(Minghui.org) I recently announced my desire to retire, but my company management didn't want me to leave. The board director, general manager, and entire management team wanted to rehire me. This had never happened before in this company. Why did they try their best to retain me? I'd like to share my story with you.
My First Attempt at Submitting a Resignation
I reached retirement age in March 2017. I wanted to spend more time doing the three things asked of Falun Dafa practitioners. I had mentioned to the management team that I would retire as soon as I was at that age. But they disagreed. The company was getting ready to bid for several important projects. And because I was in charge of the bidding, I told them that I would not leave until I completed the bidding. I also said that I would not accept the year-end bonus.
Each member of the management team said the same to me, “You are an exception. Please disregard the policies for retired employees. We will keep the position for you, and you will be paid the same.”
They bent the rules in order to retain me. As a practitioner, there are no accidental things on my cultivation path. I thought, “This must be an opportunity for my cultivation. So I'd better wait until after the bidding is completed.”
The bidding went well, as I expected. So I thought the management would be pleased and let me leave. I didn't go to work for over ten days after that. But they didn't regard me as retired. I was still paid a salary and a bonus. Each manager tried to persuade me to stay because they said that I was in perfect health and was better off doing something than staying at home. They said that other people were seeking my position, and I was foolish to let go of all the benefits. They admired the fact that as a practitioner, I was willing to let it all go!
Things were developing beyond my expectations. My company won one of the bids. The other party involved was a large-scale, state-run organization. I was nominated to be the person in charge of property management. My company resorted to every means to retain me for the project.
One morning the board director of my company came to my home and said that I had to help him in this critical moment. I bid for the project and ended up winning it. The director pleaded with me and said I could arrange my own hours and work from home. No matter what, he wanted me to stay and be the person in charge.
This board director acknowledged that Falun Dafa is great. He was not happy with the mistreatment of Falun Dafa practitioners and was not against my cultivation. He was upset that I had been persecuted for practicing Falun Gong. When I was held at the detention center in 2007, he visited the 610 Office and demanded my release. The 610 Office didn't release me because I refused to be “transformed.”
When I was illegally detained at the forced labor camp, the board director and the deputy general manager drove a hundred miles to see me, and they gave me money for my living expenses. They kept funding my social security account and even included the portion I should have paid. The 610 Office set up strict rules for the company to monitor me after I was released from the labor camp, but he disregarded all the rules and gave all the bonuses to me. This favorable attitude laid a good foundation for me to clarify the truth about the persecution to my colleagues.
As a practitioner, I clearly knew that since my company kept asking me to stay and took special care of me, I must truly follow the principles of Falun Dafa in order to safeguard the Fa and help offer salvation to people.
I said to the director, “Thank you for your concern, but I do not need special treatment or even extra bonuses for my efforts. I am a disciple of Master Li Hongzhi. I will do my best to be a good person and act according to the principles of Truthfulness-Compassion-Tolerance. I also hope that you will recruit someone to replace me as soon as possible.”
He listened attentively, patted my shoulder, and laughed heartily.
Being A Better Person Under All Circumstances
I used to be an intermediate command officer in a military unit. When the persecution began, I was given the choice of promotion in my position or continuing to practice Falun Dafa. I chose Falun Dafa. I was immediately fired from my position and forced to transfer to work in a civil organization.
All of a sudden, I lost the titles and benefits I had in the military. I was an officer with nearly 30 years of service and had won many awards from military divisions, regiments, academies, and general staff headquarters.
I had to look for a job with no power, no status, and no one to rely on. I felt a bit lost at the start. But there was always hope in my heart because I had Dafa and our compassionate Master. I came across the opportunity of a millennium to cultivate in Dafa and felt extremely proud and honored.
Thanks to Master's encouragement and arrangement, I was hired by a property management company owned by a large state-run enterprise. Despite the big difference in my loss of fame, status, and benefits, I required myself to let go of my attachment to self-interest. I accepted this new job with a positive attitude.
To familiarize myself with the new work environment, I put my ego aside and asked many questions to learn the industry rules and regulations as quickly as possible. I then passed a few examinations and got professional certificates for human resources, bidding, project management, and property management. I became a manager of human resources, security, marketing, quality control, and various projects. I was now a specialist in my industry and a core manager in my company.
Master kept opening up my wisdom when I was dealing with all sorts of management work. I could pinpoint the problem when problems occurred and solve them with ease. The board director and general manager always came to me for my opinions and suggestions on important matters.
When I went back to work after I was released from the forced labor camp, the board director said to me happily, “You finally came back. I was very tired and anxious when you were not here. Nobody gave suggestions or opinions when we had big issues come up. Now I am relieved. My capable helping hand finally comes back!”
Garnering Praise for Meeting Everyone's Needs
I had to look after a large logistics distribution center which had three branches with more than ten exits. There were many people and vehicles coming and going, and over 300,000 items were delivered each day.
The yearly turnover was 10 billion. It opened every day from 3:00 a.m to 11:00 p.m. There were many provincial and city level activities taking place, such as staff visits from other organizations, inspections, conferences, celebrations, and expos.
I had to look after every aspect of the equipment maintenance, the safety, security, order, and cleanliness of the center, as well as gardening, fire control, staff dormitories, vehicle parking, and traffic flow. Over a hundred staff members from our company were stationed there. It was an important project for both parties. We had to provide a high-quality, professional, and efficient service. The center was 20 kilometers away from our company headquarters.
