1 . With a leather book cover, a golden overhang, made from colored paper and edges of the book painted red, the French version of An Introduction to The Analects of Confucius《论语入门》is a classic from the Age of Enlightenment in France. The book is about the political ideas, ethical thoughts and moral concepts of China more than 2,000 years ago. Francois Bernier, the author of the book, would never have expected that the French version of the Chinese classic translated by him could be brought to China more than 300 years after he finished it.

The French version of An Introduction to The Analects of Confucius is a national gift. 2019 marked the 55th anniversary of the establishment of China-France diplomatic ties. On March 24 of that year, Chinese President Xi Jinping met with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron in Nice, France. Before their meeting, Macron presented Xi with the original French version of An Introduction to The Analects of Confucius published in France in 1688.

As a classic of traditional Chinese culture, The Analects of Confucius《论语》was introduced to Europe as early as the 17th century. Commenting on the influence of Chinese culture in France, Macron said the thoughts of Confucius had deeply inspired French thinkers such as Voltaire and had a long-lasting influence on the French Enlightenment (启蒙运动).

After hearing Macron’s introduction, Xi said he would take this precious gift back to China’s National Library. President Xi once said that the rich philosophical ideas, humanistic spirit, edifying thoughts (教化思想) and moral concepts of China’s fine traditional culture can provide useful inspiration for understanding and transforming the world, for governing the country, and for moral construction.

2 . I had gone into a chief’s office to talk about a couple of issues that needed to be addressed. She, like all of the men and women in her department, had been through the well-known ‘ringer’. The stress was so intense, one could almost taste it.

I had been assisting the department during a crucial period of being very short-handed, and was watching everyone get close to burn-out. When I inquired about her state of mind, she admitted that her home life was almost non-existent, because she was ‘zombieing through the evening’. The next words out of her mouth expressed a frustration of my own: “This work is not my gift from God. My family is!”

I had heard of hanging all of one’s problems from the office on a“Trouble Tree”while driving home, to be picked up on the way back to the office in the morning, and for a brief second thought about suggesting that scenario to the chief.

But what came out was:“Why don’t we do something different? Let’s have a Blessing Tree. On the way home in the evening, we could pull down a blessing to write a character we adore in our spouse, a particular reason we love them, the love they or our children have for us. The list could be endless.”

When I tried it on the way home that night, the stress seemed to melt away. There was a ‘spring in my step’ and when I arrived, a smile of joy was bubbling up from within! For the first time in 2 weeks, I was overjoyed to greet my wife and children!

The Blessing Tree could make a major difference in your evenings, especially after those REALLY tough days.

6 . “We don’t mind using GPS,” says our Aboriginal guide Baamba in his Australian accent, as he looks out across the wilderness which belongs to his tribe. The red ground ahead is covered with bushes and trees. Although it’s early, it’s already 30 degrees in the shade. It’s a difficult hike, but Baamba is a sensible guide: he always carries a satellite phone in his backpack in case of emergencies. His ancestors, however, relied on songs.

The early Australian Aborigines made the land navigable (可航行的) through songs, dance and paintings. The songs described pathways or “songlines”, which provided an oral “map” of the land. They showed people where to find a water hole, where there was a river and where they could hunt. Generations of Aboriginals followed these pathways, leaving clear marks and carvings on rocks and trees to help future travelers. “But the songs describe more than a pathway,” explains Baamba. “They also tell stories about how the world was created.” According to Aboriginal stories, the world was created, when giant beings, part human, part animal, came down from the sky. From across the sea and from deep in the earth.

One of the many sacred sites called Arkaroo Rock was mentioned in the songs and stories about the land. These songs and stories show the close relationship between the native people and their environment, how they saw themselves as part of nature rather than master of it, and how their way of life resulted in a valuable knowledge of their land. It was a way of life with more than 2,000 generations. It was a way of life that was safe from invasion and influence until 1788.

____________ Sadly, this destroyed their ancient way of life, and many Aboriginal songlines were lost. Today, people like Baamba are trying to restore this heritage and preserve it.

