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魅力英文Ⅰ：我的世界我做主
于阳 |
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本书由新华先锋出版授权掌阅科技电子版制作与发行
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You Will Be Master Of Your lf做自己想做的人
1 What I'd Tell My lf If I Were 18 Again…如果我回到18岁我会对自己说
1. I like to joke that I am who I am today becau I did everything wrong in my 20's. I've always been fearless, and it often got me in trouble. I wasn't afraid to start a business, borrow a bunch of ney, or quit a well-paying job to travel the world.
2. At the same time, the fact that I took chances (and often failed) gave me the wisdom that I have today. Lessons learned through failure tend to be much re meaningful than lessons learned otherwi.
3. Now that I 'm in my 30's, life is pretty good. While I haven't learned it all, I feel my head is screwed on straight enough that life is much less stressful. I've come into my own and built the foundation for a cure and prosperous future.
4. Even though things are going well, I often imagine what it would be like to go back into the past and teach my lf what I know now. I know enough to be certain that I lost st of my twenties to a st ggle with debt and poor decisions. If I had done things differently, maybe I could have been where I am now at age 22.
5. Could you imagine？ Self employed and al st financially independent at age 22？ No… not al st. My expen s were much less back then… I would have been financially free！
6. I know it doesn't do any good to ask what if. If I had known it all at age 22, I probably would have been a little cocky. Doing things the hard way asoned my character. I like who I am and I wouldn't change a thing.
7. But what if…
8. What I'd Tell My lf at 18？
9. Sometimes I imagine that I 'm in a fishing boat, thousands of miles away from the life I know, slowly d fting across a lake. As I recline at an uncomfortable angle created by the wood bench and aluminum hull, I glance over at the 18 year-old version of my lf and upload my wisdom to him.
10. Here's what I say:
11. Don't be so Se ous
12. Relax… You've got your whole life ahead of you. I know it can em like the st important thing in the world is fighting the good fight, but don't let your life pass you by in the process. There'll be plenty of time for starting busines s, w ting books, creating art, and solving the world's problems in your head.
13. It's impressive that you do tho things at such a young age, but life is really about expe ences. Above all, it's about sha ng expe ences with other people. Sometimes when you're all wrapped up in your own head, doing the things that you are determined to do, you miss a chance to connect with other people.
14. So take it easy. Have some fun. Do something crazy. Let loo. Call up some f ends and share some great ments together.
15. Don't Be in Such a Hurry to Grow Up
16. A funny thing happens as you age: The older you get, the less of a hurry you're in. You'd think it would be the other way around: the less time you have, the re of a hurry you're in; but it's actually quite the opposite.
17. At 18, it ems like you have to sh everything before you get too old. You think you have to graduate college, get a good job, and get mar ed before you turn 22, becau (for some reason) you think 22 is old.
18. Don't take being young for granted！ Being a kid without responsibility is a thing of beauty. I know you don't appreciate it now, but you will when you're my age.
19.22 is just getting started！ In fact, life gets re enjoyable as you age. As you learn re about your lf and the world, it gets easier to enjoy what the world has to offer.
20. Your 20's are the perfect time to explore the world and expe ence new things. If you grow up before you turn 22, you'll have mis d a perfect opportunity. Expe ences at 18 are just not the same as when you're 25.
21. Travel, art, culture, sport, and adventure take on a whole new meaning when you have had some expe ence to build on. As you add layer upon layer, each expe ence is re ch than the last.
22. Choo Expe ence over Mate al Pos ssions
23. If you're ever faced with the choice of upgrading your lifestyle (an apartment by your lf, a new car, new clothes, etc. ) or working less so you can expe ence re; cho the latter.
24. When I was your age, I thought I needed to have nice stuff so girls would like me. I ended up working so hard to pay for the stuff that I didn't have time to meet girls.
25. Working hard is for grown-ups. Be a kid for as long as you can, even if it means living with a roommate in a crappy apartment and ding your bike around town.
26. Besides, girls aren't going to like you for awhile anyway. What they really want is a man with a little confidence and life expe ence under his belt. Working too hard will just delay that process.
27. Be Confident
28. Oh yeah, you might as well get a head start on your confidence. Believe in your lf no matter what. Don't let lf-doubt in your chance to meet a new girl or to try something new.
29. I know I just said that girls aren't going to like you anyway, but that's not entirely t e. While you are accumulating the wisdom that comes with life expe ences, your best shot is to project confidence.
30. Always act like you know what you're doing, even if you don't. The biggest turn-off for a girl is lf-doubt. If she still doesn't like you, take it with grace and ve on quickly.
31. Don't start doubting your lf if you get turned down. You're going to get turned down A LOT before you finally get the girl.
