Since finishing my studies at Harvard and Oxford, I've watched one friend after another land high-ranking, high-paying Wall Street jobs. As executives (高级管理人员) with banks, consulting firms,established law firms, and major corporations, many are now 1on their wayto impressive careers. By society's2, they seem to have it made.
On the surface, these people seem to bevery lucky in life. As they left student life behind, many had a3drink attheir cheap but friendly local bar, shook hands with longtime roommates, and4out of small apartments into high buildings. They made reservations atrestaurants where the cost of a bottle of wine5a college year's monthlyrent. They replaced their beloved old cars with expensive new sports cars.
The thing is, a number of them have6 thatdespite their success, they aren't happy. Some 7of unfriendly coworkers andfeel sad for eight-hour workweeks devoted to tasks they 8. Some do notrespect the companies they work for and talk of feeling tired and 9. However, instead of devoting themselves to their work, they find themselvesworking to support the10 to which they have so quickly become11.
People often speak of trying a more satisfying path, and 12 in the end the idea of leaving their jobs to workfor something they 13 or finding a position that would give themmore time with their families almost always leads them to the same conclusion: it's14 . They have loans, bills, a mortgage（抵押贷款）to 15, retirement to save for.They recognize there's something 16in their lives, but it's 17to stepoff the track.
In a society that tends to18 everything in terms of dollars andcents, we learn from a young age to consider the costs of our19infinancial terms. But what about the personal and social costs 20 in pursuing money over meaning? These are exactly the kinds of costsmany of us tend to ignore — and the very ones we need to consider most.
Life is to be lived. No excuses. No reservations (保留). No holding back.
A story about the violinist Fritz Kreisler tells how he once 1 a beautiful instrument he wanted to acquire. When he 2raised the money for the violin, he returned to 3 it and learned that it had already been sold to a(n) 4.
He went to the new owner's home in order to try to 5 him to sell the violin. 6, the collector said it was one of his prized possessions and he could not let it go. Kreisler felt 7 and turned to leave, but then asked a favor, “May I play the instrument once more 8 it is put away?”
9 was given and the great musician began to play. The 10 sang out a quality of music which was so beautiful that the collector himself could only listen in 11. “I have no 12 to keep that to myself,” he said after the musician finished. “The violin is yours, Mr. Kreisler. Take it into world, and let people 13 it.”
You and I are excellent violins—our 14 is meant to be heard.
I want to live my 15 that way—to take it into the world and live it fully. I'd rather burn out than rust out. I'd rather be16 than die not having done whatever I could.
I'm not talking about 17 ourselves by doing too much. Happiness is never found in overmuch busyness. But it is found in investing our lives in others. Say yes when asked for a hand. 18 to work for a worthwhile organization. Spend an hour with a 19 relative.
In the end, I know that my happiness is not about by my ability or my inability. It is about how much I 20 to others.
During my childhood, my father's favorite sayings was “Try it!” I couldn't say I didn't like 1, whatever it might be, 2 I tried it. Over the years I've come to realize how much of my success I3to my acceptance of those words as one of my 4. My first job was just one I decided to try for a couple of years until I 5 what I want to do as a career. 6 I believed I would work for a few years, get married, stay home and 7 a family, so I didn't think the job I took 8 that much. I couldn't have been more 9. I mastered the skills of that beginning level position and I was given the opportunity to 10 through the company into different 11. I accepted each new opportunity with the 12,”Well, I'll try it; if I don't like it I can always go back to my 13 position. ” But I was with the same company for the past 28 years, and I've 14 every career change I've made. I've discovered I 15 a large number of different talents
and skills that I never would have thought were within me had it not been for my being 16 trying new opportunities. I've also discovered that if I 17 what I'm doing and work hard at achieving my 18, I will succeed. That's why I'm so 19 to be a part of CareerFables.com. I think 20 has come and I am determined to make it a success.
A lady wanted a birthday gift from her husband. For many months she had liked a beautiful 1, and knowing her husband could 2 it, she told him that was all she wanted. On the morning of the 3, her husband told her how 4 he was to have such a good wife, and how much he loved her. He 5 her a beautiful gift package (纸盒). She opened it and 6 a Bible. 7, she raised her voice and said to her husband, “With all your money, you give me a Bible?” She was so 8 that she left him.
Many years passed and the lady was very 9 in business. She owned two large companies. She 10 her husband was very old, and thought perhaps she should go to 11him. But before she could, she 12 a letter telling her that he had died, and gave all of his possessions (财产) to her. She needed to come back and 13things.
