There are only two important things in life: Don't be reckless, and don't waste your time and energy on internal conflicts.

In life, living a truly fulfilling life is actually quite simple, boiled down to two core principles: Don't abuse your body, and don't fight against your own mind. So many people are constantly busy, living like wound-up tops, only to end up with little money, ruined health, and mentally exhausted—all because they've reversed the order of these two things.

To put it bluntly, life's seemingly complex calculation boils down to two subjects: maintaining physical health and mental well-being. If you can keep these two stable, you've lived a fulfilling life.

Let's start with our physical bodies. They're our capital for navigating the world, and they hold grudges. How you mistreat them will be reflected in your medical reports. Don't be misled by fancy health regimens; the core principle is simple: Don't spoil them!

Old Zhang from the next neighborhood is 65 years old this year and has never been to a gym, not even knowing what calories are. In his youth, he was a notorious "braised pork killer," unable to go a day without meat, savoring every slice of fatty pork. Until his fifty-year-old physical exam, when his blood pressure soared to 180. The doctor slammed his fist on the table, warning him: "If you keep this up, you'll be in the hospital sooner or later."

Old Zhang was a tough guy. From that day on, he locked his cravings away in a dark room. Braised pork was replaced with steamed fish, liquor with warm water, and every evening after dinner, without fail, he took a walk in the park, rain or shine. More than ten years have passed. His old friends who used to drink and eat barbecue with him are now either constantly carrying medicine bottles or walking like rusty robots with canes, while Old Zhang remains incredibly agile, able to carry his grandson up five flights of stairs without even breaking a sweat.

And look at today's young people, relying on their youth and good health, they recklessly overindulge. College student Xiao Li stayed up until 2 or 3 AM every night playing games, ordering spicy hot pot and fried chicken for every meal, and drinking sugary drinks like water. During his junior year physical exam, he was diagnosed with kidney stones and moderate fatty liver. When he received the report, he was stunned: "I'm only in my early twenties, how come I'm so sick?"

This wasn't just illness; it was his body protesting: "Hey, if you keep messing with me like this, I'm going on strike!"

But more than physical torment, mental exhaustion is the real ailment of modern people, stemming from "overacting."

These kinds of "drama queens" are everywhere in the workplace. My colleague Xiao Wang is a typical example; last week, his proposal was rejected by his boss, and he turned pale on the spot. Back at my desk, a mini-drama played out in my head: "Does my boss dislike me?" "Is someone badmouthing me?" "Am I going to be fired?"

The more I thought about it, the more anxious I became. I couldn't eat, I couldn't sleep, and the next day at work I was listless and even stuttered when talking to clients. In contrast, their department's top salesman, Lao Chen, had proposals rejected all the time, but he never took it to heart. If a client rejected it, he'd immediately call to clarify their needs, come back and quickly revise the proposal, then send it back.

In Lao Chen's words, "The client rejected the proposal, not me. What's the point of worrying about it?"

That's the difference between a smart person and a foolish one—separating emotions from facts, not getting caught up in self-doubt.

The same principle applies to daily life. What couple doesn't bicker? The young couple downstairs had a huge argument the other day over washing dishes. The wife, seething with anger, thought, "How dare he yell at me! He doesn't care about me at all!" Feeling increasingly wronged, she sat on the sofa and cried.

Then she thought about it again. Her husband had been rushing to meet a project deadline, working overtime until midnight every day. He was so tired when he got home that he didn't even want to talk. She figured he was under too much pressure. Thinking this way, her anger instantly subsided, and she even made him a cup of hot tea. You see, often it's not that the situation itself is so bad, but that we're overthinking things and trapping ourselves in our own imaginations.

Besides overthinking, gossip and idle chatter from the outside world are also a major cause of internal conflict. At times like these, we need to install a psychological shield for our minds.

Xiao Lin, a stay-at-home mom in the neighborhood, used to be very sensitive. Every time there was a family gathering, someone would say in front of her, "Look at you, you've gained so much weight after giving birth." "Women still need to go out and work; relying on a man to support you isn't a long-term solution."

Just a few words could make her upset for days, and she'd take it out on her husband when she got home. Then one day, it suddenly dawned on her: "Did I eat your rice? Why should I be upset for three days over a casual remark? It's not worth it!"

From then on, Xiaolin adopted a "go in one ear and out the other" approach. When people said she was fat, she smiled and said, "My son is well-raised"; when people said she didn't work, she turned around and studied baking and flower arranging.

Now, Xiaolin can not only make tiramisu that tastes better than those from bakeries, but she also fills her home with the fragrance of flowers. Every time she posts on social media, she gets tons of likes and comments; those idle gossips have long since vanished.

You see, that's the magic of "it doesn't matter." If you don't feed those trivial matters your emotions, they'll have no way to cope.

Ultimately, the remote control of your life is always in your own hands.

Like Lao Zhang, be tougher on your laziness and take good care of your health; like top salesman Lao Chen, toughen up your nerves and stop overthinking; like stay-at-home mom Xiao Lin, keep your ears shut and don't listen to gossip.

Focus your energy on making yourself more beautiful, stronger, and happier, and life will naturally shed its superficiality, revealing its comfortable essence.

Good health and a peaceful mind—that's the ultimate configuration for ordinary people like us.