不管你是真的风华正茂，或是心态年轻，改变，或让自己的生活吸收一些新的更好的尝试，永远为时不晚。
Broken Wings,Flying Heart 翅膀断了，我心飞翔
◎Catherine
He lost his arms in an accident that claimed his father's life—who was the main source of support for the family.Since then,he has had to depend on the arms of his younger brother.For the sake of taking care of him,his younger brother became his shadow,never leaving him alone for years.Except for writing with his toes,he was completely unable to do anything in his life.
One late night,he suffered from diarrhea and had to wake up his younger brother.His younger brother accompanied him into the toilet and then went back the dorm to wait.But being so tired,his younger brother fell asleep;leaving him on the toilet for two hours till the teacher on duty discovered him.As the two brothers grew up together,they had their share of problems and they would often quarrel.Then one day,his younger brother wanted to live separate from him,living his own life,as many normal people do.So he was heart-broken and didn't know what to do.
A similar misfortune befell a girl,too.One night her mother,who suffered from chronic mental illness disappeared.So her father went out looking for her mother,leaving her alone at home.She tried to prepare meals for her parents,only to overturn the kerosene light on the stove,resulting in a fire which took her hands away.
Though her elder sister who was studying in another city,showed her willingness to take care of her,she was determined to be completely independent.At school,she always studied hard.Most of all she learned to be self-reliant.Once she wrote the following in her composition:"I am lucky.Though I lost my arms,I still have legs;I am lucky.Though my wings are broken,my heart can still fly."
One day,the boy and the girl were both invited to appear on a television interview program.The boy told the TV host about his uncertain future at being left on his own,whereas the girl was full of enthusiasm for her life.They both were asked to write something on a piece of paper with their toes.The boy wrote:My younger brother's arms are my arms;while the girl wrote:Broken wings,flying heart.
They had both endured the same ordeal,but their different attitudes determined the nature of their lives.It is true that life is unpredictable.Disasters can strike at any time.How you handle misfortune when confronted with it,is the true test of your character.If you choose only to complain and escape from the ordeal,it will always follow you wherever you go.But if you decide to be strong,the hardship will turn out to be a fortune on which new hopes will arise.
在一场车祸中，他失去了双臂，也失去了父亲，而父亲原是这个家的顶梁柱。从此，他不得不开始依靠弟弟稚嫩的双臂。为了照顾他，弟弟成了他的影子，几年来寸步不离他身边。而他除了能用脚趾写字，其他的生活琐事完全不能自理。某天深夜里，他腹泻得厉害，不得不叫醒他的弟弟。他的弟弟帮助他进了厕所后，回到宿舍去等他。但是，由于太累了，他的弟弟睡着了，把他一个人留在厕所呆了两个小时，直到值班老师发现他。这对兄弟从小一起长大，一起承担着所有的困难，也会经常吵架。后来有一天，他弟弟想离开他，像许多正常人一样过自己的生活。他的心都碎了，更不知道接下来该怎么办。同样的不幸也降临到一个女孩身上。有一天夜里，她患有慢性精神病的母亲失踪了，于是她的父亲出去找她母亲，把她独自留在家里。她试着为父母准备饭菜，却把煤油灯打翻在炉子上，引发火灾，而火灾夺去了她的双手。虽然她在另一个城市读书的姐姐表示愿意照顾她，她还是决定要完全靠自己。在学校里，她一直很努力地学习。最重要的是，她学会了自力更生。她曾在一篇作文里写道：“我是幸运的，虽然失去了双臂，但我还有双腿；我是幸运的，虽然翅膀断了，但心依旧在飞翔。”有一天，男孩和女孩都应邀参加一次电视采访节目。男孩对电视节目主持人谈起留给他的未来不禁感慨前途渺茫；而女孩，却对她未来的生活充满了热情。他们都被要求用脚趾在纸上写下点什么。男孩写下的是：弟弟的双手就是我的双手；而女孩写下的：翅膀断了，但我心飞翔。他们都经历了同样的苦难，但不同的态度决定了他们不同的生活状态。生活是不可预测的，这是事实。灾害随时都可能降临。如何应对苦难，则是对你品格的真正考验。如果你选择了抱怨和逃避磨难，那么不管你走到哪里，它都会永远跟随你。但是，如果你决定要坚强，那么苦难将会成为一种财富，为你带来新希望。
美丽语录
The minute you think of giving up,think of the reason why you held on so long.
在你想要放弃的那一刻，想想为什么当初坚持走到了这里。
A New Attitude to Gratitude 对待感激的新态度
◎Michelle Blake
One of the nice things about having grown children is that I no longer have to bug them about writing thank-you notes.When they were little,all three would dictate thank-yous that I would include with drawings they'd made of their presents.By the time Eleanor,Sarah and Drew were old enough to write their own thank-you notes,however,they would do so only with much prodding.
"Have you written to thank Grandy for the book yet?"I'd ask."What did you say to Aunt Dorothy about that top?"Invariably,I'd be met with mumbles and shrugs.
One year,in the days following Christmas,I'd grown weary of nagging.The children had become mother-deaf.Frustrated,I declared that no one would be allowed to play with a new toy or wear a new outfit until the appropriate thank-you notes had been mailed.Still they procrastinated and grumbled.
Something snapped."Everyone into the car."I said.
"Where are we going?"Sarah asked,bewildered.
"To buy a Christmas present."But it's after Christmas,she protested.
"No arguing,"I said in a tone that meant exactly that.
The kids piled into the car."You're going to see just how much time those who care about you spend when they give you a present."I told them.Handing Drew a pad of paper and a pencil,I said,"Please mark down the time we left home."
When we reached town,Drew noted our arrival time.The children helped me select presents for my sisters at a local shop.Then we turned round and drove home.
