英语美文.docx

英语美文.docx

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英语美文

LifeLessons

Sometimespeoplecomeintoyourlifeandyouknowrightawaythattheyweremeanttobethere,toservesomesortofpurpose,teachyoualesson,orhelpyoufigureoutwhoyouareorwhoyouwanttobecome.Youneverknowwhothesepeoplemaybe–aroommate,aneighbor,aprofessor,afriend,alover,orevenacompletestranger–butwhenyoulockeyeswiththem,youknowatthatmomenttheywillaffectyourlifeinsomeprofoundway.

Sometimesthingshappentoyouthatmayseemhorrible,painful,andunfairatfirst,butinreflectionyoufindthatwithoutovercomingthoseobstaclesyouwouldhaveneverrealizedyourpotential,strength,willpower,orheart.

Everythinghappensforareason.Nothinghappensbychanceorbymeansofgoodorbadluck.Illness,injury,love,lostmomentsoftruegreatness,andsheerstupidityalloccurtotestthelimitsofyoursoul.Withoutthesesmalltests,whatevertheymaybe,lifewouldbelikeasmoothlypavedstraightflatroadtonowhere.Itwouldbesafeandcomfortable,butdullandutterlypointless.

Thepeopleyoumeetwhoaffectyourlife,andthesuccessanddownfallsyouexperience,helptocreatewhoyouareandwhoyoubecome.Eventhebadexperiencescanbelearnedfrom.Infact,theyaresometimesthemostimportantones.

Ifsomeonelovesyou,givelovebacktotheminwhateverwayyoucan,notonlybecausetheyloveyou,butbecauseinaway,theyareteachingyoutoloveandhowtoopenyourheartandeyestothings.

Ifsomeonehurtsyou,betraysyou,orbreaksyourheart,forgivethem,fortheyhavehelpedyoulearnabouttrustandtheimportanceofbeingcautioustowhomyouopenyourheart.

Makeeverydaycount.Appreciateeverymomentandtakefromthosemomentseverythingthatyoupossiblycanforyoumayneverbeabletoexperienceitagain.Talktopeoplethatyouhavenevertalkedtobefore,andlistentowhattheyhavetosay.

Letyourselffallinlove,breakfree,andsetyoursightshigh.Holdyourheadupbecauseyouhaveeveryrightto.Tellyourselfyouareagreatindividualandbelieveinyourself,forifyoudon’tbelieveinyourself,itwillbehardforotherstobelieveinyou.

ChooseOptimism

Ifyouexpectsomethingtoturnoutbadly,itprobablywill.Pessimismisseldomdisappointed.Butthesameprinciplealsoworksinreverse.Ifyouexpectgoodthingstohappen,theyusuallydo!

Thereseemstobeanaturalcause-and-effectrelationshipbetweenoptimismandsuccess.

Optimismandpessimismarebothpowerfulforces,andeachofusmustchoosewhichwewanttoshapeouroutlookandourexpectations.Thereisenoughgoodandbadineveryone’slife–amplesorrowandhappiness,sufficientjoyandpain–tofindarationalbasisforeitheroptimismorpessimism.Wecanchoosetolaughorcry,blessorcurse.It’sourdecision:

Fromwhichperspectivedowewanttoviewlife?

Willwelookupinhopeordownindespair?

Ibelieveintheupwardlook.Ichoosetohighlightthepositiveandsliprightoverthenegative.Iamanoptimistbychoiceasmuchasbynature.Sure,Iknowthatsorrowexists.Iaminmy70snow,andI’velivedthroughmorethanonecrisis.Butwhenallissaidanddone,Ifindthatthegoodinlifefaroutweighsthebad.

Anoptimistattitudeisnotaluxury;it’sanecessity.Thewayyoulookatlifewilldeterminehowyoufeel,howyouperform,andhowyouwillgetalongwithotherpeople.Conversely,negativethoughts,attitudes,andexpectationsfeedonthemselves;theybecomeaself-fulfillingprophecy.Pessimismcreatesadismalplacewherenoonewantstolivein.

Theonlythingmorepowerfulthannegativismisapositiveaffirmation,awordofoptimismandhope.OneofthethingsIammostthankfulforisthefactthatIhavegrownupinanationwithagrandtraditionofoptimism.Whenawholecultureadoptsanupwardlook,incrediblethingscanbeaccomplished.Whentheworldisseemasahopeful,positiveplace,peopleareempoweredtoattemptandtoachieve.

Optimismdrawsourattentionawayfromnegativismandchannelsitintopositive,constructivethinking.Whenyou’reanoptimist,you’remoreconcernedwithproblem-solvingthanuselessfault-finding.Infact,withoutoptimism,issuesasbigandongoingaspovertyhavenohopeofsolution.Ittakesadreamer–someonewithhopelesslyoptimisticideas,greatpersistence,andunlimitedconfidence–totackleaproblemthatbig?

It’syourchoice.

“Packaging”aPerson

Aperson,likeacommodity,needspackaging.Butgoingtoofarisabsolutelyundesirable.Alittleexaggeration,however,doesnoharmwhenitshowstheperson’suniquequalitiestotheiradvantage.Todisplaypersonalcharminacasualandnaturalway,itisimportantforonetohaveaclearknowledgeofoneself.Amasterpackagerknowshowtointegrateartandnaturewithoutanytracesofembellishment,sothatthepersonsopackagedisnocommoditybutahumanbeing,livelyandlovely.

