Success comes only through hard work.
This term comes from "Xi Ming" ("Study Motto"), an essay by Zhang Zai (1020-1077), a neo-Confucian philosopher of the Song Dynasty. It means that harsh external conditions such as poverty, humble origins, misfortune and disasters can temper one's will like grinding a piece of uncut jade until it becomes a marvelous artwork. It indicates the strong courage and conviction that allow one to brave any difficulty and achieve great success. This perseverance is part of the character of the Chinese nation.
Xi Jinping has quoted this saying on more than one occasion. Addressing the BRICS Business Forum in July 2018, he said: Success only comes through hard work. During the past 40 years, China has made its way of reform and opening up with strenuous efforts, and blazed a path of building socialism with distinctive Chinese features.
艰难困苦，玉汝于成
“艰难困苦，玉汝于成” ，出自《西铭》，意为贫穷、低贱、忧伤、灾难等各种艰辛困苦的外部条件，往往可以像打磨玉石一样砥砺人的意志，使之终有所成。这种不畏艰险、自我磨砺、以苦为阶，最终实现奋斗目标的意志和信念，成为融入中国人血脉之中的民族品格。
中共十八大以来，习近平多次在不同场合引用“艰难困苦，玉汝于成”。2018年7月，习近平在金砖国家工商论坛上发表讲话时就引用了这句古语，阐发改革开放40年来，中国走过了不平凡的历程，成功开辟了中国特色社会主义道路。