Bursting free from the confines of the car,the children headed for their yard toys."Not so fast,"I said."We've got to wrap the presents."The kids slouched inside.
"Drew,"I asked,"did you note the time we got home?"He nodded."OK,please time the girls while they wrap the presents."
When they'd tied the last bow,they looked up expectantly."How long did this all take?"I asked Drew.
Glancing at his notes,he said,"It took us 28 minutes to get to town and 15 minutes to buy the presents.Then it was 38 minutes to get home because we had to buy petrol."
"And how long did it take us to wrap the boxes?"Eleanor asked.
"Each of you did one present in two minutes,"Drew said.
"And how many minutes will it take to mail these presents?"I asked.
"Fifty-six minutes,round trip,"Drew reckoned.
"But you forgot standing-in-line time,"said Sarah.
"OK,"Drew said."We need to add about 15 minutes for mailing."
"So,what's the total time we'd spend to give someone a present?"
Drew worked out the arithmetic."Two hours and 34 minutes,"he said.
I laid some stationery,a pen and an envelope beside each child."Now please write a thank-you note.Be sure to mention the present by name and tell what fun you'll have using it."
Silence reigned as the children gathered their thoughts;soft pen scratchings followed."Done,"said Eleanor,pressing her envelope closed.
"Me too."echoed Sarah.
"That took us three minutes."Drew said,sealing his letter.
"Is three minutes too much to thank someone for a thoughtful gift that may have taken two-and-a-half hours to choose and send to you?"I asked.
The children looked down at the table and shook their heads.
"It's a good idea to get into the habit now.In time you'll want to write thank-you notes for many things."
Drew groaned."Like what?"
"Like dinners or lunches.Or weekends at someone's home or the time someone takes to give you advice on university applications or careers."
"Did you have to write thank-yous when you were a kid?"Drew asked.
"Absolutely."
"What did you say?"he asked.I could tell he was formulating the rest of his thank-you notes.
"It was a long time ago,"I said.
Then I remembered Uncle Arthur,my great-grandfather's youngest brother.I'd never met him,yet every Christmas he sent me a gift.He was blind and lived far away.His niece Becca,who lived next door,sat down with him and wrote out$5 cheques to his great—and great-great-grandnieces and—nephews.I always wrote,telling him what I'd spent his cheque on.
Years later,I had the chance to visit Uncle Arthur.As we chatted,he told me he'd always enjoyed my notes.
"You remember them?"I asked.
"Yes,"he replied."I've saved some of my favorites."He waved towards a stand by the window."Would you get the packet of letters out of the top drawer?It's wrapped in ribbon."
I found an old letter with my handwriting and read aloud:"Dear Uncle Arthur,I am writing this to you as I sit under the hair dryer at the beauty salon.Tonight is the Holiday Ball at the high school and I am spending your Christmas cheque having my hair done for the party.Thank you so very much.I know I'll have a wonderful time,in part because of your thoughtful gift.Love,Faith."
"And did you?"he asked.
I thought back to that wonderful evening so many years ago."Definitely,"I answered with a smile that I wished Uncle Arthur could see.
Sarah's tug at my sleeve pulled me back to the present."What are you smiling at?"she asked.
I told the children about Uncle Arthur's gifts and how glad I was that I'd written a note each year.They obviously meant a lot to him.
"And did you look beautiful?"Asked Sarah.
"My date thought I did."
"Who did you go to the ball with?What did you wear?"asked Eleanor.
"I think I have a photo of that evening,"I said,going to the bookshelves and pulling down a scrapbook.I opened it to a photo of me standing in front of my parents'fireplace.I'm wearing a black velvet evening dress,and my hair is done in an elaborate French twist.Beside me,a handsome young man beams as he hands me a corsage.
"But that's Daddy!"Eleanor said with surprise.
I nodded and smiled.
As the children settled down to finish the rest of their notes,I stroked the faded petals of the dried gardenia pasted next to the photo.
Last Christmas,Bob and I celebrated our thirty-sixth wedding anniversary.Thank you,Uncle Arthur.