It’s late now and Baamba is waiting outside Arkaroo Rock. Inside, we’re admiring the beautiful cave paintings, but as soon as we have taken some photos, we leave. Dark clouds are visible on the horizon—there are already flashes of lightning and thunder in the distance. As we drive away, the wind blows through the trees, and we can almost hear the voices of those first Australians, singing the songs of their ancestors, and following the songlines.

7 . Valencia lives, for the time being, in a mobile home park.

He greeted me when I arrived and poured me a cup of coffee. He told me that his dad had worked at a brick-manufacturing plant. His mother worked at home. Most of his seven brothers and sisters didn’t go to college.

Valencia was determined to be the first, despite his late start. He said he was an average student struggling with math and went to community college a year after graduating from high school but decided quickly it was not for him.

He got into construction and then the insurance industry, but he’d always liked to write and do crossword puzzles. “And I loved to read. A lot,” he said. And he joked with his mother that if he won the lottery, he’d use the winnings for college.

It was around 2007. Valencia got tired of telling himself he was going to go back to school. He told his mother it was finally for real. She said, “I hope you make it, Jerry.” And I told her, “I’m going to make it, Mom. Surely!”

The plan was to capitalize on his former construction experience to study civil engineering—the design, building and repair of roads, bridges, etc. But he discovered other interests.

“He was not the youngest student,” says Grant Tovmasian, coach of the forensics debate team Valencia joined. “But he was the most motivated and dedicated, encouraging fellow students and inspiring them to live a more satisfying life?”

Valencia’s sister Sindi Majors says her brother was always bright, but he went through a couple of rough experiences in his life.

Because Valencia has nearly always been homeless, she bought him a motor home, where he lived from 2009 to 2018.

There is something splendidly irrational about Valencia’s determination to get a four-year degree and then a master’s. At his current pace, he’ll be 90 when he finally achieves his goals.

But that doesn’t influence him. He’s found all the youthful energy and academic opportunity stimulating.

“Valencia’s grade in my class this semester will not show up on his transcripts (大学生的成绩单). But I’m giving him an A and in the most important ways, it counts.” says Tovmasian.

10 . “If you feel like sleeping more in the winter, you’re not alone,” said Dr. Raj Dasgupta, an associate professor of clinical medicine in California, citing research that found at least a third of American adults reported they sleep more in the winter.

The 188 patients who underwent sleep studies at St. Hedwig Hospital in Berlin slept about an hour longer in winter than they did in summer. And participants did get 30 more minutes of rapid eye movement, or REM, sleep during winter.

The REM phase of sleep is the sweet spot of sleep cycles, characterized by more dreaming and faster heart rate and breathing than in other stages. Its “an essential stage of sleep that helps with memory, concentration, mood regulation and immune function,” Dasgupta said.

The desire for more sleep during winter may have to do with how light fluctuates (波动,起伏) throughout the year. “Our bodies receive cues from the sun when it comes to our circadian rhythm, meaning that when it is bright outside we tend to be active, but when the sun goes down, you may tend to feel tired,” Dasgupta said. “The decrease in sunlight causes an increase in melatonin (褪黑激素) in the body that regulates sleep-wake cycles.”

With the earlier production of melatonin during winter, “it would be natural to assume that a healthy person also would need more sleep during the winter,” said Dr. Carleara Weiss, a research assistant professor at the University of Buffalo.

And light influences not only sleep quantity but also sleep quality. ‘“REM sleep is highly affected by light and darkness, so when during the winter months we have less light, the body is going to basically overcompensate by giving more REM sleep,” said Dr. Joshua Tal, a clinical psychologist specializing in sleep issues.

Humans still don’t need to hibernate (冬眠), Weiss said, nor can we afford to due to our social and occupational obligations. “But we can make adjustments to perform in a better way, to rest in a better way during winter,” she said. “To help our bodies make this transition from sleep to wake, it’s important to have light exposure in the morning during winter months,” Weiss said. “Along with that, it’s important to keep a consistent bedtime and wake-up times.”