【推荐1】Two years is extremely easy to waste.     1     You can try a sport you’ve always wanted to start, and become great at it. You can start a morning routine (惯例), which can affect your feelings and stress at a deep level. You can meditate (冥想) for a few minutes per day, become more self-aware of the way you react to problems.     2    

The following tips may help you make full use of your two years.

Set a goal for what you’ve wanted to do.     3     You are still able to do extreme sports, play a musical instrument or become a photographer if you wish to. Don’t let age or past experiences decide who you are. Don’t let fears control you. Don’t let the social standards limit you. Age is just a number.

    4     The easiest way to reach goals is through daily small actions. For example, taking exercise every day, practicing the piano three times a week, or taking a camera for photos wherever you go. With two years, small actions can make huge differences.

Be in control. It’s just a choice of replacing TV shows by books or walking the stairs and biking to the office.     5     It’s not about the end goal; it’s about daily actions towards it. Monitor how you spend your time. Take back the control of your health, emotions and time.

Look at yourself in the mirror in two years and you’ll think that was quick. Remember that every day counts!

【推荐2】We’ve all been there: you say the wrong thing and you want the ground to swallow you up!     1    

I called someone the wrong name.

What may be worse than not remembering someone’s name is calling the person by the wrong name. For instance, you’re speaking to a friend's new husband, and you call him by the ex-husband’s name. Or you refer to your new boss by the ousted boss’s name. Try to acknowledge your mistake with a little humour. Perhaps say, “Oh, I really know you’re Mike and not Tom.”     2     If your mistake obviously insulted a person of authority, such as your boss, again apologize for the lapse.

    3    

You just mocked an acquaintance who, you discover too late, is standing nearby. Since the floor isn’t going to open up and swallow you whole, you’re going to have to deal with this. You must offer an apology, and it must be a good one. Don’t say, “I didn’t really mean it.” You probably did mean it and denying it will just worsen the error.     4     Instead, apologize for the effects of what you said.

My friend has bad breath.

How do you tell your friends they have breath that would kill the devil? Here’s an easy, roundabout way: pop a piece of gum into your own mouth and then offer one to your friend.     5     And if they accept your offer, everyone wins. If not? Well, it depends on how strong your friendship is. You either risk offending your friend with the truth or ignore the problem and excuse yourself to get a breath of fresh air.

【推荐3】Every single time you step outside your comfort zone, you attract abundance to you.    1    . Here are a few ways to help you step outside your comfort zone and into your vast power:

1. Be clear on your why

Before stepping outside your comfort zone, be clear on why you want to do so.    2    . The “why” is what will keep you focused and connected to your vision and keep you motivated if you are met with any challenges or obstacles.

2. Remove excuses

Excuses are nothing more than a form of self-sabotage. (自我懈怠)    3    . But we must expose our excuses for what they really are: an expression of our fear and doubt. They come out to hold us back from moving forward and stepping into our power when we subconsciously feel that we are not yet ready for greatness. The way to remove excuses is to question every aspect of them. By questioning them, we take away their power.

3.    4    

When we step outside our comfort zone, everything will be new, which means that inevitably we will be faced with some obstacles to overcome.

Challenges are an unavoidable part of life and, rather than seeing them as limitations, I urge you to begin to see them as gifts and opportunities. Challenges give us the chance to show up for ourselves, to learn something new, to build strength, knowledge, and adaptability.    5    . Make a choice, right now, to be guided by challenges that you may face instead of being put off by them. In doing so, you send a message to the universe that says, “I am stronger than the challenge I am faced with,” and then the universe will reward your self-belief with abundance.

【推荐2】Do not go gentle into that good night,

Old age should burn and rave(咆哮) at close of day

Rage(怒斥), rage against the dying of the light

Though wise men at their end know dark is right,

Because their words had forked no lightning they

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Good men, the last wave by, crying how bright

Their frail(虚弱的) deeds might have danced in a green bay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight,

And learn, too late, they grieve it on its way

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight

Blind eyes could blaze like meteors(流星) and be gay,

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

And you, my father, there on the sad height,

Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray.

Do not go gentle into that good night.

Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

【推荐3】One day, my wife and I were listening to Disney songs with our two little girls when the romantic love song I See the Light came on. I walked over to my wife, who was in the kitchen, took her in my arms and started dancing with her slowly. I could tell it caught her off-guard and embarrassed her a little. Thankfully, she stayed in my arms and danced with me anyway. As the song approached the final chorus, I suddenly realized we weren’t alone. Our daughters were standing there watching us in silence.

The song approached the end and as the strings played the last notes, I decided to give the girls a Hollywood ending. I took my wife’s face in my hands and kissed her. After I pulled away, I looked over and saw my elder daughter’s face lit up with admiration, and her eyes filled with tears. Then she came over, buried her face in my wife’s legs. and cried.

“Why are you crying?” my wife asked.

My daughter was at a loss for words, so I tried a different angle.

“Can you at least give me one word to describe how you’re feeling?” I asked.

My daughter paused, looked up at us and said,“Loved.”

It reminded me of seeing my dad kiss my mom, leaving me feeling pleasantly embarrassed as a child. I wanted to watch them kiss each other and hide my face at the same time. And while there were no words to describe how I felt at the time, looking back, I know what it was: I felt loved.

Never overlook the power of your love for your spouse (配偶). Your kids are watching as you smile and give each other a kiss when you say goodbye to each other in the morning. They’re listening when you praise one another. Showing marital love in front of our children is a unique chance to be both a good parent and a good spouse.

【推荐1】Tips to help you overcome people-pleasing

Considering other people’s feelings and treating them with kindness is something we strive to do.    1    

When this happens, people-pleasing has crossed the line from kind and generous to self-abandonment — not being the authentic self because we’re afraid others will disapprove, criticize, or reject us. Here are tips for you to overcome such behaviors.

Self-care is a necessity, not a luxury. It’s not something you do if you have time or if you deserve it. Taking care of your emotional, mental, spiritual, and physical needs keeps you healthy. Without it, you’ll get sick, stressed, and irritable. Try putting self-care activities (exercise, socializing, hobbies, etc.) on your calendar to ensure that self-care is a priority.

One big mistake people-pleasers make is acting as if everyone’s opinion matters equally. You don’t differentiate whose opinion matters more. Generally, the closer the relationship, the more you’ll value their opinion and want to please them. Thus, it’s natural to want to do things to make your loved ones happy.     3    

Most people worry that painful conflicts will destroy relationships.     4     But it’s not helpful or possible. When you avoid conflict, you suppress your feelings and needs. And this causes you to disconnect from yourself and from others. But healthy conflict is the one in which both parties can respectfully express themselves.     5     This is quite different from the unhealthy conflicts.