When she arrived at his house, sadness 14her heart. She saw the still new 15, just as she had left it years before. With 16, she opened it and began to turn the pages. A ring 17 from the Bible to the floor and a 18 could be seen. She picked it up and found it was the ring she wanted in those days. And on the card was the date of her birth, and the words “LOVE YOU ALWAYS”.
19 your gift is not packaged the way you want it, it's because it is better packaged the way it is! Always appreciate little things; they usually lead you to bigger things! The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched for they must be felt with the 20.
Around twenty years ago I was living in Seattle and going through hard times. I could not find 1 work although I had a lot of experience and a Master's degree.
To my 2, I had to drive a school bus to 3my family. At the same time, I had some4 with different companies but they all5to say I did not get the job. I went to hit bus barn(车库), feeling6.
Later that afternoon, 7 doing my rounds through the town I had an inner wave rise from deep 8 me and I thought “Why has my9 become so hard?”
Immediately after this internal(内心的)scream, I 10 the bus over to drop off a little girl. As she11 she handed me an earring saying I should keep it 12somebody looked for it. The 13 was stamped with words “BE HAPPY” Then I struck me. I had been putting all of my 14into what was wrong with my life rather than what was 15!
One night there was a phone call for me from the 16at a large hospital. She asked me whether I 17 do a one-day training for 200 hospital workers. I said 18 and got the job.
My day with the hospital workers 19very well. I got a great 20and many more days of work. To this day I know that it was because I changed my attitude to life.
“How does the yard look?” My father asked, with his eyes shining. I could tell he was eagerly waiting for my 1 “Wonderful!” I replied after I gave it a thorough 2. Then I recited all the changed I had 3in his yard and he smiled contently.
When I was young, my mother 4in a car accident, leaving my father alone to5their three young daughters. At the beginning, life was not always 6and my younger sisters usually complained. However, Dad always 7us to believe that life was good. Meanwhile, he tried his best to 8that belief.
In 1972, my dad developed a piece of waste land that had been9on Okaloosa Island. Every year at the first sign of10, he would begin spending countless hours working there to make it be bursting with colors. Through his continuous hard work, the land11turned into a beautiful garden with different types of flowers and other unique plants. While our friends were enjoying their vacation through traveling to different places, we were12working with my dad in his yard, watering the flowers, weeding or cutting off the branches. Sometimes, our friends were envious of our working vacation, and we would 13them. Dad made his yard very14so that it became our vacation paradise during our childhood.
For so many years, when we were 15, we liked to visit Dad's yard, because it could 16us of Dad's belief. It was Dad and his yard that gave us17that enabled us to survive and18major challenges in life. One day, it shocked us that Dad said he would not 19the yard. Then he explained, “Twenty years ago I decided to start my work in that yard to tell you life is good. Now my work is done.” We were sitting in 20, recalling what we had experienced. Life was good. Dad was right.
Before reading McCarty's story I had thought that a smile just invited unwanted attention.Afterwards I had a1opinion.I found that smiling could2myself and the people around me.
Recently I became a(n)3in my son's school.The more I drove the more I heard the other drivers4about a new crossing guard,the person who5the flow of traffic so that cars can get in and out of the school area6and safely.The guard,not having much7,seemed unsure when he made a decision,which often8long lines of heavy traffic.Most days he looked worried.I saw cars pass by him with the9drivers.I wanted to do something just to make the guard10.
Then I realized I did have the11to change at least one interaction（互动）in his day.One morning when the crossing guard gave me a(n)12to pull into the school,I moved my car forward.Then,just before I began my13,I gave him a big smile.He saw me,and then his face14.He smiled back at me as I continued my turn.
That's it.That's all it took.I knew I had made a15in his day.And16I have not spoken a word to this man,I know he17me because we smiled to each other every time he sees me behind the wheel.
Now,I18smile toward people around me.I can't speak for the people who have19these smiles,but I can say my life is so much20,so much more joyous,that I can't imagine how I lived without such a smile.I hope I can make others share their happiness just as freely.
When I was a child, my mother often worried about her age and complained about growing older. I struggled to 1 answers about why she lived in such 2. When I first 3 that I wouldn't live forever, I went to Mama for answers and for 4 She provided the answers I feared, but instead of comforting me, she only added, “At least you have 5 time left than I do.”
Her 6 didn't comfort me then or in the years that followed. I worried about death,7 that my life would eventually 8.
