一起去旅行：人生路上的五处风景

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「  朋友，你好，我是老桑。」

人们都在寻找灵感。我们欣赏美丽的风景和艺术，而当别人克服困难去做一些意义深远的事情时，我们也会感到高兴，当我们把励志演说家的经验运用到自己的生活中时，就能感到快乐。的确，人们都被这些非凡的事情所鼓舞着。

然而，在日常生活中，我们并不总是有机会去体验非凡的事物。不过，我们却经历了许多平凡的事情。好在，想要获得启发，你不一定必须要亲临一座世界级的艺术博物馆，不一定要亲自步行穿越三峡或科罗拉多大峡谷，也不一定要了解一位名人。其实在日常生活中你也可以找到灵感。

旅行是从一个地方来到另一个地方游玩的行为。大多数时候，我们把旅程等同于我们去其他地方长途旅行或度假。那些旅游网站非常有效地激发了这种欲望，entice（吸引）我们去著名而富有异国情调的目的地旅游，以满足我们游览其他地方和了解他国奥秘的渴望。

虽然我们可能会羡慕那些似乎生活在旅行箱里的环球旅行家，但我们中的大多数人都无法过着无忧无虑的生活，在没有明确计划的情况下从一个地方来到另一个地方。而且只有少数人能够负担得起去世界各地度假的费用。然而，漫无目的的闲逛和奢侈的旅行misconstrue（误解）了旅行真正的含义。

我们每天都是从一个地方到另一个地方，身体上和精神上都是如此。其实你不需要把旅行限制在忙里抽闲的假期里，而是要把自己的整个生活看成是一场旅行。人生就像是一场徒步旅行，你一直身处其中。漫无目的的游荡，无论是在行动还是在思想上，都可以成为你旅途的一部分。探访新的地方也可以是旅途的一部分，但却只是人生旅行的补充，而不是取代。

从家里到办公室，从宿舍到教室似乎是程式化的生活，但有一些方法可以让你更充分地体验平凡的生活。当你更加适应个人的旅程时，你会以不同的方式看待事物，甚至找到灵感。方法如下:

你的旅程需要努力。你无法轻而易举的到达山顶，而必须要努力工作、奋斗和攀登。拥有美好的生活也是如此。成功人士几乎总是说，他们不是偶然或不努力就获得了成功。而是一路上做出卓越的选择，其实我们也可以。所以，让我们一起踏上一段旅程吧……

  第一站：享受当下  

在人生的旅途中，我们倾向于选择自己所关注的事物。我们可以放大我们的问题，专注于自身的局限性。或者，我们可以去发现身边的更精妙的美好。我们可以去夸大自己的不幸，但也可以把它们看作是一个小blotch（斑点），倒映在一个神奇的宇宙中。那些路上的绊脚石很可能是垫脚石。能够在生活中发现美的人可以享受这段旅程。

当我被一个问题困住的时候，我会“休息五分钟”，看看窗外，哪怕只有几秒钟。但哪怕是同一个场景，每一次都是不同的：树叶可能是静止的，也可能是沙沙作响的，白天的光线会发生变化，不同的人可能会在周围闲逛，季节更替又会呈现出千姿百态的光景。无论是在城市或乡村，你总能找到大自然的身影。

灵感提示：今天的你经历了怎样的美好？

第二站：找寻你生命中的珍宝

在拉塞尔·康维尔的寓言《钻石就在你加后院》中，一位农民寻求有关如何找到钻石从而变得异常富有的建议。一位智者给了他这样的建议:“那就放手去寻找吧。这就是你要做的；放手去找，然后就能拥有钻石了。”这是一个非常简单的建议。任何想要找到宝石的人都必须愿意去追寻。

同样，如果我们愿意去深入探寻，我们也能在自己的挑战和失望中找到宝藏。其实这完全是一个关于视角的问题。如果你能发现并珍惜你过去的珍宝，你就正处于追寻美好生活的道路上。

我曾经在四川大学法学院教学一年，左卫民院长当时让我用中文教授一门刑事诉讼法课程。由于我之前从来没有在中国教过法律，所以在每堂课之前，我都会和学生秦宗文坐在一起回顾我的笔记以帮助我将它们翻译成中文，现在的他已经成为了南京大学法学院一位出色的教授。

日复一日，周复一周，我觉得我的中文达到了一个突破。直到今天，我都非常感谢左院长对我的信任和秦教授的支持。当然，用英语教学本来会更容易，但这份挑战让我对外语教学有了更大的信心，同时也留存下美好的友谊。

灵感提示：你在人生的道路上发现了哪些宝贵的东西?

