1 . Choice, we are given to believe, is a right. But for a good many people, choice gives birth to anxiety. Interested in the idea “too many choices are dizzy”. I have been conducting an experiment.     1    

When presented with a menu in a restaurant, I’ll only consider the first few options on each page. I know, it sounds crazy.     2     I used to read the menu a long time instead of sitting back and talking to my dining companion. These days I quickly select the best-sounding dishes and then chat and eat. In doing so, I find myself trying new things. The other night, for example, I ordered a smoked chicken salad. If I had permitted myself to glance further down the list, this would never have happened. But guess what?     3     So limiting my choices can sometimes lead me to a wider range of experiences.

    4     I can now access many films and TV series, yet after ten minutes of looking through apps and menus, I will more often than not find myself watching whatever Channel 4 has scheduled at 9 pm. So before I even turn on the TV, I ask myself: what do I want to watch? I think of a program. Then I just watch it.

This devotion to a simpler set of possibilities came in handy when our summer holiday to America was COVID-canceled. I didn’t go through a million TripAdvisor reviews for the best replacements. I simply went on Airbnb, saw what in England was still available and immediately booked the one I could afford.     5     And now I can actually focus on enjoying our holiday.

2 . “A ship in harbor is safe, but that is not what ships are built for,” said John A. Shedd, an early 20th century author. Throughout the Covid-19, we’ve all become used to assessing risk in new ways. We’ve come to understand, though we can never get rid of risk altogether, we have great power to make choices both large and small to protect ourselves.    1    It stops us from stepping outside of our comfort zones and trying new things.

Developmental psychologists talk about “positive risks” — socially acceptable risks that our lives can benefit from.    2    But what about these, who develop into adults? Researchers have found that happiness for older adults is being able to choose how they spend their time, including ways that are adventurous, new and even-like hiking or other outdoor activities — mildly risky.

One guide to positive risk management lists ways that people can make sure their risks are on the “safe" side of risk range. For example, to ensure a successful bike ride, you should in advance equip yourself with a fully-charged cell phone and a full water bottle.    3     Or if you are, concerned about your physical capacity, consult a certified trainer or medical professional before departure.

    4    This means adapting to changing situations. In response to the deadly virus, people choose to step back into normal life only after they are vaccinated. In this way, people could be confident that the risk is tolerable.

Nobody wants to be needlessly risky. But using our newly-acquired risk assessment tools, we can once again learn and grow in our lives.    5    

3 . It s funny how a small corner of the earth can have outsized relevance in life. For me, it’s a swing set on a playground.

I decided to take my six year old son Joe on a weekend trip to the University of Virginia, my alma mater (母校). I planned out every detail _________ and wanted my son to become familiar with something dear to me, _________ he did not fully understand. I took Joe to my favorite breakfast spot. I _________ him my dorm and fraternity (兄弟会) house, and then the bar where I’d worked in college. We even went to a lacrosse (长曲棍球) game. All of this registered with my son, but without the _________ I expected. _________, we were running out of things to do. I asked Joe what he wanted to see. I would never _________ his response: “I would not mind finding a swing set.” That’s when it hit me. For a guy who thought he _________ every inch of his college town, the question caught me flat-footed: I had no idea where to look. _________, I remembered the Venable Elementary School, something I’d _________ countless times but never really noticed. We parked in the lot, empty on a Saturday, and I __________ my son and watched him delightedly swing back and forth. It was the joy I had sought for him on my terms, __________ he only found on his.

What did I learn on that trip? First, travel is great fun and often leads to __________. But our world will always assure us greater happiness which is just around the corner. Second, do not rely too much on your __________. Do your best but stay __________, and always remember what John Lennon said: Life is what happens to you while you are busy making other plans. Third, there is always a new way to __________ things, no matter how much you think you know. I’m sure I would have missed the lesson if Joe hadn’t made his old man stop at the swings in Charlottesville. For that, I will always be grateful.

Life is Good Clothing is a 100 million-dollar company run by brothers Bert and John Jacobs. Like any other businessmen, they went through a lot of failures. However, the idea

“Life is good” from their mother kept them going and inspired them to build a clothing company that is now very successful.

In 1988, Bert and Jacobs took a seven-week road trip from California to Boston. The brothers said this trip changed their lives forever as they looked back on their childhood. According to the Jacobs, their childhood was perfectly-imperfect. Their house did not have heating but they were taught to always see the good in things.

They remembered playing outside all day and when it was dinner time, they would gather around the dinner table. Their mother would say to them, “Tell me something good that happened today.” Their father had a near — death accident which caused severe damage to his right hand. The accident made their father develop a terrible temper （脾气），but their mother would always sing to them and read them children’s stories. “That optimism was something our family always had, even when we had little else,” the brothers said.

During the trip, they tried to figure out what they wanted to do with their lives and decided to run a clothing business. They started selling T-shirt designs in street fairs around Boston. Their design was just a simple drawing of a stick figure with the phrase “Life is good.”

Their small business didn’t turn out so well, but the two brothers did not give up. Then they changed their target audience. This time, they tried to sell their T-shirts to college students, going to different schools every night. Again it did not work. To figure out what they had been doing wrong, Bert and John held beer parties, where they asked their friends for their honest opinions. In return , they could enjoy free beer and amusing stories from the brothers. Again this did not seem to work and they were running out of money.

5 . Everyone can smile when they are on cloud nine. Everyone can cry when the weather is blue. But it takes a strong person to smile when he or she has every reason to cry!

Kiley, from Maryland, is an author, fashion model, motivational speaker and entrepreneur. Since 3 years old, her life has proven to be a journey of surgeries. She was forced to have two permanent ostomies (造口术), causing her to have ostomy bags for the rest of her life.

Carrying not one, but two ostomy bags is not something you would want anyone to go through especially your own child. As a single father, Jay is Kiley's biggest advocate. When Kiley was 10 years old, she gave a special Father's Day gift to her father to express her gratitude, which was to dance with him at her talent show at school. In the video, the little girl was smiling from ear to ear. They danced along the song, Overcomer of American Idol's Mandisa. "You're an overcomer. Stay in the fight till the final round." True to the lyrics, Kiley is a strong and inspiring overcomer.

At only fifteen, Kiley set up Enhancing Children's Lives Organization, a foundation dedicated to helping low-income children, providing them with backpacks filled with school supplies, shoes clothing and even food.

She has been a fashion model for over 7 years, yes with two ostomy bags. She is helping cancer survivors and inspiring ostomy patients. Looking at the outer appearance, one would not tell she lives with these adversities. She has proven that not even the biggest problem in the world could wipe away the smile from her face!

Kiley wrote in one of her books, "I used to say, ‘Why me? Why cancer? Why ostomy bags?’ Now I say, ‘Why not me?’ Just because you have some difficulties in life doesn't mean you can't make it. We have the ability to make a difference, to change lives."