【推荐1】There are a few personal qualities we can all develop to bring more success into our lives. They come from small changes we make throughout our lives, one step and one day at a time.     1    

· Patience. This is probably one of the most difficult of the personal qualities to develop.     2     To achieve true success and happiness in your life, you need to cultivate (培养) patience. Only through patience will you gain the clarity ( 清晰的思维能力) required to overcome the problems that you face in life.

· Courage. Far too often I see people fail to reach their potential ( 潜力) because they’re afraid. They aren’t afraid of growth, but they’re afraid of taking risks.     3     So stop fearing what could go wrong and begin focusing on what could go right.

· Self-confidence. You need to believe that you have what it takes to achieve your goals.     4     It truly is that simple. To be successful, you first need to have belief in your abilities. If you don’t, you may not take action to move forward or improve yourself fully.

· Integrity ( 正直). Integrity is super important.     5     Practice this quality daily. The best way to cultivate integrity in your life is by being honest, and open in everything that you do.

【推荐2】A Sweet Soul

Hopie was a beautiful black and white dog. She was such a gentle soul. She was let out of the house in extreme heat and attacked by another dog. I tried to save her but it was too late. My heart breaks every day missing her.

Hopie used to follow me around the yard when I was mowing (割) the grass; even if it was hot. She’d take a break and go back in the shade for a while, but always felt like she had to stay near me and she’d come back and walk along behind me.

After I lost her I couldn’t even bear to go out and mow the grass. One day I finally realized I had better get out there and do it because it was looking like a field. As l walked along slowly thinking of her and missing her, a black and white dragonfly (蜻蜓) started following me and then flying in front of me. It finally landed on the handle of the mower right near my hands and just sat there looking at me. I said out loud, “Hopie, is that you?” and the dragonfly just sat there and continued to look straight at me.

I have not ever seen a dragonfly with those colors: black body, white eyes and black and white wings. I knew in my heart that it was my Hopie coming to tell me. She was still there watching over me and tears came to my eyes. 1 told her I loved her and she flew away up into the sky as free as she could be. I still miss her every day and every time I see a dragonfly, I think of her.

【推荐3】For some people gratitude comes naturally; other people may have to actively think about being grateful for what they have. But it doesn’t matter how you get there as long as you do.     1     These are several benefits that it can bring you:

Being grateful for what you have could reduce social comparisons about money and success. These comparisons can lower self-esteem (自尊心).     2     It is likely that being grateful helps people focus on the positive things and puts them in a better condition of mind.

    3    . Expressing thankfulness to the people you are close to for the contributions they have made has been linked to happy relationships. In other people’s eyes, you are a kind person to get along with.

A study found that grateful people are more likely to say that they are in good physical health. The researchers found people who express gratitude are more likely to take part in healthy activities and ask for medical help when they need it.     4    

Gratitude is a good act. It can make you a more empathetic person.     5     For example, to get students to better understand others’ feelings, a Canadian education project brings babies into the classroom to teach the students to care for others.

【推荐1】Do you ever worry about your study? Your health? These kinds of worries are quite common. However, for some people, worrying may become constant (连续发生的).     1     If so, understanding how to stop worrying can be a key step towards a more satisfying life.

    2     Do you tend to focus on only some details instead of the whole picture? Or do you exaggerate (夸大) things so that relatively small events seem very bad? If so, try to notice when you get into these styles of thinking.

Another step you can take to reduce your worries is to consider what aspects (方面) of a situation you can control. Once you have considered this, focus on what you can control, For example, if you are worried about your health, focus on lifestyle changes that you can make. If you are worried that you may fail an exam, focus on studying well.

When we worry a lot, it often means that we are caught up in our past or our future.     4     Therefore, practicing it can help you live in the present instead of being caught up in the past or future.

Exercise such as running or going to the gym can help give you a break from your thoughts and worries.     5     It may help you deal with stress and handle your worries. Therefore, regular exercise is a great habit to have if you want to worry less.

【推荐3】Work - related anxiety can have a harmful effect on some people. Anxiety at higher levels can leave some people feeling defeated by their work tasks, to the point they freeze.     1    .

Check in with yourself regularly

Some people get well caught up with their daily responsibilities. So they don’t consider whether the level of anxiety they feel is proportional (成比例的) to whatever situation they’re worried about.     2    , get something to drink or take a short break, and ask yourself: “How am I doing?” “Am I stressed?” Being aware that the times your anxiety level is rising can warm you that it's time to use stress - managing strategies.

Accept uncomfortable feelings

    3    , accept that they’ll pass. Accept that you won’t know everything about your new job right away. Some helpful things to say to yourself in this situation might include “I’ve learned new jobs before and it's turned out alright”, and “I should give myself some time to adjust before assuming this won’t work.”

Get up and move

It’s common to feel like your body is filled with extra energy when you’re anxious. That can create cognitive (认知的) disagreement.     4    . Even a small amount of exercise can improve your mood.

Seek help from your employee assistance program

If you’ve tried various relaxation techniques and still aren’t able to shake continuous anxiety, it may be time to seek help.     5    . And consider using your company’s employee assistance program as a resource. Many employers have such programs to put you in touch with the right mental health professional.

【推荐3】I was sitting at my kitchen table the other day with a pen, notebook, calculator and a pile of bills. I was doing my monthly budget. There were bills for electric water, rent, insurance, the car payment, the phone bill, and the cable bill. Plus money needed to be set aside for food, gas, clothes and hopefully a little left over to save for those unexpected bills that always seemed to show up. When I was done, I shook my head, closed my eyes and thought of a time long ago when I would regularly get treasures.

When I was a boy, we lived across the road from Camp Caesar. It held week long camps all through the summer and my grandma who I lovingly called “Nanny” worked in her big kitchen. I remember slipping there getting a smile, a hug, a kiss and a hot roll from Nanny. Then she would always take deep in her pockets and pull out a treasure, a shiny quarter. She would give it to me and I would run down the hill to either get an ice cold can of coke from the pop machine or I would head to the camp’s swimming pool where I could buy a warm cup of cherry coke for 15 cents and a tiny 10 cent bag of chips from a stand. I took my time because it was always a big decision. It was nice too feeling so rich for a few minutes.

Looking back now I can see that the real treasure was not the quarter at all. It was the love with which Nanny gave it to me. I would have still visited her at work every day if I had never gotten a single quarter. It was her smile, hugs, and kisses that were priceless in my heart then and now.

The old saying is true, “With your work you can make a living, but it is with your love that you make a life.” You can always welcome love into your heart, soul and mind. And you can always share your love with others. It is that one treasure that lasts forever.