When I planned or carried out any work, I considered it from the perspectives of the four parties (the logistics center, its cooperated company, our company, and staff members), and made sure that all parties could understand and accept each other.
The logistics center's demands were therefore fulfilled, its partner company received good services, our company achieved financial profits, and the staff members were financially rewarded for their hard work. I looked after all of them, and they gave me high praise.
Consider Others First and Be Honest and Selfless
Master Li said:
“The practice isn’t hard so long as you are sincere about spiritual growth, are willing to go through whatever it takes, and can come to look upon the material things of this world with detachment and indifference.” (The Ninth Talk, Zhuan Falun)
I always required myself to behave like a practitioner. I didn't take advantage of my position for any personal gain. I was honest and wasn't moved when facing any challenge of personal interest. Sometimes I gave up benefits and improved my xinxing. My staff saw my honesty and selflessness. So it was easier for me to explain the irrationality and evilness behind the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) persecution of Falun Dafa.
My salary was 4500 yuan per month after I took office. I spent most of it for the cost of my lunches and the car and petrol cost for work. I was not included in the salary increase list for the management team because I belonged to the rank of retired staff. I didn't take it to heart and didn't talk to the general manager about the increase. I also crossed my name off the lists for additional allowances for hot weather, bonuses for working on holidays, and bonuses for good performance.
The logistics center gave staff members gifts for the hot season, Chinese New Year, and other festivals. I gave the leftover gifts to the staff of other projects and the logistics center. I didn't take any gifts and I was calm in doing so. Other people didn't understand me at the start, but later on they admired me. I then told them the facts about Falun Dafa and persuaded them to withdraw from the CCP.
When dealing with the outsourced company, I didn't blame them if they were at fault or ask for additional funds. I refused to accept any gifts the contractors offered me. I was strict with the managers of various departments and the whole staff about obeying the rules and maintaining good ethics. I also established clear rules for ethical conduct.
Our property management department didn't receive any complaints about our staff's behavior. The managers of both parties and some senior employees often said that I was completely different from the previous manager who spent most of his time socializing and sometimes even created conflicts for his own advantage. They said that I was honest, fair, and kind, and that Falun Dafa practitioners were admirable.
Sometimes my attachment to personal interest came up, but I rectified my behavior once I noticed it. I could face it and let it go. Actually, I didn't lose anything after I let go of my attachment to personal interest. At the end of the year, the board director and general manager gave me a special bonus based on my performance and contribution to the company, which was 120,000 yuan. This was higher than my previous income and also higher than those of other project managers and department managers. Though I was retired, my income actually increased.
More importantly, people knew about Falun Dafa from my behavior and recognized that practitioners are good people in this world.
Creating An Easy Environment for Clarifying the Truth
My friends and colleagues have witnessed my mental and physical changes after I began practicing Falun Dafa. My service of 18 years laid a good foundation for me to clarify the truth to them and ask them to withdraw from the CCP.
Before I practiced Falun Dafa, I was in an important department in the military and had to work extra hours almost every day. When I received important tasks, I had to work until late at night or stay up all night for several consecutive days. Because of the hard work and pressure, I suffered from piles, arthritis, migraines, nephritis, hepatitis, dental disease, and other illnesses. I had to be on medications all the time. It was very agonizing.
When I was forced to leave the military due to the persecution of Falun Dafa, people didn't understand and blamed me. I said to them that I would have died from the illnesses or worked myself to death if I didn't practice Falun Dafa.
At my current company, my colleagues said that I didn't look like I was in my sixties. I have been healthy since I started to practice Falun Dafa more than 20 years ago and haven't been on any medications. They said that I didn't get any older in the past 18 years, looked like I was in my forties, and was becoming younger and younger.
I persuaded most of my colleagues to withdraw from the CCP. More than 20 managers withdrew from the CCP and chose a bright future for themselves.
Farewell Party Became A Welcome Party
I kept submitting requests to leave my position to the board director and the general manager, but they kept postponing them. I then recommended a manager who had previously worked on this project. The logistics center had a good impression of her and she met almost all the requirements. I recommended her to the board director and the general manager and suggested that they employ her and put her under my supervision.
I submitted my final request for retirement in late 2018. I wanted to retire in January 2019 and provided four reasons. The board director was convinced by my reasons. He saw that I was considering the company's perspective, not just my own. He was very moved and thanked me graciously. He said he would get back to me after he presented it to the board.
Several days later the board director announced, “None of your colleagues want you to leave. But we have to respect your own wishes. Please accept my one last request. We want to hire you as a consultant. You can come and give us your feedback every ten or fifteen days. When the company has difficulties, we will still come to you for help.”
I accepted it immediately and promised that I would not leave until the logistics center finished their important marketing event at the end of the year. I told him that I would become their consultant free of charge. He remarked, “You always consider the needs of others. I admire you immensely.”
The company held two meetings at the end of the year. One was for the handover of my job to the new manager, and the other was the general staff meeting. At these two meetings, the general manager announced my resignation and their decision to hire me as a consultant. He praised my character, capability, hard work, and achievements.
At the dinner, the board director arranged for me to take the most important seat, which was between him and the general manager. When they toasted me, they emphasized that this was not a farewell dinner but a welcome dinner for my appointment to the board as a consultant.
Thank you, Master, for your encouragement and salvation! If not for Falun Dafa, I would not have what I have achieved today. I will walk my cultivation path well in the final stage and follow Master home.
