【推荐1】Everyone, at one time or another, has experienced some challenges in friendships and relationships with family members. We might find ourselves upset or angry with other people, or even find that we argue with them. The reality is that nobody is perfect and we need to realize that we should find ways to live happier and less stressful lives.     1    .

Respect other people and accept them

This is the most important point.     2    . Everyone is unique with different experiences and lives. By always remembering this, we will be able to develop and maintain strong relationships.

    3    

We might have friends who are crazy about sports, while we prefer reading. Or perhaps a parent’s hobby seems boring to us but it is something they love. If we want to keep our relationships strong and positive, we should at least take time to listen to them and talk about what matters to them. By doing this, we show them that we care about them and their interests.

Apologize when you make a mistake

This is the hardest thing for most of us to do, yet a simple “I’m sorry” can undo a lot of tension. By being honest when you make a mistake, you can fix any problem you may have caused and show that you are an adult.     4    .

So, try and follow the advice from now on, and you will find that you have happier and stronger relationships with your friends and loved ones.     5    .

【推荐3】Raised in a motherless home, my father was extremely tightfisted towards us children. His attitude didn't soften as I grew into adulthood and went to college. I had to ride the bus whenever I came home. Though the bus stopped about two miles from home, Dad never met me, even in severe weather. If grumbled, he'd say in his loudest father voice, "That's what your legs are for!"

The walk didn't bother me as much as the fear of walking alone along the highway and country roads. I also felt less than valued that my father didn't seem concerned about my safety. But that feeling was canceled one spring evening.

It had been a particularly difficult week at college after long hours in labs. I longed for home. When the bus reached the stop, I stepped off and dragged my suitcase to begin the long journey home.

A row of hedges(树篱) edged the driveway that climbed the hill to our house. Once I had turned off the highway to start the last lap of my journey, I always had a sense of relief to see the hedges because it meant that I was almost home. On that particular evening, the hedges had just come into view when I saw something gray moving along the top of the hedges, moving toward the house. Upon closer observation, I realized it was the top of my father's head. Then I knew, each time I'd come home, he had stood behind the hedges, watching, until he knew I had arrived safely. I swallowed hard against the tears. He did care, after all.

On later visits, that spot of gray became my watchtower. I could hardly wait until I was close enough to watch for its secret movement above the greenery. Upon reaching home, I would find my father sitting innocently in his chair. "So, my son, it's you!" he'd say, his face lengthening into pretended surprise.

I replied, "Yes, Dad, it's me. I`m home."

【推荐2】In order to increase their job chances after college, Chinese students are turning to a special practice—Eiffel Tower nose jobs（鼻整形手术）. The latest trend in plastic surgery promises to create a nose that is similar to the curve of the Eiffel Tower.

Surgeon Wang Xuming said: “We are influenced by the beauty of the Eiffel Tower. We are not content to just add something to the nose; we reconstruct it.” The surgery costs about US$ 10,000 and involves the enlarging of the nose using tissue from the forehead.

Hundreds of posters advertising the procedure are put up all over Chongqing city, where surgeon Xuming runs his private practice. They show a Western-looking woman with an almost-too-perfect nose, against an outline of the Eiffel Tower.

Interestingly, many young women in China are eager to achieve a western appearance, as they believe it will give them an advantage in the highly competitive job market. “Some students face a lot of employment pressure after graduation. If their facial features are good, they’ll have more chances of finding a job,” said surgeon Xuming. “We’ve had students getting the Eiffel Tower nose; it’s helped them a lot.”

Apparently, Chinese employers are quite particular about appearances and prefer attractive candidates. Some of them even go as far as putting height and weight requirements in the ir employment ads. Plastic surgeons across the country are reporting an increase in the number of students choosing beauty “improvement”.

According to Mr. Li, hospital manager at surgeon Xuming’s clinic, most of their customers are female and the bill is taken care of by the family. “They usually come in with their mothers, and tend to be from well-off backgrounds.” he said.

Personally, I don’t think it so important to “improve” our appearance as long as we are skilled at our jobs. We can’t decide how we look, but we can decide how well we live and work.

【推荐3】During the summer of 2021, Beverly Wax, an administrative assistant for a nonprofit, had an experience that filled her with awe. Wax’s central air conditioning had broken down in the heat wave. She’d mentioned to her son that she was having trouble finding someone to come fix it quickly. He showed up with a new unit as a surprise. As she watched him sweat and struggle while pulling the unit up the stairs and fixing it in her bedroom. Wax felt a wave of appreciation.

Awe is that feeling we get when something is so vast it stops us in out tracks. Often, it challenges or expands our thinking. Research shows that awe experiences decrease stress and anxiety and increase overall satisfaction in life, according to Dacher Keltner, a professor of psychology. Most of us associate awe with something rare and beautiful nature, music or a spiritual experience. But people can trigger awe too, and not just public heroes. Research shows that we can be awed by out nearest and dearest. Psychologists call this interpersonal awe.

