The key is to listen to your heart and let it carry you in the direction of your dreams. And each day that you're moving toward your dreams without compromising who you are, you're winning.
—Michael Dell
聆听你内心的声音，并让它带你前往梦想的方向。当你每天朝着梦想前进，而且没有放弃做自己，你就是胜利的。
——迈克尔·戴尔
Ask, Ask, Ask 请求，请求，再请求
Jack Canfield & Mark V. Hansen
The greatest saleswoman in the world today doesn't mind if you call her a girl. That's because Markita Andrews has generated more than eighty thousand dollars selling Girl Scout cookies since she was seven years old.
Going door-to-door after school, the painfully shy Markita transformed herself into a cookie-selling dynamo① when she discovered, at age 13, the secret of selling.
It starts with desire. Burning, white-hot desire.
For Markita and her mother, who worked as a waitress in New York after her husband left them when Markita was eight years old, their dream was to travel the globe. "I'll work hard to make enough money to send you to college," her mother said one day. "You'll go to college and when you graduate, you'll make enough money to take you and me around the world. Okay?"
So at age 13 when Markita read in her Girl Scout magazine that the Scout who sold the most cookies would win an all-expenses-paid trip for two around the world, she decided to sell all the Girl Scout cookies she could—more Girl Scout cookies than anyone in the world, ever.
But desire alone is not enough. To make her dream come true, Markita knew she needed a plan.
"Always wear your right outfit, your professional garb," her aunt advised. "When you are doing business, dress like you are doing business. Wear your Girl Scout uniform. When you go up to people in their tenement② buildings at 4:30 or 6:30 and especially on Friday night, ask for a big order. Always smile, whether they buy or not, always be nice. And don't ask them to buy your cookies; ask them to invest."
Lots of other Scouts may have wanted that trip around the world. Lots of other Scouts may have had a plan. But only Markita went off in her uniform each day after school, ready to ask—and keep asking—folks to invest in her dream. "Hi, I have a dream. I'm earning a trip around the world for me and my mom by merchandising Girl Scout cookies," she'd say at the door. "Would you like to invest in one dozen or two dozen boxes of cookies?"
Markita sold 3,526 boxes of Girl Scout cookies that year and won her trip around the world. Since then, she has sold more than 42,000 boxes of Girl Scout cookies, spoken at sales conventions across the country, starred in a Disney movie about her adventure and has co-authored the best seller, How to Sell More Cookies, Condos, Cadillacs, Computers...And Everything Else.
Markita is no smarter and no more extroverted than thousands of other people, young and old, with dreams of their own. The difference is Markita had discovered the secret of selling: Ask, Ask, Ask! Many people fail before they even begin because they fail to ask for what they want. The fear of rejection leads many of us to reject ourselves and our dreams long before anyone else ever has the chance—no matter what we're selling.
And everyone is selling something. "You're selling yourself everyday—in school, to your boss, to new people you meet," said Markita at 14. "My mother is a waitress: she sells the daily special. Mayors and presidents trying to get votes are selling...I see selling everywhere I look. Selling is part of the whole world."
It takes courage to ask for what you want. Courage is not the absence of fear. It's doing what it takes despite one's fear. And, as Markita has discovered, the more you ask, the easier (and more fun) it gets.
Once, on live TV, the producer decided to give Markita her toughest selling challenge. Markita was asked to sell Girl Scout cookies to another guest on the show. "Would you like to invest in one dozen or two dozen boxes of Girl Scout cookies?" she asked.
"Girl Scout cookies? I don't buy any Girl Scout cookies!" he replied. "I'm a Federal Penitentiary warden. I put 2,000 rapists, robbers, criminals, muggers and child abusers to bed every night."
Unruffled③, Markita quickly countered, "Mister, if you take some of these cookies, maybe you won't be so mean and angry and evil. And, Mister, I think it would be a good idea for you to take some of these cookies back for every one of your 2,000 prisoners, too."
