11. What is Your Recovery Rate?         Graham Harris

What is your recovery rate? How long does it take you to recover from actions and behaviors that upset you? Minutes? Hours? Days? Weeks? How long? The longer it takes you to recover, the more influence that incident has on your actions, and the less able you are to perform to your personal best. In a nutshell1), the longer it takes you to recover, the weaker you are and the poorer your performance.

You are well aware that you need to exercise to keep the body fit and, no doubt, accept that a reasonable measure of health is the speed in which your heart and respiratory2) system recovers after exercise. Likewise the faster you let go of an issue that upsets you, the faster you return to an equilibrium3), the healthier you will be. The best example of this behavior is found with professional sportspeople. They know that the faster they can forget an incident or missed opportunity and get on with the game, the better their performance. In fact, most measure the time it takes them to overcome and forget an incident in a game and most reckon4) a recovery rate of 30 seconds is too long!

Imagine yourself to be an actor in a play on the stage. Your aim is to play your part to the best of your ability. You have been given a script and at the end of each sentence is a full stop. Each time you get to the end of the sentence you start a new one and although the next sentence is related to the last it is not affected by it. Your job is to deliver each sentence to the best of your ability.

Don’t live your life in the past! Learn to live in the present, to overcome the past. Stop the past from influencing your daily life. Don’t allow thoughts of the past to reduce your personal best. Stop the past from interfering with your life. Learn to recover quickly.

Remember: Rome wasn’t built in a day. Reflect on your recovery rate each day. Every day before you go to bed, look at your progress. Don’t lie in bed saying to yourself, “I did that wrong.” “I should have done better there.” No. Look at your day and note when you made an effort to place a full stop after an incident. This is a success. You are taking control of your life. Remember this is a step by step process. This is not a make-over. You are undertaking real change here. Your aim: reduce the time spent in recovery.

The way forward?

Live in the present. Not in the precedent.

[Annotation:]
1) in a nutshell: 简约的，简单的
2) respiratory  adj. 呼吸的
3) equilibrium  n. 平静
4) reckon  vt. 计算，估计

你的恢复速率是多少？

    你的恢复速率是多少？你需要多长时间才能从让你烦恼的行为中恢复？几分钟？几小时？几天？几星期？你需要的恢复时间越长，那个事件对你的影响就越大，你也就越不能做到最好。简言之，你的恢复时间越长，你就越软弱，你的表现也就越差劲。
    你充分意识到，要保持身体健康你需要锻炼，并且你无疑会接受，你的心脏和呼吸系统在锻炼后的恢复速率是衡量健康的一个合理尺度。同样，你越快摆脱使你烦恼的问题，越快恢复平静，你就越健康。此类行为的最好典范是专业运动员。他们知道，越快忘记一件事或失去机会而好好比赛，他们就发挥的越好。实际上，大多数运动员会估量自己克服并忘记比赛中一个事情所需的时间，而且大多数人都认为30秒的恢复时间太长了！
    想象自己是一位站在舞台上的戏剧演员。你的目标是尽全力扮演好你的角色。你已经拿到了剧本，而剧本中的每句话都以句号结尾。每次你念到一个句子的末尾，你就会开始一个新的句子。尽管下一句和上一句有关联，但并不受它的影响。你的工作是尽力说好每句台词。
    不要生活在过去！要学会生活在现在，学会克服过去；不要让过去影响你的生活；不要让过去的思想妨碍你做到最好；不要让过去干扰你的生活；学会快速恢复。
    记住，罗马不是一日建成的。每天都反思自己的恢复速率；每天上床睡觉前，都看看自己的进步；不要躺在床上对自己说：“我那个做错了。”“我应该做的更好。”不要那样做；回想自己的一天，并注意自己努力给某个事件画上句号的时刻。这就是一个成功，你在控制自己的生活。记注这是一个循序渐进的过程。这不是简单的修修补补。你正在进行的是真正的改变，你的目标是：减少用在恢复上的时间。
    将来该怎么做呢？
    生活在现在，而不是从前。

12 Clear Your Mental Space            Jennifer Givler

Think about the last time you felt a negative emotion – like stress, anger, or frustration. What was going through your mind as you were going through that negativity? Was your mind cluttered with thoughts? Or was it paralyzed1), unable to think?

