【推荐2】Once a circle missed a wedge. The circle wanted to be whole, so it went around looking for its missing piece. But because it was incomplete and therefore could roll only very slowly, it admired the flowers along the way. It chatted with worms. It enjoyed the sunshine. It found lots of different pieces, but none of them fit. So it left them all by the side of the road and kept on searching. Then one day the circle found a piece that fit perfectly. It was so happy. Now it could be whole, with nothing missing. It incorporated the missing piece into itself and began to roll. Now that it was a perfect circle, it could roll very fast, too fast to notice the flowers or talk to the worms. When it realized how different the world seemed when it rolled so quickly, it stopped, left its found piece by the side of the road and rolled slowly away.

The lesson of the story, I suggested, was that in some strange sense we are more whole when we are missing something. The man who has everything is in some ways a poor man. He will never know what it feels like to yearn, to hope, to nourish his soul with the dream of something better. He will never know the experience of having someone who loves him and gives him something he has always wanted or never had.

There is a wholeness about the person who has come to terms with his limitations, who has been brave enough to let go of his unrealistic dreams and not feel like a failure for doing so. There is a wholeness about the man or woman who has learned that he or she is strong enough to go through a tragedy and survive, who can lose someone and still feel like a complete person.

Life is not a trap set for us by God so that he can condemn us for failing. Life is not a spelling bee, where no matter how many words you’ve gotten right, you’re disqualified if you make one mistake. Life is more like a baseball season, where even the best team loses one-third of its games and even the worst team has its days of brilliance. Our goal is to win more games than we lose.

When we accept that imperfection is part of being human, and when we can continue rolling through life and appreciate it, we will have achieved a wholeness that others can only aspire to. That, I believe, is what God asks of us not “Be perfect”, not “Don’t even make a mistake”, but “Be whole.”

【推荐3】Treat Your Life Like A Road Trip

We’ve all heard “life is a journey”. In my opinion, it is the final road trip with your Life Map helping you. Here are five of the Life Map Guide definitions.

The backseat drivers

The backseat drivers are people you have allowed to control you in some way. When you're driving, you have someone in the backseat telling you how to drive or which way to go.    1    Recognizing who the backseat drivers are will help you set boundaries and remain authentic.

The passengers

The passengers are people who are by your side through thick and thin. They give you a shoulder to cry on. They help when things are tough.    2    That is because you know you aren't alone whatever you may be going through.

Your GPS

    3    That's your GPS kicking in to guide you. Your intuition(直觉) is powerful and it's there to help you move in the right direction.

Fork in the road

When you have a tough decision to make, you meet a fork in the road. Then look back on other big decisions you've made and how you ended up coming to a conclusion.    4     It also helps to listen to your GPS as it can lead you to a wise decision.

Refill your tank

We've all had times when we've felt low. When you're in that place it can be really challenging to pull yourself out of it. What really helps is being aware of what it takes to refill your tank.    5    

【推荐1】A few weeks ago, I bought a locally-grown salad from a vending machine(自动售货机). But then I immediately realized that it was packaged in a plastic jar. ''I guess I live with this jar now and forever. '' I thought sadly as I stared down at my new child.

The salad jar was only the latest in a long line of examples of how I am addicted to the responsibility of reusing everything, trying to never throw anything away. Water bottles have been given second lives, and berry containers are transformed into Tupperware. I recently even looked at a plastic straw in my fruit juice: Could I reuse it too…?

Yet trying to squeeze my salad jar under my kitchen counter this weekend, I finally had to admit: Being an environmentalist has turned me into a hoarder(囤积者). While keeping a certain number of jars and vegetable bags will allow me not to buy new containers, at a certain point those 30 berry containers begin to get a bit unnecessary. Who am I kidding? Then one day I came across a blog post that asks accusingly. ''Are you turning your own home into a landfill(垃圾填埋场)? ''

In my defense, there is absolutely no excuse not to be a conscious consumer. The solution is painfully obvious, but hard to admit: Delaying waste is not, in fact, rejecting waste. In an over-packaged, over-consuming culture, this can feel like a burden. While I refuse to throw away packaging, the fact remains: I already have it. The damage is done. I've been ignoring one of the most essential and difficult parts—reduce, reuse, recycle. Even if I go out of my way to reuse the waste I do have, I need to reduce what I am bringing home in the first place.

While I might not be ready to go full zero-waste, it's a goal that is admirable to work toward. Until then, my salad jar child is going to make a great overnight oats jar.

【推荐2】It's nice to have people of like mind around. Agreeable people boost your confidence and allow you to relax and feel comfortable. Unfortunately, that comfort can hinder the very learning that can expand your company and your career.

It's nice to have people agree, but you need conflicting perspectives to dig out the truth. If everyone around you has similar views, your work will suffer from confirmation bias (偏颇).

Take a look at your own network. Do your contacts share your point of view on most subjects? If yes, it's time to shake things up. As a leader, it can be challenging to create an environment in which people will freely disagree and argue, but as the saying goes: From confrontation(冲突) comes brilliance.

It's not easy for most people to actively seek conflict. Many spend their lives trying to avoid arguments. There's no need to go out and find people you hate, but you need to do some self-assessment to determine where you have become stale(疲沓的) in your thinking. You may need to start by encouraging your current network to help you identify your blind spots.

Passionate, energetic debate does not require anger and hard feelings to be effective. But it does require moral strength. Once you have worthy opponents, set some ground rules so everyone understands responsibilities and boundaries. The objective of this debating game is not to win but to get to the truth that will allow you to move faster, farther, and better.

Fierce debating can hurt feelings, particularly when strong personalities are involved. Make sure you check in with your opponents so that they are not carrying the emotion of the battles beyond the battlefield. Break the tension with smiles and humor to reinforce the idea that this is friendly discourse and that all are working toward a common goal.

Reward all those involved in the debate sufficiently when the goals are reached. Let your sparring partners (拳击陪练) know how much you appreciate their contribution. The more they feel appreciated, the more they'll be willing to get into the ring next time.

【推荐3】As the saying goes, time waits for no man. Time is always against us, and we just can’t stop it.     1    But if timekeeping is not what you’re good at, don’t stress. There might be a good reason for your lateness.

    2     Some people always watch the clock and make sure they always arrive on time for a meeting. It is, after all, rude to be late. But if, like me, you want to make every second count, you might try to squeeze as much as you can into the time you have. However, when your schedule doesn’t run according to plan, you will certainly be late for next step.

People who lack promptness(准时) have been described as “time bender”. Author Grace Pacie told the BBC that “They’re the people who don’t want to be late, but they have a strange resistance to being early, and they don’t allow enough time.     3    ”

Perceptions of unpunctual people are almost always negative - even if sometimes wrong. Writing for the BBC, Laura Clarke says, “    4     It could be your type. The punctually-challenged often share personality characteristics, such as optimism, low levels of self-control, anxiety, or a tendency for thrill-seeking. ” It is also possible that people are late to avoid the anxious wait for others to turn up.

Maybe us latecomers should make more effort and follow the advice I heard to not “try” to be on time but “decide” to be on time. I know if a meeting or a deadline really matters, then I’ll be there on time.     5