(Minghui.org) Falun Dafa practitioners from Los Angeles, San Diego, Arizona, and Las Vegas attended the 2026 Southwestern US Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference in Los Angeles on September 6. Some of the speakers began practicing Falun Dafa more than 30 years ago and one only recently started practicing. They talked about how they improved themselves in the face of conflicts, and took opportunities in their daily lives to help others learn about the ongoing persecution of Falun Dafa in China. Simultaneous interpretations were available in Chinese, English, and Vietnamese.
The 2026 Southwest US Falun Dafa Experience Sharing Conference was held in Los Angeles on September 6, 2026. Practitioners from multiple regions attended, and more than 20 practitioners talked about their cultivation experiences. (Minghui.org)
From Yearning for Quick Success to Being Patient
Soon after Ms. Cai began practicing Falun Dafa in 2011, she helped promote Shen Yun. In the process, she realized that when she had doubts about others it was usually her issue and she needed to change her mindset.
When she was handing out flyers near Beverly Hills, two women refused to take them because they believed the defaming news report published by a mainstream media outlet. Instead of arguing, Ms. Cai patiently explained why the media worked with the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and published false reports to defame Shen Yun. She explained that Shen Yun aims to revive traditional Chinese culture and elevate peoples’ morals. The two women’s attitudes softened and they said they were interested in seeing Shen Yun.
Another time, she encountered a man who said it was the first time he’d heard about Shen Yun. She told him the show could change a person’s life, and showed him a short clip of a Shen Yun video. She was surprised when he purchased four of the most expensive tickets.
Ms. Cai often reminds herself not to miss anyone walking by, and not to jump to conclusions about someone based on their looks, apparent status, or even their first reaction. A flyer, a sentence, or a kind thought can make a big difference in their future.
In the process of promoting Shen Yun, Ms. Cai came to the realization that what she really needed to change wasn’t the external environment but her character: that is, her impatience and desire for quick success. Instead of focusing on the outcome, she should focus on the person she is talking to and ask herself, “Did I put my heart into it?”
Ms. Cai has also realized that she shouldn’t care too much about what kind of work she’s assigned to or whether her task is thought to be important. When she sees a problem, she should look at it from different angles and make sure she handles it with compassion.
Stopped Using Personality As An Excuse
Mike from San Diego began practicing in 2023. He served in the U.S. Military for 20 years, and later worked for the government. He used to have problems with his liver and joints—he frequently felt dizzy, had heart palpitations, and a slower-than-normal heart rate. When the symptoms got intense it felt like he would pass out when he stood up. He took all sorts of medications, vitamins, supplements, and herbs to ease his problems, and felt he’d just have to live with them. After Mike began practicing Falun Dafa, his health slowly improved. One day at a checkup, his doctor told him that his liver problem had significantly improved.
Through studying Falun Dafa’s teachings and doing the exercises, Mike began to understand that improving his health shouldn’t be the reason he practiced Dafa, and that the main goal is to improve his character. He said the biggest change he saw was how his mind changed.
Before he started practicing, whenever he saw a problem, his first reaction was to look for the person who caused it and determine what needed to be changed. After he practiced Falun Dafa, he first examined himself because he understood challenging situations were cultivation opportunities.
Mike used to be introverted and didn’t want to take the initiative to talk to others. When he helped at Falun Dafa events, he only wanted to do work that didn’t require talking to people, such as setting up the venue or doing the exercises. When he handed out a flyer, he usually only said a sentence or two.
Now, Mike actively seeks out strangers and talks to them about Falun Dafa and the persecution. He said that being introverted is just a limit he set for himself.
Rediscovering the Initial Enthusiasm to Practice
A practitioner who is a businessman joined the English language Epoch Times (EET) in 2017, and hoped to apply his experience and skills in the media. When his business became demanding, he started to only focus on the outcome. Also, he was easily distracted when he studied the Fa (teachings).
He calmed down and looked within, and saw that on the surface he was trying to be efficient at work, but deep down he pursued quick success.
He decided to readjust himself, prioritize practicing Falun Dafa, and he stopped being result-oriented at work. When he read the teachings he reminded himself to stay focused and resume the cultivation state he had the first time he read Zhuan Falun.
He gradually became more willing to interact with people with an open heart. He recently applied to join an influential club. A club member tried to block his application because he worked for EET. In the end the board approved his application. In the process, more people in his community came to know about EET. This incident taught him that he just needs to do things in accordance to the teachings, and not worry about the outcome.
28 Years of Cultivation
Ms. Sun from Los Angeles began practicing Falun Dafa in 1998. As her health improved, she decided to speak up for Falun Dafa after the CCP launched the persecution in 1999.
Ms. Sun had suffered recurrent miscarriages and couldn’t have a second child. After she became a practitioner, she conceived and had a second child. She wanted to expose the persecution and let more people know how the CCP lied in order to justify the persecution, and how practitioners suffer as a result.
After she left China, Ms. Sun talked to Chinese people at tourist attractions about the ongoing persecution. One time a tourist from China tried to show off how rich he was. She didn’t mind his attitude, and told him, “No matter who you are, you are a life worth saving.”
She once met a Chinese college student who told her, “The tour guide said you’re paid to hand out these flyers, but the information on the flyer is true, and every one of you has a genuine smile. You all give off a warm vibe. I believe that Falun Dafa must be a very good practice because your smile is so kind! I want to learn it.”
After many years, Ms. Sun realized that the process of talking to people about the persecution is the process of cultivating oneself. One time, the practitioner she worked with left early, leaving her to do all the work, so she resented her. She then became aware that she shouldn’t focus on what others do. After adjusting her thoughts, she saw the practitioner’s positive side and her resentment disappeared.
For 28 years, Ms. Sun has diligently tried to improve herself in small things and to keep raising awareness about the persecution.
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