孩子们长大了有这样一个好处：再也不用我去督促他们写感谢信了。我的三个孩子还小的时候，总是口述他们的感谢信，由我写下他们的话，并与他们作为礼物而画的画—起寄走。等埃莉诺、萨拉和德鲁长到能够自己写感谢信时，他们却又不愿意写，总是要我百般催促。“你们写信感谢格兰迪送你们书了吗？”我问道，“还有多萝西姨妈送给你们陀螺，你们写了吗？”每一次，他们都是嘟哝着，摊手耸肩。有一年，圣诞节刚过去几天，我不想再唠叨了。孩子们对妈妈的话也已变得充耳不闻。我非常沮丧，只得宣布，任何人都不准玩新玩具或穿新衣服，除非他们把该写的感谢信写好寄走。可他们依旧拖延着，抱怨不休。我灵机一动，说，“你们都给我上车！”“去哪儿？”萨拉困惑地问。“买圣诞礼物。”可圣诞节已经过去了，她反驳道。“别吵。”我以一种不容置疑的口吻命令道。孩子们一个个挤进汽车。“你们会明白，那些关心你们的人为了给你们送礼物，到底花了多少时间。”我对他们说。我交给德鲁一叠纸和一支铅笔，告诉他，“记下我们离家的时间。”到了镇上，德鲁又记下我们抵达的时间。在当地一家商店里，孩子们帮我为我的几个姐姐挑选礼物。之后我们调转头，开车回家。孩子们从车里跑出来，径直朝着放有玩具的院子里冲去。“别这么急，”我说，“我们还要包装礼物呢。”他们只好没精打采地回到屋。“德鲁，你记下我们到家的时间了吗？”我问。他点点头。“那好，现在请记录她们两个女孩子包礼物的时间。”她们打好最后一个蝴蝶结后，充满期待地抬起头来。“总共花了多少时间？”我问德鲁。他看了看记录，说，“我们花了28分钟进城，15分钟买礼物；之后用了38分钟回家，因为途中给汽车加油了。”“包好这些礼盒用了多少时间？”埃莉诺问。“你们各自包好一件礼物需要2分钟。”德鲁回答。“把这些礼物寄出去要用多长时间？”我问。“来回56分钟。”德鲁推算了一下。“可你忘了排队的时间。”萨拉说。“对，”德鲁答道，“我们还要多加上15分钟。”“那么，送给别人一件礼物一共要花多少时间？”德鲁很快算了出来，“2小时34分。”我在每个孩子面前放上信纸、钢笔和信封。“现在，请各写一封感谢信。务必写上礼物的名字，还有它将会带给你的快乐。”孩子们聚精会神，寂静无声；接着只听到钢笔书写的沙沙声。“写好了。”埃莉诺一边说，一边封上信口。“我也写好了。”萨拉随后说。“这花了我们3分钟。”德鲁说话的当儿把信封上。“花3分钟来感谢别人可能花了两个半小时为你们精心挑选和邮寄礼物的时间，这多吗？”我问。孩子们低头望着桌子，纷纷摇头。“现在就养成写感谢信的习惯，这可是个不错的主意。总有一天，你们会因为各种事情想到要写感谢信的。”德鲁轻轻问了一句，“比如什么？”“比如因为晚餐或者午宴，或者在别人家里过周末，或者有人花时间为你求学和就职当参谋。”“你小时候也要写感谢信吗？”德鲁问。“当然！”“你写些什么？”他继续问道。我看得出，他正在套写其他几封感谢信。“那是很久以前的事了。”我说。接着我记起了阿瑟叔公，他是我曾祖父最小的兄弟。我从未见过他，可每年圣诞节我都会收到他寄来的礼物。他双目失明，住在很远的地方。他的侄女贝凯住在他隔壁，常常过去坐在他身边，帮他给他所有的侄孙女、曾侄孙女和侄子填写5美元的支票。我总是给他回信，告诉他我已把他寄来的支票派何用场。多年以后，我终于有机会去探望他。我们一起闲聊的时候，他告诉我他一直都很喜欢我写给他的信。“您还记得那些信呀？”我问。“记得，”他回答道，“我珍藏了几封我最喜欢的。”他指了指窗户旁边的一架立柜，“最上面那个抽屉里有一扎，用丝带捆着的，拿过来好吗？”我找出一封我写的旧信，大声读了起来：“亲爱的阿瑟叔公，我坐在美容院里的吹风机下给您写这封信。今晚学校要举行假日舞会，我正用您圣诞节寄来的支票在这儿做头发，好出席这台晚会。我要对您表达诚挚的谢意。我知道，今晚我会度过一段美好的时光，部分原因就是有您送我的这么体贴周到的礼物。爱您。”“那天晚上你玩得开心吗？”他问。我便回想起多年前那个美丽的夜晚。“当然。”我微笑地回答。我真希望阿瑟叔公能看到我的笑靥。萨拉使劲拽了一下我的衣袖，把我带回眼前的现实。“你笑什么？”她问。我就告诉孩子们有关阿瑟叔公给我寄礼物的事，并说我有多么高兴，因为我每年都给他写了回信。那些信对他来说显然十分有意义。“当年你看上去很漂亮吗？”萨拉问。“我的约会对象觉得我很漂亮。”“那场舞会你同谁一起去的？你穿的什么衣服？”埃莉诺接着问道。“我想，我有一张那个晚上的照片。”我一边说，一边走向书架，取下一本剪贴簿。我打开相簿，翻到我的一张照片，照片里我正站在我父母的壁炉前面。我穿着一身黑色的天鹅绒晚礼服，头发做成精心设计的法国式卷发。我的身边站着一位英俊的年轻小伙，他满面笑容地递给我一束胸花。“这不就是爸爸嘛！”埃莉诺吃惊地叫了起来。我点点头，满脸微笑。孩子们又安下心去写他们没写完的感谢信，我轻轻抚摸着贴在照片旁边早已褪色的栀子花瓣。就在去年圣诞节，我和鲍勃庆祝了我们结婚36周年纪念日。谢谢您，阿瑟叔公。
美丽语录
Sometimes you will never know the true value of a moment until it becomes a memory.
有时候，直到一些珍贵的时刻成为了回忆，你才会真正意识到它的价值所在。
Do One Thing Every Day that Scares You
每天做一件自己害怕的事
◎Eleanor Roosevelt
Fear comes from the fact that you think you cannot act or will act incorrectly.But if you actually try,even though you're scared as hell,you'll often realize that these fears didn't have any foundations.They can be blown away if you tell yourself you'll just do it whatever happens.In many cases you'll think that death is your worse case,but you have to realize you're over-exaggerating.
It's crazy how much our brain can work in order to protect us against ourselves.Imagine you're in a plane,about to jump out of it to do some parachuting.You've never done that before.When you're about to jump,the brain jumps in and start giving you every bit of information it has against parachuting because fear has a seed into you brain.But if you've been jumping out of airplanes for ages,let me tell you the brain simply doesn't care anymore because it knows nothing will(generally)happen.This concept is the core idea of doing one thing that scares you every day.
When you push your limits,the number of fears you have start to decrease.With time you will start understanding that all those fears are just crap that your brain creates to protect you from the unknown but you'll also know that this unknown is not that dangerous.Approaching girls on the street is something many guys are just going to freeze if they have to do it,but it is possible.It just takes time and effort.If you do it one step at a time you'll realize that there's nothing really dangerous about doing it.