The next time you find yourself in the middle of a very stressful time, or you feel angry or frustrated, stop. Yes, that’s right, stop. Whatever you’re doing, stop and sit for one minute. While you’re sitting there, completely immerse2) yourself in the negative emotion.

Allow that emotion to consume you. Allow yourself one minute to truly feel that emotion. Don’t cheat yourself here. Take the entire minute – but only one minute – to do nothing else but feel that emotion.

When the minute is over, ask yourself “Am I willing to keep holding on to this negative emotion as I go through the rest of the day?”

Once you’ve allowed yourself to be totally immersed in the emotion and really feel it, you will be surprised to find that the emotion clears rather quickly.

If you feel you need to hold on to the emotion for a little longer, that is OK. Allow yourself another minute to feel the emotion.

When you feel you’ve had enough of the emotion, ask yourself if you’re willing to carry that negativity with you for the rest of the day. If not, take a deep breath, as you exhale3), release all that negativity with your breath.

This exercise seems simple – almost too simple. But, it is very effective. By allowing that negative emotion the space to be truly felt, you are dealing with the emotion rather than stuffing it down and trying not to feel it. You are actually taking away the power of the emotion by giving it the space and attention it needs. When you immerse yourself in the emotion, and realize that it is only emotion, it loses its control. You can clear your head and proceed with your task.

Try it. Next time you’re in the middle of a negative emotion, give yourself the space to feel the emotion and see what happens. Keep a piece of paper with you that says the following: Stop. Immerse for one Minute Do I want to keep this negativity? Breath deep, exhale, release. Move on4)!

This will remind you of the steps to the process. Remember, take the time you need to really immerse yourself in the emotion. Then, when you feel you’ve felt it enough, release it – really let go of it. You will be surprised at how quickly you can move on from a negative situation and get to what you really want to do!

[Annotation:]
1) paralyze  vt. 使瘫痪，使麻醉
2) immerse  vt. 沉浸，使陷入
3) exhale  vi. 呼出，发出
4) move on: 继续前进

清理心灵的空间

    想一下你最近一次感受到的消极情绪，例如压力、愤怒或挫折。当你处于那种消极情绪时你在想些什么？是充满了混乱的思绪？还是陷于麻木，无法思考？
下次当你发现自己处于非常紧张的状态时，或是你感到气愤或受挫时，停下来。是的，对，停下来。不管你在做什么，停下来坐上一分钟。做着的时候，让自己完全沉浸在那种消极情绪之中。
    让那种消极情绪吞噬你，给自己一分钟的时间去真切地体会那种情绪，不要欺骗自己。花整整一分钟时间——但只有一分钟——去体会那种情绪，别的什么都不要做。
    当一分钟结束时，问自己：“我是否想在今天余下的时间里继续保持这种消极情绪？”
    一旦你允许自己完全沉浸在那种情绪当中并真切体会到它，你就会惊奇地发现那种情绪很快就消失了。
    如果你觉得还需要点时间来保持那种情绪，没关系，再给自己一分钟的时间去体会它。
    如果你觉得自己已经充分体会到了那种情绪，你就问自己是否愿意在今天余下的时间里继续保持那种消极的情绪。如果不愿意，那就深呼吸。呼气的时候，把所有的消极情绪都释放出去。
    这个方法似乎很简单——几乎是太过简单了，但却非常有效。通过给自己空间真正体会消极情绪，你是在处理这种情绪，而不是将其压制下去然后尽量不加理会。通过给予消极情绪所需的空间和关注，你实际上是在消解其力量。当你沉浸在那种情绪之中，并且明白它只是一种情绪时，你就摆脱了它的控制。你可以清理大脑并继续做事。
    你下次笼罩于消极情绪时，试一下这种做法，给自己一点空间来体会那种情绪并看看会发生什么。随后带一张写着如下字句的纸条：
    停下来。沉浸一分钟。我想保持这种消极情绪吗？深呼吸、呼气、放松。继续做事！
    我会提醒你该怎样去做。记注，要花所需要的时间去真正沉浸于那种情绪之中。然后，当你感到自己已经充分体会到了它，就将其释放——真的放开它。你会惊奇地发现，你很快就能摆脱消极情绪，并开始做你真正想做的事情！

