I learned my first lesson at a meeting.As we sat around the table I heard Meg,who was 1a recent operation,talking to Judith,the manager of our project.“Thank you so much for 2my daughters to their dance lessons last week.” “Don't mention it,” Judith says,“It was nothing.”
Knowing how 3Judith's schedule is,with her work,kids and aging parents,I found her driving Meg's children to lessons unbelievably 4.I was about to say more about this when Donna,another colleague,entered the room5.She apologized for being late,saying she just hosted a lunch for her friends who are over seventy.“That is so nice of you,” I say, 6 how busy she was, how she didn't like to cook and clean.“Oh,” she said,waving her hand,“It was nothing.” 7,I could still tell the8in her voice.She did gain a sense of satisfaction from the entertainment offered to her friends.
Seeing their9to help others selflessly,I started thinking about the concept of “nothing”,this peaceful and generous way of living— had it really been nothing or were they simply saying that? It 10to me that once I spent a whole afternoon after work helping a friend11a speech.I 12her to rearrange the sequence of the stories in the lecture to make it sound more 13.After the fifth try,she finally14 it.She hugged me with 15,saying thanks to me.I smiled and said it was nothing.
Suddenly,I realized that helping someone was really something to me.I learned that giving from the heart doesn't 16mean sacrifice and hard work.The17is finding something we love to do and finding someone who18that something.Our generosity can benefit others 19ourselves.Once you have a good 20of it,it's nothing.And it's really something.
I always hold the view that every act of kindness can eventually change the world as generosity, gratitude and trust.
1 was parking at a hiking road when a man in the car next to mine looked out and started to ask me for help.“No1”I told him, as l was willing to help anyone in 2It turned out that his battery was3and no one would help jump to start his car!
I4him if he had cables（缆绳），which he did, and in less than five5I gave him a jump start and his car6at the drop of a hat. He thanked me and asked "How much do I7you?" and I looked at him in 8 and said "Not a thing!"
He said "You won't believe it 9I've been sitting here for so long and I asked at least three people to10me and no one would do it". That made me really11I was thinking that perhaps because of how he 12his background, or whatever,13 might think he was going to ask them for14or something and just automatically said "no" without even 15that they could help him so16He also told me that one man 17 him "My battery is old so it can't help you".
I was 18that the battery is like the love in our hearts. We get 19 more if we give it away to others! And it doesn't20our hearts to give. I'm happy that I charged his battery and he charged my "battery" with love.I got much more than he offered to me.
One morning, I was jogging and I noticed a person in front of me about 1/4 mile. I could 1 that he was running a little slower than me and I thought, “Very well, I shall try to 2him.” I had about a mile to go3 I needed to turn off, so I started running faster and faster. Every block, I was4getting closer to him just a little bit. Just a few minutes later, I was only about 100 yards from him, so I really sped up,5I was running the last lap of London Olympic competition. I was 6to keep up with him. Finally, I did 7 it! I caught and passed him. I really felt good, “I 8him.” Of course, he didn't ever know we were 9
After passing him, I realized I had been so focused on competing against him that I had 10my turn. I had gone nearly six blocks past it. I had to turn around and go back. Isn't it what happens in our 11 when we focus on competing with classmates, co-workers, neighbors, friends, family, trying to outdo ( 胜过) them or trying to 12 that we are more important or more 13?
In reality, we spend our time and14 running after other people and we miss out on our own15 to our given destinies ( 命运). The 16 with unhealthy competition is that it's a never ending cycle. There will always be somebody ahead of you, someone with 17grades or a more satisfying job, more education, a nicer car, more money in the bank, etc. But be 18that we can be the best that we can be. We are competing with no one. Take what we have been19 the height, weight and personality. Dress well and 20 it proudly. We should feel lucky with them and stay focused and live a healthy life.
I always felt sorry for people in wheelchairs. Some of them, old and weak, cannot 1 by themselves. Others seem perfectly healthy,2 in business suits, and wheel themselves around with strong determination (意志). But whenever I saw someone in a wheelchair, I only saw a 3, not a person.
Then I fainted (晕倒) at Euro Disney 4 low blood pressure. This was the first time I had ever fainted, and my parents said that I must 5 for a while after First Aid.
I agreed to take it easy, but 6 I stepped toward the door, I saw my dad pushing a (n)7 in my direction! Feeling the colour burn my cheeks, I asked him to wheel that thing right back to 8 he found it.
I could not believe this was happening to me. Wheelchairs were 9 for other people but not for me. As my father wheeled me out into the main street, people 10 began to treat me differently.