What is really interesting from doing this technique every day is that you experience a good amount of adrenaline through your body.It's also really great to have done something you thought you couldn't do.Doing this will make your life at least a thousand time better because there won't be any barriers to stop you.You'll get a better life,more respect from your peers,more control over yourself and will be able to share lots of experiences other might never thought about doing because they are too scared to follow the"Do one thing every day that scares you"mentality.But you are strong.
If you do things you think shouldn't be doing,sometimes you get opposite results:you get what you were looking for.Take this example:you put money into a saving account which gives you a poor return rate but you do so because you are"scared"of losing your money.You decide it's time to apply your new mentality and take the money and start buying shares instead.Maybe for the first transactions you'll have a bit of a rush/adrenaline going on because you aren't sure of what's going to happen,but then you are really proud of what you did.Even though you might have made mistakes,by doing what you were afraid of you removed a barrier you had.As time goes by,you learn how the market works and you'll get better.You'll might even make thousands of thousand by doing it.And now you're really happy because you got past what you were looking for:earning something with the money you had.What the real accomplishment is,is that you've shown to yourself you were able to get over a fear you had.Amazing.
当你认为你无法完成或者会搞砸一件事的时候，恐惧就会产生。但是，如果你真正去尝试，你会经常意识到，那种恐惧其实是毫无依据的，尽管你当时害怕得要死。如果你告诉自己，不管发生什么，我就是要这样做，恐惧就会消失得无影无踪。许多情况下，你会认为死亡是最坏的情况，但是你必须要意识到，你有点夸大其词了。为了保护自己，我们的大脑会不顾一切地让我们去做事与愿违的事。想象一下，你在一架飞机中正准备跳伞，可你以前从未跳过。这时，大脑会灌输一些负面信息让你无法顺利跳伞，因为恐惧像种子那样扎根在我们的头脑中。假如你此前有几年跳伞经历的话，我可以告诉你，你的大脑不会有所顾忌，因为你知道通常不会有意外发生。这个概念是“每天做一件你害怕的事”的核心理念。当你将自己推向能力极限的时候，让你感到恐惧的事就会开始减少。久而久之，你会渐渐领悟，其实所有的恐惧都是在事情未知时，你的大脑出于保护自己的本能而产生的，而且你也会领悟到那些未知的事情没有那么危险。在街上慢慢接近女孩，这个举动会让许多男孩手足无措，但这并不是无法办到的事。只是要花费一点时间和努力。如果你一步一个脚印地做事，你会发现，所谓的危险其实没什么大不了。每天做这样一件技术活的有趣之处，就是你体内会产生大量的肾上腺素。而且假如你完成了原先你认为做不到的事，你会感觉非常棒。这样做至少可以让你的生活好上一千倍以上，因为不会再有任何障碍阻止你。你会过上更好的生活，获得同行们更多的尊敬，而且你能更好地控制自己，能够分享许多别人想都不敢想的经历，因为他们太害怕以至于没有“每天做一件你畏惧的事”的心态。但是你很坚强。如果你做一些你原本认为不应该做的事，有时你会得到相反的结果：你得到了你渴望的东西。比如：你把钱存入回报率很低的储蓄账户，因为你害怕损失钱财。于是你觉得是时候要改变心态，把钱取出来转而买进股票。也许在第一轮交易中你会莽撞行事，肾上腺素会跟着上升，因为你不知道会发生什么，但是接着你会对你所做的事感到非常自豪。尽管你可能会犯错误，但一次次坚持做自己害怕的事，你会为自己扫清障碍。随着时间推移，你会渐渐明白市场是怎么运作的，你会越来越好。你甚至可能成千上百次地去做这件事。现在你真正地感到幸福，因为你得到了你渴望已久的东西：用自己的钱去投资并获得回报。真正的成就是什么，是你已经证明自己可以克服恐惧了。太棒了。美丽语录Fear is the only thing that limits you from acting what you want to act.Don't let those fears control you for all your life,start showing them who's the real boss here.恐惧是唯一一件阻扰你去做想要做的事情的东西。不要让这些恐惧控制你一生，让它们瞧瞧谁才是你命运的真正主人。
A Lesson on Mental Clutter 如何清理心灵垃圾
◎Erin
In the children's book Zen Shorts by Jon Muth,a giant panda named Stillwater tells three stories to young siblings Addy,Michael,and Karl.All of the stories are famous Buddhist teachings,and you may be familiar with them even if you haven't seen this beautifully illustrated book.
The third story Stillwater shares with Karl is called"A Heavy Load"and is about two traveling monks.During their journey,two monks come upon an awful woman who refuses to cross a river because she does not wish to get her silken robes wet or dirty.The older of the two monks quickly picks up the woman and carries her across the water.Many hours later,the younger monk is very upset and visibly angry about his friend helping someone so disdainful,and he feels obliged to share his frustration with the older monk:
"That woman back there was very selfish and rude,but you picked her up on your back and carried her!Then she didn't even thank you!"
"I set the woman down hours ago,"the older monk replied."Why are you still carrying her?"
I think of this story whenever I find a dirty cup in our television room or clothing on the floor instead of in the hamper or notice that a co-worker dropped the ball on a small task.I remind myself that I have two options—I can be like the young monk and throw a fit and be in a bad mood and let it annoy me for hours,or I can be like the older monk and take care of the problem myself and immediately let go of the frustration.I get to decide if I want the cup or errant sock or unfinished task to clutter up my mind and put me in a bad mood,and,since I'd rather not have that clutter wasting my time and energy,I usually choose to be like the older monk.
