【推荐2】John, an old man, lived in the middle of town. One day he found his watch lost in his own store. It _________ a lot to him because it was from his wife. After searching _________ in the store for a long while, he decided to ask for help from a group of children playing outside the store. He _________ them that the person who found it would be rewarded. Hearing this, the children hurried inside the store, went through and around the _________ store, but still could not find the watch.

Soon the man felt disappointed and _________. Even worse, he wanted to _________. Just at that moment, a little boy went up to him and asked for another _________. The man looked at him and thought, "Why not? _________, this kid looks sincere enough." So the man sent him back in the store. After a while, the boy _________ with the watch in his hand! The man was very __________, and he asked the boy how he found it while the others had __________. The boy replied, "I did nothing but sat on the ground and __________. Then I heard the ticking (嘀嗒声) of the watch and just looked for it in that __________."

We usually do something in a hurry and don't think about our own needs, which can't bring peace into our mind. __________, we need to think about ourselves and keep peaceful for a while, which can produce a good result. So allow a few minutes of __________ to your mind every day, and see how it helps you deal with your work and make progress as you expect to!

【推荐2】One day a farmer's donkey fell down into a well. The animal cried ______ for hours as the farmer tried to figure out ______ to do. Finally he decided the animal was ______ and the well needed to be ______ up anyway, so it just wasn't ______ it to rescue the donkey.

He invited all his ______ to come over and help him. They all grabbed (握起)a shovel (铁铲)and began to shovel ______ into the well. At first, the donkey ______ what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's ______, he was quiet.

A few shovel loads later, the farmer looked ______ the well and was ______ at what he saw. With every shovel of dirt that ______ his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would ______ it off and take a step up. As the farmer's neighbors ______ to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take another ______ up. Pretty soon, everyone was surprised as the donkey stepped up over the ______ of the well and ran off.

Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The best way of ______ out of the well is to shake it off and take a step up. Each of our ______ is a stepping-stone. We can get out of the deepest ______ just by not stopping, never ______! Shake it off and take a step upward!

【推荐3】As a descendant (后裔) of an immigrant family from Barbados, my childhood was different from that of my peers. My mom had rules for the home that seemed unconventionally ________. I must be home before nine. I was only ________ to watch television two hours a week. In the summers, I had to write book reports besides participating in a leadership camp.

In addition to these, what I felt unreasonable was that my mother ________ me to have role models. She’d always say, “You’re allowed to respect certain ________ of a person, but you can never place that person on a pedestal (盲目崇拜)” . Mom would then ________ that when you idolize people, their greatest accomplishments can unintentionally become the ceiling of your dreams. So, while as a 1980s ________ I loved Oprah Winfrey, Mom ________ to have me strive to be like Oprah. She always said, “There is only one Oprah and only one Dana. Envision (想象) your own success, Dana.”

But in my late twenties, I lost touch with mom’s ________, I wanted to be the best , and I ________ myself trying to make real the visions others had for me. Many times, I was ________ for meeting some established bench marks of success. That led to bonuses and promotions, which made me feel accomplished. But after my sense of ________ wore off, I came back to my secret reality of feeling ________, and a bit bitter at myself.

Then in my mid-thirties, I decided to ________ my life instead of depending on other people’s intentions. I eventually understand that Mom didn’t want any person—no matter how ________ —to have control over my thoughts, dreams and ambitions. As my mom said, “All the ________ you need to live your calling are already within you, Dana. No one else can live your life’s purpose better than you.”