Stan dreamed to take part in the Olympics.

It was ________ dinner.

When Stan’s family were seated, he ________, “I’m going to the Olympics.”

“Fourth-graders can do that?” Emma, his sister asked ________.

“I can!” Stan said. “If I practice until I’m perfect, I can’t fail.”

“I’m sure you can do it if you put your mind to it.” said Dad.

His mom ________, “Emm... you must decide what sport you will take up and that’s a big ________.”

The first week, Stan tried to practice table tennis. It didn’t seem as ________ as he thought. As a result, a ball hit his eye. The next week, he took up hurdling (跨栏). ________, he hit his foot on a hurdle. The ________ week, Stan’s arm got hurt.

“What happened?” Emma asked.

“Let’s just say throwing the discus (铁饼) is not fit for   ________.” said Stan.

The following week, the family sat down for Sunday dinner ________.

“I’ve decided not to play a sport.” said Stan.

Emma’s eyes opened wide. “You’re ________ your Olympic dream?”

“No.” said Stan. “I’m ________ going to the Olympics.”

Stan held up a book titled Is Sports Medicine the Career for You? “Over the past few ________, I’ve discovered that sportsmen need a lot of ________ help. So I’ll go to the Olympics as usual—as a sports doctor, not a sportsman.”

Mom and Dad laughed. “Now that is a great ________, not a dream, Stan!” said Dad, “Just go for it!”

For a long time, clothing has been designed and chosen based or gender (性别). However, in recent years, these gender differences have become less clear.

According to a May report by Bilibili, views of videos about non-gendered fashion went up by 270 percent in 2023. Most of the viewers were born in or after 1995 — also known as Generation Z.

Eric Liu, a fashion blogger in Shanghai, is a fan of non-gendered fashion. He told Jing Daily that he often buys from the women’s bag section because men don’t have many choices for bags. “As a straight man, I don’t feel embarrassed about carrying a bag designed for women because no one has pointed that out,” Liu said.

As society has become more open, people can choose from a greater number of styles. Women and men share more similar lifestyles these days, which means they need clothing that goes with their lifestyle.

“The wearer and the clothes together tell people who you are.” Jerry Zhang, founder of a Beijing lifestyle marketing company, told CGTN. It’s not your gender that makes you different, but your personality (性格). Zhang added.

Clothing can be a good way to show your personality. Yao Qing, a 24-year-old in Hangzhou, is a big fan of sports like skateboarding and skiing. She often wears shirts and jeans. “I feel more myself that way,” Yao told China Daily.

Still, fashion expert Shang Tao said we shouldn’t follow others blindly. “The key is to learn about yourself well and the environment around you to choose clothes that make you feel more confident,” he told China Daily.

While writing this book, I once asked an expert how he kept from worrying. He replied, “I have always tried to follow the advice: when you have a lemon, make a lemonade (柠檬汁).”

That is what a wise man does. But the fool does just the opposite. If he finds that life has given him a “lemon”, he gives up and says, “I’m beaten. I haven’t got a chance.” Then he starts to develop a sense of self-pity. But when the wise man is handed a “lemon”, he says, “What lesson can I learn from the bad luck? How can I improve my situation? How can I turn this lemon into a lemonade?”

Here is an interesting story of a woman who did just that. Her name is Thelma. “During the war,” she told me about her experience, “my husband was sent to an Army training camp near the Mojave Desert. I went there to live with him. But I hated the place. I had never felt so terrible before. My husband was ordered out for training, so I was left alone most of the time. Not a friend to talk to but only the local people who couldn’t speak English. The wind never stopped blowing. All the food I ate and the air I breathed were filled with sand, sand, sand! I was so sorry for myself that I wrote to my parents. I said I couldn’t stand it one minute longer. My father answered my letter with just two lines—two lines that completely changed my life:

Two men looked out from prison bars (监狱铁窗).

One saw the mud (烂泥)，the other saw stars.

I read those two lines over and over. I was ashamed of myself. I made up my mind I would find out what was good in my present situation. I would look for the stars.”

—adapted from How to Stop Worrying and Start Living