I'm not a maid—and I'm not suggesting you become one either—but I get to decide how I'm going to react to a situation.Remembering,too,that I don't know the full story behind why the glass or sock is out of place or why a task at work was left unfinished.For all I know,my co-worker got an important call from a client and had to stop a project mid-way through completion to handle an emergency.By helping out,instead of getting frustrated and throwing a fit,I'm making the situation better for myself and others.I get to choose not to fill my time with more clutter than the small item I encountered.
That said,if there is a persistent habit of other people leaving messes in their work,a conversation about that behavior is certainly in order.However,frustrations caused by occasional messes are usually not worth carrying around with you and cluttering up your mind,energy,and emotions.
在乔恩·马斯给孩子们写的《禅宗小故事》一书中，一个名叫“静水”的大熊猫给他的弟弟妹妹安迪、迈克尔和卡尔讲了三个故事。这些故事都是著名的佛教教义，即使你还没有读过这本精美的图画书，里面的故事你可能已经颇为熟悉了。静水讲给卡尔的第三个故事叫做《沉重的包袱》，是关于两个和尚旅行途中的故事。有一天，两个和尚碰到一位让人头疼的妇女，她因为怕弄湿或弄脏自己的丝裙而拒绝过河。年长的和尚立刻背起这个妇女过了河。过了几个小时，年轻的和尚对这件事耿耿于怀，并且怒形于色。他觉得自己的同伴不应该帮助这个令人鄙视的妇女，决定一定要把自己的不快告知同伴。“那个女人既自私又粗鲁，你还要背她过河！她甚至连声谢谢都没说！”“几个小时前我就把她放下了，”年长的和尚回答说，“你却为何一直放不下？”每当我在客厅里看到用过没洗的水杯，或丢在地板上而不是篮子里的脏衣服，或者看到同事有一些小任务没能完成，我都会想到这个故事。我提醒自己，我有两个选择——可以像那个年轻的和尚一样发脾气，让坏情绪烦扰自己，或者选择像那个年长的和尚一样自己解决问题，不让坏情绪跟着自己。我必须决定是否让那个没洗的杯子、乱丢的袜子或是没完成的任务来困扰我，影响我的心情。我并不情愿让这些负面情绪浪费我的时间和精力，我通常选择那个年长和尚的做法。我不是个女佣，我也不希望你也变成这样，但我必须决定我如何应对这些情况。而且要记住，我不知道到底为什么杯子或者袜子被乱放，也不知道那个任务究竟为什么没有完成。我只知道，我的同事接到一个重要的客户电话，不得不停下手中的工作去处理一件急事。与其生气发脾气，不如帮助他完成那个任务，这样对我和他都有好处。所以我选择去完成这些小的任务，而不是浪费时间在生气上。也就是说，如果有些人养成了给别人制造麻烦的习惯，就必须有人找他们谈谈。不过，偶尔的不注意一般就不值得耿耿于怀了，这样做只能扰乱自己的心灵、能量和情绪。
美丽语录
Before you talk,listen;before you react,think;before you quit,try.
在你说话之前，先听；在你回应之前，先想；在你退出之前，先试。
Sow the Seed,See the Harvest 撒下种子，期盼收获
◎Steve Brunkhorst
The story is told of two boys who were walking through a field and found some corn seeds scattered across the ground.They each took one of the seeds home and planted it.
When the first boy didn't see a tiny sprout after the second day,he dug up the seed to see if it had sprouted.Each day he dug up the seed and replanted it,but the corn would not grow.The seed had germinated;yet the boy had not allowed it to maintain contact with the soil,take root,and obtain nutrients.So,it died.
The second boy planted his seed and left it alone.He imagined a tall stalk of corn where he had planted the seed.He waited patiently as rains came and sunshine bathed the ground with warmth.In ten days,a small sprout had broken through the ground,its curled leaves reaching toward the sky.
Achieving any desire,whether large or small,begins with a seed sown in the mind.That seed is the vision of its fulfillment.It also requires the commitment to allow the vision to grow.Commitment in daily life allows life's storms to strengthen resolve.Resolve allows us to nurture a new dream,improve an existing dream,or even begin over if necessary.
How often do we plant the seed of a beautiful dream in the fertile soil of our minds,and then dig it up?What could you achieve if you allowed your seed to grow,continuing to focus your spiritual eyes on the harvest?
这是一个关于两个男孩的故事。他俩穿过一片田地时，发现一些散落在地上的玉米种子。他们每人捡了一粒，带回家种在了土里。第二天，第一个男孩见种子还没有发出芽来，便把种子从土里挖了出来，看看它到底有没有发芽。每一天他都要把种子挖出来，然后再重新种上，但是种子始终不长。其实，种子已经发芽了，但是男孩总不让它与土壤接触，结果种子无法生根、吸收养分，便死了。第二个男孩把种子种上后，就没再打扰它。他想象着他播下种子的地方会长出一株茁壮高大的玉米。不管是下雨，还是温暖阳光沐浴大地，他都耐心地等待着。10天后，一个嫩芽破土而出，它那卷曲的叶子伸向天空。任何愿望的实现，不管其大小，都始于我们心灵中播下的那颗种子。那里种子能勾勒出愿望实现时的景象，但它需要我们耐心等待这一景象成为现实。日常生活中，如果我们尽心尽力，生活中的暴风雨只会加强我们的决心，而决心会使我们滋养新的梦想，完善已有的梦想，甚至在必要时重新再来。我们在心灵的沃土中播下一颗美好梦想的种子后，不待它生根发芽就将它掘出土壤，这样的事情多久我们就会做一次呢？如果你让种子生长，不断将你心灵的眼睛投向那丰收时的景象，你会收获什么呢？
美丽语录
Just sow your seed,allow it to grow,and see an abundant harvest.
播下种子，让它成长，期待丰收，这就可以了。
Are You Ignoring That Little Thought 你在忽略那些小想法吗
◎Caroline Jalango
What happened to that brilliant idea that you once had?Did you ignore it because you thought that it was just a little thought?
