If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.
一个人如果充满信心地向梦想的方向前行，努力实践所想象的生活，他就会迎来意想不到的成功。
It All Starts With a Dream 一切由梦想开始
Doug Evans
Dreaming. Do you or don't you? Do you dream about the future or just have a fantasy① dream after a couple of late night tacos?
Dreams get us going. Dreams direct our lives, our focus, our direction.
Many of us have forgotten how to dream or haven't taken the time to dream in years. We get so busy that we never relax our mind and let it dream. Dare I say daydream?
When we were all kids, we would dream for hours. We had all the time in the world to dream. We had no limits. We had no fears. Short of the "boogie man", we had no idea what fear was.
We could lie in the grass, look at the clouds and dream and dream again. Our friends didn't tell us our dreams were nonsense but instead dreamed big dreams at our side!
Then what happened? Parents, sport coaches, teachers and sometimes our older friends started to steal pieces of our dreams. We were told we would never make the big league—the pros because we just weren't good enough. We were told we could never be that famous actor/ actress—it would never happen. We were too fat, too short, we couldn't sing, we couldn't dance.
These dream stealers started to poke holes in our dreams. Then we started to doubt ourselves. When things didn't work out the way we dreamed, we put up a wall between daily life and our dreams. Heck, maybe you even just plain gave up but I guarantee② that you started to settle. Settle for this. Settle for that! I guess that it's not that bad. I guess I can get by, etc. Words we all know. Words that start to steal our dreams.
Well it's time for a change!
It's time to know and believe in our hearts that dreaming is never optional③!
It's time to dream and then dream again! Dreaming is never optional!
There is a famous philosopher—Mr. Mickey Mouse. Mickey tells us "Believe your dreams can come true. Never stop dreaming, and remember anything, anything can happen!"
It's time to find some quiet time and just let it all go and start to dream as kid again.
What do you really want? Forget all about what Mom wanted for you or where you are "stuck" today.
One hour, one day of dreaming is not enough. It will take some time to remember just how to dream. It took years for you to forget how to dream so give yourselves some time to remember how. Regardless, it's time to start dreaming once again!
"Taking the risk to follow our hearts gives energy to our future and breathes life into our dreams."—Debbie Ford
Once we know our dreams, goals can be established. Goals that will constantly take you a step closer—even if a small step closer towards your dreams. Goals are a plan to help us realize our dreams. Goals plan the actions that must take place.
Dreams and goals are the planning, the thinking, the blueprint of your life. Action is the how! Action is rolling up your sleeves and going for it!
Accomplishing your dreams require:
* Solid clear goals
* Action
* Pursuit
* Persistence
Persistence is often the key. Persistence, or as my wife calls it with me "stubbornness". Call it whatever you want but it is the will to keep going, keep pushing over, around, or through obstacles to get what you truly want in life!
Real dreams are what you truly desire deep down. Dreams are worth pursuing. Dreams are worth sacrifice. They are not—I wish! They are not—I want! They are a burning desire to accomplish something or have something.
Your dreams will happen if you have the courage to pursue them!
Protect your dreams and the dreams of your love ones. Protect them because they are one of your most valued possessions. Don't ever let anyone steal your dreams.
We have established that dreaming is never optional! So what are your dreams? It's now your turn to dream and dream again!
"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours."—Thoreau.
"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by things you didn't do than the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover."—Mark Twain
梦想，你是否拥有？你是否梦想过未来，亦或只是在几个深夜吃完玉米饼后进行过一番幻想？
梦想驱使着我们前进。梦想指引我们的生活、我们的专注点以及前进的方向。
我们很多人已经忘记了如何做梦，或者已经好几年没有时间去做梦。我们如此忙碌，以至于我们从未放松头脑让它做做梦。难道我说的是白日梦？
当我们还是个孩子的时候，我们总是会好几个小时不停地做梦。我们拥有全世界的时间去梦想。我们没有限制，我们无需惧怕。没有吓唬孩子的假怪物，我们也不知道害怕是什么。
我们躺在草地上，望着白云，一遍又一遍地梦想着。我们的好朋友不仅不会说我们的梦想没有意义，反而站在我们这边，一起做着远大的梦想。