第三站：展望未来 

寻找并期待美好事物的徒步旅行者通常会在沿途找到好的事物。推而广之，对未来感到兴奋和充满希望的人会有更好的旅程。

在1977年的歌曲《Don't Stop》中，Fleetwood Mac唱道:“不要停止思考明天……明天会比以前更好。”他们并没有回首昨天，而是唱道：“为什么不想想未来的时光呢?”这种心态帮助我们“以不同的方式”看待事物”。1992年，比尔·克林顿将这首歌作为他的政治竞选主题曲，乐队在他1993年的inaugural（就职）舞会上演唱了这首歌。

如果你曾经在北京香山公园攀登过香炉峰，就会知道距离山顶的一段路是最难爬的。当它变得困难时，就会很容易放弃，因为你很累，害怕可能做不到。但当你知道山顶上有美丽的风景和成就感等着你时，热切的期待会鼓励你继续前进。

灵感提示：当焦虑和恐惧诱惑你时，你如何对生活的可能性保持乐观?

第四站：发挥你的优势

每个人都有长处和短处，当我们能够在管理短处的同时发挥长处，我们就会茁壮成长。当我们利用自己的优势去帮助别人时，自我生活的意义和满足感就会更丰富。

就我而言，我认为自己是一个很好的学习者和聆听者。虽然不是每个人都能教会我什么，但我总能从一些人或一些情况中学到东西。我常常愿意聆听，只要有人愿意说话。通过听他人说话，我会支持并认可说话者，在沟通中建立联系。这也让我永远处于学习的状态。

我的母亲是一座教堂祈祷披肩毛毯部的成员。每个月，成员们都会编织美丽的物品送给病人和穷人。他们可以在公开市场上出售手工制品，但他们给慢性病患者和疗养院里的人带来的快乐远比金钱更有价值。

灵感提示：你将如何利用你的优势使世界变得更美好?

第五站：选择成长

满足感来自于生活中的不断进步。当我们在生活的道路上行走时，能够变得更加强大，自然会想试试更有挑战性的领域。寻求新的想法、经历和项目可以帮助我们成长并享受这段旅程。挑战常常使我们充满活力。

有一次在飞机上坐在我旁边的一位乘客刚刚买了一本纵横字谜书。当她完成了第一个游戏以后，又快速地完成了其他几个，之后就放弃了。她打趣道:“它们太简单了，已经没有那么有意思了。”她原以为初学者的书会“让人放松”，但现在回想起来，她应该买一本难度incremental（逐渐上升的）字谜书。

灵感提示：你将如何培育个人的成长?

我的朋友，你可以在自己的日常生活中找到灵感。在每天的远足中，享受当下，发现身边的闪光点，展望明天，利用你的优势服务他人，不断成长。这样无论你身在何处，都会在平凡中发现不平凡。

配图 / 本文部分图片来自网络

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Let's take a hike: 5 scenic vistas along your personal journey

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「 Hello, my friend！

I'm John Smagula. 」

We all seek inspiration. We enjoy beautiful scenery and art, rejoice when others overcome obstacles to do something profound, and flourish when we apply lessons from a motivational speaker to our own lives. Indeed, we are inspired by these extraordinary things.

As we go about our day-to-day life, though, we don’t always have the chance to experience the extraordinary. We do, however, experience plenty of the ordinary. The good news is, you don’t have to go to a world-class art museum, hike through the Three Gorges or Grand Canyon, or learn about a famous person to be inspired. You can find inspiration in your everyday life.

A journey is the action of traveling from one place to another. Most often, we equate a journey to long-distance travel and vacation, where we go somewhere else because we choose to. Travel web sites very effectively stir up this desire, enticing us to travel to famous and exotic destinations to satisfy our need to tour other places and learn their mysteries.

