【推荐1】It’s easy to do easy things, but they don’t carry the challenges and rewards of doing something difficult. Scott Kelly said he tried to express that view everywhere he went. And he spoke from experience, having spent a career that included the time as a NASA astronaut, US Navy captain, fighter pilot, and engineer.

Scott spoke at the University of North Alabama, sharing stories about his experience of spending a year on the International Space Station (ISS). He said the physical pressure of living in weightlessness for a year was hard to describe and that the fluids(积水) in his head sometimes made him feel like he was standing on his head. It also needed some time to recover when he returned home. “My legs were weak and it would be uncomfortable to sit for a while because my body hadn’t had that pressure so long,” Scott said.

He discussed life aboard including spending time with Russian astronauts. They came from different cultures. He had managed to get along well with everyone aboard as they lived together, worked together, and had to rely on each other. He thought it was one of the most rewarding things in his life.

Though life there was not easy, Scott never regretted being an astronaut and going to space. He also discussed experiences growing up, admitting that he wasn’t always the greatest student but was able to overcome that through hard work and determination.

“Never give up or lower your dreams. If you work for it, all things are possible. There is a zero percent chance of succeeding if you don’t even try. And when you succeed after trying hard, you’ll find it really rewarding,” Scott said in the end.

【推荐2】People with satisfying relationships and positive emotions live healthier and longer.     1     Emotion regulation improves with age. We see improvement for most people, but not for everyone.

Most of the people in these studies are people from Western rich societies.     2     And most of them are middle-class people who are employed. Compared to younger people of comparable status, the older people looked a lot better. But if they are in bad situations, you may not see these benefits.

What’s really important for emotional well-being is to know that your future is secure. Younger people are healthy and expect to have a long life ahead of them.     3     As people get older, there is less time left and they start valuing emotional goals more. Older people will spend time with family and friends.

You can be so comfortable that you no longer meet any challenges and you really need to stay engaged in cognitive challenges. In a recent study, we asked over 2, 500 people about the relatively minor stressors they had experienced. About 10 percent of the people reported never having experienced even one. They also reported being happier than those who reported at least one.     4     They also reported having received or given less help to others and that they had spent more time watching TV.

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People need to know themselves and make decisions that create lives where they are active and engaged in a way that makes them feel a sense of belonging. They need activities that are challenging for them, where they learn new information and remember this information. They need to engage in physical activities that maintain or even strengthen their physical health. They need to engage in behaviors that ensure their physical health and emotional well-being.

【推荐2】A recent study conducted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) showed that while sportsmanship among players has improved over the years, sportsmanship in the fans and parents has reduced. It has always interested me why people in the stands often feel they have invested more than the actual participants. Is it the time and money invested into private lessons and travel teams? Is it the college scholarship we need our children to earn? Is it the fear of seeing our kids fail? In any event, we, as parents and fans, should all take a step back and determine if we are helping our kids, or undermining the experience.

As a father of four kids who enjoys participating in athletics, I have to remind myself that it is okay when my kid misses a shot, strikes out, or doesn’t play good enough defense. That fact is, it is their game and their experience, and my playing days are over. A good reminder for me when I feel that my kid needs my advice from the stands comes from the great John Wooden, basketball player and head coach at the University of California at Los Angeles. He once said, “Young people need models, not critics (批判者) .”

Instead of being upset with what my kid is not doing well, or how an official has “cheated” our team, I should focus on helping my kid learn to respect the other team. I should watch my language and the negative comments that could come from my mouth. I should respect the officials and not argue every call that is made. Perhaps most importantly, I should support my kids’ team, win or lose.

Life is tough, and life is not fair. Like life, sports are tough and not always fair. Yet sports can be a wonderful training ground for life’s challenges. Just like we win some and lose some in sports, we also deal with plenty of successes, challenges and failures in our lives. Let’s try to be good sports in both the winning and losing situations and during our successes, challenges and failures.

【推荐3】The mushrooming video screens in buses, taxis and apartment halls in cities like Shanghai are taking away our already rare resource: a place for a moment of peace. Taking a nap or reading a book on buses is less pleasant now, as the LCD screens broadcast news, entertainment and advertisements at unbearable volumes.

You pay the bus fare simply to get a ride—undisturbed—but now you are exposed to this “added value”, whether you like it or not. If it’s a crowded bus, the noise is even more exasperating. More and more Chinese cities have joined Shanghai, regarded as the first to put video screens on buses, disturbing millions of passengers.

Some may like to watch programme aired on buses or in apartment halls. But those who don’t should be equally respected. Because of the bus screens, students cannot focus on reviewing their lessons or preparing for a test. People who like to read or reflect feel unsettled by the noise. Youngsters who like to listen to music on their iPods must increase the volume to fight against the competing audio. If you already feel stressed after a busy day, the bus video advertising certainly increase the tension of both your muscles and nervous system. Bus drivers are surely the worst victims because they have to bear it at least eight hours a day, non-stop.

A high public tolerance for noise pollution has helped bus video advertisers to expand their businesses. But opposition has already started to make its voice heard. Some people have already accused bus companies of breaking their contracts, since their obligation is only to deliver passengers to their destinations.

Shanghai, as a world-class city, should set an example for the country. It should first adopt world-class behavior in its massive public transportation system to return the public a peaceful place.