但后来发生了什么？父母、体育教练、老师，有时甚至是我们年长的朋友，他们开始盗走我们的梦想。我们被告知，我们不可能组成美国大联盟球队，因为我们不够优秀。他们说我们绝不会成为那样出名的演员——这绝不会发生。我们太胖又太矮，我们不会唱歌，不会跳舞。
这些盗梦者开始在我们的梦想中肆意戳洞。然后我们开始怀疑自己。当事情不是按照我们的想象进行时，我们就会在日常生活和我们的梦想之间筑起一道墙。真见鬼，也许，你甚至刚刚彻底地放弃了，但是我保证你会开始感到满足。满足这个，满足于那个！你开始用我们都知道的话来说服自己：“我想这也不是很差”、“我认为我可以对付的”等等。而这些话开始盗取我们的梦想。
是的，现在是时候改变了！
是时候真心了解并相信梦想绝不是随意的！
是时候去一遍遍地梦想！梦想绝不是可有可无的！
有一位著名的哲学家米奇——米老鼠先生告诉我们：“坚信你会梦想成真。永远不要停止梦想，请记住一切皆有可能！”
是时候找个时间，静静地任其流逝，开始像个孩子一样去梦想了。
你到底想要什么？忘记所有关于你母亲所希望你要的，或是你今天遇到的困难。
一个小时的梦或一天的梦是不够的。你需要花一段时间，只是去记住如何做梦。因为多年的时间已经让你忘记了该如何做梦，所以给你自己一段时间，去记住如何梦想。无论如何，现在是时候再次梦想了！
黛比·福特说道：“冒险跟随心声，为未来注入能量，将梦想转为现实。”
一旦清楚了我们的梦想，我们就可以设立目标。目标会不断地促使你更加接近你的梦想，即使只是一小步。目标有助于我们实现梦想。目标制定出必须采取的行动。
梦想和目标是你生活的计划、思想和蓝图。而行动则是怎么去做！行动即是卷起你的衣袖，然后努力去追寻！
实现你的梦想需要：
* 坚定明确的目标
* 行动
* 追求
* 毅力
毅力通常是关键。毅力，或是我妻子用来形容我的“倔强”。无论你想怎么称呼它，它都是继续前行、扫除所有障碍、获得你的生活真正想要的意志和决心！
真实的梦想是你心底真正渴望的。梦想值得追寻。梦想值得你为此牺牲。它们不是“我希望”！它们也不是“我想要”！它们是达到某种程度或拥有某种事物的强烈愿望。
如果你有勇气去追寻梦想，那么你的梦想就会实现！
保护好你自己和你所爱之人的梦想，因为它们是你最珍贵的财富之一。永远不要让任何人偷走你的梦想。
我们已经证实梦想绝不是随意的！所以，你的梦想是什么？现在轮到你开始一遍遍地梦想了！
“一个人如果充满信心地向梦想的方向前行，努力实践所想象的生活，他就会迎来平常想不到的成功。”——梭罗
“二十年后，让你觉得更失望的不是你做过的事情，而是你没有做过的事情。所以，解开帆索，从安全的港湾扬帆出行吧。乘着信风，去探索，去梦想，去发现！”——马克·吐温
注释
fantasy a. 虚幻的
guarantee v. 保证；担保
optional a. 可选择的；随意的，任意的
Ms. Susan Boyle: An Inspiring Story 苏珊大妈：鼓舞人心的故事
Amy Twain
By the time you read this, you probably heard of the inspiring① life story of Susan Boyle. A 47-year old, unemployed, never been married (and never been kissed) woman from Scotland who elicited lots of praises and compliments not just from the three judges, but also from millions of people across the universe, thanks to Youtube.
Her inspiring story spread rapidly like wildfire and inspires others (especially underdogs② and dark horses③ like her) to reach for your dreams no matter what. The Britain's Got Talent contestant (by far the most popular these days), delivered a strong performance backed up with an even appropriate and inspirational song, "I Dreamed a Dream" from Les Miserables. I like watching that show, in the sense that Britain's Got Talent is indeed about talent. It's about talent through and through, despite your looks, and your age. And what I even like most about the inspiring story of Ms. Susan Boyle is that it's as if she's the epitome of dreaming and believing in your dreams—and not putting an age limit to your dreams and goals.
What makes this inspiring story so appealing to the masses, is the fact that we have a not-so-young dreamer dreaming to be a professional singer (wants to be as successful as Elaine Paige at that), when generally, dreaming is associated for the young and their promising future. But here, we have Susan Boyle to change the face of dreaming big and giving us her inspiring story.
Truly, she's not just a living example, but also a living inspiration as well! I know of other singing competitions that imposed age limits on their contestants. It's good that Britain's Got Talent never limits their contestants for a certain age bracket only. Why this allure about second chances and underdogs and dark horses? And why not—it just goes to show that all of us, at some moments in our lives, can relate to being underdogs, since we experienced what it feels like being an underdog ourselves.
We want to inspired and strengthened after failure, rejection, and frustration. An inspiring story like Susan Boyle's is just one strong validation and we felt justified that we can be like her. She's also a real person (and not just any fictitious character) and she's like one of us, living an ordinary life but who wants to have a better life.
So, how who can resist this inspiring story? As we live our day to day struggle in our lives, we all need some bits of inspiration to make us smile, enlightened, hopeful and optimistic④ for our future. And we don't need pretty faces, toned muscles, almost-perfect hair that light up our TV screens to make us inspired.
On the contrary, it's those flawed, ordinary-looking individuals which we can relate to that make us more humane and we can say, "If she can do it, I can too."And I love that smiling aura of Ms. Boyle devoid of any arrogance or self-pity (unemployed, but still looking) when asked what she's going to do onstage.
She said, "I'm gonna wow the audience." And boy, she did more than just that—she even received a standing ovation not just from the crowd, but also from the two judges. Everybody's got an inspiring story—what's yours?