Markita asked.
The warden wrote a check.
现今世界上最伟大的女售货员玛姬塔·安德鲁斯并不介意被称作女孩。这是因为从7岁至今，她已经销售了价值超过8万美元的童子军饼干。
放学后挨家挨户兜售，使原来极度害羞的玛姬塔变成了售卖饼干的小精灵，并在她13岁时发现了销售的秘诀。
这一切都始于她心中的渴望，那如火焰般燃烧的白热化的渴望。
玛姬塔的母亲曾是一名在纽约工作的女服务员，当她的丈夫离开她们时，玛姬塔只有8岁。玛姬塔和母亲的梦想是环球旅行。“我要努力工作赚钱，送你去上大学。”有一天，她的妈妈说。“你必须去上大学。大学毕业时，你要赚足够多的钱带咱俩周游世界。好吗？”
所以，在13岁时，当玛姬塔在她的女童子军杂志上读到，卖掉最多饼干的童子军将赢得双人免费游览世界各地的机会时，她决定尽其所能卖掉尽可能多的女童子军饼干——比世界上任何人卖掉的女童子军饼干都要多。
但是，光有强烈渴望是远远不够的，要实现梦想，玛姬塔知道她必须制定一个计划。
“总是注意穿着得体，你得穿上你的职业装束，”她的阿姨建议道。“当你做生意时，你必须穿得像做生意的人。你必须穿上你的女童子军制服。当你在每天4:30或6:30去人们租住的公寓时，特别是在周五晚上，你可以请求人们下个大订单。你必须时刻保持微笑，对人们好些，无论他们购买与否。不要要求他们买你的饼干，要求他们向你投资。”
很多其他的童子军可能也想要环游世界。他们可能也有一个计划。但只有玛姬塔每天放学后就穿上她的制服，准备好了去请求——不停地请求人们为她的梦想投资。“你好，我有一个梦想。我想通过销售女童子军饼干为我和妈妈赢得一次环球旅行，”她会在门口说，“你愿意为我的梦想投资一打或两打饼干吗？”
那一年，玛姬塔卖出了3,526箱女童子军饼干，赢得了她的环球旅行。从那时起，她一共卖出了超过42,000箱女童子军饼干。她在全国销售会议上发表演讲，主演以她的经历为题材的迪士尼电影，与他人共同撰写了畅销书《如何卖出更多的饼干、公寓、凯迪拉克、电脑……以及其他的一切》。
与其他成千上万怀抱梦想的或年轻或年老的人们相比，玛姬塔并没有比他们更聪明或更外向。不同的是，玛姬塔发现了销售的秘诀：请求，请求，再请求！许多人甚至在开始之前就失败了，因为他们难以开口请求他们想要的东西。无论我们销售什么，对被拒绝的恐惧导致了我们中的许多人，在任何人有机会拒绝我们之前，首先否定了我们自己和我们的梦想。
然而，我们每个人都在销售。“你每天都在推销自己，在学校，向你的老板，向你刚刚认识的人，”14岁的玛姬塔说道。“我的母亲是一位女服务员：她推销每天的特色菜。试图获得选票的市长和总统也在推销……目光所到之处，我都能看到销售。销售是整个世界的一部分。”
你需要勇气去请求获得你想要的东西。勇气并不是没有恐惧，而是尽管有恐惧，也还是要努力去付出。而且，正如玛姬塔发现的那样，你请求得越多，你就越容易（而且越有趣地）得到它。
在一次电视直播中，节目制作人决定给玛姬塔一个最困难的销售挑战。她被要求向在场的另一个嘉宾出售童子军饼干。“你愿意投资一打或两打女童子军饼干吗？”她问。
“女童子军饼干？我不买任何童子军饼干！”他回答说。“我是一个联邦监狱狱长。我每天晚上要安排2,000名犯了强奸、盗窃、抢劫、虐待儿童等罪行的囚犯上床睡觉。”
玛姬塔面不改色，很快反驳道：“先生，如果你买走其中的一些饼干，也许你就不会这么刻薄、愤怒、充满邪恶了。而且，先生，我认为这是一个好主意：你把一些饼干带回去，然后送给你那2,000名囚犯中的每一个人。”
玛姬塔请求道。
监狱长现场就开了支票。
【美丽语录】
All your dreams can come true if you have the courage to pursue them.—Walt Disney
你所有的梦想皆可实现，只要你有勇气去追求。
——沃尔特·迪斯尼
注释
①dynamo ['dain?m?u] n. 发电机；精力充沛的人
②tenement ['tenim?nt] n. 房屋，住户，租户
③unruffled ['?n'r?fld] a. 平静的；镇定的，沉着的；无波浪的
Paul's Unstoppable Will Power Turns Wasteland to Forest
意志的魔力
Adam Khan
When Paul was a boy growing up in Utah, he happened to live near an old copper smelter. The sulfur dioxide that poured out of the refinery had made a desolate① wasteland out of what used to be a beautiful forest. When a young visitor one day looked at this wasteland and saw that there was nothing living there—no animals, no trees, no grass, no bushes, no birds...nothing but fourteen thousand acres of black and barren land that even smelled bad—well, this kid looked at the land and said, "This place is crummy." Little Paul knocked him down. He felt insulted. But he looked around him and something happened inside him. He made a decision: Paul Rokich vowed that some day he would bring back the life to this land.
Years later Paul was in the area, and he went to the smelter office. He asked if they had any plans to bring the trees back. The answer was "No." He asked if they would let him try to bring the trees back. Again, the answer was "No." They didn't want him on their land. He realized he needed to be more knowledgeable before anyone would listen to him, so he went to college to study botany.