13 Be Happy！            Lioyd Morris

   “The days that make us happy make us wise.” ---John Masefield

 When I first read this line by English’s Poet Laureate1), it startled me. What did Masefield mean? Without thinking about it much, I had always assumed that the opposite was true. But his sober assurance was arresting. I could not forget it.

   Finally, I seemed to grasp his meaning and realized that here was a profound observation. The wisdom that happiness makes possible lies in clear perception, not fogged by anxiety nor dimmed by despair and boredom, and without the blind spots caused by fear.

   Active happiness---not mere satisfaction or contentment---often comes suddenly, like an April shower or the unfolding of a bud. Then you discover what kind of wisdom has accompanied it. The grass is greener; bird songs are sweeter; the shortcomings of friends are more understandable and more forgivable. Happiness is like a pair of eyeglasses correcting your spiritual vision.

   Nor are the insights of happiness limited to what is near around you. Unhappy, with your thoughts turned in upon your emotional woes2), your vision is cut short as though by a wall. Happy, the wall crumbles3).

   The long vista is there for the seeing. The ground at your feet, the world about you---people, thoughts, emotions, pressures---are now fitted into the larger scene. Everything assumes a fairer proportion. And here is the beginning of wisdom.

[Annotation:]
1) Laureate  n. 戴桂冠的人
2) woe  n. 悲哀
3) crumble  v. 崩溃，粉碎

 快乐

    “快乐的日子使人睿智。”——约翰?梅斯菲而德
第一次读到英国桂冠诗人梅斯菲而德的这行诗时，我感到十分震惊。他想表达什么意思？我以前从未对此仔细考虑，总是认定这行诗反过来才正确。但他冷静而又胸有成竹的表达引起了我的注意，令我无法忘怀。
    终于，我似乎领会到了它的意思，并意识到这行诗意义深远。快乐带来的睿智存在于敏锐的洞察力之前，不会因忧虑而含混迷惑，也不会因绝望和厌倦而暗淡模糊，更不会因恐惧而造成盲点。
    积极的快乐——并非单纯的满意或知足——通常不期而至，就像四月里突然下起的春雨，或是花蕾的突然绽放。然后，你就会发觉与快乐结伴而来的究竟是何种智慧。草地更为青翠，鸟鸣更为甜美，朋友的缺点也变的更能让人理解、宽容。快乐就像一副眼镜，可以矫正你的精神视力。
    快乐的视野并不仅限于你周围的事物。当你不快乐时，你的思维陷入情感上的悲哀，你的眼界就像被一道墙给阻隔住了。而当你快乐时，这道墙会砰然倒塌。
你的眼界变的更为宽广。你脚下的大地，你身边的世界，包括人、思想、情感和压力，现在都融入了更为广阔的景象之中，其间每件事物的比例都更加合理。而这就是睿智的起始。

14 The Goodness of life               Ralph Marstom

Though there is much to be concerned about, there is far, far more for which to be thankful. Though life's goodness can at times be overshadowed, it is never outweighed1).

For every single act that is senselessly destructive, there are thousands more small, quiet acts of love, kindness and compassion. For every person who seeks to hurt, there are many, many more who devote their lives to helping and to healing.

There is a goodness to life that cannot be denied.

In the most magnificent vistas2) and in the smallest details, look closely, for that goodness always comes shining through.