Little kids ran in front of me,11 my father to stop the wheelchair suddenly. Bitterness (痛苦) set in as I was 12 back and forth. “Stupid kids—they have perfectly good 13. Why can't they watch where they're going?” I thought. People 14 at me, pity in their eyes. Then they would look away, maybe because they thought the 15 they forgot me, the better. “I am just like you!” I wanted to shout out. “The only 16 is that you've got legs, and I have wheels.”
People in wheelchairs are not 17. They can see every look and hear each word. Looking out at the faces, I finally 18: I was once just like them. I treated people in wheelchairs exactly the way they did not 19 to be treated. I realized it is some of us with two healthy legs who are 20 disabled.
Sometimes you may find that you are not happy in your life，although everything is going well.Most of the time you have to 1this kind of unhappy life，since it is really hard to make changes and move on to a new business，which often involves taking 2.
My father，however，was a quite different example.When I was about 9 or 10，he told me that I should
be whatever I wanted when I grew up，so long as I 3it.He said that if I were not feeling 4 ， I should try to change my life to make it more delightful，and I would find real5as a result.From him I learned a great lesson on the6of doing one's favorite.
My father got into the insurance industry when he was very young，and he was very7.He became one of the company's top salesmen，even though he was only 25 years old.Soon he became one of the first independent insurance salesmen in our state.8 ， he decided to leave his successful9and move on to other fields.You might 10why he did so.The answer was simple：he liked to do something challenging，something that 11.his strength and ability，especially in a way that is interesting.My father just wanted to have a try，and so he did.After leaving the insurance company，he worked in social media and then in digital technology，which really 12him.Of course he wasn't successful in everything he tried，but he told me for 13that he did something he liked，and that he had the 14 of doing what he enjoyed.15 one's comfortable life is not easy.I've learned this from my father，and I can say no matter 16 is good or bad，it is 17 doing one's favorite.When we do something we love，it whether the gives us extra 18 to meet our goals，which are associated with psychological well-being and health.As long as we have no19and give it a try，we are forced to push against ourselves.After all we all want to be where we are 20 ourselves.
You never know what nature has prepared for you as a gift. Years ago, when walking alone on a beach in remote southwest Florida, I was so1to hear splashes（水溅声）coming from the water. As I walked in the2the sounds, I saw a manatee(海牛)show its head out of the water,3a great snuffling(带鼻音的)breath. It seemed that it was in4and trying to get out of it.
I'd never seen a5like this before. I wanted to ask for help, but there was no one 6. So I went into the shallow water and went toward the animal. I came7enough to make out the manatee. Then, a second manatee, much smaller, appeared beside it.8, the other manatees were also moving toward me. Soon I was9by several manatees. I could clearly see the larger manatee 10the little one up with her flipper(鳍状肢)and pushed it to the surface beside me.
As the two slipped underwater, two other manatees moved up from behind, one on either side,11gently against my body as they swam past. They circled and 12the action, this time13by the mother and her baby. I held my hand out touching their back as they passed me. Since they obviously enjoyed touching me, I began14each of them as they swam by.
I stood there enjoying the scene,15to move, until finally the rising tide 16me back to the shore. Later I knew exactly what took place that morning. The manatees involved me in their celebration of a birth and I was welcome to meetthe 17member of their family.
During that unexpected scene, I felt more involved in the rhythms of18on our earth than ever. Each year, I head for that19for a quiet little birthday picnic on the shore. After all, you never know who might20up for your party.
My mom is an awesome human being just like all other moms. She knowingly and unknowingly 1 me a whole lot of things about the world. The 2 which I'm going to share today determined the way I 3 everybody.
I was four years old. One fine afternoon, my mom and I were 4 outdoors, she reading and I watching a line of 5. I was never a naughty kid: 6 I was known for keeping quiet even when things were not going my way. So I don't remember why I did this but I broke off the lines of ants and I liked it when they looked so 7. I even went ahead and stepped on a couple of them! My mom saw this and she wasn't 8 with me but she said something I still 9 today. She said, "You should never be 10 to anybody however little they are. Everybody is different and we shouldn't treat them 11.
I got upset when I heard this because I thought I had 12 my mom. 13 my little heart started thinking about the family of ants I had killed. It has been more than 25 years now and I've 14 so many things that have happened in my life: 15, I still do my best to be kind to everybody.
We should teach our young kids never to be mean to anybody. It makes a 16 when people praise other people for their efforts 17 being envious, we're proud of people achieving their goals however 18 they may be. When you're kind to other people, it's a 19 that goes on. It's the kind of chain reaction that uplifts the whole world—one heart at a time. I believe in the magic of, 20!
