Develop and Fulfill One’s Life
I ‵will|practise perseverance more often, and never give up a ‵thing|because it was hard or inconvenient. If we want light, we must conquer darkness. ‵Perseverance|can sometimes equal genius in its results. “There are only ‵two creatures,” says a proverb, “who can surmount the pyramids — ‵the eagle|and the snail.”
I ‵will|school myself into a habit of attention; I ‵will not let anything come between me|and the subject in hand. I ‵will remember|that a good skater| ‵never tries to skate|in two directions at once. The habit of attention becomes ‵part of our life, if we begin early enough. I often hear grown-up people say, “I ‵could not fix my attention|on the lecture or book, ‵although I wished to do so,” and the reason is, the habit was ‵not formed in youth.
I ‵will|pay more attention|to the cultivation of the memory. I ‵will strengthen|that faculty by ‵every possible means, and on ‵every possible occasion. It takes a little ‵hard work at first|to remember things accurately; but memory ‵soon helps itself, and gives very ‵little trouble. It ‵only needs early cultivation|to become a power.
I ‵will look on the cheerful side. Life is very ‵much like a mirror: if you smile upon it, it smiles back upon you; ‵but if you frown and look doubtful on it, you will get a ‵similar look in return.
Inner sunshine|warms not ‵only the heart of the owner, ‵but of all that come in contact with it. “Who shuts love out, in turn|shall be ‵shut from love.”
I ‵will|school myself to say|‵“No” more often. I might write pages|on the importance of learning very ‵early in life|to gain that point where a young boy can stand erect, and decline doing an ‵unworthy act|because it is unworthy.
I ‵will|demand of myself more courtesy|towards my companions and friends, and ‵indeed towards strangers as well. The smallest courtesies|along the rough roads of life|are like the ‵little birds|that sing to us all winter long, and make that season of ice and snow ‵more endurable.
Finally, instead of trying hard to be happy, as if|that were the ‵sole purpose of life, I will try still ‵harder|to make others happy.
發(fā)展、完善自我
我會(huì)更多地培養(yǎng)自己的毅力,決不因?yàn)槭虑槠D難或麻煩而放棄不干。如果我們要光明,我們就得征服黑暗。在產(chǎn)生的結(jié)果方面,毅力往往可以與天才相媲美。有句諺語(yǔ)說(shuō):“能登上金字塔的生物只有兩種——雄鷹與蝸牛。”
我會(huì)培養(yǎng)自己專(zhuān)心致志的習(xí)慣。一旦手頭有事,決不讓任何事物使我分心。我會(huì)牢記:一位優(yōu)秀的溜冰手從不試圖同時(shí)滑向兩個(gè)不同的方向。如果及早培養(yǎng)成專(zhuān)心致志的習(xí)慣,它就會(huì)成為我們生命的一部分。我常常聽(tīng)到成年人說(shuō):“盡管我希望能集中注意力聽(tīng)演講或讀書(shū),但往往做不到。”其原因就在于年輕時(shí)沒(méi)有養(yǎng)成這種習(xí)慣。
我會(huì)更加注意培養(yǎng)自己的記憶力。我要采取一切可能的辦法,在一切可能的場(chǎng)合,增強(qiáng)記憶力。要精確地記住一切事物,起初的確要作出一番小小的努力:但用不了多久,記憶力本身就會(huì)起作用,使記憶成為輕而易舉的事。只需及早培養(yǎng),記憶自會(huì)成為一種才能。
凡事我都會(huì)看光明的一面。生活就像一面鏡子:你朝它微笑,它也會(huì)朝你微笑;但如果你朝它皺眉頭,它也會(huì)朝你皺眉頭;如果你用懷疑的目光看待它,它也會(huì)以同樣懷疑的目光看待你。
內(nèi)心的陽(yáng)光不僅溫暖了自己的心,同時(shí)也溫暖了所有跟他接觸的人的心。“誰(shuí)將愛(ài)拒之門(mén)外,誰(shuí)就會(huì)被愛(ài)拒之門(mén)外。”
我要養(yǎng)成經(jīng)常說(shuō)“不”的習(xí)慣。一個(gè)少年要能挺直腰桿,拒絕做不值得做的事——就因?yàn)樗恢档米觥N铱梢詫?xiě)上好幾頁(yè),談?wù)勗缙谂囵B(yǎng)這一點(diǎn)的重要性。
我會(huì)要求自己對(duì)待同伴和朋友更有禮貌,而且對(duì)陌生人確實(shí)也該如此。在坎坷的人生道路上,最細(xì)小的禮貌猶如在漫長(zhǎng)的冬季為我們歌唱的小鳥(niǎo),使得冰天雪地的嚴(yán)冬變得更加可以忍受。
我不會(huì)竭力為自己謀幸福——似乎那是人生惟一的目標(biāo);與之相反,我會(huì)更加努力,讓他人幸福。