32 unread messages. Minh put down the phone, frustrated. How would Minh get through the next few days? Looking for answers, or distraction, Minh picked up the phone and started watching videos. One video caught Minh’s eye. A remarkable individual, talking about something religious or spiritual. Minh couldn’t quite make it out, but Minh was interested and found something impressive, maybe admirable, about the person. So, Minh continued watching and …
… realized it was a live online talk by a young meditation master, who was discussing “The Art of Accepting Impermanence.”
The master wasn’t wearing traditional robes, just a simple linen shirt, sitting amidst a sun-drenched garden. His words were not complicated; they were direct and relatable. Minh realized that the root of his current predicament—the deadlock in work and relationships—was his resistance to change. Minh wanted everything to remain stable and go his way, but life was doing the exact opposite.
The master said: “Suffering does not come from what happens, but from our clinging to what is past or our fear of what is yet to come.” This video was not a doctrinal lecture, but a practical guide on how to confront fear and disappointment. Minh, a naturally pragmatic person, was initially skeptical, but the serenity emanating from the master was strangely compelling.
Minh suddenly understood that those 32 unread messages symbolized the mess he was desperately trying to avoid. It was time to face them, not with anger, but with a calmer state of mind. What Minh found admirable about this person was not profound knowledge, but self-possession—the ability to separate oneself from the immediate emotional reaction.
Minh muted the phone, not to escape, but to take 5 minutes to breathe deeply, focusing on the breath as the master had instructed. When he opened his eyes, Minh felt the room was the same, the problems were still there, but Minh was different. The need for survival was receding, giving way to clarity. Minh stood up, poured a glass of water, and decided to start tackling the messages one by one, not to please others, but to organize his own life. Minh knew the road ahead would still be challenging, but at least, Minh had found the inner compass.
This story was submitted as part of the King’s Study Phase of the Gen Z Role Models Project. Added April 2026.
“realized it was a live online talk by a young meditation master” (S162) © 2026 by The Gen Z Role Models Project is licensed under CC BY 4.0
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