Although we may envy globetrotters who seem to live out of their suitcases, most of us can’t live a carefree life where we wander from place to place without any definite plans. And only a select few can afford to take expensive vacations to all corners of the world. However, aimless wandering and luxury travel misconstrue what a journey truly is.

Each day, you go from place to place, both physically and mentally. You need not limit your journey to occasional vacations, but actually see your entire life as a journey. It’s like being on a hike, right where you are. Aimless wandering, in act or in mind, can be part of your journey. Travel to new locations can also be part of your journey, supplementing but not substituting it.

It may seem routine to go from home to work, from your dormitory to class, but there are ways you can experience ordinary life more fully. When you become more attuned to what is in your personal journey, you will see things differently and even find inspiration. Here's how:

Your journey requires effort. You can’t simply coast to the mountaintop, but you have to work, struggle, and climb. This is also true for having a great life. Successful people will almost always say that they didn’t achieve success by accident or without effort. They made good choices along the way, and so can we. So, let’s take a hike together…

 First stop: enjoy today

In this hike of life, we choose what we focus on. We can magnify our problems and stay focused on our limitations. Or, we can focus on the larger beauty that surrounds us. We can exaggerate our woes or see them as a small blotch against an amazing universe. The stumbling block along the trail may very well be a stepping stone. Those who find the beauty in life travel well.

When I’m stuck on a problem, I “take five” and look out the office window, even if just for a few seconds. Even though it’s the same scene, each time it’s different: the leaves may be still or rustling, the light changes throughout the day, different people may be milling about, and the seasons present different hues. In the city or country, you can always find nature.

Inspiration prompt: what beauty have you experienced today?

Second stop: 

find the gems in your life

In Russell Conwell’s fable Acres of Diamonds, a farmer seeks advice on finding diamonds to become insanely rich. A wise man gave him this advice, “Well, then, go along and find them. That is all you have to do; go and find them, and then you have them.” It was surprisingly simple advice. Anyone who wants to find a gem must be willing to search for it. 

Likewise, we can find treasures buried in our own challenges and disappointments if we are willing to dig through them. It’s all a question of perspective. If you find and cherish the gems in your past, you are on your way to leading your best life.

I once taught for a year at Sichuan University law school, and Dean Zuo Weimin asked me to teach a criminal procedure course…in Chinese. I had never taught law in Chinese before, but before each class, I would sit with student Qin Zongwen, now a distinguished professor at Nanjing University law school, to go over my notes and help me translate them into Chinese.

Day after day, and week after week, I felt my Chinese reach a breakthrough. To this day, I am grateful for Dean Zuo’s confidence in me as well as Professor Qin’s support. Sure, it would have been easier to “coast” and teach in English, but the challenge resulted in the gems of greater confidence to teach in a foreign language as well as some wonderful friendships.

Inspiration prompt: what are some of the gems you have found along life's path?

Third stop:

look forward to tomorrow 

Hikers who look for and expect good things usually do find good things along the trail. By extension, people who are excited and hopeful about the future will have better journeys.

In their 1977 song Don’t Stop, Fleetwood Mac sings, “Don’t stop thinking about tomorrow…It’ll be [here], better than before.” Rather than look to yesterday, they sing, “Why not think about times to come?” This mindset helps us see things “in a different way.” Bill Clinton made this his 1992 political campaign theme song, with the band performing it at his 1993 inaugural ball.

If you have ever hiked Incense Burner Peak in Beijing’s Fragrant Hills Park, you know that the last stretch near the top is the steepest. When it gets tough, it’s easy to give up, as you’re tired and afraid you might not make it. But when you know that a beautiful view and sense of achievement await you at the top, your eager anticipation will encourage you to keep going.

Inspiration prompt: when anxiety and fear tempt you, how will you stay hopeful about life’s possibilities?

Fourth stop:

use your strengths

Each person has strengths and weaknesses, and we thrive when we use our strengths while managing our weaknesses. When we use our strengths to help others, the meaning and satisfaction of our own lives expand even more. 