在你读这篇文章时，你也许已经听过苏珊大妈那鼓舞人心的故事了。她是一位来自苏格兰的47岁失业女性，她从未结过婚（也从没被亲吻过）。由于Youtube视频网站，她获得了来自三位评委和全球成千上万的人们的高度赞美和褒奖。
她那鼓舞人心的故事迅速地传播开来，并且激励着其他人（尤其是像她一样的弱者和黑马）努力追寻自己的梦想，不管这些梦想是什么样的。这位英国达人秀的参赛者（目前最受欢迎的选手）通过一首恰如其分且鼓舞人心的歌曲——选自《悲惨世界》中的《我有一个梦想》，为观众呈现了一场精彩的表演。我喜欢看《英国达人秀》，因为就某种意义而言，这实际上是个完完全全关于人才的节目。它无关乎你的相貌、你的年龄。对于苏珊大妈那激励人心的故事，我最喜欢的一点就是，她就像是你们梦想中追梦和信仰的缩影——不要给你们的梦想和目标设定年龄限制。
这个鼓舞人心的故事如此受到大众的关注，是因为我们知道了一个不那么年轻的梦想家梦想着成为专业歌者（她想像忆莲·佩姬一样成功），而通常来说，梦想是和年轻人以及他们光明的前途联系在一起的。但是现在，苏珊大妈为我们呈现了她那鼓舞人心的故事，改变了我们对追求远大梦想的看法。
事实上，她不仅仅是个活生生的例子，同样也是个鲜活的激扬人心的人。我知道其他歌唱比赛对它们的参赛选手有年龄限制。而值得高兴的是，《英国达人秀》从未对它们的参赛者限制年龄。为什么它会带来新机会，吸引弱者和黑马呢？为什么不呢？它只是向所有人展示，在生命的某些时刻，我们都可能成为弱者，因为我们都体验过成为弱者是什么滋味儿。
我们希望在经历过失败、拒绝和沮丧之后，能够备受鼓舞从而变得更加强大。像苏珊大妈这样的故事只是一个强有力的证明，让我们有理由相信我们也能像她一样。同样，她也是个真实的人（不是什么虚构人物），她和我们一样，过着普通人的生活，只不过，她想追求更好的生活。
因此，人们怎么能抵抗这个鼓舞人心的故事呢？当我们日复一日地为我们的生活拼搏时，我们都需要一些激励来启发自己，让我们微笑，让我们受益匪浅，使我们乐观地、充满希望地面对未来。我们并不需要漂亮的脸蛋、健美的肌肉和几近完美的秀发，不需要用这些来点亮我们的电视荧屏，进而激励我们自己。
相反地，那些与我们差不多的、不完美的、相貌平平的普通人，才会使我们更受鼓舞。因此，我们可以说：“如果她能做得到，那我也能行。”我喜欢苏珊大妈淡然微笑的气质，当被问到她将在台上做什么表演时，她没有表现出任何的自大或自怜（虽说处于失业状态，但她依然在找工作）。
她说：“我将要震惊全场。”朋友，她不仅做到了这点，她甚至使全场观众和两位评委起立鼓掌。每个人都有个鼓舞人心的故事，你的故事又是什么？
注释
① inspiring a. 鼓舞人心的；启发灵感的
② underdog n. 劣势者；输家
③ dark horse 黑马
④ optimistic a. 乐观的；乐观主义的
Do You Have a Dream 你有梦想吗
Brian Gosur
Ask any child: "what do you want to be when you grow up?" and you will get an array of different answers. There are always the standard answers like, I want to be a fireman, policeman, doctor, or maybe even president. My grand-daughter wants to be a model when she grows up, and I think she will. She loves the camera and is a very beautiful girl. Of course, I'm a little biased in my opinion, but when you look into their eyes, you see this wonder and excitement when they talk of living their dreams. Their eyes are wide as saucers and they talk about them as if there is no doubt in their mind, they are going to happen.
What happens to all those dreams? What happened to your dream? What happened to my dream? Are you living your dreams? Did you have a dream?
I think as we grow older, our dreams may change. Circumstances① and maturity② set in and alter or change the way we look at life and our circumstances. The wide eyed child has matured into an adult and his dreams have also matured with him.
I always wanted to be a baseball player. I loved sports and played hockey as well, but life's circumstances changed all that and living my dream as a professional athlete disappeared. As I talked with people that have known me awhile and I reveal to them what my childhood dream always was, they kind of look at me a little funny, and say...really? They have that, "I don't believe you," look on their face. Have you ever had that happen to you?
People laugh at your dreams. I don't have to tell you that. If you are a dreamer, and entrepreneurs are dreamers or visionaries, you will have more than one dream and you will have more than one occasion where you receive the looks and laughter at your dreams and visions.
There are tons of dreamers, visionaries, entrepreneurs that come to mind, but I would like to bring just a couple to your attention.
1. Leonardo da Vinci
This man was born on April 15, 1452. He was a true dreamer. His drawings included detailed drawings of flight machines. Can you imagine him trying to talk to his friends about putting together a contraption that would take a person into the air?
2. Thomas Edison
Besides giving us light through the incandescent light bulb, Thomas Edison also gave us the phonograph and accumulated 1,093 U.S patents. He is credited with numerous inventions that contributed to mass communications and, in particular telecommunications. This guy was always thinking and dreaming of what could be.
3. Charles Babbage
Where would we be without computers today? I remember when I was in high school, computers were in their infancy, and the dream that someday a machine would have such abilities as the computer does today was a very laughable idea. Well, thanks to Charles Babbage, the dream is alive today.
He was an English mathematician, philosopher, inventor, and mechanical engineer who originated the concept of a programmable computer. Babbage is credited with inventing the first mechanical computer that eventually led to more complex designs.
What do all these men have in common? They dared to dream. They took the looks, the laughs and the finger pointing, and it didn't deter them from the visions they had. They weren't thrown off track by them.
Zig Zig lar says that he has been laughed at and made fun of and been told that he will never make it all of his life. To continue and persevere③ under those circumstances is definitely a man on a mission. He did not let that deter him from fulfilling his dreams, and it shouldn't with you or me either.
Every one of these dreamers and visionaries had failures, bumps in the road, and people in the way yelling their sarcasm and negative slurs. That should only make you the more determined to win. Success has to go through some failure doors first.
