Arrogance is a killer

Arrogance is a killer, and wearing ambition on one's sleeve can have the same effect. There is a fine line between arrogance and self-confidence. Legitimate self-confidence is a winner. The true test of self-confidence is the courage to be open—to welcome change and new ideas regardless of their source. Self-confident people aren't afraid to have their views challenged. They relish the intellectual combat that enriches ideas. —Jack Welch

自大會毀了你，把野心像臂章一樣掛在手上也是。自大與自信是不同的，合理的自信會幫助你得到勝利。自信的終極測試是「張開雙臂」的勇氣──歡迎所有的改變與主意，無論來源是哪裡。自信的人不怕自己的觀點被挑戰，他們享受激發進步的辯論過程。──前 GE 執行長傑克威爾許

Growing Old

●資料來源：空中英語教室電子報 /  摘錄自 Growing Old 文章（http://epaper.pchome.com.tw/archive/oldpost.htm?s_code=0081）

Growing Old (Part 1＆2 of 9)
Happy birthday! Do birthdays really make people happy? Of course they do. Birthdays
celebrate the day we were born. Moreover, that extra candle on the cake represents another year of growth and maturity—or so we hope. We all like to imagine that we're getting wiser and not just older.

生日快樂！生日真能使人快樂嗎？這是當然的啊，慶生是慶祝我們來到世
上的日子，除此之外，蛋糕上多加一支蠟燭也代表了另一年的成長與成熟——
或者說至少我們希望能如此。
 
Most of us enjoy observing the miracle of growth in others, as well. For instance, seeing our children develop and learn new things makes us feel proud. For Americans, like people in most cultures, growing up is a wonderful process. But growing old? That's a different story.

我們都喜歡想像著自己能夠越來越有智慧，而不只是變老，我們大部份人也同時較喜歡
觀察別人成長的奇蹟。例如：看到我們的孩子長大並學習新的事物使我們感到
驕傲。而對美國人而言，就像大部份其他文化中的人們一樣，長大是一個美好
的歷程，但是變老呢？那可就是另外一回事了。

“好好想想.......” “Think it over…”

今天我們擁有了更高層的大樓以及更寬闊的高速公路，
Today we have higher buildings and wider highways,

但是我們的性情卻更為急躁，眼光也更加狹隘
but shorter temperaments and narrower points of view.

我們消耗極多，享受到的卻很少
We spend more, but enjoy less.

我們住的房屋大了，但我們的家庭成員卻越來越少了
We have bigger houses, but smaller families.

我們擁有了更多的知識，但我們的判斷力卻差了
We have more knowledge, but less judgement.

我們擁有的財富倍增，但其價值卻減少了
We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values.

我們談論得很多，但我們所愛的卻很少，我們的仇恨也更多了
We talk much, we love only a little, and we hate too much.

我們可以征服太空，卻征服不了我們的內心
We have conquered the outer space, but not our inner space.

我們的收入增加了，但我們的道德卻少了
We have higher income, but less morals.

我們的時代更加之自由了，而我們擁有的快樂時光卻越來越少了
These are times with more liberty, but less joy.

我們有了更多的食品供應，但我們所能得到的營養卻越來越少了
We have much more food, but less nutrition.

現在每個家庭都可以有雙份的收入，但離婚的現象卻越來越多了
These are the days in which it takes two salaries for each home, but divorces increase.

我們可以有越來越精致的住房，但同時我們也有了更多破碎的家庭
These are times of finer houses, but more broken homes.

這就是我為什麼要說，讓我們從今天開始
That’s why I propose, that as of today,

不要將你的東西為了某一個特別的時刻而預留著，
You do not keep anything for a special occasion,

因為你生活的每一天都是那麼特別
because every day that you live is a special occasion.

坐在你家的房屋前廊，多讀一些書，去尋找更多的知識，
Search for knowledge, read more, sit on your front porch and

以讚美的眼光去享受你眼前的風景，不要帶有任何功利的想法
admire the view without paying attention to your needs.

花多點時間與你的家人及朋友在一起，吃你想吃的食物，去你愛去的地方
Spend more time with your family and friends, eat your favorite foods,visit the places you love.

生活就是由一這連串快樂時光組成的時光鍊，我們不僅僅是為了生存而生存
Life is a chain of moments of enjoyment; not only about survival.

舉起你珍藏的水晶高腳杯吧，不要吝嗇灑上你最好的香水，任何時候你想用就享用吧
Use your crystal goblets. Do not save your best perfume, and use it every time you feel you want it.

從你的詞彙庫中移去那些所謂的“有那麼一天”或者是“某一天”
Remove from your vocabulary phrases like “one of these days” and “someday”.

你曾打算有那麼一天要寫的信，請今天就寫吧﹗
Let’s write that letter we thought of writing “one of these days”.

請告訴我們的家人和朋友，我們是多麼得愛他們
Let’s tell our families and friends how much we love them.

不要延遲任何可以給你生活帶來歡笑和快樂的事情
Do not delay anything that adds laughter and joy to your life.

每一天、每一小時、每一分鐘都是那麼特別
Every day, every hour, and every minute is special.

因為你不知道這是否是最後一刻
And you don’t know if it will be your last.

如果你太忙了，以至於沒有時間將這份信息傳送給你所愛的人，
If you’re too busy to take the time to send this message to someone you love,

請你告訴你自己你會在”有那麼一天天”發出去，只是想一想，你想的這一天可能你已經不在了
and you tell yourself you will send it “one of these days”. Just think...“one of these days” you may not be here to send it!

總之,你應當用歡喜心 清淨心 慈悲心及感恩心去生活才能圓滿人生
After all, you ought to live with mind in happiness, cleaning ,charity and thanksgiving for a perfect life.

創造自己的生活 Create Your Own Life

有時候發生在你身上的一些事情起初看起來很可怕、很痛苦、很不公平，但是深思熟慮之後你會發現，如果沒有克服過這些困難，你就永遠不會意識到自己的潛力、實力、毅力和勇氣。

Sometimes things happen to you that may seem horrible, painful, and unfair at first, but upon reflection you find that without overcoming those obstacles you would never have realized your potential, strength, willpower or heart.

疾病、傷害、錯失真正偉大的時刻以及極度愚蠢的言行，所有這些事情的出現都是在考驗你靈魂的極限。無論它們是什麼，如果不經歷這些小的考驗，你的生活只是一條平坦之路，卻毫無目的。它也許是安全而舒適的，但也是枯燥和毫無意義的。

Illness, injury, lost moments of true greatness, and sheer stupidity all occur to test the limits of your soul. Without these small tests, whatever they may be, life would be like a smoothly paved road to nowhere. It would be safe and comfortable, but dull and utterly pointless.

如果某些人傷害了你，背叛了你或者傷了你的心，請原諒他們，因為是他們幫助你明白了什麼是信任，幫助你懂得了要謹慎選擇你要交心的人。

If someone hurts you, betrays you, or breaks your heart, forgive them, for they have helped you learn about trust and the importance of being cautious to whom you open your heart.

珍惜每一天。珍惜每一刻，並且帶走每一刻所能得到的東西，因為你可能再也不能重複這個過程了。

Make every day count. Appreciate every moment and take from those moments everything that you possibly can for you may never be able to experience it again.

跟那些你從來沒有說過話的人說話，並且傾聽他們的話語。你可以做任何你想做的事情。

Talk to people that you have never talked to before, and listen to what they have to say. You can make anything you wish of your life.

創造自己的生活，然後走出去，去毫無遺憾地享受生活吧。

Create your own life and then go out and live it with absolutely no regrets.