At the age of thirty-six, Mama was diagnosed(诊断) with cancer and was 9 six months later. It was years before I let myself10 her diaries, but when I did, it was these two sentences that 11 my attitude towards life and all I believed.
“I don't know why I spent my life 12my age. Now I just wish I could grow old.”
The one thing that Mama feared the most became the thing she most 13 —simply to grow old.
14 was no longer a thief stealing days from my life but was, instead, a 15 of how many days I'd been blessed (有福气）to live.
When I turned forty-five, I was asked if it 16 me to turn another year older. I responded, “ Why would I be 17 over the fact that I was allowed to turn forty-five? I'm 18 another year that I got to live and experience the things I enjoy and to be with the people I love.”
I believe that my life should not be defined(界定) by 19 but by what I have experienced and what I have given of myself. When I'm gone, the number of years attached to my life will not 20. What I have given of it to others will.
While attending a conference, I returned to my hotel room late one evening. The overhead light outside my door was burned out and I had 1finding the keyhole. When I 2 to open the door, I3around the wall for a light switch. I found a place where a switch was4fixed...but no switch!
Not discouraged easily, I remembered 5a lamp by the bed when I deposited (寄存) my luggage6in the day. I found the bed in the 7and then the lamp, but when I switched it on, nothing8！I thought that perhaps if I opened the curtains I might be able to use whatever light comes in from the 9 to find another lamp. So I 10my way slowly across the room to the curtains and...no drawstring！I finally stumbled (跌跌撞撞地走) around 11I found a desk lamp which actually 12！
That evening I discovered in a whole new way just how dark the world can be 13how necessary light is！But even more necessary than 14 light is the light that shines from people—the light of 15 and faith. Because, for many people, the world is a dark and 16 place. For someone today just may be stumbling in discouragement or sadness or fear and in 17of some light. So let your light shine. Whatever light you 18may be a beacon (指路明灯) of hope and encouragement. And if you feel that your light is 19a candle in a forest, remember—there isn't enough darkness in the world to 20 the light of one small candle.
There is always a person in your life that you can count on. That person is the one that 1 you life and loves you unconditionally. A mother's love is priceless and will always 2.Their care and love is like a beautiful rose, 3 a rose that is unable to die. 4 overpowers the warmth when a mother's hug（拥抱）is received. You can 5 the warmth in your happy moments, but most 6 in your saddest ones.
My mother is the 7 person I know. She has been through so 8, yet she was able to move on and love her 9 as well as she did. She had the 10 to get away from a sad marriage. She11 without a job, a place to live, or money for that matter. She never 12 us nor herself. She went to 13 and did a master degree. Working hard and making sure that none of her children were missing anything was her number one 14. The stress（压力）of being a 15 mother made her love for us much stronger.
I believe that the separation gave my mother more hope and 16 She knew how much my siblings（兄弟，姐妹）and I were 17, but she comforted us with her love. She is the one who 18 the house running and under control. 19 it may seem to her that we 20 her love for granted, I can assure her that it can't be…a mother's love is priceless.
Not long before, my daughter's shoes were scratched (划破) with a knife. She burst into tears, so I took them to the shoemaker's.
The young apprentice (学徒) glanced at the 1 and said, “Nothing I can do except 2 the upper.” His master looked at them and said, “If you 3 me, I will add more scratches on both the shoes.”
I was 4 and asked why. He explained, “As if the openings were made 5 for a special style.” I didn't quite understand him,6 I decided to leave the shoes.
Two days later I dropped by from work to 7 the shoes, only to find more scratches on each shoe, all the openings were patched (缝补) by soft red leather, the stitches (脚针) were twisted with the appearance looking more 8 and interesting than ever. I couldn't help praising the master's9.
Another time, my sister's blouse was torn, leaving a large opening. My wife checked it 10 and then said, “Let me take it home and 11 it.
Three days later, seeing it again, I was greatly12 at the torn part. It took on a look of a snowman made of flowery rags. I sighed with 13 “It's amazing!”
“I was 14 by that shoemaker. Patches are supposed to be 15, but a skilled craftsman (工匠) can make it take on a kind of perfection.” replied my wife.
Her 16 influenced me greatly: Perfection is17 to achieve in life. Patches appear in the 18 of injury, disability or disease. Since you can't change the existence of wound, you should not 19 people's sympathy by showing the wound, which is meaningless. Just sew the wound by patches and provide a most beautiful flower on it, that is the20 of life.