When I played sports and certain people from the opposing team would do their intimidating talking on the field, or I would hear the jeers and yelling from the people in the stands, that just made me all the more determined to do my best and gain the victory. Failure is not final.
What are your dreams? Want to open and run a successful business? Want to open a school for inner city kids? What is the vision you have? I know you can see it as if it is already alive and happening. If this is you, I would like to tell you to never, ever stop dreaming, and don't listen to people come up to you and say, "that will never happen," "you can't do that." You can't stop them from talking at you, but you don't have to listen to them.
You are different. Only 3% of the world's population are dreamers and visionaries. The other 97% live in the box. Don't let the boxers yell their negative talk at you. Don't let them knock you off the road you are traveling. Stay the course, hold the line, and always continue moving forward toward the goals you have and live now the future that you envision. Never stop living your dreams.
"You were born to win, but to be a winner, you must plan to win, prepare to win, and expect to win."—Zig Ziglar
如果你问任何一个孩子：“长大了你想干什么？”你会得到一大堆不同的答案。但总存在一些标准答案，比如，我想成为消防员、警察、医生甚至是总统。我的孙女长大后想成为一名模特，而且我认为她会梦想成真。她很漂亮，喜欢拍照。当然，我的想法有点偏心，但是，当她谈及实现梦想时，你若注视着她的眼睛，你会从她的眼睛中看到奇迹和兴奋。她的眼睛睁得像茶托一样大，当她谈论梦想时，感觉就像她心中毫不怀疑梦想会实现一样。
所有的这些梦想后来怎么样了呢？你的梦想呢？我的梦想呢？你是否还在追逐你的梦想？你又是否还拥有梦想？
我想，随着我们渐渐成长，我们的梦想也许也会改变。不断变化的环境、日渐增加的成熟度，改变了我们看待生活和环境的方式。眼界开阔的孩子已如成人般成熟，他的梦想也会随之成熟。
我一直想成为一名棒球运动员。我热爱运动，也打曲棍球，但是生活环境改变了一切，想成为专业运动员的梦想也消失了。当我和认识我有段时间的人交谈并向他们表露我童年梦想的时候，他们用那种有点奇怪的眼神看我，然后说：“真的吗？”他们的表情表示“我不相信你。”你是否也遇到过这种情况？
人们嘲笑你的梦想，我不必告诉你这一点。如果你是个梦想家（企业家也是梦想家或理想家），你就不会仅仅只有一个梦想，然而，你也会不止一次地收到别人对你的梦想和憧憬的怪异眼神和嘲笑。
我脑中浮现出很多的梦想家、理想家、企业家，但我只给你们举几个例子。
1. 列奥纳多·达·芬奇
他出生于1452年4月15日。他是个真正的梦想家。他的绘画作品包括飞行器的详细图纸。你能想象他试着跟他的朋友谈论搭在一起的精巧装置能把人带上天的场景吗？
2. 托马斯·爱迪生
托马斯·爱迪生除了发明白炽灯，给我们带来了光明外，他还发明了留声机，拥有1,093项美国专利。他的许多发明对大众通讯具有巨大贡献，尤其是在无线电通讯方面。他总是在思考和梦想着一切的可能性。
3. 查尔斯·巴贝奇
如果没有计算机，我们今天将会怎样？我记得在我高中时，计算机的发展还处于初级阶段。在当时，梦想着计算机某天会像现在一样拥有如此强大功能的想法一定会很可笑。是的，多亏了查尔斯·巴贝奇，在今天，这个梦想实现了。
他是英国数学家、哲学家、发明家兼机械工程师。他是可编程计算机的发明者。他被认为发明了第一台机械计算机，也由此最终带动了更多复杂的设计。
所有这些人的共同点是什么？他们敢于梦想。他们受过别人异样的目光、嘲笑和指指点点，但是，这些都不足以使他们放弃梦想，偏离追逐梦想的轨道。
吉格·金克拉表示他被取笑过，被嘲弄过，也被告知过他一生都不会成功。在这种情况下还能继续坚持的人，他定是个身负使命的人。他不会因为这些而停止实现梦想，同样，你和我也都不应该这样。
每个梦想家和理想家在追逐梦想的路上都有过失败和挫折，也都遭受过路人的讽刺和诋毁。但这只会使你更加决心要获得成功。成功必须要首先经历一些失败。
当我在运动时，对方的某些队员会在赛场上进行恐吓，或者我会听到看台上的人发出的嘲笑声和嘘声，但这只会让我更加下定决心全力以赴取得胜利。失败并不是终点。
你的梦想是什么？想要生意经营成功？想要为市区的孩子开个学校？你有什么愿望？我知道你能看见它，就好像它已经实现了一样。如果你是这样的，我想告诉你，永远不要停止梦想，不要听信别人对你所说的“这永远不会实现”、“你做不到”之类的话。你不能阻止别人对你进行评论，但是你也不必听信他们。
你是与众不同的。这世上只有3%的人是梦想家和理想家，其余的97%都住在盒子里。不要让这些住在盒子里的人对你消极评论。不要让他们使你偏离追逐梦想的轨道。坚持到底，保持不变，继续朝着你的目标和你所憧憬的未来前进。永远不要停止追逐的脚步。
吉格·金克拉说过：“你生而为赢，但是你必须为之筹划，为之准备，为之期待，方能成为赢家。”
注释
① circumstance n. 环境，情况；事件；境遇
② maturity n. 成熟；到期；完备
③ persevere v. 坚持；不屈不挠；固执己见
Picture Your Dreams 画出你的梦想蓝图
Michael A. Verdicchio
I met a lady recently who I think is in her sixties, although I certainly wasn't going to ask her. She is living a dream she had for a very long time. She told me that she was blessed by God to be living where she is living today.