There is no limit to the goodness of life. It grows more abundant with each new encounter3). The more you experience and appreciate the goodness of life, the more there is to be lived.

Even when the cold winds blow and the world seems to be covered in foggy shadows, the goodness of life lives on. Open your eyes, open your heart, and you will see that goodness is everywhere.

Though the goodness of life seems at times to suffer setbacks4), it always endures. For in the darkest moment it becomes vividly clear that life is a priceless treasure. And so the goodness of life is made even stronger by the very things that would oppose it.

Time and time again when you feared it was gone forever you found that the goodness of life was really only a moment away. Around the next corner, inside every moment, the goodness of life is there to surprise and delight you.
 
Take a moment to let the goodness of life touch your spirit and calm your thoughts. Then, share your good fortune with another. For the goodness of life grows more and more magnificent each time it is given away.

Though the problems constantly scream for attention and the conflicts appear to rage ever stronger, the goodness of life grows stronger still, quietly, peacefully, with more purpose and meaning than ever before.

[Annotation:]
1) outweigh  v. 在重量（或价值等）上超过
2) vista  n. 展望，前景
3) encounter  n. 相遇，邂逅
4) setback  n. 挫折，退步

生命的美好

    尽管有很多事让人忧虑，但相比而言，值得感激的事要多得多。尽管生命的美好有时被蒙上阴影，但它却永远不会被埋没。
    相对于每一个无谓的破坏行为而言，都是更多数以千计更为微小的、包含着爱、友善和同情的举动静静地上演着。相对每一个试图伤害他人的人而言，都是更多的人致力于帮助他人，治愈他人的创伤。
    生命的美好不能否认。
    在最为壮观的前景和最为琐碎的细节中，请仔细观察，因为美好的事物总是散发着耀眼的光芒闪亮登场。
    生命的美好没有界限。每一次相遇都会使这美好变得越发丰富。你经历的越多，越能欣赏生命的美好，生命中的美好就会变的越多。
    即使当寒风袭来，整个世界似乎被雾气掩盖之时，生命的美好仍会存在。睁开双眼，打开心扉，你就会发现这美好无处不在。
    尽管生命的美好有时似乎遭遇挫折，但它总会挺过来。因为，在最黑暗的时刻，有一点变得格外清楚，那就是，生命是无价的财富。因此，正是与生命的美好相对立的事物使其越发强大。
    无数次地，当你担心这美好已经远离之时，你就会发现生命的美好其实只是与你相隔须臾。它就在下一个角落，存在于每个时刻之间，等着给你惊喜。
    花些时间让生命的美好感动自己的灵魂，放松自己的思绪。然后，把你的幸运与他人分享。因为生命的美好就会在每次给予之间变得越来越壮观。
    尽管总是有问题让你去关注，冲突也似乎愈演愈烈，但生命的美好却总是静静地、平和地，带着比以往更强的意志和更多的价值变得更为强大。

15 Facing the Enemies Within          Anonynous

We are not born with courage, but neither are we born with fear. Maybe some of our fears are brought on by your own experiences, by what someone has told you, by what you've read in the papers. Some fears are valid, like walking alone in a bad part of town at two o'clock in the morning. But once you learn to avoid that situation, you won't need to live in fear of it.

Fears, even the most basic ones, can totally destroy our ambitions. Fear can destroy fortunes. Fear can destroy relationships. Fear, if left unchecked, can destroy our lives. Fear is one of the many enemies lurking1) inside us.

Let me tell you about five of the other enemies we face from within. The first enemy that you've got to destroy before it destroys you is indifference. What a tragic disease this is. "Ho-hum, let it slide. I'll just drift along." Here's one problem with drifting: you can't drift your way to the top of the mountain.

The second enemy we face is indecision. Indecision is the thief of opportunity and enterprise. It will steal your chances for a better future. Take a sword to this enemy.

