“Life is impermanence, no-self, and suffering”- a big lesson I've learned. I’ve heard of this sentence many times but I didn't know what that meant. I didn't think I would understand this concept until I came to the United States, the place that gave me memorable experiences. I started high school with noisy classes, students yelling all day, which is a big problem because I couldn’t focus on studying. Moreover, not knowing English was an even bigger problem. I couldn’t understand what people were saying and didn’t have many friends. This made me feel very frustrated and lonely. Even though everyone in the school was so nice to me, I felt a sense of loneliness, stuck in the mess of my own thoughts. One summer, I applied for SYEP and was selected to work at Claremont, my school as a gardener. While working, I thought, “When winter comes, these flowers will all die.” Suddenly, I recalled this sentence “Life is impermanence, no-self, and suffering”. At that time, a lot of things came across my mind. “If life is impermanence, that means nothing is eternal and always changes over time". However, this flower is no-self. It is a combination of all factors: water, sunshine, soil, oxygen and the care of gardeners. If we miss one, we won't have a flower. And even if we don't see this flower, it doesn't mean that this flower does not exist, the flower is always there, waiting for a good time to appear. And when summer comes, all the factors are combined, and the picture of the flower will be revealed once again. Likewise, a person doesn't know how to speak English, but keep practicing, one day they will know the language. However, people can forget the language if they don't use it often, even though it is their native language. Because everything changes—which is what impermanence means—people can always improve their weaknesses and develop their abilities. The gardeners will suffer if one day their flowers disappear or decompose. Nevertheless, good gardeners will look deeply into their flowers, noticing that there is a transformation taking place among these flowers. Just as careless gardeners suffer when their flowers wither, people suffer when they lose what they love. But wise gardeners see that the flowers are not truly gone—they have only transformed. If we look deeply, we can see that failure is the compost that nourishes the soil of success. Just like the flowers, I too have changed with time — not disappearing, but transforming into someone stronger and wiser. I more bravely encountered difficulties, and challenged myself by graduating early. Furthermore, in order to transform negative emotions, I’ve practiced mindful breathing. Breathe in, I know there is anger inside me. Breathe out, I know it won’t last long. Breathe in, I know I’m sad. Breathe out, I observe this sadness, accept and wait for it to pass. Through this practice, I find that suffering and joy are two petals of the same flower—without one, the other cannot exist. Irritating feelings wouldn't last long. Therefore, when they come, try to embrace them; when they go, try to let them go, like friends coming to visit our home. “You peel a very sour orange and regret it, but that is all the orange has to give”. This concept reminds me to accept life as it is. I’ve learned a new perspective and to be more satisfied with myself and my life, looked deeply at things, and found small joy in my life.