Have you ever considered what that little thought would have become if you had acted on your instincts or if you had paid more attention to it?
Imagine a scenario,where you are sitting at home watching television or reading a book,suddenly a light buld is turned on in the dark tunnel of your mind as a thought or an idea crosses your mind.The thought catches your attention but seems so meaningless and you are tempted to discard it,but wait a minute!
That thought could be the potential beginning of the success you have so mush yearned for.As the thought crosses your mind,your senses become alert and you suddenly see a possibility,a realization,a solution,a conclusion,or find the answer to a problem whose solution has long eluded you.
It is almost as if a divine being has whispered the perfect solution into your ear or awakened your senses to a reality thereby bringing illumination to your life.It is like finding the last piece of jigsaw puzzle.
This becomes an AHA moment and everything freezes around you as you excitedly try to grasp the practicality of that little but powerful thought.
Your self-confidence and enthusiasm increase as you become conscious of the great possibilities that can arise if that little thought is acted upon.This becomes the moment to build upon that thought and to write down any ideas that are streaming from that little thought for later review.
Seemingly meaningless little thought or ideas when acted upon have a potential to explode into great projects.
Many successful projects have been born from the little positive thoughts that were carefully nurtured and recognized as tickets to great things.
You may have heard people say many times that it just came to me in a flash,in a flash moment,a small idea or seemingly meaningless thought may cross your mind about something you have been planning to accomplish.
Don't waste an opportunity to act on a potentially brilliant idea.You don't have to wait for a major idea,a master strategy,or approval from your peers in order for you to act on that little thought.
That little thought or idea is the beginning of great things if you decide to follow it through.
你曾经想到过的那个非凡的主意后来怎样了？你是否因为觉得那只是个小小的念头而将其忽略了呢？你是否考虑过，如果你依照直觉行事，或是多用点心，当初那个小小的念头将会变成怎样？想象这样一个场景：你正坐在家里看电视或看书，一个想法或念头闪过脑际，令你眼前一亮，豁然开朗。这个想法虽然令你心中为之一动，但却似乎毫无意义，于是你打算放弃它。但是请等一下！那个想法可能就是你渴望已久的潜在的成功起点。当它在你头脑中闪过时，你的思维变得敏锐起来，你突然看到了一种可能性、一种想法的实现、一个解决方案、一个结论，或是找到让你困惑已久的问题的答案。这就像是一位圣人在你耳边低语，告诉你最佳的解决方案，或者将你的思维唤回到现实，从而给你的人生带来光明。这就像是找到智力拼图的最后一块一样。这将成为一个令人惊喜的时刻。当你满心激动，努力领会那个不起眼但非常有用的想法的实用性时，周围的一切都好像静止了。当你意识到，如果实践那个小小的想法，就会产生极大的可能性时，你的自信心就会增强，热情也会高涨。此时，你要以那个小小的想法为基础，记下由其激发出的所有念头，以便日后回顾。看似无足轻重的小想法或念头一旦得以实施，就具有演变成伟大事业的潜能。许多成功的事业都源于那些得到精心孕育的积极的小想法，这些想法被看作是走向辉宏事业的敲门砖。你可能听别人多次说过：我瞬间有了那个想法。闪念之间，一个与你一直计划实现的事情有关的小点子或看似毫无意义的想法，就可能会在你脑中闪过。不要浪费任何一个实践某个充满潜力的非凡念头的机会。你不必为了实践那个小念头而等待大主意、总体规划的出现，或是等待同伴的赞同。如果你下定决心坚持到底，那个小小的想法或念头就会是你成就伟大事业的开始。
美丽语录
Give everything a shot.You never know what(or who)is going to change your life.
任何事情都应该去尝试一下，因为你无法知道，什么样的事或者什么样的人将会改变你的一生。
Why Should You Forgive Yourself 为什么你必须原谅自己
◎Marc
Once upon a time there lived a woman who had a bad temper.She screamed at and scolded everyone around her.For most of her life she believed the fiery rage inside her was everyone else's fault.
She went to see a well respected Buddhist monk to ask for advice.The monk told her to take a large clay jug from his kitchen,fill it with water,and stand outside on the sidewalk in front of his house."It's hot outside,and that's a busy sidewalk with lots of pedestrians,"the monk told her as he pointed out the front window of his house."When a pedestrian passes,you must offer them a glass of water.Do this until there is no rage left inside you."
So she stood outside with a water jug and served water to pedestrians every day for the next several weeks.And every morning she asked herself if rage still pulsed through her veins.And every morning the answer was,"yes."So she continued serving water.Until this afternoon when a burly man walked up,snatched the water jug out of her hand,drank directly out of it,and then tossed the jug on the ground as he continued on his way.
The rage within the woman skyrocketed into an irrepressible fit.Unable to contain herself,she picked up the clay jug off the ground and,with all her might,threw it at the burly man as he walked away.It was a direct hit.The jug shattered into pieces over the back of his head and he fell to the ground,unconscious and bleeding.
As the woman's rage subsided,she realized the magnitude of what she had done and began to cry.She used a payphone to call 911 and report the incident.An ambulance and two police cars arrived at the scene moments later.As the EMTs strapped the burly man into a stretcher,the police handcuffed his arms and legs to the stretcher.Then one of the police officers walked over to the woman,who was still crying,and said,"The city owes you a big‘thank you.’That man has been on our most wanted list for over a year now.He is a primary suspect in multiple murder cases and violent robberies."
The moral of the story is that we simply don't know.We want to believe that if we completely rid ourselves of our inner darkness then we will always make the right choices,and be of service to ourselves and those around us.But life isn't so linear and predicable.Sometimes our darkness inadvertently leads us to do things that impact the world in a positive way,just as our unconditional love sometimes forces us to overlook the criminal standing before us.