32. Don't Get Attached
33. When you finally do get a girlf end, take it easy. Along the same line as not trying to grow up too quickly, don't fall into the trap of thinking that this is the best girl you'll ever get. The cond biggest turnoff for a girl is an 18 year old guy who's already thinking about mar age.
34. Relax a little and enjoy the ment. Besides, you're going to have veral girlf ends before you find “the one.” How are you going to be able to know what you want if you don't have anything to compare it to？
35. As you get older, you'll naturally become re attractive to women. I had no idea this was t e when I was your age. I thought that I was as attractive as I'd ever be. Not t e.
36. It gets easier, I promi.
37. Don't Get a Credit Card
38. If I didn't get a credit card when I was your age, I would have saved my lf 10 years of financial st ggle.
39. I know it ems like you have to be a grown up and have nice things, but you've got to think long-term. If you can just have the patience to hold off a few years on the nice stuff, you'll be able to afford re of it than you can imagine.
40. Buying something today on credit becau you can't wait will impact your financial situation for years to come.
41. Simply have the mind to save up for what you want to buy. If you buy with cash, you'll always own what you have, and be free to do what you want.
42. When people build up debt and nthly payments, they become slaves to their job. They have to work to pay for all the junk that they put on their credit cards.
43. Put Money Away Every Month
44. Take this advice and you'll never regret it. Open a savings account and t up an automatic withdrawal from your checking account each nth. Don't touch the ney, NO MATTER WHAT！
45. Even if you can only afford $10 a nth, you must stick to this plan becau it's your ticket to freedom. In five or ten years (whenever you decide to grow up), you'll u this ney to invest in something that makes passive income, like real estate.
46. Travel and Learn a Language
47. Don't just take language clas s and backpack around Europe at a fu ous pace; immer your lf in a culture. Pick a place and stay there for veral nths.
48. The best time to do this is the year after you graduate from college. You'll be old enough to appreciate the expe ence, but young enough that you won't have any responsibility.
49. If you took my advice about taking your time to grow up, you won't yet be attached to a rtgage payment, a job, or a girl. Move all your stuff into a corner of your parent's ba ment and live abroad.
50. It's actually a lot re affordable that you might think especially if you don't have any expen s at home. Get a job in your cho n country if you need to.
51. Don't allow your lf to hang out with other English-speaking people. That's too easy. Force your lf to learn the language. It will be f strating at first, but the life-long benefit will be greater than you can imagine.
52. Keep a Journal
53. Get a Moleskin Notebook and carry it in your back pocket wherever you go. Don't be a perfectionist with it; just jot whatever comes to your mind in it.
54. Having a journal will help to solidify your thoughts. The act of w ting helps to clo the circle of ideas from your head to your hand and back to your head.
55. Plus, you'll have a record of your thoughts for generations to come.
56. Get to Know People
57. As you travel and try new things, make it a point to meet people. As I said before, the st valuable things in life are shared expe ences with other people.
58. There is so much you can learn from people. Open your mind and take in different perspectives. Put your lf in their shoes and try to understand why they think the way they do.
59. Your success in life will depend on your network of people. It's impossible to achieve success in a vacuum. You never know what opportunities will pre nt them when you meet new people.
60. There's No Rush to Have it All Figured Out
61. When I was your age, I felt pressure to have my life's purpo figured out. I think a lot of young people think there's something wrong with them if they haven't “found them lves” by age 22.
62. Most people don't figure things out until much later in life (if at all). That's what your twenties are for: explo ng different paths, making mistakes, falling on your face, and building your character.
63. Take your time figu ng it all out. You don't want to sh such a grand decision as your life's purpo.
64. Savor the Moment
65. Expe ence the textures, sights, sounds, and feelings of each ment. Time ves faster than you think. Your youth is special and you'll want to remember it for the rest of your life.
66. Start Busines s without Borrowing Money
67. When you decide to start a business, don't go into debt over it. Most busines s fail, and it's better to be left with nothing than to not have anything and still owe someone el ney.
68. Pick a business that doesn't cost much to start and grow slowly, reinvesting your earnings.
69. Choo a business that's as passive as possible. Bulk vending is a good one to start with while you're young.
70. Stay away from rvices. I made the mistake when I was your age of starting a T-shirt design rvice. The problem with rvices is that you have to re-create your work if you want to get paid again. Find something that pays you over and over for work done once.
71. Pick Something and Stick With It
72. Once you've had your fun traveling the world and being young, find a line of work that you are passionate about. Don't worry about the ney that will come with time. As long as you are out of debt and putting ney into savings each nth, you're going to be just fine.
73. Don't get into the habit of changing your mind all the time. Each time you change cour, you lo all your start-up energy. Learn how exponential growth can affect your level of success in your cho n field.
74. If you are passionate about what you do, and stick with it, you can't help but be successful.
75. Back to Reality...
76. It's fun to think about what might have been, but in reality, we can't change the past. Ten years from now, I'll have a whole new list of things I wish I knew in my 30's. I would do well to take my own advice, and enjoy each ment.
