Have you heard of the “Lotus Law”? Imagine a lotus pond. On the first day, only a few blossoms open. On the second day, the number doubles. Each day after that, the number of flowers doubles again compared to the day before.
Now here’s the question: If the pond is completely covered in blooms by the 30th day, on which day was it half covered? Many people answer the 15th day — but that’s wrong. The correct answer is the 29th day.
This is the famous Lotus Law, also known as the “30-day principle.” It teaches a simple truth: the closer you get to the finish line, the more critical persistence becomes. At that point, it’s not luck or talent that determines success, but the ability to endure.
As the Chinese saying goes: “A hundred-mile journey is only halfway at ninety.” The idea is the same. The final stretch is often the hardest, demanding greater effort and patience. Only through steady accumulation can you achieve a real breakthrough — the moment when quantity turns into quality.
Reaching the tipping point
This process of gradual buildup leading to transformation is known as a critical breakthrough. The moment it happens is the tipping point. But how can you tell when you are approaching it?
Take long-distance running as an example. At a certain point, you may feel tightness in your chest, shortness of breath, and weakness in your limbs — like you can’t go another step. That’s often a sign that the tipping point is near.
If you push through, your body adapts. Oxygen intake increases, lactic acid clears more efficiently, and your system shifts into a new state of balance. Suddenly, your breathing feels deeper and steadier, your stride lighter. Runners call this the “second wind.”
Sadly, many people give up just as they are about to break through. Believing they’ve hit their limit, they stop one step short of progress. Only a few can endure the discomfort long enough to move into that new state — and it is they who achieve lasting success.
Lessons from history
History offers countless examples of persistence paying off. Take Dream of the Red Chamber, one of China’s four great literary classics. Its author, Cao Xueqin, famously spent a decade writing and rewriting it five times. The brilliance of his masterpiece came from years of tireless effort.
Or consider Sima Qian, the great historian of the Han Dynasty. He spent thirteen years compiling the Records of the Grand Historian, a monumental work that shaped the study of history for centuries. His dedication, despite immense hardship, ensured his achievement would endure.
Their lives embody the Lotus Law. Only by enduring hardship, pushing beyond boundaries, and persevering without rest can one reach the full bloom of accomplishment — just as a pond becomes completely covered with lotus flowers.
Why most people fall short
Yet most people quit too soon. Some give up on the 9th day, others on the 19th, and still others on the 29th — just one step away from success.
How many dreams have failed at that last hurdle? When people wonder why luck never favored them or why rewards didn’t come, the real reason is often simple: they lacked that final ounce of perseverance. They chose comfort over persistence.
Real change doesn’t come as a sudden transformation. It is a gradual process, built through steady effort. There is no need to rush or expect instant results. If each day brings a small improvement and you keep moving toward the right goal, success will come.
The last mile matters most
The Lotus Law reminds us that the hardest challenges come just before the breakthrough. If we are willing to step beyond our comfort zones and endure that “last mile,” the harvest will arrive in time.
Like the lotus pond in full bloom, achievement is not the result of sudden luck but of daily persistence, even in moments when it feels impossible to continue. Success often lies just one step further than we think.
Translated by Cecilia
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