Often, this interpersonal awe is a response to life’s big, sweeping changes, such as witnessing a baby’s first steps. For Lynn Heady, a retired educator, it’s watching a friend fight cancer and still relish (享受) life. But interpersonal awe happens in smaller moments, too. John Bargh, a psychologist, said he was truly awestruck by his then-5-year-old daughter while dining with her in a McDonald’s. When she heard another child crying across the restaurant, she grabbed the toy from her Happy Meal, walked over to the boy and handed it to him.

Unfortunately, we can’t make someone else behave in a way that’s awesome. But we can prime ourselves to notice it when they do-and take steps to boost the emotion’s positive effects.

【推荐1】There have been a number of occasions through the years that I had to sit at the feet of a theologian (神学家).Some of those times, I came away wondering what on earth the man was talking about. That was not the case when I heard Dr. Randy Harris. He suggested that a lot of our day-to-day problems in the world be solved by simply keeping our promises. Too many people do not take such matters seriously. Are you serious in keeping your promises?

Some of my most anxious moments in over a half-century of ministry have come as a result of carelessness in failing to keep my word. Preachers (传道士) can say a lot of requests on any given Sunday. I have been asked to make hospital visits, write letters of recommendation(推荐), put people’s names on the prayer list, read books, make telephone calls, remember birthdays and anniversaries, come to special events, and put announcements in the church bulletin (公告).There was a time when I would foolishly agree to fulfill each request. I had the best of intentions, but I could not remember all I had agreed to do, much less find a way to do them all! Did I think I was “Super-Preacher”? The sad look of disappointed faces taught me that I was not. I hurt people, and they deserved better.

The Hebrew word of covenant (契约) means primarily “a cutting”. It refers to the custom of cutting an animal in half and having the parties making promises pass between the two halves. They were saying to each other, “If I don’t keep my word, may I be as this animal--be cut in two.”

If butchering (屠宰) were the result of breaking our word today, how many of us would be headed for the death? I think that, although we are not cut like animals for our failures to keep promises, there are serious results connected with our carelessness. It ruins our character and our reputation.

What can we do? It is simple. Stop making promises we cannot keep. Reduce promise lists, and be sure to carry out the commitments that remain on it. If after giving our word, we are unable to keep the appointment or whatever, inform and apologize as soon as possible.

Last weekend, I stood with a dressed-up couple at a wedding in another county. They made some serious promises to each other in a covenant of marriage. They made vows to be faithful to each other for as long as they live. I pray God that they will keep those vows and be an example for others to follow.

【推荐2】Christmas was near a season that we took seriously in our house. But a week or so before the 25^th, my father would give each of his children $20. This was the 1970s, and $20 was quite a bit of money.

But I saw it differently. My father trusted me to have the smartness to money wisely. Even better, he gave me the means to get it. On a very basic level, my father was giving me a shopping spree （狂欢） every year. But he was also giving me charge over my own fun, trusting my ability to manage money and making me feel like a grown-up. He didn't buy me Sherlock Holmes, but he gave me the means to walk into the bookstore and choose it for myself, so it felt like a gift from him.

My mother had a gift for giving me what I needed, usually right at the moment I needed it most. This was when I was 25. I failed at being an adult on my very first try. I had quitted my previous job but had no new one. But when my mother paid me a visit, I put on a good show, telling her I had started my own company.

My mother knew that I was trying hard and failing at that time. It wasn't until after she left that I noticed at the foot of my bed an envelope thick with cash. She knew how desperately I needed it. She knew that had she just shown up with groceries, or offered to pay my rent, she would have made me feel much worse. The cold, hard cash meant she was helping me. And, funnily enough, the distance with which she gave the gift felt like she was giving me space to fix my life and preserve my dignity (尊严).My mother and father both did the same thing. One was giving me the means to take my own decisions, and the other was giving me a second chance when those decisions had cost me dearly.

【推荐3】There are multiple experiences a Westerner can describe as a “culture shock” in China, one of the fastest-growing economies, like eating mouthwatering baozi for breakfast. These experiences, however, paled in comparison to the one I experienced during my time in an organization I’ve been serving in for two years to provide free educational tours at my leisure — the advancement and equalizing of China’s known wealth disparity（差异）through the social network and cashless payment giant（巨头）, WeChat, which I rarely used before.

Last month, the organization led a thrilling trip to camp. Initially, we went through a village kept alive by the residents. The views there are so attractive and refreshing. Walking through endless red apple trees, I saw an elderly woman who gently offered to sell me apples. Unfortunately, I informed her I didn’t have cash on hand. She quickly told me to scan the QR code（二维码）on her phone, which in seconds would get my money into her bank account via WeChat. Needless to say, I was blown away. And of course, the apples were tasty.

As an advocate of financial growth opportunities in under-served communities, it was inspiring to witness that technology lets people contribute to the economy regardless of socioeconomic background in China. Though the socioeconomic problems remain to some extent, access to and adoption of technology creating financial opportunities transforms the lives of everyday citizens and enables communities to flower.

While I once didn’t believe a “cashless society” was possible and thought it could cause more unfavorable conditions, I now stand corrected. Perhaps it might take longer for New York City to adapt, as we lag behind in this transformation and there is so much we can learn. I also wonder what the human race can achieve when technology provides endless opportunities for people of all backgrounds to advance.