At the college he met a professor who was an expert in Utah's ecology. Unfortunately, this expert told Paul that the wasteland he wanted to bring back was beyond hope. He was told that his goal was foolish because even if he planted trees, and even if they grew, the wind would only blow the seeds forty feet per year, and that's all you'd get because there weren't any birds or squirrels to spread the seeds, and the seeds from those trees would need another thirty years before they started producing seeds of their own. Therefore, it would take approximately twenty thousand years to revegetate② that six-square-mile piece of earth.
So he tried to go on with his life. He got a job operating heavy equipment, got married, and had some kids. But his dream would not die. He kept studying up on the subject, and he kept thinking about it. And then one night, Paul looked at what opportunities were right in front of him. He decided to get up and take some action. He would do what he could with what he had. This was an important turning point.
Under the cover of darkness, he sneaked out into the wasteland with a backpack full of seedlings and started planting. For seven hours he planted seedlings. He did it again a week later. And every week, he made his secret journey into the wasteland and planted trees and shrubs and grass. But most of it died. For fifteen years he did this. When a whole valley of his fir seedlings burned to the ground because of a careless sheepherder, Paul broke down and wept. Then he got up and kept planting.
Freezing winds and blistering③ heat, landslides and floods and fires destroyed his work time and time again. But he kept planting. One night he found a highway crew had come and taken tons of dirt for a road grade, and all the plants he had painstakingly planted in that area were gone. But he just kept planting.
Week after week, year after year he kept at it, against the opinion of the authorities, against the trespassing laws, against the devastation of road crews, against the wind and rain and heat...even against plain common sense. He just kept planting. Slowly, very slowly, things began to take root. Then gophers appeared. Then rabbits. Then porcupines.
Eventually, the old copper smelter saw the results and gave him permission to plant. Then later, as times were changing and there was political pressure to clean up the environment, the company actually hired Paul to do what he was already doing, and they provided him with machinery and crews to work with. Progress accelerated. Now the place is fourteen thousand acres of trees and grass and bushes, rich with elk and eagles, and Paul Rokich has received almost every environmental award Utah has.
