人生不設限·建立我的“力克爺爺”法則

Not all opportunities are equal. At the beginning of this chapter, I wrote about embracing my first movie role, after turning down that earlier offer.

看了《蝴蝶馬戲團》你就會知道，威爾——我所飾演的角色——一開始并不是個鼓舞人心的家伙。事實上，因為心里有很深的怨恨和絕望，他其實有點討人厭。但我之所以接演這個角色，是因為威爾經(jīng)歷一個轉變過程，克服了他的痛苦和怨恨。就像身上長滿剌毛的毛毛蟲蛻變成飛舞的蝴蝶一樣，威爾慢慢褪去他的懷疑和不信任，成為一個自重、充滿愛且激勵人心的人。

Now if you watch The Butterfly Circus, you will see that Will, my character, at the beginning of the movie isn't exactly an inspiring bloke. In fact, he's a bit repulsive because of the bitterness and despair he harbors in his heart. But I accepted this role because Will undergoes a transformation and overcomes his misery and resentment. Like a prickly caterpillar who transforms into a soaring butterfly, Will slowly sheds his suspicions and distrust and becomes a redeemed, loving, and inspiring person.

這就是我希望世人認識的我。那你希望人們怎么認識你呢?在前面幾章，我們討論到擁有目標的重要性，當機會來臨，或是你為自己創(chuàng)造了機會時，你必須自問：“這合乎我的人生目的和價值觀嗎?”

That's how I want to be known on this planet. How do you want to be known? In earlier chapters, we looked at the importance of having a purpose. When offers and breaks come your way, or when you create them for yourself, you must always ask yourself, Does this match up with my purpose and my values?

怎樣才算好機會呢?能夠帶領你更靠近夢想的，就是好機會。當然也有其他類型的機會，例如朋友約你出去玩兒，然后浪費了一整晚;或者你跑去打電動，而不是為工作上的會議作準備;或是讀某一本書加強技能。你作的選擇決定了你會過什么樣的人生。

What qualifies as a good opportunity? Anything that takes you another step closer to your dream. There are other types, of course. Perhaps your friends invited you to go out and get wasted last night. Or maybe you played video games instead of preparing for a meeting at work or reading a book to sharpen your skills. The choices you make determine the quality of the life you lead.

多思考一些，為如何使用時間和精力建立更嚴謹?shù)脑u估標準。不要單憑當下的美好感覺作選擇，而是要用你的價值觀和原則來衡量，思考怎么做對實現(xiàn)自己的終極目標最有幫助。我用的是“力克爺爺”法則：我的孫子是會為我這個決定感到驕傲，還是覺得他們的爺爺根本就是未老先衰、腦袋有問題?

Be thoughtful. Develop high standards and strict criteria for evaluating how you invest your time and energy. Base your choices not on what feels good in the moment but on what best serves your ultimate goals. Measure them according to your values and principles. I use the Grandpa Nick rule: Will my grandkids be proud of this decision, or will they think their grandpappy was senile before his time?

如果你需要建立一套正式、嚴謹?shù)某绦騺碓u估各種機會，就在電腦前面坐下來，或者拿出紙筆，制作一份“評估工作表”。針對每個機會，寫下它的正面和反面，然后評估每個正反面之處與你的價值觀、原則和人生目標吻合的程度。然后試著想象一下，如果你穿過那道門，會發(fā)生些什么?如果你把它關上，又會如何?

If you need to create a disciplined, formal process for assessing opportunities, sit down at your computer or with a pen and paper and create an Assessment Worksheet. For every opportunity that comes your way, write down the pros and cons and evaluate how each measures up to the values, principles, and goals you've chosen for your life. Then try to envision what will happen if you walk through the door, and what will happen if you close it instead.

假如你還是很難作決定，就帶著評估工作表去找你所信賴的良師益友，或是找看好你、希望你成功的朋友，跟他們討論正反觀點，聽聽他們的意見。你要敞開心胸，但也要知道最后該負責任的是你自己。這是你的人生，你的決定會讓你獲得回報或付出代價。所以，請作出明智的抉擇。

If you still have trouble making a decision, take your worksheet to a trusted mentor, or a friend who believes in you and wants you to succeed. Talk through the pros and cons with them, and listen to their evaluation. Be open-minded, but also know that the responsibility is all yours. It's your life. You will reap the rewards or pay the price for your own decisions, so choose wisely.