Over the years I have written a number of articles about dreams, goals and possibilities. I think life was meant to be lived to its fullest. Part of living your full potential is being a possibility thinker.
Many methods and programs can help one realize their dreams and goals. I have in the past written about some of them. But I also know that methods and programs are just that; they are simply methods and programs. What works for one person may not work for someone else. And, you really can't say that a specific method or program was the only reason someone realized their goal or dream.
That being said, the lady I met recently who is living her dream, did something a long time ago. She drew a picture. She told me that she was born and raised in a house in Pennsylvania right in the middle of an apple orchard①. It was her dream to someday live again in a house in the middle of an apple orchard.
So, she drew a simple picture of a house in the middle of an apple orchard. She drew that picture many, many years ago.
There were some things in her life that didn't go as well as she had hoped for. Then, after a number of years, she was living alone. She lived alone for nearly twenty years until she met a widower about seven years ago. After a time of courtship, the couple got married and she moved into his house, which is now their home.
As I talked to her in the driveway② of her new home of seven years, she was relating some of these things to me. She was so happy and truly thankful to God to be living in a house in California, right in the middle of a large apple orchard.
"What are the odds," she told me, "that I would meet someone who owned an apple orchard and that he would want to marry me?" She thankfully added, "Isn't God so good to me?"
Have you ever considered drawing a picture of your dream or goal? Not an artist, you say? Neither is she. That's not the point. The point is, can you see your dream? Can you describe it? Why not draw a little picture of it?
I remember reading a book a number of years ago and one of the incidents in the book was about a picture from a magazine. A man cut out a picture of a beautiful house from a magazine and kept the picture in his office. After moving a few times, the picture ended up in a box.
Years later he purchased his dream house. And, then while unpacking; he discovered the old picture from the magazine. It was not a picture that was similar to his new home; it was his new home! He stared at the picture that he had cut out of a magazine many years before. He stood there holding a picture of the house he now owned.
Can you picture your dreams? Why not draw a picture of your dream? Or, cut out a picture from a magazine of your dream. Or, download a picture of your dream and put it on your desktop computer. Put it on your cell phone.
Our minds remember images. Scientists say that images that have emotions attached to them are very powerful. Perhaps this is a method you may want to explore in reaching your dreams and goals.
No matter what method you use, do something to keep your dreams and goals alive. And never stop picturing them vividly, in great detail, in your mind. See yourself where you want to be, not where you are today. Regardless of the odds, regardless of what others say, your dreams are important because they are your dreams. Refuse to let go of your picture; work towards it until you get it.
最近我遇到一位女士，虽然我没有亲口问她，但我猜她有60岁了。她正在实现她多年以来的梦想。她告诉我，她因上帝的祝福而拥有现在的生活。
多年来，我写过大量关于梦想、目标和可能性的文章。我认为，人生注定要实现全部的可能。实现这一切的其中一步就是，成为一位“可能性论者”。
有很多方法和步骤可以帮助人们实现梦想和目标。我已经在过去写过一些了。但是我也知道，方法步骤归方法步骤，它们仅仅只是方法和步骤。有些方法对一些人有效，并不代表对其他人也有效。而且，你也不能说，一个人实现他们的目标和梦想，完全就是因为某种特定的方法或步骤。
我最近遇到的那位实现梦想的女士，据说在很久以前就已经有所行动了。她画了一幅画。她告诉我说，她是在宾夕法尼亚州的一个苹果园林正中央的房子里出生和长大的。她的梦想就是，某天可以再住在苹果园林中央的房子里。
所以，她简单地画了一所处于苹果园林中央的房子。这幅画她是在很多年前画的。
在她的生命中，很多事情都不如她所愿。多年后，她一直单独生活。直到七年前她遇到一位鳏夫，她已经独自生活了将近二十年时间。在一段时间的求婚之后，他们俩结婚了。她搬进了他的房子，也就是他们现在的家。
在我和她去往她已经住了七年的新家路上时，她跟我讲了一些事。她很开心能住在加利福尼亚这所大苹果园正中央的房子里，她真心地感谢上帝。
她告诉我：“谁会想到，我能遇到个拥有苹果园的人，而且他还想跟我结婚？”她充满感激地补充道：“上帝是不是对我很好？”
你是否曾想过画下你的梦想或目标？你会说你不是个画家？但她也不是。这不重要，重要的是，你能看见你的梦想吗？你能描述它吗？那为什么不画下它呢？
我记得，很多年前我读过一本书，书中讲到的一件事就是关于杂志中的一幅图。一位男士从某本杂志中剪下了一幅漂亮房子的图片，并把它保管在他的办公室里。几次搬迁之后，这张图躺在一个盒子里被遗忘了。
几年后，他买到了他梦想中的房子。在他打开行李的时候，发现了那张从杂志中剪下来的旧图片。不能说图片上的房子和他的新家相似，因为那简直就是他的新家！他盯着多年前从杂志上剪下来的图片，站在那里，手上拿着他现在拥有的房子的图片。
你能画下你的梦想吗？为什么不画出你的梦想呢？或者，从杂志上剪下你所梦想的图片吧。又或者，下载你梦想的图片并把它设置成电脑桌面，或把它存在你的手机里。
我们的大脑会记住图像。科学家表示，富有情感的图像具有强大的能力。也许，这正是你要探索的实现梦想和目标的方法。
无论你用什么方法，都要做些事去保持你的梦想和目标。永远不要停止在你的脑中生动、具体地画出它们。看看你想要的生活，而不是你的现状。不管几率有多大，也不管别人说什么，你的梦想很重要，因为它们是你的梦想。不要让承载梦想的图片溜走，朝着它前行，直到你实现一切。
注释
① orchard n. 果园；果树林
② driveway n. 车道
Rachel's Dream 雷切尔的梦想
Michael A. Verdicchio
June has arrived; the year is moving very quickly. I know that's pretty silly because there are still 24 hours in a day. But as each day goes by are you getting closer to your dreams?
