Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

#6. When Shu Lien says this to Jen, her intention is to get through to her and make her realize what she has been doing is not who she is; she was the puppet of someone else. Shu Lien is saying, no matter where life takes Jen she must stay true to the one thing she knows best' herself. Life is never predictable and opioid never know what obstacles will occur or where they will lead you too. I think Shu Lien said this to Jen because in a short matter of time Jen had already experienced many different paths. She followed the rules of her parents and teachings, next she was running away, sleeping with a man that captured her and then siding with the dark side and fighting the ones who truly cared for her. So, I think Shu Lien was speaking with a sarcastic tone or chuckling when saying this statement because she knows Jen is going to experiment more and discover knew things. Of course she was putting the perspective of everything she has already done. The main idea behind her message was, you have no idea what the future holds and the only possible way you can control it, for better or worse, is if you stay true to yourself. No matter how hard the challenges are, how difficult the temptations are to resist and how confusing people will make life. Jen has to follow her heart and do whatever she feels the best absolute thing to do. The path life takes you down maybe the ugliest, hardest, most turmoil filled path or it maybe the greatest path with a few struggles here or there, whether you end up with one or the other you must stick to your truest self. Too much power and wealth (what some would say is the great path) can change you and bring destruction. Too much turmoil, struggles and saddness (ugliest path) can brake you. The only way to survive these paths is being true to yourself and following your heart (the right path). I believe that is what Shu Lien meant.