Recently, Paul mused on his long decades of dedicated work, "I thought that if I got this started, when I was dead and gone people would come and see it. I never thought I'd live to see it myself!" It took him until his hair turned white, but he managed to keep that impossible vow he made to himself as a child.
What was it you wanted to do that you thought was impossible? Paul's story sure gives a perspective④ on things, doesn't it? The way you get something accomplished in this world is to just keep planting. Just keep working. Just keep plugging away at it one day at a time for a long time, no matter who criticizes you, no matter how long it takes, no matter how many times you fall. Get back up again. And just keep planting.
保罗在犹他州长大，那时他碰巧住在一个老旧的铜冶炼厂里。冶炼厂排出的二氧化硫，使这里曾经美丽的森林已经变成一片荒凉的废墟。有一天，一位年轻游客看着这片荒芜的土地，这片满目疮痍——没有动物，没有草木，没有灌木丛，没有鸟……除了一万四千英亩散发着恶臭的贫瘠的黑色土地，他望着土地，说：“这个地方实在是糟糕透顶。”小保罗把他打倒在地，因为他感觉受到了侮辱。但是，当保罗朝四周看了看后，内心发生了细微的变化。他做出了一个决定：保罗·洛基希发誓，总有一天，他会把生机和活力带回这片土地上。
几年后，保罗回到了该地区，去了冶炼厂的办公室。他问他们是否有计划把树重新种起来。答案是“没有”。他问他们是否可以让他重新把树种起来。又一次得到答案：“不行。”他们不想让他留在他们的土地上。他意识到，在有人听从他的建议之前，他需要更多的知识，所以他开始去大学学习植物学。
在大学里，保罗遇到了一位教授，他是犹他州生态学专家。不幸的是，这种专家告诉保罗，他不可能复原荒地。他被告知他的目标是愚蠢的，因为即使他种植了树木，即使树木会成长，大风也只会以每年40英尺的速度把种子散播开去，这就是你能得到的全部自然力量；因为没有任何鸟类或松鼠传播种子，这些树木产生的种子将需要再过30年才能开始产生自己的种子。因此，大约需要2万年时间才能使6平方英里的土地重新披上绿色植被。
于是，他试图继续过着自己的生活。他得到了一份操作重型设备的工作，结婚生子，有了几个孩子。但他并没有放弃梦想。他一直钻研着这个课题，不停地思考它。此后的一天晚上，保罗仔细想了想摆在他面前的机会有哪些。他决定起床采取一些行动。他将倾其所有、尽其所能去做些事情。这是一个重要的转折点。
在夜幕的掩护下，他背着装满树苗的背包，偷偷溜回荒地，开始种起树来。他栽了整整7个小时的树苗。一个星期后，他又种了一次。此后的每一周，他都会隐秘地回到荒地，种植树木、灌木、草皮。但是，大部分都活不下来。连续15年间，他一直坚持这样做。一次，因为牧羊人的粗心大意，整个山谷的杉木苗一度被烧殆尽，保罗忍不住失声痛哭。然而，之后他又站了起来，继续种树。
刺骨的寒风，炙烤般的酷热，山体滑坡，洪水，火灾，这些一次又一次摧毁了他的杰作。但他坚持一直种下去。有一天晚上，他发现来了一队高速公路养护员，他们从地里挖取了数吨泥土来填实道路斜坡，而他煞费苦心种植在那个地区的所有植物都被他们铲除了。但他还是继续种着。
一周又一周，一年复一年，他一直坚持种着，不顾当地政府的意见，不顾擅自进入行为的法律约束，不顾捣蛋破坏的公路养护队，顶着狂风暴雨酷暑严寒……甚至不顾最简单不过的常识。他就一直种着。慢慢地，很慢很慢地，事情有了转机；植物开始生根，地鼠出现了，然后兔子出现了，再然后豪猪也出现了。
最终，老铜矿冶炼厂看到了他努力的结果，并允许他种植。后来，随着时代的变化，清理环境的政治压力不断增大，公司实际上雇佣了保罗做他一直在做的事情，他们给他提供了机械和工作人员一起工作。进展不断加速。现在这一万四千英亩的土地上方种满了树木、灌木和青草，到处都可见麋鹿和老鹰，而保罗已经获得了犹他州几乎每一个环境奖项。
最近，保罗回想起几十年如一日努力忘我的工作时说：“我想，如果我开始做这件事情，当我死了以后，人们会来看看它。我从未想过自己能活着亲眼见证这一切！”为了实现孩提时代对自己许下的看似不可能的誓言，他几乎花了一辈子的时间，直到他成了头发花白的老人。
什么事情是你想做却又认为是不可能的？保罗的故事的确可以给这些事情提供一个视角，不是吗？在这个世界上，你要取得一些成就的秘诀就是，继续坚持。你只要继续坚持工作，每天坚持做一点并坚持很长时间，不管谁批评你，无论需要多长时间，不管你跌倒多少次，都记得再次站起来，然后继续坚持下去。
【美丽语录】
The difference in winning and losing is most often…not quitting.—Walt Disney
赢与输的差别通常是……不放弃。——沃尔特·迪斯尼
注释
①desolate ['des?leit''des?lit] a. 荒凉的，荒芜的，孤单寂寞的
②revegetate [ri:'ved?iteit] v. [植] 再生长，再植
③blistering ['blist?ri?] a. 快的；酷热的；起泡的；激烈的
④perspective [p?'spektiv] n. 远景；看法；透视
Finding My Wings 展开梦想的翅膀
Sue Augustine