Have you ever noticed that as children get older, many of their dreams seem to vanish①? At age five or six many kids are anxious, excited and eager and have some of the wildest dreams you have ever heard of.
But slowly, over time, as they get older, those dreams just seem to slip away. And when it comes to adults, sadly, many, many of them simply have no dreams. It is all they can to do just get by. But, that is not so concerning the person whose dream I want to share with you.
I'd like you to meet someone. Her name is Rachel. She is almost thirteen years old. She has a dream.
A week ago, our friend Doug was traveling back to California and he spent the evening with us. He had his two daughters and one of their friends with him. One of his daughters is Rachel.
I was sitting out on the patio after dinner talking to Rachel about school. I asked her if she had any plans after high school. I was delighted with her answer. She knows exactly what she wants to do.
She told me she wants to go to culinary② school in either New York or Paris. She said that it will probably be in New York because her aunt Candice lives there. She wants to learn how to do pastries. But her dream doesn't stop there.
She described what her restaurant/pastry shop would be like. She can envision a special place for family and friends to sit and taste her new creations. She was so excited describing her vision and added that most of her friends have no idea what they want to do.
So, will her dream ever come true? No one can say for sure. But if you ask Rachel, she is absolutely convinced. Time will tell, but that's not the point.
The point is that she has a dream. And I know that there are those who would say, "Well that's nice," seeing it only as a child day dreaming, doubting that it will ever come to pass. But there were things that Rachel didn't mention to me.
She said nothing about the current economy. She didn't have any doubts about what the future holds for her. She didn't mention anything about how the current housing market or stock market might have an effect on her dream.
And again, no one can predict③ the future. But this little girl has a big dream. The sad part is that many big girls and big boys have abandoned their dreams for one reason or another. They have accepted what they call"harsh reality" and are doing all that they can to just get by.
That begs the question, "When do you stop dreaming? When do you give up on your dreams? When do you just forget all those dreams and accept life as it is?" I say,"Never."
One of the biggest reasons people abandon their dreams is that they can't see any way for them to come to pass. Some feel cheated out of their dreams. Others feel stupid for even having a dream in the first place. But what's wrong with having dreams and goals?
Just as no one can predict if Rachel's dream will come true, no one can predict that your dream won't come true. Well, no one except you. When you give up on your dream then it is certain that it will not happen.
But why not keep your dreams alive and even add new ones, even if they never happen. Instead of looking at where life is today, why not look forward to where life can be tomorrow. Many people have a hard time doing that because they are afraid of failing. I would rather fail at trying, then never try at all.
6月已经到来了，今年过得特别快。我知道这样说很愚蠢，因为每天依旧都是24个小时。但是，随着日子一天天流逝，你离你的梦想是否更近了呢？
你是否注意到，随着年龄的增长，孩子们的很多梦想似乎也消失了。在五六岁的时候，很多孩子对梦想充满了兴奋感和热切的渴望，他们拥有的梦想是你所听过的最疯狂的梦。
然而，慢慢地，随着时间慢慢流逝，他们的年龄逐渐增长，那些梦想似乎也悄悄溜走了。至于成年人，悲哀的是，他们当中的很多人根本没有梦想。他们所做的只是得过且过。但是，这与我要跟你说的那个人没有那么大的关系，我要跟你分享她的梦想。
我想让你认识一个人，她叫雷切尔。她差不多13岁了。她有一个梦想。
一周以前，我们的朋友道格回到了加利福尼亚。那个晚上，他和我们在一起。跟他一起的还有他的两个女儿和一个他女儿的朋友。他的一个女儿叫做雷切尔。
在晚餐后，我坐在外面的露台和雷切尔谈论起学校来。我问她在中学毕业后是否有什么计划。我对她的回答感到很欣慰，因为她完全知道自己想要做什么。
她告诉我说，她想去纽约或者巴黎的烹饪学校学习。但是因为她的坎蒂斯阿姨住在纽约，所以她表示她很可能会去那儿。她想学习做甜点。然而，她的梦想不只是这样。
她描述了以后的餐厅或面包点心店的样子。她想象会有个特殊的位置给她的家人和朋友，让他们坐在那儿品尝她的新“杰作”。在描述自己的愿望时，她是如此兴奋。她还补充道，她的多数朋友都还不知道自己要做什么。
所以，她的梦想会实现吗？没有人知道。但是，如果你问雷切尔，她绝对确信这一点。时间会证明一切，但这不是重点。
重点是她有梦想。我知道会有人说：“哦，这很好，”然后只把这当作是孩子在做白日梦，并对梦想的实现深感怀疑。然而，有些事雷切尔并没有跟我提起。
她对目前的经济状况只字未提，因为她对她的未来毫不怀疑。至于现在的房地产市场或股票市场对她的梦想可能造成的影响，她一点儿也没提到。
同样，没有人能预测未来。这个小女孩拥有一个大大的梦想，然而可悲的是，很多大女孩和大男孩因为某个或其他原因而放弃了他们的梦想。他们已经接受了所谓的“残酷现实”，并且做着得过且过的事。
这指出了一个问题：“你什么时候会停止梦想，什么时候会放弃你的梦想，又会什么时候忘记所有的梦想而接受现有的生活？”我的答案是：“永远不会。”
人们放弃梦想最主要的原因之一，就是他们不知道如何实现梦想。有些人感觉自己被梦想欺骗了，而另一些人觉得自己起初拥有的梦想很愚蠢。但是，拥有梦想和目标又怎么了呢？