Ayoungperson,especiallyafemale,radiantwithbeautyandfulloflife,hasallthefavorgrantedbyGod.Anyattempttomakeupwouldbeself-defeating.Youth,however,comesandgoesinamomentofdoze.Packagingforthemiddle-agedisprimarilytoconcealthefurrowsploughedbytime.Ifyoustillenjoylife’sexuberance（茂盛，充沛）enoughtoretainself-confidenceandpursuepioneeringwork,youareuniqueinyournaturalqualities,andyourcharmandgracewillremain.Elderlypeoplearebeautifuliftheirriveroflifehasbeen,throughplains,mountainsandjungles,runningitscourseasitshould.Youhavereallylivedyourlifewhichnowarrivesatacomplacentstageofserenity（宁静，平静）indifferenttofameorwealth.Thereisnoneedtoresorttohair-dyeing;thesnow–cappedmountainisitselfabeautifulsceneoffairyland.Letyourlookschangefromyoungtooldsynchronizingwiththenaturalageingprocesssoastokeepinharmonywithnature,forharmonyitselfisbeauty,whiletheotherwayroundwillonlyendinunpleasantness.Tobeintheelder’scompanyislikereadingathickbookofdeluxe（豪华的，华丽的）editionthatfascinatesonesomuchastobereluctanttopartwith.

Aslongasonefindswhereonestands,oneknowshowtopackageoneself,justasacommodityestablishesitsbrandbytherightpackaging.

TheRoadtoSuccess

Itiswellthatyoungmenshouldbeginatthebeginningandoccupythemostsubordinatepositions.ManyoftheleadingbusinessmenofPittsburgh（匹兹堡）hadaseriousresponsibilitythrustuponthemattheverythresholdoftheircareer.Theywereintroducedtothebroom（扫帚），andspentthefirsthoursoftheirbusinesslivessweepingouttheoffice.Inoticewehavejanitorsandjanitressesnowinoffices,andouryoungmenunfortunatelymissthatsalutary（有益的）branchofabusinesseducation.Butifbychancetheprofessionalsweeperisabsentanymorning,theboywhohasthegeniusofthefuturepartnerinhimwillnothesitatetotryhishandatthebroom.Itdoeshurtthenewestcomertosweepouttheofficeifnecessary.Iwasoneofthosesweepersmyself.

Assumingthatyouhaveallobtainedemploymentandarefairlystarted,myadvicetoyouis“aimhigh.”Iwouldnotgiveafigfortheyoungmanwhodoesnotalreadyseehimselfthepartnerortheheadofanimportantfirm.Donotrestcontentforamomentinyourthoughtsasheadclerk,orforeman,orgeneralmanagerinanyconcern,nomatterhowextensive.Saytoyourself,“Myplaceisatthetop.”Bekinginyourdreams.

Andhereistheprimeconditionofsuccess,thegreatsecret:

concentrateyourenergy,thought,andcapitalexclusivelyuponthebusinessinwhichyouareengaged.Havingbeguninoneline,resolvetofightitoutonthatline,toleadinit,adopteveryimprovement,havethebestmachinery,andknowthemostaboutit.

Theconcernswhichfailarethosewhichhavescatteredtheircapital,whichmeansthattheyhavescatteredtheirbrainsalso.Theyhaveinvestmentsinthis,orthat,ortheother,here,there,andeverywhere.“Don’tputallyoureggsinonebasket”isallwrong.Itellyou“putallyoureggsinonebasket,andthenwatchthatbasket.”Itiseasytowatchandcarrytheonebasket.Hewhocarriesthreebasketsmustputoneonhishead,whichisapttotumbleandtriphimup.OnefaultoftheAmericanbusinessmenislackofconcentration.

SuccessIsaChoice

Allofusoughttobeabletobraceourselvesforthepredictablechallengesandsetbacksthatcropup（突然出现）everyday.Ifweexpectthatlifewon’tbeperfect,we’llbeabletoavoidthatimpulsetoquit.Butevenifyouarestrongenoughtopersistthroughtheobstaclecourseoflifeandwork,sometimesyouwillencounteranadverseeventthatwillcompletelyknockyouonyourback.

Whetherit’sfinancialloss,thelossofrespectofyourpeersorlovedones,orsomeothertraumatic（创伤的）eventinyourlife,thesemajorsetbacksleaveyoudoubtingyourselfandwonderingifthingscaneverchangeforthebetteragain.

Adversity（不幸，困境）happenstoallofus,andithappensallthetime.Someformofmajoradversityiseithergoingtobethereorit’slyinginwaitjustaroundthecorner.Toignoreadversityistosuccumb（屈服）totheultimateself-delusion.

Butyoumustrecognizethathistoryfullofexamplesofmenandwomenwhoachievedgreatnessdespitefacinghurdlessosteepthattheyeasilycouldhavecrushedtheirspiritandleftthemlyinginthedust.Moseswasastutterer（口吃者）,yethewascalledontobethevoiceofGod.AbrahamLincolnovercameadifficultchildhood,depression,thedeathoftwosons,andconstantridiculeduringtheCivilWartobecomeunarguablyourgreatestpresidentever.HelenKellermadeanimpactontheworlddespitebeingdeaf,dumb,andblindfromanearlyage.FranklinRoosevelthadpolio（小儿麻痹症）.

Thereareendlessexamples.Thesewerepe