In my case, I consider myself to be a good learner and a good listener. Even though not everyone can teach, I can always learn from someone or some situation. I often am willing to listen for as long as someone is willing to speak. By listening, I support and validate the speaker, building a bond through communication. It also keeps me in a perpetual state of learning.

My mother is part of a prayer shawl and blanket ministry at her church. Each month the members crochet beautiful items to give to the sick and poor. They could sell the handmade wares in the open market, but the joy they bring to the chronically ill and those in nursing homes is worth much more than the money.

Inspiration prompt: how will you use your strengths to make the world a better place?

Fifth stop:

choose to grow

Satisfaction comes from making continued progress in life. As we hike life’s trail, we become stronger, and we will naturally want more challenging terrain. Seeking new ideas, experiences, and projects helps us grow and enjoy our journey. Challenges often invigorate us.

A passenger once seated next to me on an airplane had just bought a crossword puzzle book. After she completed the first one, she whizzed through a few others and gave up. She quipped, “They’re so easy that they’re not even fun anymore.” She thought the beginner book would be “relaxing,” but in retrospect, should have bought a book with incrementally difficult puzzles.

Inspiration prompt: how will you cultivate personal growth?

My friend, you can find inspiration in your everyday life. On your daily hike, enjoy today, find the gems around you, look forward to tomorrow, use your strengths to serve others, and choose to grow. No matter where you are, you will find the extraordinary in the ordinary.

{  今日英文速记卡  }

1.Entice \ in-ˈtīs \

a)含义：v. 诱使；怂恿

b)例句：

i.Travel web sites very effectively stir up this desire, enticing us to travel to famous and exotic destinations to satisfy our need to tour other places and learn their mysteries.

那些旅游网站非常有效地激发了这种欲望，吸引我们去著名而富有异国情调的目的地旅游，以满足我们游览其他地方和了解他国奥秘的渴望。

ii.The bargain prices are expected to entice customers away from other stores.

低廉的价格意在把顾客从其他商店吸引过来。

c)近义词：allure, solicit, tempt

2.Misconstrue \ ˌmis-kən-ˈstrü \

a)含义：v. 误解；误会

b)例句：

i.However, aimless wandering and luxury travel misconstrue what a journey truly is.

然而，漫无目的的闲逛和奢侈的旅行误解了旅行真正的含义。

ii.It is easy to misconstrue confidence as arrogance.

很容易将信心误解为傲慢。

c)近义词：misinterpret, misread, mistake

3.Blotch \ ˈbläch \

a)含义：n. 斑点；污点

b)例句：

i.We can exaggerate our woes or see them as a small blotch against an amazing universe. 

我们可以去夸大自己的不幸，但也可以把它们看作是一个小斑点，倒映在一个神奇的宇宙中。

ii.He pointed to a dark blotch upon the starry sky some miles astern of us.

他指着我们身后几英里处繁星点点的天空中的一朵乌云。

c)近义词：dot, speck, spot

4.Inaugural \ i-ˈnȯ-gyə-rəl \

a)含义：n. 就职演讲

b)例句：

i.Bill Clinton made this his 1992 political campaign theme song, with the band performing it at his 1993 inaugural ball.

1992年，比尔·克林顿将这首歌作为他的政治竞选主题曲，乐队在他1993年的就职舞会上演唱了这首歌。

ii.The best inaugural speeches manage to do both—to represent a perfect union of the speaker, the message, and the moment.

最好的就职演说在这两方面都做得很好--把演讲者、信息和时刻完美地结合起来。

c)近义词：first, initial, leadoff

5.Incremental \ ˌiŋ-krə-ˈmen-tᵊl \

a)含义：adj. 增长的；逐渐的

b)例句：

i.She thought the beginner book would be “relaxing,” but in retrospect, should have bought a book with incrementally difficult puzzles.

她原以为初学者的书会“让人放松”，但现在回想起来，她应该买一本难度逐渐上升的字谜书。

ii.That means any appreciation will be slow and incremental.

这意味着，任何升值都将是缓慢、递增的。

c)近义词：gradual, phased, step-by-step

Thank you for watching me to inspire, encourage, and accompany you. 

See you next time.

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