Reach high, for stars lie hidden in your soul. Dream deep, for every dream precedes the goal. —Pamela Vaull Starr
Like so many other girls, my self-confidence growing up was almost nonexistent. I doubted my abilities, had little faith in my potential and questioned my personal worth. If I achieved good grades, I believed that I was just lucky. Although I made friends easily, I worried once they got to know me, the friendships wouldn't last. And when things went well, I thought I was just in the right place at the right time. I even rejected praise and compliments.
The choice I made reflected my self-image. While in my teens, I attracted a man with the same low self-esteem. In spite of his violent temper and an extremely rocky dating relationship, I decided to marry him. I still remember my dad whispering to me before walking me down the aisle①, "It's not too late, Sue. You can change your mind." My family knew what a terrible mistake I was making. Within weeks, I knew it, too.
The physical abuse lasted for several years. I survived serious injures, was covered with bruises much of the time and had to be hospitalized on numerous occasions. Life became a blur of police sirens②, doctor's reports and family court appearances. Yet I continued to go back to the relationship, hoping that things would somehow improve.
After we had our two little girls, there were times when all that got me through the night was having those chubby little arms wrapped around my neck, pudgy cheeks pressed up against mine and precious toddler voices saying, "It's all right, Mummy. Everything will be okay."But I knew that it wasn't going to be okay. I had to make changes—if not for myself, to protect my little girls.
Then something gave me the courage to change. Through work, I was able to attend a series of professional development seminars. In one, a presenter talked about turning dreams into realities. That was hard for me—even to dream about a better future. But something in the message made me listen.
She asked us to consider two powerful questions: "If you could be, do, or have anything in the world, and you knew it would be impossible to fail, what would you choose? And if you could create your ideal life, what would you dare to dream?" In that moment, my life began to change. I began to dream.
I imagined having the courage to move the children into an apartment of our own and start over. I pictured a life for the girls and me. I dreamed about being an international motivational speaker so that I could inspire people the way the seminar leader had inspired me. I saw myself writing my story to encourage others.
