复活节：渴望新生？从改变自己开始
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老桑说
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「 朋友，你好，我是老桑。」
这个复活节，从改变自己开始
老桑在宜昌天主堂画复活蛋
随着春天的到来，我们中的许多人都染上了“春热”，意为在春天开始时感到兴奋。天气变暖，鲜花盛开，草木萌芽，这一切都让人觉得整个世界在经历了一个漫长而阴沉的冬天后开始重生。有些人似乎高兴过了，以至于感到有短暂的眩晕。
然而，一旦初春的兴奋感消失，我们就会习惯这种“新的平常”，回到过去的自己。我们的情绪可能会受到这些外部因素的影响，只会产生暂时的快乐。那么，我们有没有办法把春天的热情和能量倾注到生活中的其他领域呢?
按照天主教和基督教的历法，本周是圣周。从圣枝主日开始一直到复活节结束，基督教徒一直都记得耶稣的最后的时光。在一次农村布道活动之后，他来到了耶路撒冷(受到民众手持棕榈枝的欢迎)，后来却在受难日那天crucify（被钉死在十字架上），但又于复活节时重获新生。
宜昌天主堂复活节前夕弥撒
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有很多方法可以改变你的生活。你可以关注自己的健康，与正确的人联系，挑战自己，设定并实现目标，或是在享受旅途的同时照顾好自己——无论如何。这些其实都不是具有争议性的事，之前我也写过这方面的文章。
然而，为了通过自己的努力取得成功，有一个基本原则：愿意做出改变。看到自己的不足并接受不确定性，从而成为全新的自己，这个过程是具有挑战性的。还必须承认的是，自己过往的行为可能对你而言并不有益。
换句话说，你必须想要改变——而且是迫切地想要改变。如果你只是寻求一种平静祥和的生活，而不愿去冒成长和提高的风险，自己的潜力可能就会受限。如果你没有一种成长型的心态，就很难迈出第一步，进入未知的领域。
复活蛋
“Excuses, excuses”
“借口,借口”
”我们善于找借口。例如，我经常问我在中国和美国遇到的年轻人是否正在上大学。如果他们说“不”，我问他们是否考虑去。他们经常说“是”，因为他们知道大学是通往成功的阶梯的一部分，但随后他们会为自己不回学校来找借口。
有些人会说他们家里没有人上过大学。另一些人说他们觉得准备得不够充分。另外，尽管有低成本和在线教育的途径，许多人还是提到了经济问题。常见的借口包括:“我太老了”、“我还在想自己的人生该怎么办”、“我不是一个好学生，所以可能会不及格。”
当我听到这些借口时，我通常不会直接纠正他们。实际上，这些人都在说同样的话：“上大学对我来说并不重要。即使我知道拥有大学学位能帮我找到一份更好的工作，我也不愿意离开现在的生活，让自己得到新的锻炼。简而言之，我不愿意改变。”
在这些情况下，如果他们非常想要一个大学学位，他们会想办法解决的。
我们都知道成语”有志者事竟成“。所有这些所谓的不想上学的借口都可以用行动和决心来克服。
有志者事竟成
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你也应该抽出时间，反思自己在前进的道路上做得如何。我们每天都会经历很多事情，而写日记、冥想和散步等等做法都能够帮助我们更好地了解自己。你可以反思自己擅长什么，想要改进什么，并根据需要改变努力的方向。
儒家“四书”之一的《大学》告诉我们：
知止而后有定
定而后能静
静而后能安
安而后能虑
虑而后能得
这段文字意蕴深远，但一个关键的教训在于我们需要花时间来思考自己的生活。从思考和行为中不断内省，寻找更好的方式来解决和应对问题。这些反思将有助于更充分的自我认知，这是个人成长所必需的。
如果你“随大流”，就是在做那些其他人正在完成的事情。然而，成功人士往往更愿意独立思考，不轻易被sway（动摇）。你也应当付出时间来思考和反思自己的进步，而不是盲目地跟随他人的脚步。
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有了正确的心态和思考过程，并采取行动——让自己重新出发。不要vacillate（犹豫），也别害怕离开自己的舒适区。在重新组织和更新自我时，你也许会安身在一个新的而且不太熟悉的地方。或许是重返校园，找到一份新工作，也可能是在目前的工作中获得晋升，或者选择创业。
与此同时，当你apace（飞快）前进时，你常常不知道什么时候会有突破。可能是学习一门外语好几个月，然后突然间，你觉得自己更熟练了。可能你正在努力经营你的生意，然后突然有一天迎来了众多的顾客。也许是你在节食中挣扎，但最终你可以减肥成功。
我前些日子参加了一个在北京为期一年的新励成口才培训课程。课上身边的同学都愿意有所改变(所以他们才报名参加这门课程)。其次，通过老师和学生的反馈，他们也在反思如何改进(调整课程)，后来取得了突破。通过让自己置身在那种环境之下，他们让自己的重生成为可能。
老桑与新励成国贸校区的赵帅老师
老桑与新励成国贸校区的徐萌老师
对基督徒来说，复活有着特殊的意义。信徒和非信徒都知道耶稣作为历史人物而存在，某些宗教认为他是一位伟大的先知。然而，基督徒相信耶稣是主，他受难死后被埋葬——但却在第三日复活了。而那些基督徒们从耶稣的resurrection（重生）中获得了精神上的力量。
宜昌天主堂和大家一起画复活蛋
我的朋友，如果你想在你的生命中获得新生，最重要的是要愿意做出改变。然后，经常反思自己的想法和行动。最后，通过勇于尝试新的领域，并之后庆祝自己取得的突破，为再一次的出发做好准备。愿你的新生出现时可以激励到身边的人们!