就像没有人可以预测雷切尔的梦想是否会实现一样，没有人能预测你的梦想不会实现。是的，除了你自己，没有人可以。如果你放弃了你的梦想，那么可以肯定，它就不会实现了。
但是，即使它们不会实现，你为什么不保持你的梦想，甚至新增一些梦想呢？为什么不能期盼你未来的生活，而不只是关注现在的生活呢？很多人很难做到这点，因为他们害怕失败。但我宁可尝试过后失败了，也不愿意永远不尝试。
注释
① vanish v. 消失；突然不见；成为零
② culinary a. 厨房的；烹调用的
③ predict v. 预报，预言，预知
The Power of Determination: Glenn Cunningham's Story 决心的力量：格伦·坎宁安的故事
Burt Dubin
The little country schoolhouse was heated by an oldfashioned, pot-bellied coal stove. A little boy had the job of coming to school early each day to start the fire and warm the room before his teacher and his classmates arrived.
One morning they arrived to find the schoolhouse engulfed in flames. They dragged the unconscious① little boy out of the flaming building more dead than alive. He had major burns over the lower half of his body and was taken to a nearby county hospital.
From his bed the dreadfully burned, semi-conscious little boy faintly heard the doctor talking to his mother. The doctor told his mother that her son would surely die—which was for the best, really—for the terrible fire had devastated the lower half of his body.
But the brave boy didn't want to die. He made up his mind that he would survive. Somehow, to the amazement of the physician, he did survive. When the mortal danger was past, he again heard the doctor and his mother speaking quietly. The mother was told that since the fire had destroyed so much flesh in the lower part of his body, it would almost be better if he had died, since he was doomed to be a lifetime cripple with no use at all of his lower limbs.
Once more the brave boy made up his mind. He would not be a cripple. He would walk. But unfortunately from the waist down, he had no motor ability. His thin legs just dangled there, all but lifeless.
Ultimately he was released from the hospital. Every day his mother would massage his little legs, but there was no feeling, no control, nothing. Yet his determination that he would walk was as strong as ever.
When he wasn't in bed, he was confined to a wheelchair. One sunny day his mother wheeled him out into the yard to get some fresh air. This day, instead of sitting there, he threw himself from the chair. He pulled himself across the grass, dragging his legs behind him.
He worked his way to the white picket fence②bordering their lot. With great effort, he raised himself up on the fence. Then, stake by stake, he began dragging himself along the fence, resolved that he would walk. He started to do this every day until he wore a smooth path all around the yard beside the fence. There was nothing he wanted more than to develop life in those legs.
Ultimately through his daily massages, his iron persistence and his resolute determination, he did develop the ability to stand up, then to walk haltingly, then to walk by himself—and then—to run.
He began to walk to school, then to run to school, to run for the sheer joy of running. Later in college he made the track team.
Still later in Madison Square Garden this young man who was not expected to survive, who would surely never walk, who could never hope to run—this determined young man, Dr. Glenn Cunningham, ran the world's fastest mile!
一台形状鼓鼓的老式煤炉使这座乡村小校舍变得温暖。有个小男孩，他有一个任务，就是每天在老师和其他同学到来之前，就要早早地到学校生火，使教室变得温暖起来。
一天早上，他们来到学校后，发现整个校舍被浓烟包围。他们精疲力尽地从着火的大楼中拖出昏迷的小男孩。男孩的下半身有大面积烧伤，他被送往附近的乡村医院。
躺在床上，极度烧伤、处于半昏迷中的小男孩隐约听到了医生与他妈妈的对话。医生告诉他妈妈，这场可怕的大火烧毁了男孩的下半身，她的儿子必死无疑，这实在令人出乎意料。
然而，这个勇敢的男孩不想死。他下定决心要活下来。不知为什么，他确实活过来了，这令医生很吃惊。当度过了这致命的危险期后，他又听到医生小声地对他妈妈说：“因为大火烧毁了他下半身太多面积，他的下肢没有任何用了，他注定要一辈子残废了，这样还不如死了好。”
勇敢的男孩再次下定决心。他不愿残废。他要走路。但是，不幸的是，他的腰部以下失去了任何运动能力。他那瘦弱的腿只是悬挂在那里，毫无知觉。
最终，他从医院出院了。他的妈妈每天给他的腿部做按摩，但是他的腿依旧没有任何感觉和控制力。然而，他要行走的决心依旧强烈。
他不是躺在床上，就是坐在轮椅上。一个晴天，他妈妈推着他坐着轮椅来到院子里呼吸新鲜空气。但是这天，他没有坐在那儿，而是从轮椅上支撑起来。他拖着腿，拽着自己穿过草地。
他走到了院子边界处的白色尖桩篱栅栏旁。费了很大的努力，他将身体撑在栅栏上。然后，他拖着自己沿着栅栏一个桩一个桩地走，这样他就可以行走了。他开始每天都这样做，直到他可以沿着整个院子里的栅栏平稳地行走。他想做的事就只是让他的腿发挥生命的价值。
通过每天的按摩，以及他钢铁般的毅力和他坚定的决心，终于，他从站起来，到蹒跚地走路，到独立行走，最后可以跑步了。
他开始走路上学，然后跑着去上学，跑步能给他带来绝对的快乐。后来，在大学里，他加入了田径队。
再后来，在麦迪逊广场花园，这个被认为不可能存活、不能再行走、更不可能奢望跑步，然而却有决心的年轻人——格伦·坎宁安，跑出了世界上最快的速度。
注释
① unconscious a. 无意识的；失去知觉的；不省人事的
② fence n. 栅栏；围墙
Dreams Will Come True Someday 梦想终会实现
Sara
Everyone has his own dream, in order to make your dream come true, you have to pay a lot, some people may give up his dream when they met some setbacks①, and some people will still stick to, always try their best towards to the dreams. There is a player in order to make his dream come true still insist and never give up.
