4 . My son Daniel's love for surfing began at the age of 13. After school he wore his wet suit, walked out beyond the surf line and waited to be challenged by his three-to six-foot companions. Daniel's love of the ride was tested one fateful afternoon.

“Your son’s been in an accident,” the lifeguard (救生员) reported over the phone to my husband Mike. “When he surfaced to the top of the water, the point of the board was heading toward his eye.” Mike rushed him to the emergency room. He received 26 stitches (针) from the corner of his eye to the bridge of his nose.

I was on an airplane flying home from a speaking arrangement while Dan's eye was being stitched. Mike drove directly to the airport after they left the doctor's office. He greeted me at the gate and told me Dan was waiting in the car, “Daniel?” I questioned. I remember thinking the waves must have been awful that day. “He's been in an accident, but he's going to be fine.” A traveling working mother's worst nightmare had come true.

I sobbed telling Daniel how awful I felt about not being there when the lifeguard called. “It's okay, Mom,” he comforted me. “You don't know how to surf anyway.” “What?” I asked, confused by his reason, “I'll be fine. The doctor says I can go back in the water in eight days.” Was he out of his mind? For the next seven days he kept pressing me to let him go back on the board. One day after I repeated “No” to him for the 100th time, he said, “Mom, you taught us never to give up what we love.” I gave in.

I was tested in my own backyard on an important principle that I teach audiences in distant cities: Passionate (热情的) people hug what they love and never give up .

6 . Jerry was always in a good mood and always had something positive to say. He was a unique manager because he had several waiters who had followed him around from restaurant to restaurant. The reason why the waiters followed Jerry was because of his attitude. He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Jerry was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation.

Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Jerry and asked him, “You can’t be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?” Jerry replied, “Each morning I say to myself, ‘Jerry, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or in a bad mood.’ I choose to be in a good mood. Each time something bad happens, I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life.”

Several years later, he went to open the door of the restaurant in the morning and was held up at gunpoint by three armed robbers. While trying to open the safe, his hand, shaking from nervousness and he can’t recall the combination. The robbers panicked and shot him. Luckily, Jerry was found relatively quickly and rushed to the local medical center. I saw Jerry about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, “Wanna see my scars?” I declined to see his wounds, but did ask him what had gone through his mind as the robbery took place. “I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live, or I could choose to die. I chose to live.” Jerry lived thanks to the doctors, but also his amazing attitude. I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

8 . Saroo Brierley, a 4-year-old boy, lived in rural India. One day, he played with his brother along the rail line and fell asleep. When he woke up, he found himself alone. So he got on the train in front of him in search of his brother.

That train took him a thousand miles across the country to a totally strange city. He lived on the streets, and then in an orphanage (孤儿院), where he was adopted by an Australian family and taken to Tasmania.

Brierley is a famous writer now, and in his new book, A Long Way Home, he wrote he couldn’t help but wonder about his hometown back in India. He remembered landmarks, but since he didn’t know his town’s name, finding a small neighborhood in a vast country seemed impossible.

Then he found a digital mapping program. He spent years searching for his hometown in the program’s satellite pictures. In 2011, he came across something familiar. He studied it and realized he was looking at a town’s central business district from a bird’s-eye view. He thought, “On the right-hand side you should see the three-platform train station”—and there it was. “And on the left-hand side you should see a big fountain”—and there it was. Everything matched!

Standing in front of the house where he grew up as a child, he saw a lady standing at the entrance. It took him a few seconds but he finally remembered what she used to look like.

In an interview Brierley says, “My mother came forth and walked forward, and I walked forward, my eyes filled with tears and my brain blank. I just didn’t know what to say, because I never thought seeing my mother would ever come true. And here I am, standing in front of her.”

9 . Jeremy Savage, aged 17, and Ian Marshall, aged 16, went to the Rocky Mountains with their parents for the weekend. On Saturday morning, the two boys decided to climb Cathedral Mountain by themselves while their parents relaxed at the campsite. After three hours, they reached the top with no problems.

However, trouble began when they started the climb down the mountain. On one very dangerous part of the path, Ian fell three metres off the side of the path. Jeremy was able to climb down to where Ian was. Ian was badly injured and could not move. Jeremy had to decide what to do. He needed help, but he did not want to leave his friend. He used water from his own bottle to clean the dirt and blood from Ian’s face and hands. He tried to help Ian stand up, but Ian’s right leg was hurting too much. They had to wait and hope that someone would come and help them.

When the boys did not return to the campsite that evening, their parents became very worried. They got in touch with park workers and began searching for the boys. Soon more than 20 people were looking for the boys.

As night fell, the boys were still missing. While they waited for help to arrive, Jeremy gave Ian his food and water and he let Ian lie on his jacket so he would be more comfortable. As the evening grew darker, Ian told Jeremy to leave him and go back to their parents, but he still did not leave. Jeremy thought it was too dangerous for Ian to be alone. The night was cold and windy, and Jeremy used his jacket and an extra shirt to keep Ian warm.

At sunrise, Jeremy decided that the only way to help his friend was to carry him. So, they started the long climb back to their parents. Sometimes Jeremy carried Ian on his hack. Sometimes he carried him in his arms. Finally, after four hours, they arrived at the campsite where their parents were waiting. “I will always remember what Jeremy did for me,” said Ian. “He saved my life. That is the greatest thing that a person can do for his friend.”

10 . Hundreds of years ago, a Roman army came north from England to make war on Scotland. The Scots, a brave people, love their country. They fought hard to drive the enemy out of Scotland. But there were too many of the Romans. It looked as if the Romans would win.

One night, the leader of the Scots marched his soldiers to the top of a hill. “We will rest here tonight, my men.” he said, “Tomorrow we will fight one more battle. We must win, or we will die.”

They were all very tired. So they ate their supper quickly and fell asleep. There were four guards on duty, but they were very tired, too, and one by one, they fell asleep.

The Romans were not asleep. Quickly they gathered at the foot of the hill. Slowly they went up the hill. Closer they came to the sleeping Scots. They were almost at the top. A few minutes more the war would be over. Suddenly, one of them put his foot on a thistle (蓟). He cried out and his sudden cry woke the Scots. In a minute they were on their feet and ready for a battle. The fighting was hard, but it did not last long. The Scots wiped out the Romans and saved Scotland.

The thistle is not a beautiful plant. It has sharp needles all over it. Few people liked it. But the people of Scotland liked it so much that they made it their national flower.