本文部分图片来源网络。
谢谢收看《老桑说》。
给你启发，激励你上进，陪伴你坚持。
敬请期待下一集。
英文版
English
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Easter:
how to experience your own rebirth
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「 Hello, my friend！
I'm John Smagula. 」
Happy Easter!
As spring settles in, many of us catch “spring fever,” a feeling of excitement felt at the beginning of spring. The weather gets warmer, flowers bloom, and trees start to sprout leaves, all making it seem that our whole world is being reborn after a long and dismal winter. Some people even get loopy with delight, going into a temporary daze.
However, once we get over the exhilaration of the new season, we tend to get used to the “new normal” and then go back to our old selves. Our mood can be influenced by these external factors, causing only a temporary happiness. So, is there any way that we can apply the spring spirit of enthusiasm and energy to other areas of our lives?
In the Christian calendar, this week is Holy Week. Starting with Palm Sunday and going to Easter Sunday, Christians remember the final week of Jesus’s life on earth. After a life of preaching in the countryside, he entered Jerusalem (with people welcoming him with palms), was crucified on Good Friday, and rose from the dead on Easter Sunday.
Easter Eggs
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Be willing to change
There are many ways to turn your life around. You can focus on your health, connect with the right people, challenge yourself, set and achieve goals, and simply love yourself while enjoying the journey—no matter what. None of this is particularly controversial, and I have written about these themes before.
Yet in order to be successful in any of your endeavors, there is one underlying principle: be willing to change. It is challenging to be vulnerable and accept the uncertainties that come with becoming the new you. You also have to accept that your previous actions over the past years might not have been healthy for you.
In other words, you have to want to change—and want it badly enough. If you just seek a quiet and peaceful life, without taking risks to grow and improve, you may be limiting your potential. It’s very hard to take that first step into the unknown if you don’t have a growth mindset.
“Excuses, excuses”
”We are good at making excuses. For example, I often ask young people I encounter in China and the United States if they go to college. If they say “no,” I ask if they are thinking about going. They often say yes, as they know college is part of the ladder of success, but then they come up with excuses on why they don’t go back to school.
Some will say that nobody in their family has ever gone to college. Others say that they don’t feel well prepared enough. Many cite financial concerns, despite the availability of low-cost and online education options. Common excuses include, “I’m too old,” “I’m still trying to figure out what to do with my life,” and “I am not a good student, so I’ll probably fail out.”
When I hear these excuses, I usually don’t address them directly. In essence, these people are all saying the same thing: “Going to college is not important to me. Even though I know I could get a better job with a college degree, I am not willing to leave my current routine and stretch myself to get a new lease on life. Simply put, I’m not willing to change.”
In these cases, if they wanted a college degree badly enough, they’d figure it out somehow.
We all know the idiom, “when there’s a will, there’s a way.” All of these so-called reasons not to go to school can be overcome with action and determination.
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Take time to self-reflect
You should also take the time to personally reflect on how you are doing on your journey forward. We experience a lot each day, and actions like journaling, meditating, and going for walks will help us better understand ourselves. You can reflect about what you do well, and what you'd like to improve, and change your course of action as need be.
The Great Learning, one of the “Four Books” of Confucian teachings, tells us:
When you know where to stop,
you have stability.
When you have stability,
you can be tranquil.
When you are tranquil,
you can be at ease.
When you are at ease,
you can deliberate.
When you can deliberate
you can attain your aims.