I have the bad habit of skipping to the last pages of a book to see how it ends while I'm still in the middle of it. This habit1people around me. Often my2wouldn't be confined(局限)just to the books I read but also to what others were3as well. Finally, one day my daughter told me with a little4. "Dad, please just read a book one page at a time like everyone else!"
At times I didn't5this bad habit to just reading books either. I also tried to skip ahead in my life and6what to do months and even years from now instead of7each day as it is intended. I knew that the book of my life wasn't done yet and that I had many8left to go.9, that didn't stop me from trying to write the10half-way through. Time and again, I would11jump ahead and try to solve every potential problem before it12so I could reach that storybook happily ever after ending. Life, however, doesn't13like that. It loves to14us, and you never know what new problem or opportunity each new day will bring.
Life has often had to 15me to slow down. Recently, when I found myself16to that bad habit of rushing ahead and living in the17again, I felt a special voice gently telling me," Live one day at a time." Then I smiled, and turned the book of my life back to the18page. Each of us has to live the book of life one page and one day at a time. Each of us has to write it 19 and moment by moment. We have to trust that it will bring our 20 to its perfect end.
I had a quick thirty-minute stopover in Detroit before heading home to Toronto. After1up the passage in a hurry, I realized that my gate was on the opposite end of the airport. Luckily, I got there with five minutes to2and stood waiting to be called.
I was tired and had a3scheduled right after I was home. But then came the4, "It seems we have overbooked the flight. Would anyone volunteer to stay for the5flight?" There were 100-plus people and not a6person said a word.
The next flight was in four hours. I7and saw businessmen needing to get home for work, mothers to see their kids, kids to see their friends, and more8, I saw people that needed to be helped. Even though I9to be home just as much as anyone, something inside me said that I should volunteer and offer some10to this group of strangers. The gate attendant (服务员) had said that the flight couldn't board until someone volunteered.
I picked up my bag, 11to the gate attendant and said, "I volunteer!" A big12spread over her face.
As she was13my ticket, I got my meeting rescheduled. The attendant14me my new boarding pass. All the15boarding their flight, I was happy that I had been able to16.
When boarding the plane, I was surprised to17that I was arranged (安排) to be seated in first class. How18I was for everything that had happened. With no thought of19, I gave with the intention to serve others, and that kindness was20to me with an upgrade to first class!
While driving home today, I passed a man who was holding a sign, begging for donations. I had two dollars in my wallet. I decided that I was not going to give 1 money was so tight right now.
Then, I felt it 2 not to give, and therefore I decided to give him half of what I had. I rolled down my window and 3 him one dollar. He said, "God bless you!" and I said, "You too." It was not a full 4.
As I 5 away, I wished that I had spoken more to him, and I wished that I had given him all that I had, but instead I was too 6 to give more of myself.
On my way home, I wondered why helping others didn't make me happy. I wondered if I had 7 a powerful universal law—the law of giving from my heart instead of my head. Perhaps just 8 not giving it all from my heart, I had blocked (阻塞) what I need to 9 right now.
I did not feel guilty, 10 I did feel sad in my heart over my 11. My giving was from my head, not my heart. Now I 12 have the other dollar in my wallet. I hope that I will have a 13 soon to give it all.
It is true that all of us should have courage to give all that we have. Though we do 14 money to buy our own children food and clothes, Christmas presents, socks, toilet paper and so on, we are 15 to try our best to help those in need of our help.
Years ago when I volunteered at a homeless shelter, I talked with a boy, Albert. He said he liked my1. "Do you want to see mine?" he said,2his leg. He was barefoot. He said he'd been meaning to pick up a pair but hadn't gotten one. I felt a3feeling in my stomach.
A few days later I was at home helping to4my daughter. I smiled when I5the socks over her feet. At that moment, Albert flashed in my6.
At noon, I went to a department store and7a shopping cart with socks—nothing8, just white cotton men's socks.
The next morning, I drove to the Palisades Park, which is a common overnight destination for9individuals. I grabbed one of the10from my trunk and walked across the grass. It was dark out. It was a beautiful feeling to11before the sun and most living things.
I headed for a group of three men. Two were asleep and the third was digging through his shopping cart. It was loaded with plastic bottles and some clothes, and a few books—most12, everything he owned in this world. As I walked toward him, he turned and13me, perhaps questioning my intention.
"I thought you might14some new socks," I told him, handing him a pair. He looked15at first but took them, smiled and said, "Thank you." I gave two more16for his partners.
I17. After 20 minutes, I returned for the second bag. An hour later, I18all the socks. Most people were sleeping, and I felt like a (n)19Santa Claus. I knew when they woke up they would find a very meaningful20. That gave me an amazing feeling.