Beijing time on June 16, 2011 North American Hockey League final game came to an end. Boston Bruins VS Vancouver Canucks was 4-0 and won the Stanley Cup of the 4-3 aggregate score. This also is Boston Bruins for the first time won the Cup since 1972 all the players wore their cheap jerseys played on the field and for the goalkeeper② Thomas for the first time in his career winning the MVP.
The goalkeeper Thomas, who is 37 years old, was elected as the most valuable player because he successfully got the ball in the final game for 37 times. As a veteran, Thomas career is actually not smooth, until 28 years old he got the first opportunities to play in the hockey professional league in Europe. In 2005, Thomas became a member of Boston Bruins after six seasons; he and his teammates got the champion throne, their cheap authentic jerseys are welcomed among the fans.
A year ago, suffered from hip injury, he became the bench player from the top goalkeeper. Although all tried their best, they couldn't redeem the lost in the second round of Stanley Cups. Compared to this period, Thomas thought that the years when he just came to North America hockey league soccer were more difficult. "At that time my career was in rising period, but there is not too much chance to play in the game. For many other people, sitting on bench for a long time will choose to give up, but this is not my character, I just want to try to make me more powerful, finally obtained the approval from others, whether internal and external conditions how bad."
Talking about the last game, Thomas said: "we did our best in the whole game and finally made return, played at the last moment, the whole team without reservation, adhere to the body to fight strategy, this might be the different places to the last few games.""If you can insist on in your post long enough, you will eventually can reap③ your ideal and goal." This motto encourages Thomas never give up, for him, the path to success is really long and bumpy, but today, he finally realized the dream and success.
As long as you are unremitting, the dreams will come true one day, Thomas is such a living example.
每个人都有梦想，为了实现梦想，你必须付出很多。有些人遇到一点挫折就放弃梦想，而有些人则会继续坚持，尽其所能朝着梦想前行。为了实现梦想，有位运动员依然坚持到底，永不放弃。
北京时间2011年6月16日，北美冰球联赛总决赛进入尾声。在最后一轮比赛中，波士顿棕熊队以4∶0赢了温哥华加人队，并以总分4∶3赢得了斯坦利杯。这也是自1972年后波士顿棕熊队首次赢得斯坦利杯。在1972年的那场比赛中，所有的队员在球场上穿着他们便宜的运动衫，也正是在那次比赛中，守门员托马斯在他的职业生涯中首次获得最具价值球员称号。
37岁的守门员托马斯被评为最具价值球员，因为他在决赛中成功地接住37次球。作为一名老运动员，托马斯的职业生涯并不顺利。直到28岁，他才第一次有机会参加欧洲的冰球职业联赛。2005年，在6个赛季之后，托马斯成为了波士顿棕熊队的一员。他和他的队员们摘得桂冠，他们廉价但货真价实的运动衫在粉丝中大受欢迎。
一年前，由于臀部受伤，他从顶尖守门员转为一名替补球员。尽管所有的队员都竭尽全力，但还是不能弥补在比赛第二轮中的失误。与这段时期相比，托马斯认为刚参加北美冰球联赛的时候更艰难。“那个时候我正处于事业上升期，但是我没有很多上场比赛的机会。很多长期担任替补队员的队员选择了放弃，但这不是我的性格。不管内部或外部条件有多恶劣，我只是想试着让自己变得更厉害。最终我获得了其他人的肯定。”
谈到最后一场比赛时，托马斯说道：“整场比赛我们都竭尽全力，最终我们也成功了。直到比赛的最后一刻，整个团队也都毫无保留地尽力去拼，坚持用身体进行战斗，也许这就是与上几场比赛的不同之处。”“如果你能在你的岗位上坚持足够长时间，那么你最终会收获你的理想和目标。”这句座右铭鼓励着托马斯永不放弃。对于他来说，通向成功的道路真是漫长而崎岖。但是今天，他终于实现了他的梦想，获得了成功。
只要你坚持不懈，梦想终会实现，托马斯就是个活生生的例子。
注释
① setback n. 挫折；退步；逆流
② goalkeeper n. 守门员
③ reap v. 收获；收割；获得