This passage has profound meaning, but a key lesson is that we need to take the time to think about our lives. You can learn from your thoughts and actions, and also find better ways to act and respond to problems. These reflections will lead to a higher level of self-awareness, which is necessary for personal growth.
When you “follow the crowd,” you do what everyone else is doing. Successful people, though, tend to be more independent thinkers and less easily swayed. Give yourself the time to think and reflect on your progress, rather than blindly following others.
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Set yourself up for rebirth
With the proper mindset and thinking process in place, take action—and allow your rebirth to occur. Don’t vacillate, and don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone. As you regroup and renew, you will end up in a new and unfamiliar place. It could be going back to school, finding a new job, getting promoted in your current job, or starting your own business.
Meanwhile, as you proceed apace, you often don’t know when the breakthrough will come. You may study a foreign language for months, and then all at once, you feel more proficient. You may be working hard on your business, and then one day, a flood of customers come in. You may be struggling with your diet, but finally get it right and shed the pounds.
I recently attended a one-year NewLine Communications Training course in Beijing. My classmates were all willing to change (so they enrolled in the course). Second, with teacher and student feedback, they self-reflected on how to improve (adjusting their course). And one by one, they achieved breakthroughs. By placing themselves in this environment, they enabled their rebirths to occur.
To Christians, rebirth has a special meaning. Believers and non-believers alike know that Jesus existed as a historical figure, and some religions even consider him to be a great prophet. Christians, however, believe that Jesus is God and that he suffered, died, and was buried—and rose again on the third day. Those who believe gain their own spiritual power of rebirth through Christ’s resurrection.
My friend, if you’re looking for a rebirth in your life, first and foremost be willing to change. Then, reflect frequently on your thoughts and actions. And finally, set yourself up for rebirth by moving steadfastly into new areas and celebrating the breakthroughs as they come along. And may your rebirth, when it occurs, be an inspiration to us all!
{ 今日英文速记卡 }
1.Crucify \ ˈkrü-sə-ˌfī \
a)含义：v. 折磨；克制
b)例句：
i.After a life of preaching in the countryside, he entered Jerusalem (with people welcoming him with palms), was crucified on Good Friday, and rose from the dead on Easter Sunday.
在一次农村布道活动之后，他来到了耶路撒冷(受到民众手持棕榈枝的欢迎)，后来却在受难日那天被钉死在十字架上，但又于复活节获得了重生。
ii.The prime minister was crucified in the press for his handling of the affair.
首相因处理此事的方式而受到新闻界的严厉抨击。
c)近义词： condemn, hang on a cross, pillory
2.Sway \ ˈswā \
a)含义：n. 影响；v. 摇摆
b)例句：
i.Successful people, though, tend to be more independent thinkers and less easily swayed.
然而，成功人士往往更独立思考，不轻易动摇。
ii.Teachers, too, hold that subtle, powerful sway, though many don't get to see the full result of their contributions.
老师们同样拥有微妙的、有力的影响，虽然许多人看不到他们所作贡献的全部结果。
c)近义词：oscillate, shake, swing
3.Vacillate \ ˈva-sə-ˌlāt \
a)含义：v. 犹豫
b)例句：
i.Don’t vacillate, and don’t be afraid to leave your comfort zone.
不要犹豫，也别害怕离开自己的舒适区。
ii.Some of them still have doubts, their stand is not yet firm, and they vacillate in moments of stress.
其中有些人还有怀疑，还没有站稳脚跟，一遇风浪就会左右摇摆。
c)近义词：dither, falter, hesitate
4.Apace \ ə-ˈpās \
a)含义：adv. 飞快地
b)例句：
i.Meanwhile, as you proceed apace, you often don’t know when the breakthrough will come.
与此同时，当你飞快前进时，你常常不知道什么时候会有突破。
ii.Despite no major disease outbreaks so far in quake-hit regions, health and epidemic prevention efforts continue apace.
虽然地震灾区还没有爆发重大疾病，卫生防疫工作还是在迅速进行当中。
c)近义词： briskly, rapidly, swiftly
5.Resurrection \ ˌre-zə-ˈrek-shən \
a)含义：n. 复活；复兴
b)例句：
i.Those who believe gain their own spiritual power of rebirth through Christ’s resurrection.
而那些基督徒们从耶稣的重生中获得了精神上的力量。
ii.The resurrection of Jesus offers us a message of hope, love, and grace.
耶稣的复活为我们提供了一个希望、爱与恩典的信息。
c)近义词：regeneration, resurgence, revival
Thank you for watching me to inspire, encourage, and accompany you.
See you next time.
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