The third enemy inside is doubt. Sure, there's room for healthy skepticism2). You can't believe everything. But you also can't let doubt take over. Many people doubt the past, doubt the future, doubt each other, doubt the government, doubt the possibilities and doubt the opportunities. Worse of all, they doubt themselves. I'm telling you, doubt will destroy your life and your chances of success. It will empty both your bank account and your heart. Doubt is an enemy. Go after it. Get rid of it.

The fourth enemy within is worry. We've all got to worry some. Just don't let it conquer you. Instead, let it alarm you. Worry can be useful. If you step off the curb3) in New York City and a taxi is coming, you've got to worry. But you can't let worry loose like a mad dog that drives you into a small corner. Here's what you've got to do with your worries: drive them into a small corner. Whatever is out to get you, you've got to get it. Whatever is pushing on you, you've got to push back.

The fifth interior enemy is over-caution. It is the timid approach to life. Timidity is not a virtue; it's an illness. If you let it go, it'll conquer you. Timid people don't get promoted. They don't advance and grow and become powerful in the marketplace. You've got to avoid over-caution.

Do battle with the enemy. Do battle with your fears. Build your courage to fight what's holding you back, what's keeping you from your goals and dreams. Be courageous in your life and in your pursuit of the things you want and the person you want to become.

[Annotation:]
1) lurk  vi. 潜藏，潜伏
2) skepticism  n. 怀疑论
3) curb  n. 人行道靠近路缘的部分

直面内在的敌人

    我们的勇气并不是与生俱来的，我们的恐惧也不是。也许有些恐惧来自你的亲身经历、别人告诉你的故事、或你在报纸上读到的东西。有些恐惧可以理解，例如在凌晨两点独自走在城里不安全的地段。但是一旦你学会避免那种情况，你就不必生活在恐惧之中。
    恐惧，哪怕是最基本的恐惧，也可能彻底粉碎我们的抱负。恐惧可能摧毁财富，也可能摧毁一段感情。如果不加以控制，恐惧还可能摧毁我们的生活。恐惧是潜伏于我们内心的众多敌人之一。
    让我来告诉你我们面临的其他五个内在的敌人。第一个你要在它袭击你之前将其击败的敌人是冷漠。打着哈欠说：“随它去吧，我就随波逐流吧。”这是多么可悲的疾病啊！随波逐流的问题是：你不可能漂流到山顶去。
我们面临的第二个敌人是优柔寡断。它是窃取机会和事业的贼，它还会偷去你实现更美好未来的机会。向这个敌人出剑吧！
    第三个内在的敌人是怀疑。当然，正常的怀疑还是有一席之地的，你不能相信一切。但是你也不能怀疑掌管一切。许多人怀疑过去、怀疑未来、怀疑彼此、怀疑政府、怀疑可能性，并怀疑机会。最糟糕的是，他们怀疑自己。我告诉你，怀疑会毁掉你的生活和你成功的机会，它会耗尽你的存款，留给你干涸的心灵。怀疑是敌人，追赶它，消灭它。
    第四个内在的敌人是担忧。我们都会有些担忧，不过千万不要让担忧征服你。相反，让它来惊醒你。担忧也许能派上用场。当你在纽约走上人行道时有一辆出租车向你驶来，你就得担忧。但你不能让担忧像疯狗一样失控，将你逼到死角。你应该这样对付自己的担忧：把担忧驱至死角。不管是什么打击你，你都要打击它。不管什么攻击你，你都要反击。
    第五个内在的敌人是过分谨慎。那是胆小的生活方式。胆怯不是美德，而是一种疾病。如果你不理会它，它就会将你征服。胆怯的人不会得到提拔，他们在市场中不会前进、不会成长、不会变得强大。你要避免过分谨慎。
一定要向这些敌人开战。一定要向恐惧开战。鼓起勇气抗击阻挡你的事物，与阻止你实现目标和梦想的事物做斗争。要勇敢地生活，勇敢地追求你想要的事物并勇敢地成为你想成为的人。