I can still remember one of the first times someone changed my world. She was the music teacher at my elementary school and the1at our church. I had a strong feeling of love on her too and wanted to 2 her more than anything. I had no 3 at any instrument, however. My singing was quite 4 though I was enthusiastic. One day she let me try playing her guitar. I did my best 5 could only stumble (不流畅地演奏) along. When I was 6, I put my head down. "I guess I am not very 7," I told her. She looked at me with her kind eyes, 8, and said: "We are all good at something. You just need to 9 what you are good at. Then you can 10 it with the world."
Those simple words changed me. They 11a seed in my soul that continues to grow to this day. They made me 12 that I had something to give to others. I had something 13 me that was good and that could change this world for the better. I just had to find it, 14 it out and share it. And that is what I have tried to do all of the years since that 15 day.
There was a couple who used to go to England to shop. 1 of them liked antiques (古董) and pottery (陶瓷) and especially teacups.
One day in a beautiful2 they saw a beautiful teacup. They said, "May we see that? We've 3 seen one so beautiful." As the owner of the shop 4 it to them, suddenly the teacup spoke:
You don't5. I haven't always been a teacup. There was a time when I was red and I was clay (黏土). My 6 took me and rolled me and petted me over and over… I couldn't bear it any longer and 7 out, "Let me alone! ", but he only smiled, "Not yet."
Then he put me in an oven. I never felt so8. I wondered why he wanted to burn me. I shouted and I knocked at the door. I could see him9 the opening and I could read his lips as he 10 his head, "Not yet."
Then I knew there wasn't any11. I would never make it. I was ready to 12. But the door opened and my owner took me 13 and placed me on a shelf. One hour later he handed me a 14 and said, "Look at yourself." and I did so. But what I saw surprised me. "That is not me. That couldn't be me. It's 15. "
"I want you to remember," then he said, "I know it hurts to be rolled and patted, 16 if I had just left you alone, you'd have dried up. I know it was hot and 17 in the oven, but if I hadn't put you there, you would have 18. Now you are a finished product. You are 19 I had in mind when I first began with you. "
It's really a truth: if you do not20 the wind and the rain, how can you see the rainbow?
I was recently involved in a bad traffic accident. I was knocked unconscious by the impact so I don't1anything about the accident. My first memory is being given oxygen as the doctors and nurses tried to 2 me back to life.
As I lay in the emergency room, I found myself 3 my life and thanking God that I was still 4. The good news is that nobody else was 5.
Since that day, the physical recovery has been 6 but not as tough as the emotional recovery. I've learned a lot about myself and about what really 7 in this world. Things that are really important are not "things". I'm not invincible(无敌的)and I cannot8 everything that happens in my life. I need to be better at 9 the things that come into my way that I didn't plan for. As someone who was always in a10, it taught me to slow down a little. I have learned to live each day honestly and 11.
12 I continue to heal physically and emotionally，I have a different opinion on 13. When tragedy strikes, you can either let it 14 your spirit，or use it as an opportunity to grow. I have chosen to 15 from it.
A woman professor was giving a lesson to her students on stress management. As she raised a glass of water，everyone in the class 1they would be asked the "half-empty or half-full' question.
2, with a smile on her face，she asked the students," How 3 do you think this glass of water weighs?"
Answers called out 4from 100ml to 300ml.
She quieted the students down and then replied，"It does not matter on the absolute weight. It 5on how long you hold it. If I hold it for a minute，it is OK. If I hold it for an hour，I will have an ache in my right 6. If I hold it for a day，my arm will feel numb. In each case, the 7 of the glass of water doesn't change，but the 8I hold it, the heavier it becomes. Why?"
Lost in 9, all the students kept silent and listened to the professor carefully.
"Our10and worries in life are like that glass of water. If we 11 our burdens all the time，sooner or later，we will feel exhausted，even 12 to carry on. 13 you have to do is put all your burdens down as 14 in the evening as possible. Don't carry 15 through the evening into the night； by doing this，we can get 16 next morning and are able to move forward. More 17 than not, life gets terrible when we think too much. And the moment you 18 your burdens, you'll find yourself feeling so much more relaxed.
So rather than being upset and feeling 19 for yourself, start doing something about it. After all, life is too short to 20 yourself to anything that is not making you happy.
Last week, I wrote about how I had no idea how important the social aspect of my life was until the pandemic（疫情）hit.That made me1 just how much I valued my face-to- face conversations and 2 with my friends. It also hurt that our annual 3 to Europe and other countries was gone. We've 4 so many wonderful people and made so many new friends on those trips as well.
