A young man once asked his grandpa, "Grandpa, how is it that you've accomplished¹ so much in your life? You're still full of energy and I'm already tired of struggling. How can I get the same enthusiasm that you've got?"

 

The following is the grandpa's answer:

 

I think a lot of it has to do with how a person looks at things. I call it "keeping your eyes wide open".

 

First, realize that life is filled with surprises, but many are good ones. If you don't keep watching for them, you'll miss half the excitement. Expect to be thrilled once in a while, and you will be.

 

When you meet up with challenges, welcome them. They'll leave you wiser, stronger, and more capable than you were the day before. When you make a mistake, be grateful for the things it taught you. Resolve to use that lesson to help you reach your goals.

 

And always follow the rules——even the little ones. When you follow the rules, life works. If you think you can ever really get by with breaking the rules, you're only fooling yourself.

 

It's also important to decide exactly what you want. Then keep your mind focused on it, and be prepared to receive it.

 

But be ready to end up in some new places too. As you grow with the years, you'll be given bigger shoes to fill. So be ready for endings as well as challenging beginnings.

 

Sometimes we have to be brave enough to move from the familiar to the unfamiliar². Life isn't just reaching peaks. Part of it is moving from one peak to the next. If you rest too long in between, you might be tempted³ to quit. Leave the past in the past. Climb the next mountain and enioy the view.

 

Dump things that weigh you down emotionally and spiritually. When an old resentment⁴, belief or attitude becomes heavy, lighten your load. Shed those hurtful attitudes that slow you down and drain（耗尽） your energy.

 

Remember that your choices will create your successes and your failures. So consider all the pathways ahead, and decide which ones to follow. Then believe in yourself, get up, and get going.

 

And be sure to take breaks once in a while. They'll give you a renewed commitment to your dreams, and a cheerful, healthy perception of the things that matter the most to you.

 

Most important of all: never give up on yourself. The person that ends up a winner,is the one who resolves to win. Give life everything you've got, and life will give its best back to you.

点击收听单词发音