1. 我常开玩笑说，我之所以是现在的我，完全是因为我二十几岁时把一切事情都做错了。那个时候，我什么都不怕，所以经常惹麻烦。我不怕为了创业而借一屁股的债，又或者是辞去高薪的工作只是为了周游世界。
2. 也正因为那时候的我抓住了很多机会（虽然经常以失败告终），才让今天的我学到了许多智慧。相较之下，从失败中吸取的教训比从其他地方学到的东西更加深刻。
3. 现在，我过着幸福的三十岁生活。尽管我还没有掌握到生活的全部，但是我觉得已经足够让自己的生活不太有压力。我有着自己的生活方式，并且给未来打下了安全、繁荣的基础。
4. 尽管一切都在顺利地进行，我还是经常想象，如果我回到过去并且把我现在学到的东西教给那个时候的我，事情会变成什么样子。我非常清楚，二十几岁的我大部分时间都在和债务以及自己的糟糕决定纠缠。如果我能用另外一种方式去做事，也许在我22岁的时候就能有今天的成就。
5. 你能够想象在22岁的时候就自己当老板并且财政独立么？不，不可想象啊。我那时的花费非常的低，说不定那时我就可以财政自由了！
6. 我也知道说 “如果……” 是没有什么意义的。如果我在22岁的时候就能知道这些了，我可能会变得有些骄傲自大。困难让我成长。我喜欢现在的我，我不打算去改变什么。
7. 但是如果……
8. 如果我回到18岁我会告诉我自己什么呢？
9. 有时候我会想象我在一艘渔船上，离真实的生活千里之遥，慢慢的在湖中漂荡。我不太舒服的躺在木凳上，瞥一眼18岁的自己，然后把自己现在的智慧传给他。
10. 我会告诉他：
11. 不要太认真
12. 放松点……人生还长着呢。我也知道，似乎世界上最最要紧的事情就是打一个漂亮仗，但是请不要与你的生活擦肩而过。对于你而言，还有大把的时间去创业、写书、创作，去解决那些你考虑的世界问题。
13. 能够在年轻的时候就做出那些成就的确让人印象深刻，可生活的真谛在于经历。最首要的，就是和他人分享那些经历。有时候，当你自己规划好一切，做那些你决心要做的事情，却错失了和他人交流的机会。
14. 所以，要放松点。去享受乐趣，去作一些疯狂的事情，不要把自己绷得太紧。和朋友们一起分享一些美好时光。
15. 不要急着长大
16. 你那个年龄是很奇妙的：你年岁越大，你越少着急。但你也许却有另外一种思路：你有的时间越少，你越着急。可是事实其实是完全相反的。
17.18岁的时候，看上去你必须要在自己变得太老之前急冲冲地做完一些事情。你认为自己必须要从大学毕业，找个好工作然后在22岁之前结婚，因为（不知道什么原因）你认为22岁已经老了。
18. 不要把年轻看的那么理所当然！做一个不需要负太多责任的小孩是一件很美妙的事情。也许现在的你不太赞同，可当你到了我这个年纪的时候就会明白了。
19.22岁只是生命的开始。事实上，生活随着时间的流逝变得更有趣。当你对自己和世界了解的越多，就更容易去享受世界所提供的东西。
20. 二十几岁是探索世界、体验新东西的最佳时段。如果你在22岁之前就长大了，你会失去这个最佳机会。18岁的感受绝对不会和25岁的感受一样。
21. 当你有所积累之后，旅行、艺术、文化、运动和冒险都会有一种不同的新面貌。你一层层地叠加起来，每种经验都会比上一次来的更加丰富。
22. 比物质享受更重要的是经验
23. 如果你面临这样的选择：改善你的生活（自己的公寓、一部新车、一套新衣服等等），或者是减少工作时间去经历更多的事情，那么我建议你选择后者。
24. 当我在你那个年龄的时候，我曾认为只有拥有许多物质才能让女孩子喜欢我。于是我努力的为拥有物质去工作，结果却是因为我太忙而没有了时间去结识女孩子。
25. 埋头工作是成年人的事情。尽可能延长和享受你的青春吧，即使这意味着你要和室友共享一个公寓，并且在镇上骑着自行车乱逛。
26. 另外，女孩子们在那时候总归不会喜欢你的。她们真正想要的是一个有自信、有生活经验的男人。而埋头工作只会推迟这一天的来临。
27. 要自信
28. 是的，你要建立自信。不管是什么一定要相信自己。不要让自我怀疑毁了你去结识女孩子或者尝试新东西的机会。
29. 我知道我刚刚说了女孩子们不会喜欢你的，但是也不尽然。当你从生活经验中积累了智慧之后，你的杀手锏就是展现你的自信。