Most of us take too much for granted and aren't as 5 as we should be for what we have. But when one of those great things in our lives is suddenly6 , we certainly notice how much we 7 those things when they are gone.
Something I took for granted was my 8 long walk. I have given myself a minimum 9 of 20, 000 steps a day. I use a super great 10 my wife gave me, a Fitbit, which 11 each step I take and gives me weekly12. That little device has helped me stay fit, even now as the 13 age of 80 approaches.
Last week, I had a fall and hit my right knee so hard that I could 14 walk for many days. That is when it
15 me that I've taken the 16 to walk without pain totally for granted. I think all of us should take time to 17 all the great things in our lives that we are just taking for granted. I.18 now, that all of us consider making a list of that kind so we have time to enjoy and appreciate what we have while we have it. Doing so has the potential to make us more 19 as we begin to truly 20 all the great things we have in our lives.
When I was younger, I was very sporty. My dad is a runner who has greatly1 me. My great hobby between the ages 11 and 14 was cross-country 2. However, when my family 3, my new school didn't pay attention to4, and had no after-school activities like football or running.
Over the next few years, I 5 exercising except during P.E. lessons at school. I was 6 that I could eat what I wanted and didn't put on any weight. It looked like I was healthy, but in reality I was very7.
When I started university, I decided that I would try and get fit, but by then I was worried about 8 in front of other people. 9 , this year, one of my New Year's promises has been to try and get in shape(健身). This 10 came after I was late for a bus, tried to run after it and was very out of 11 in less than one minute! I considered 12 running again, yet my housemate tried to practice yoga, so my New Years13 was delayed.
Finally, one of my friends14 a swimming pool close to my house that she had gone to a few times. Now, I love 15, and I find doing laps in the pool very relaxing. Experts say everyone should do 30 minutes of proper 16 every day, so I'm starting with an hour three times a 17 and building up every day. I hope that I will soon start to feel the18 of regular exercise, and will become fitter and 19 . In the long term, I know it will be very good for me, and 20 many health problems that often occur in later life.
Many people seem to agree that great things happen the minute we step outside of our comfort zone. For me, one of the most important things we should always remember is that growth and 1 can't coexist.
Personal development expert Napoleon Hill once said, "Whatever the mind can believe, it can achieve 2 how many times you may have 3 in the past or how great your aims and hopes may be." This statement is 4 because it reminds us that we're the only ones who can be 5 for how far we'll go. To reach any 6, we're usually required to 7 the way we do things.
However, stepping outside of our comfort zone is probably the most important step toward 8 real changes. But persistence (坚持) and continuing to move forward are 9 important, as it's extremely easy to slide back into old 10 without realizing it.
For long, I wanted to live in Argentina, so halfway through my bachelor's degree, I bought a one-way ticket there. While I was there, I was able to 11 the last two years of my degree online before flying home for graduation. I still live in Argentina now, and I can proudly say that taking the 12 steps to make it a 13 was one of the most important things I ever did. Certainly, I'm not suggesting we should all buy one-way tickets to foreign countries and just see what 14. But it's important for us to 15 what we want and try to bring our 16 to life.
Living in a comfort zone can trick us into 17 we have enough time, when years can fly by without us having accomplished what we really wanted to. We won't 18 have tomorrow to do what we could have done today. So, accept the discomfort and allow it to 19 you to try new things. You never know what you could be missing out on by remaining 20.
When I started the Fit Nation programme, I was a big guy. Seven months later, I'm still a big guy. I've run endless miles, biked endless hills and swum endless laps. Is there1of me? Yes. Am I fitter? Yes. Am I healthier?2. But am I finished? NO WAY!
There has been quite a debate ranging in recent years about3you can be "fat and fit". There's no easy answer to that question. Perhaps the answer varies from person to person as our goals4.
Over the years, everyone in the Fit Nation family has achieved great success, but in many eases, the pounds don't always dramatically5. We've all gained strength and improved our cardiovascular（心血管的）health, but I never6this as a weight-loss programme. At least for me, the real changes have been in my body(more mussels and less fat),my overall endurance and my mental7
I've learned that being healthy is ultimately about being honest with myself. It's about being honest about what I can accomplish and what I can8to accomplish in the short term and in the long term. While I'm9now than I was at the beginning of the year, I still have improvements to make and fitness to10. I hope to continue making gains for the rest of my life.
Setting goals is really pretty simple when you think about it. A11is something for which you're willing to work. And you get what you want by planning and putting that plan into12. 1 have more goals to set and more suceess to13.
The only true measure of my accomplishment is how far I've come and how much farther I have to go. Most14, I've come to understand that fitness is a journey and not a15
