【推荐1】Rick Guidotti put aside his career as a fashion photographer to turn his lens (镜头) to people living with genetic, physical and behavioural differences.

He says what changed his perception (看法) of beauty was a chance encounter with an albino (患白化病的) girl. “I was just tired of people telling me who was beautiful. Every season that face would change but I was always told who was beautiful. As an artist, I don’t see beauty just on covers of magazines. I see it everywhere. So that was my original intention — that opened my eyes a little wider and wider.”

Guidotti has created Positive Exposure, a not-for-profit organization that uses photography and video to transform public perceptions and promote a world where differences are celebrated. Guidotti and Positive Exposure are featured in a new documentary called On Beauty.

One of the women featured in the film is Jayne Waithera. “I never thought I was beautiful because nobody said that to me, but meeting him was my profound moment. I remember that particular day. He took my picture and I felt so good like I felt there’s somebody who, like, really loves me and sees me for who I am and who sees me more than my condition.”

Guidotti is travelling from city to city to promote On Beauty. He says his tour is not about money; it’s about the message. “As I travel from community to community, I’m taking photographs and I’m empowering (给某人……的权力) individuals with a positive sense of who they are. They’re seeing beauty in their reflection but I’m also empowering their families and they in turn are empowering their communities as well. All is based on the philosophy of change — how you see, how you change.”

【推荐2】Do you want to become a farmer? Do you want to grow whatever you like? Maybe your answer is “yes” . But you have never grown a crop before and don’t know where to start. Don’t worry. Here is good news.     1    

Decide why you’re interested in farming.

Being a farmer is nothing but hard work. Any kind of farming requires a lot of hard work. Farming sometimes also gives you less money for all your hard work.     2    

Visit with some experienced farmers.

It is highly recommended that you find those who are farming in a similar manner to what you intend to do. You can ask them to give you a tour of their work. Run a web search to find out about some upcoming local agricultural events happening and attend as many of them as you can.     3     There you can ask questions and learn about their farming experience.

    4    

This is the most important step on your way to becoming a farmer. It is because you are working and gaining direct experience. Like with all jobs, you will be entering at the very bottom. The only way you will work your way up is to work hard and do what is asked of you.

Have a good sense of humor.

    5     This will be especially important when your muscles are aching, your fingers feel like they are going to fall off or the weather has ruined your plans once again.

【推荐3】Businesses are now in cost-cutting mode. Title inflation (通胀) has crept into the workplace. Layoffs, hiring freezes and concerns about a recession (经济衰退) are plaguing employers.

To balance this unique economic environment, employers have figured out a way to comfort employees and job applicants without spending more money. They are offering impressive titles to soften the blow of not providing a raise to internal employees or big compensation to job candidates.

An employee’s title is their identity. It gives them credibility in the office and makes them feel more powerful. In this sense, the policy is a sensible way to help keep staff and attract top candidates.

But if you don’t really deserve the new title, it could come back and trouble you. Recruiters will be pleased to find a candidate who is a perfect fit for a significant, well-paying position in terms of skills, background, and previous experience. However, a stumbling block arises when they notice the candidate has a higher title than the client offers. Since a recruiter wants to make a placement and earn a fee, they won’t waste time and will seek out other candidates who are a better fit.

Even if the recruiters decide to contact the candidate, there’s a good chance the candidate won’t accept. Because most people aren’t aware that their title was inflated and believe it was a reward for their outstanding performance. Understandably, they would be offended if they received a lower-level post. Now that you are at a certain level, you don’t want to go backward.

What’s more, if your current title is too high, it raises red flags. For example, when searching for a new job, if your title is “director,” but the new role is under that level, the interviewer will curiously inquire, “why do you want to go down in title?” There will be an assumption from the hiring manager that something isn’t right. They may feel that the job seeker is leaving before being fired and willing to downgrade. Rather than trying to figure out the motivations of the candidate, they’ll move on to others who have a cleaner story without any baggage.

【推荐3】You may be able to answer all of the questions the interviewer throws at you, and show a wealth of knowledge about the company in question. However, actions often speak louder than words.    1    , body language can easily be neglected. The way we present ourselves during an interview may betray our actual abilities. So it is necessary to control our body language.    2    :

A weak or overly strong handshake.

    3     Therefore, it is good to make a positive impression with a stable handshake. A limp handshake may lead to assumptions of disinterest and weakness, whereas an overly strong one may come off as aggressive or pushy.

A negative facial expression.

Smile! Greeting an employer with a negative expression will not make you appear likable.    4    , open with a smile and remain natural and positive, without overdoing it.

    5    

Casting your eyes down for the duration of an interview is something interviewers agree they hate. It wouldn’t be a good idea to continually stare at the person opposite you. However, regular eye contact shows that you are engaged in the conversation and that your self-esteem is high.

【推荐1】A mother of a cheerful five-year-old just returned from a meeting of the National Organization for Women. Inspired by exciting dreams for the possibilities of womanhood, she asked her daughter what she wanted to be when she grew up. Little Lisa quickly answered, “A nurse.”

There was a time when nursing was thought of as a woman’s job and the answer somehow seemed not to be satisfied. She had, after all, just returned from a new meeting.

“You can be anything you want to be,” she reminded her daughter. “You can be a lawyer, a doctor, a banker, president of the country — you can be anything.”

“Anything?” Lisa asked.

“Anything!” her mother smiled.

“I know,” Lisa said. “I want to be a horse!”

Lisa’s dream may need some improvement, but there is plenty of time for that. When do we give up dreaming about the future? When do we resign (听任) ourselves to simply replaying dreams from the past?

Maybe her dream needs to mature (成熟) a bit, but would you rather have the optimism (乐观) of a five-year-old girl who wants to be a horse, or the pessimism (悲观) of an adult who says in despair, “I can’t be anything at all”?

Teddy Roosevelt said, “Keep your eyes on the stars and your feet on the ground.” I believe that is the way to make those dreams come true. So everyone need look up and dream of something beautiful while working hard to the dream.

【推荐3】Growing up on a farm, I learned from my parents about the large bees we called mangangava. But in college, when I gave a presentation about those bees, I didn’t mention their familiar name; instead I used formal terms when describing their adaptations for pollinating (授粉). I was afraid of being judged for expressing my personal knowledge in a science class. But when the instructor pressed me to tell the class whether I’d seen the bees myself and what I called them, my views and my whole career path began to change. I realized my background was valuable, and that my calling was to help educate others like me.

My parents worked on a small farm and I often helped out when I was not in school. They had a close relationship with nature, something they learned from my grandparents and passed down to me. This was why I became interested in biology.

In college, I joined a series of labs to gain research experience, but my interest in pursuing a career as a scientist began to wane after I realized my research was not helping poor people like my parents. As a black student from a rural community, I also felt out of place in most classes. The feeling of not belonging circled in my head. I sometimes thought about giving up.

My instructor’s request that I share my knowledge of the mangangava bee changed my view. She saw that tapping into my personal experiences would help me grasp the scientific concepts. No other professor had shown that kind of sensitivity, which helped me realize I did have a place in higher education and that I didn’t need to hide who I truly am.

I’m now a master’s student in education? working on a project that explores the connection between science and traditional knowledge. I don’t think I’d be here if I hadn’t crossed paths with my instructor. We need more educators and scientists like her-people who can serve as role models and know that the best way to nurture new scientists is to allow students to be themselves.