I remember when I was young, people often asked me, "What are you going to be when you grow up？". Well, it 1 being a cowboy or some superhero. Later it was a fireman, a policeman, a lawyer. As I grew older, my dreams for the future 2.When, at last, I was in college, I set my 3 on becoming a teacher like my father.4 I studied and prepared for that. I reached the5 in the end and I was teaching 6 fulltime for much of my adult life.
However, for many people, there is a "thief" that goes around stealing our 7.Sometimes, the thief will come as a parent, a relative(亲戚), or a friend, but the 8 thief is usually ourselves.
We find 9 just about reaching the top, and a" small" 10 inside says, "You'll never make 11." "You can't possibly do this." On and on the "small" voice predicts(预示) our 12.Failure, 13 is one of the most important tools we have may teach us valuable 14.When we learn these lessons well, we are ready 15 success.
I always tell my children that they are 16 to do anything that their heart desires. Remember the saying, "Nothing is 17 to a willing heart." There are 18 "overnight" success, but with determination, they will come. Imagine 19 a life you dream of. Then in your heart, believe it will happen to you. Then work, work, work. You'll get the picture.
So, be true to your dream, and don't let anyone 20 it from you—especially yourself.
I'm proud of myself for this kindness I did last night I did it 1 and did the right thing. However, I was unwilling to 2, because by sharing 1 am also sharing the 3 and more self-centered side of myself.
It was last night and I4 my shift at work. It was late and I wanted to go straight home. On my way out of the door I 5 a fellow staff member and colleague. She doesn't have a 6 and usually either catches a taxi home or 7 for an hour waiting for 8 staff member and friend of here to finish work.
In the past I've 9 to drive her home as she 10 on my side of town. But last night I really did not want to. I wanted to 11 straight home, alone. And I did not have to make "small talk".
So I tried to 12 her, walking past her, heading down, and stealing out (偷溜) to the 13 without letting her see me and 14 without offering her a lift.
Yet, something in myself was stopping me. Something in myself made me 15 her and put myself in her shoes. She had young 16 who she wanted to go home to attend to and, she could go home right now 17 I took her, not an hour later when the other staff member and friend of hers who was taking her. So I offered. She18. And of course, she was extremely 19.
Well, I learned a great 20 last night about not being so self-centered and selfish!
I learned something really early from my family: Even the biggest challenges are less 1 when you solve them as a community.
My brother, sister and cousins were my first group. 2 we got more and more fights at home, we never 3 that outside our house, if you messed with one of us, you got 4 of us.
From school to sports, I was 5 in a class project, club, team or group. From speech and debate to field hockey, when I was in a community, I felt 6 to try for things that seemed 7. I grew because others pushed me. 8 didn't seem so scary because we were taking risks together.
When a drunk driver killed my father, it was our community that 9. It was our family friends, our community theater and our sports teams that stood 10 us. My father had been a high school history teacher, and his colleagues—now my teachers—began to keep a 11 eye on us because he 12 could.
I don't 13 a parent's death as the way to learn about the 14 of small communities, but it did make me 15 that. If I looked for bigger challenges with the support of a group, I was going to 16 broader goals and build deeper relationships 17 the journey.
As I sit here tonight with my team of five, I'm 18 of how much I love these moments – building 19 we believe in, that we'll learn from and that we'll do together.
If you are going to do something that terrifies you, first find a 20.
At a restaurant, a cockroach(蟑螂) suddenly flew from somewhere and sat on a lady. She started screaming out of 1. With a frightened face and trembling voice, she started 2, with both her hands desperately trying to 3 the cockroach. Her reaction was within expectation, as everyone in her 4 also got scared. The lady 5 managed to push the cockroach away 6 it landed on another lady in the group.
Now, it was the 7 of the other lady in the group to 8 the drama. The waiter rushed forward to their 9. In the relay of fear, the cockroach next fell upon the waiter. The waiter stood firm, calmed down and 10 the behavior of the cockroach on his shirt. When he was 11 enough, he quickly caught it with his fingers and threw it out of the restaurant.
Enjoying my coffee and watching the whole 12, my mind picked up a few thoughts and started 13. Was the cockroach responsible for their histrionic (有如演戏的) 14? If so, then why was the waiter not 15? He dealt with it near to perfection, 16 any mess.
It was not the cockroach, but the inability of those people to 17 the disturbance (困扰) caused by the cockroach, that disturbed the ladies. I realized that, it is not the shouting of my father or my boss or my wife that makes my life a(n) 18, but it's my inability to deal with the disturbances caused by their 19 that disturbs me. In other words, it's my reaction to the problem that 20 mess in my life.
