5 . Stepping into a new phase of life requires a lot of trust in ourselves. Everything is ________, and change is constant.

My wife, Elba, and I were in the middle of our transition from New York to Florida, leaving long-time jobs and relationships and ________ over. As with all change, there were gains and losses, but the trust was helping us ________ all of it.

We ________ family and friends, although with technology we could remain connected. But we couldn’t ________ or enjoy a meal with them. However, the truth was that we never had to be ________. Wherever we went, there were people. Everyone we ________ were new! That would be a wonderful opportunity that if we trusted ourselves, we would make new ________.

A few days after ________ in Florida, I had to go to Atlanta for a business trip. On my return home from the airport, I took a taxi. The driver, John, and I got into a(n) ________. It turned out that John ________ in our apartment complex. He noted that he had picked up thousands of people over the years but ________ someone who lived in his complex.

I shared about my ________ to Florida. John offered valuable information about my new home including hospitals, doctors and restaurants. We ________ in the most unexpected way.

Change is not for the coward (胆小鬼). It needs ________ to travel to unexplored waters. Letting go of what we ________ and opening ourselves will be ________ even when we seek change. Trust in ourselves during this process and allow a space for ________ and openness. This spirit allows us to ________ into a new community or workplace with faith and a positive attitude. We will meet and develop new ________ and enjoy all that change offers.

7 . I remember being so frustrated (沮丧的)when it came to school and doing my homework when I was in primary school. I would sit there and cry for hours because nothing made sense to me like it should have. It felt like no matter what I did, nothing came easy to me.

Finally, my teachers saw that there was something wrong. They saw my frustration and my inability to process what they were saying very clearly. They suggested giving me a test, and I was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder(ADHD). In simple terms, I just couldn’t focus.

In the sixth grade I was put on medication (药物治疗) to combat the disorder, which completely transformed my life. I was also put into classes that suited my learning disabilities and made it easier for me to concentrate on learning for the first time. I was so happy to actually learn, and it was the most amazing feeling to learn something and actually understand it for the first time in my entire life.

My parents were in absolute shock of how much I had accomplished in just the first year of being treated. Seventh grade, I will never forget, because it was the first year that I had received straight As, had gotten High Honor Roll and had been able to understand what I was learning. Yeah, it was only seventh grade but, for me, it was one of my biggest accomplishments.

Later, I did better and better, and eventually I outgrew my Individualized Education Program(IEP) in the tenth grade. And by the eleventh I was mainstreamed into all normal classes, and held my weight the entire time. I was so determined to beat my own disabilities and I did everything I could not to let that be something that held me back. I worked hard, studied hard, and achieved what many aren't able to do.

If you’re like me, please believe that you can achieve what I’ve achieved, too. You just need some professional help.

10 . As a young black kid living in a poor community(社区), if someone told me that I would grow up to become an author, I would have laughed. In Valdosta, Georgia, where I grew up, my community encouraged two ways to a better life for little boys like me. Being a sportsman, and being an actor were the two ways. Both do not require much of a traditional education for success. I was no different than the other kids living in my neighborhood, so I did what felt natural: playing football and neglecting(忽视) school.

However, deep down inside, I knew I was as smart as everyone else. I also knew that I really liked stories and the pictures that went with them in some books. Fortunately, through athletic scholarships (奖学金) and people who believed in me, I was able to go to college. That's when my reading difficulties began to show up. Trips to the store were discouraging because there was so much reading involved in the simple act of buying food. I didn't understand labels (标签) and took the wrong goods.

I realized that I needed to make an important decision. I wanted to be a better version of myself, which meant becoming a stronger reader. I began by practicing reading as much as I practiced football. At first, some words were too big, some sentences too long and some books too thick, but I kept at it. I always had a book on me and read every free moment I could find. Through effort and hard work, my reading, step by step became limitless. I read fiction and nonfiction and finally began writing.

Today I'm a published author. My new book, My Very Favorite Book in the Whole Wide World, comes from my personal experience as a struggling reader who found a way to start loving books. Both my story and the main character Henley's story are examples of the magical power that books have whether you're the reader or writer. And I want my little readers to know that.