【推荐2】I had stopped while on my way book to London. I spotted a man with a backpack and his thumb out.

“I’m going back to London. Which way are you heading?” I asked. “Ah, that would be grand,” came his immediate reply. He got on my car. “I’m Brendan.” he said, “I was getting a bit desperate. Nobody seems to stop these days.”

As we headed east, Brendan told me how the two recent family tragedies had devastated him and pushed him out of his old life and on to the road. “But,” he said, “I don’t feel sorry for myself. I’ll always know what it feels like to be truly loved.”

Brendan laughed a lot and enjoyed his old lifestyle, until last week, when he’d been robbed. “These three young people took my other backpack and it had all my money and paperwork in it. I haven’t eaten for days. I’m hoping to get some casual work in London, so I can then get myself home to Ireland.”

It must have been the idea of going home that got me, “Why don’t I just drop you at the airport now?” I said, “I’ll buy you a ticket and you can fly home. And how much is the ticket?”

“It’s £192,”he said. “Well, I’ll get you £200.” “Grand.” he replied, without a think. Then, after a pause, he said, “Please don’t worry. I’ll definitely wire you the money when I get home.” In that moment, I honestly believed he would.

After getting home, I told my wife the whole tale. £200 made her gasp (叹气). Feeling surprised at my trusting, she laughed and said, “Well, I hope Brendan gets home.” That was eight weeks ago and you won’t be surprised to hear that I’ve heard nothing.

I now feel happier thinking about Brendan. He asked for help, and in good faith I gave it to him. That’s got to be a good thing. Isn’t that the whole point of unselfishness? It is an act to help someone else at some cost to oneself. It wasn’t a loan: I gave the money to Brendan. The cost to myself was £200. Maybe the real question should be: did I give him enough?

【推荐2】I only have two fingers on my left hand when I was born. I have hid my hand for over 17 years. Honestly, it consumed my life. It was to the point where if I had my backpack on, I would put my hand in my pocket and I would have to go to the bathroom, just so I could take my backpack off, I was that embarrassed and ashamed of the way I looked.

I felt broken, but pretended I was fine with this false confidence. I thought that if I built muscle I would be happy with the way I looked, but it wasn't until I realized that muscles didn't replace confidence that I started to accept myself for who I was.

I decided to share my story and show my hand in a YouTube video in 2017. I'll never for-get the moment when a young girl grabbed my thumb over my glove, looked at me and smiled, saying “You don't have to hide.”That moment killed me because it was like the first time someone actually saw me. But a short while after that, I told myself I could take the gloves off, and finally I made it. Now I am comfortable to live my life without a mask or glove.

I hit a 640-pound deadlift (举重) in front of 15,000 people as the only disabled athlete in that event at the Arnold Sports Festival. However, that achievement was not important in comparison to being able to go to the grocery store without hiding my disability anymore.

What I have experienced these years has taught me that even though you might not look like everyone around you, you can still adapt, and build a life on your terms. One should always bring up his ability to adapt in any environment.

【推荐3】Somewhere near the North Pole, in a small tent on a floating ice, Borge Ousland’s satellite phone buzzed. It was November 20, 2019, and Ousland, the leading polar explorer of his generation, and adventurer Mike Horn had set out two months earlier with an great goal: to ski across the top of the world. They’d been in total isolation (孤立) ever since, making their way, step by step, along the increasingly fragile (易碎的) ice floating over the Arctic Ocean. It was one of the most daring polar journeys in history—and the men were in trouble. The ice was breaking around them, opening in gaping cracks (裂缝), the most critical challenge. Not a single ship or fishing boat was around there. Slowed by the poor conditions, the sleds they pulled were nearly empty of food. Horn’s frostbitten hands, virtually useless in the cold, were dangerously infected.

Now their expedition (探险) manager, Lars Ebbesen, was on the phone from Norway with a lifeline. A passing Norwegian icebreaker happened to be in the sea north of Svalbard and would briefly be in position to serve as a refueling platform for a helicopter (直升机) to reach them. For one day only, they could be rescued. Should he give the OK to start the rescue? Ebbesen, who had worked with Ousland for years, had never heard him so exhausted and “into his resources”. Yet the legendary Arctic strongman, speaking in a weary tone, did not hesitate or consult his partner, “No, we will continue.”

Newspapers actively covered the men’s daring journey across front pages and TV news broadcast regular updates. Ousland’s son was having trouble sleeping and told reporters that at 57 his father was “not as young as he was before”. Ousland’s mother, who had never before felt the need to call Ebbesen and check on her son during expeditions, rang over and over.

But the two chose to continue and luckily enough they finally arrived at north pole and attained enormous precious photos there. After 87 days in Arctic isolation, the two men came back and delivered a television interview. People honoured them as national heroes.