Have you seen people who take pictures of food for more than 10 minutes before eating? How about those who beautify their selfie (自拍) so much that they can't be1? There must be one or more who2 in your social media. No matter3they choose to share, they share the best but the most unreal.
Take my friend Chen. Every time we went to a restaurant, she would not take a4 until all the dishes we 5were on the table. Then, she would spend five minutes on6the dishes in a seemingly random but in fact 7order. Then the most important part: taking pictures. After that, she would choose one of the8and click in the filter(滤镜) app. The food eventually looked 10 times more delicious than it really was, but we had no 9to really enjoy it— it all went cold. Actually Chen's real life is much less elegant. For example, she hates to wash the dishes, so she leaves them in the sink for10.
Many people care too much about others' opinions and try too hard to 11 others. They find it hard to be 12 and to accept themselves, and thus they are afraid to show their 13 life on social media. What they are trying to prove is14what they lack in reality. But this will not bring any15 to reality, as they still16 the same old pattern of life.
If they really want an elegant life, they should put more17 into achieving it18fabricating(伪造) it. Being more confident, 19themselves and trying their best to be better is much more meaningful than20 their life on social media.
I'm about to begin my fifth season of tree planting. Each year, around this time, I have 1 feelings about the job. Never have I 2 a job so much while hating it with equal 3. Before a season, after living in the coziness(舒适) of my home for the winter months, I begin to 4 for the challenges of life in the bush.
I mainly plant trees on the coast of British Columbia and get paid between 25 and 45 cents a tree. The job can be 5: it gives planters the opportunity to 6 a roaming (漫游的) lifestyle, and also allows them to 7 their bank accounts. But there are many challenges.
In the early hours of the morning, we join our teams and travel along 8 roads deep into the 9. When stepping out of the trucks, often in the pouring rain, we fill our bags with hundreds of tiny trees. Having done the job together for some years, many 10 tree-planters treat this more like a sport than a job, and 11 fills the air.
Once our bags are full, we 12 forward without hesitation. We jump from log to log(原木,木头). We push through thick bushes. We constantly 13 and rise to our feet 14, always pushing ourselves to go faster.
While planting trees, I am 15 someone else, a self I thought I 16. It is a person I try to live in 17 with in those bushes, during those strange days of isolation and deep thinking.
Tree planting is really exhausting but it is a process of self-examination and 18. You master your mind, confronting the worst and the best in your 19 pushing yourself as hard as you can. A(n) 20 version of yourself awaits at the end of the experience.
Three years ago, I participated in Model United Nations(MUN)held by the Education Department, which was a mock(模拟的) UN activity. During the two days, students are separated in different groups which1different countries to debate and try to solve problems. MUN has2 awards:best delegates(代表), honorary mentions, and verbal mentions.
Each time I participate in MUN, I made good3and undoubtedly got a few awards. But I often felt as if I'd4because I had never won the best delegate award. I5those who didn't deserve to win the award but won it various times, and I was just filled with6at their success. But later I realized that it was also7not to get the award because I could actually8something, and that I shouldn't9the best delegate award until I was the best delegate I could be.
Failures are completely subjective — we can look at a result as a failure or a10. Any failure can be regarded as a(n)11because you can always learn something from it and do12next time. This is supported by John Locke's theory that we are born with blank views: knowledge and ability are learned from our13. That's true. If I make a mistake in the life practice, then I probably won't14that next time. I believe this is15the best way to become better.
As s businesswoman, I care deeply about my customers. But like anyone for whom you feel affection, 1 can also drive you mad. They'll come rushing in, 2 their handbag's been stolen. They'll 3 that they left it in the changing room, create havoe (混乱) and then 4 it had been in their car all the time. They'll have out half the 5 in the shop, and want the only style you don't have left in a 6 colour. I do know how upset the shop staff can get, but I try to persuade them to keep 7.
I remember the first really 8 customer we had at Covent Garden. She was 9 absolutely everything, nothing was right and I was rather 10 that she became a "regular". After a while, she 11 for the way she behaved at the beginning. She had split up with her husband the week before, was living in a flat 12, and since she'd found it too much to cope with(应对), she'd taken it out on 13 people.
That taught me a valuable 14 and I pass it on to the people who 15 in the market. Don't take it 16. If a customer is rude or difficult, just think "Maybe she's had a row with her husband. Maybe her child's not 17. " Always water it down and don't let your ego(自我) get 18. If you do, you won't be able to 19 it and the whole thing develops into an unpleasant scene and that 20 everyone's day.