从前有个脾气很坏的女人，她总是对周围的每一个人大吼大叫。大多数时候，她都认为自己的愤怒全是因为别人的错。于是，她去向一个德高望重的高僧讨教。高僧让她从厨房取了一个很大的陶壶，装满水，提着站在房前外面的人行道上。“外面很热，行人很多。”高僧指着窗户外说，“每一个行人经过你身边时，你都要给他们一杯水，直到你心中没有愤怒为止。”所以，在接下来的几周里，她都拿着陶壶站在外面，给过往行人提供水。每天早晨，她都问自己，心中是否还有愤怒，而每天她的回答都是肯定的。于是她继续这样做着，直到有一天下午，一个粗鲁的男人走过来，一把从她手里抢过陶壶，一口气喝完了里面的水，把壶扔在地上，径直离开。女人怒火中烧，终于抑制不住怒气发作起来。无法控制自己的她捡起地上的陶壶，用尽全力掷向那个男人。陶壶直接砸中了男人的后脑勺，陶壶摔成碎片，男人倒在地上不省人事，流血不止。女人的怒气平息了，也意识到自己犯了一个多么大的错，于是哭了起来。她用公用电话叫了911，报告了这起事故。不久，一辆救护车和两辆警车来到现场。救护人员把那个粗鲁的男人抬上了担架，警察也拷上了那名男子的手脚。然后，一个警察走到哭泣的女人身边，说，“整个城市要向你郑重地道谢。那个男人是一年多来我们的头号通缉犯。他是多起抢劫杀人案的首要嫌疑人。”这个故事的寓意是我们无法简单得知的。我们总是愿意相信，当我们完全摆脱内心的黑暗后，我们才能做出对的选择，才会对我们自己和身边的人都有好处。但生活并不是这么线性及可预测的。有时我们内心的黑暗会无意中指使我们做一些影响世界的积极的事，就像我们无条件的爱，时常会让我们忽略那些近在咫尺的罪恶。
美丽语录
To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.
原谅就是释放囚徒，然后发现那囚徒不是别人，正是自己。
A Letter to My Future Self 写给未来自己的一封信
◎Sherri
In 1994,I wrote a letter.I stuck it in an envelope,put it away and completely forgot about it.
It wasn't until we moved into our new home in 2006 that I found it again.It was addressed to me with explicit instructions not to open until my birthday 2005.It was now 2006 so I decided to open it.This is what it said:
Dear Sherri,
By the time you read this you will be 30.At the age of 18 I had so many hopes and dreams about where you'd be,what you'd be doing and with whom you'd spend your life with.
Right now I hope that you have traveled and seen everything you've always wanted to,both in Canada and overseas,and maybe even settled down somewhere in Australia doing some research in the field of biology(genetics).
I hope you're married to the man of your dreams.The man of mine is Gwynn.He is originally from South Africa(another place I wish to visit).
You'll probably have two children of your own—a girl(Michaela Anne)and a boy(name yet to be decided).
If everything goes according to plan you'll be living in Australia in a big house in a small town outside of a big city with a lot of land,a dog,Gwynn and your two beautiful children.Hopefully you have a career in the medical field,maybe doing research in genetics.Gwynn will be a computer programmer and you will be doing alright for yourselves.
However,if things don't go according to plan for you,I wish you all the love,happiness and joy in the world and don't settle for anything less than the best since that is absolutely what you deserve.
Live long,be happy and live life to it's fullest.
Love Sherri"18"
When I read this for the first time since writing it I was floored.Even now having dug this up again another 4 years later I still can't help but think this is really cool.
So much of what I wanted for myself has materialized.
I did travel to a few more places in Canada although I haven't seen everything I'd like to.
I did marry the man of my dreams and yes he still is my one and only.
I've traveled to the UK,South Africa,Australia and New Zealand.
I lived in Australia for nearly 4 years in a big house,in a small suburb,in a major city(close enough).
I had a career in Biology in the field of genetics for 10 years.
I have two lovely kids—both boys(names now decided).
I have not one dog but two dogs.Both yellow labs from Australia.
Gwynn is a computer programmer.
We are doing okay for ourselves.
After writing this I quickly forgot about what I had put in here actually.The things that materialized were all met with quite a bit of resistance(all internal)but I suppose these were things that I really did want.Having never strayed too far from home,overseas travel was a huge deal.Having never been away from my family,moving to Australia for several years was an incredibly huge decision.
I find it fascinating how the dreams of a young and naive little girl can become a grown woman's reality.
I'm curious if you guys have ever written anything to your future self and how it stacks up to your current reality.If you haven't,will you join me in writing a letter now to yourself in say 10 years from now?It's an interesting little experiment.
