study and genuinely cultivating ourselves.
Letting Go of Ego Is the Cornerstone to Coordinating a Team
Although I have been working in the marketing and sales department for a long time, and gradually became the project coordinator, it is still hard for me to give up my obsession with sales performance. I am happy with the overall sales revenue increase on the corporate level, but when my personal sales performance drops, I still feel the pain. When others said, “So and so is fantastic, he is a top salesman,” I feel good.
When another practitioner said, “You have great foresight, as you were able to see the future opportunity of digital transformation and took quick action.” I felt good about myself, thinking I had done a good job. I thought that I could upscale this section of business and get more people involved.
But due to my attachments of seeking fame and my strong attachment to ego, this plan was not going smoothly. Behind this “show off” attachment, was a big attachment to myself.
I suddenly realized, only by letting go of self, and letting go of the attachments of fame and self-interest, can we do a good job, and make our project truly well-grounded and influential.
I realized that Master was watching over our project, guiding us to follow the right path and do a good job.
Our team now works more closely together. I am very grateful for the encouragement from my fellow practitioners who urged me to write this article.
During the process of writing my sharing, I realized some of my fundamental attachments and got rid of them. It has been very important for my personal cultivation, and it will definitely be good for the project.
Thank you, Master, for your compassion! Thank you, fellow practitioners!
(Presented at the 2022 Australia Fa Conference)
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