1994年，我写了一封信。我把它装进信封收起来，就完全忘记了。直到2006年我们搬到新家，我才又发现了这封信。收信人是我自己，而且明确说明一定到2005年我生日的时候才能打开，那时候已经是2006年，所以我决定打开它。信里这样写道：亲爱的雪莉：你读这封信的时候已经30岁了。18岁的我有太多关于未来的希望和梦想，你会在哪里生活，你会做什么工作，你会和谁共度一生。我希望你已经去过了所有你想去的地方，看过了所有你感兴趣的东西，不管是在加拿大还是国外。也许，现在你已经在澳大利亚的某处定居，做着生物学（遗传学）领域的研究工作。我希望你已经嫁给了你的梦中情人。我的梦中情人叫格温，他来自南非（另一个我心神往之的地方）。你应该有了两个自己的孩子：一个男孩一个女孩。女孩叫安妮，男孩的名字还没想好。如果一切按计划进行，那现在的你会和格温还有两个漂亮的孩子，一起生活在澳大利亚某个大城市外的小镇上，有一个大房子，有很多地，养一只狗。希望你是从事医学领域的工作，也可能是做遗传学研究。格温会是计算机程序员，你们一切都很好。不过，就算生活没有按你的计划进行，我也祝你拥有世上所有的爱、幸福和快乐。在遇到最好的之前，别让自己停下来，你绝对值得拥有最好的生活。多福多寿，要快乐，要活到最精彩。爱你的：18岁的雪莉自写信到第一次读这封信的时候，我诧异不已。即使4年后的今天再次拿出来读，我也还是觉得这真的是很酷的想法。那么多我想要的都已经实现了。我真的去过加拿大很多地方旅行，虽然我还没把想看的东西通通看过。我嫁给了我的梦中情人，对，他依旧是我的唯一。我去过英国、南非、澳大利亚和新西兰。我在澳大利亚的一个大城市生活了快四年，我们住在郊区的大房子里（跟梦想很接近了）。我有一份生物学遗传领域的工作，干了10年了。我有两个可爱的孩子——不过都是男孩（名字都定了）。我现在养着两只狗，都是产自澳大利亚的黄色拉布拉多，跟信中写的那只稍有不同。格温是计算机程序员。我们一切都好。其实写完这篇文章我就很快忘了自己写了什么。所有我实现的梦想，都曾经遭遇了一些内心的阻碍，但是我很确定，这些就是我想要的。对于从未离家太远的我来说，出国旅行是大事。对于从未离开过家人的我来说，搬到澳大利亚住几年也是难以置信的重大决定。看着一个年轻而天真的小女孩的梦想成为一个成熟女人的真实生活，这个感觉很美好。我很好奇，你们有没有给未来的自己写过什么，然后看着它们一点点堆积成为你现在的生活。如果还没写过，那不如加入我，现在拿起笔，给十年后的自己写封信吧？这可是一次有趣的小实验。
美丽语录
Never give up your dreams.Miracles happen every day.
别放弃梦想，奇迹每天都在上演。
阅读小课堂
What the"ABC"Tell US 26个字母——人生哲理篇
A—Acknowledging（感激）
感激你所拥有的一切。
B—Belief（信念）
做任何一件事情，都要有坚定的信念。
C—Confidence（信心）
对自己充满信心。
D—Dreaming（梦想）
今日带着梦想入睡，明天带着梦想醒来。
E—Empathy（心灵相通）
站在对方的立场上，为对方着想。
F—Fun（乐趣）
享受你所拥有的一切。
G—Giving（给予）
将你所能给予的都给予你周围的人。
H—Happiness（幸福观）
为你的生活及所做的事感到满意。
I—Imagination（想象力）
张开想象的翅膀，追求你的梦想。
J—Joy（欢乐）
把你的欢乐带给你所认识的人。
K—Knowledge（知识）
不断学习各种知识。
L—Love（爱心）
奉献你的爱心及爱的精神。
M—Motivation（激励）
不断激励自己，实现自我超越。
N—Nice（友善）
即使对陌生人也保持一颗善心。
O—Openness（开化）
敞开胸怀，接受新事物。
P—Patience（耐心）
坚持就是胜利，耐心等待成功出现。
Q—Quiet（安宁）
享受安宁的时光，静下心来反省自己。
R—Respect（尊重）
尊重所有的种族、宗教、文化、信仰及价值观。
S—Smile（微笑）
用微笑面对人生。
T—Trust（信任）
信任自己的亲朋好友和其他值得你信任的人。
U—Unity（团结）
与周围的人和平相处。
V—Victory（成功）
庆祝自己的成功，即便是最微小的成就。
W—Wait（等候）
耐心等候，好运总会出现。
X—Xfactor（未知因数）
挖掘自己身上未知的潜力，看到别人身上隐藏的光芒。
Y—Yes（赞同）
迎接积极的挑战，敢于面对一切。
Z—Zest（极大的生活乐趣）
把所有的事情都做到最好，尽力而为，感受最真实的生活。
注释：
[1]stealthily['stelθili]adv.暗地里，偷偷摸摸地
[2]fluffy['flLfi]adj.蓬松的，松软的
[3]ecstasy['ekstsi]n.狂喜；出神，入迷
[4]stick in在家
[5]wrap[r緋]v.包，裹，缠绕
[6]anxiously['緆簊li]adv.焦急地；担忧地
[7]desperately['despritli]adv.绝望地；不顾一切地，拼命地
[8]alternate[:l't:nit]adj.(两个)交替轮流的；间隔的；供选择的
[9]remorse[ri'm:rs]n.痛悔；自责
[10]bow[bu]v.鞠躬，欠身
[11]ancestry['緉sistri]n.(总称)家族；血统；名门出身
[12]fervently['f:vntli]adv.热烈地，热情地；强烈地
[13]reminisce[,remi'nis]v.追忆；回想
[14]yearn for思念；渴望；向往
[15]adoration[,綿'rei簄]n.崇拜，敬爱；倾慕
[16]mellow['melu]adj.圆润的，柔美的
[17]extravagant[iks'tr緑gnt]adj.奢侈的，浪费的；过度的
[18]redundant[ri'dLndnt]adj.多余的，过剩的；累赘的，冗长的
[19]（be）obsessed with着迷，迷恋
[20]singularly['sigjulli]adv.非常地，格外地；异常地
[21]nosedive['nuzdaiv]n.猛跌；低落；情况突然变坏
[22]concentrate on集中精力，一心一意
有些理想曾为我们引过道路，并不断给我新的勇气以欣然面对人生，那些理想就是——真、善、美。
The ideals which have lighted my way,and time after have given me new courage to face life cheerfully—have been kindness,beauty and truth.
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