So I went on to create a visual picture of my new success. I envisioned myself wearing a business suit, carrying a leather briefcase and getting on an airplane. This was quite a stretch③ for me, since at the time I couldn't even afford a suit.
Yet I knew that if I was going to dream, it was important to fill in the details for my five senses. So I went to the leather store and modeled a briefcase in front of the mirror. How would it look and feel? What does leather smell like? I tried on some red suits and even found a picture of a woman in a red suit, carrying a briefcase and getting on a plane. I hung the picture up where I could see it every day. It helped me to keep the dream alive.
And soon the changes began. I moved with the children to a small apartment. On only $98 a week, we ate a lot of peanut butter and drove an old car. But for the first time, we felt free and safe. I worked hard at my sales career, all the time focusing on my "impossible dream".
Then one day I answered the phone, and the voice on the other end asked me to speak at the company's upcoming annual conference. I accepted, and my speech was a success. This led to a series of promotions, eventually to a national trainer. I went on to develop my own speaking company and have traveled to many countries around the world. My impossible dream has become a reality.
I believe that all success begins with spreading your wings—believing in your worth, trusting in your insight, nurturing yourself, having a goal and devising a personal strategy④. And then, even impossible dreams become real.
跳得更高，因为你内心深藏着对天际星辰的渴望；梦得更深，因为每一个梦想都让你不断靠近最终的理想。——帕梅拉·维奥尔·斯塔尔
像很多女孩一样，我的自信心几乎从未成长过。我怀疑自己的能力，不相信自己有潜力，质疑自己的个人价值。如果我取得了好成绩，我认为那只不过是运气罢了。虽然我很容易交到朋友，但我担心一旦他们了解了我，友谊便不会持久。当事情进展十分顺利时，我认为那只不过是合适的时间、地点作用的结果。我甚至拒绝表扬和赞美。
我所做的选择反映了我的自我形象。在我十几岁时，我吸引了一名自尊心和我同样脆弱的男人。尽管他脾气暴躁，我们恋爱时的关系极度起伏，并不美满，但我仍然决定要嫁给他。我依然记得爸爸在陪我走向婚姻圣坛之前时，向我低声耳语道：“现在改变你的想法，还不算太晚，苏。”我的家人知道我正在犯一个可怕的错误。几周之后，我自己也明白了。
家庭暴力持续了好几年。我遭受了严重的伤害，大部分时间我的身体都遍布瘀伤，无数次我不得不入院治疗。生活开始成为充斥着模糊的警笛声、医生报告、出席家庭法庭的可怕噩梦。然而，每一次我总会回到我们的婚姻中去，希望事情会有所好转。
后来，我们有了两个小女孩。孩子们的陪伴让我熬过了一个又一个漫漫长夜。她们胖乎乎的手臂环抱着我的脖子，胖乎乎的脸颊挤压着我的脸，用学步孩童娇滴滴的声音说：“没关系，妈妈。一切都会好的。”但我知道事情不会好了。我不得不做出改变——即使不是为了我自己，也是为了保护我年幼的女儿们。
后来，我逐渐能拿出勇气去尝试改变。因为工作的关系，我参加了一系列职业发展研讨会。在一次会上，一位演讲者谈论的话题是如何把梦想变为现实。那对我来说非常困难——我甚至很难去想象更好的未来。但是，其中的一些信息吸引了我驻足倾听。
她让我们考虑两个重大的问题：“如果你可以在这世界上成为什么，做什么，或者拥有什么，而且你不会失败，你会选择什么？如果你可以创造属于自己的理想生活，你敢于梦想吗？”在那一刻，我的生活开始发生变化，我开始了梦想。
我想象着我有足够的勇气带着孩子住进自己的公寓，一切都重新开始。我想象着我和孩子们的生活。我梦想成为一名国际励志演说家，这样我就可以激发他人，就像研讨会的演讲者启发了我那样。我似乎已经看到自己把亲身经历写下来，并以此鼓励其他人。
所以，我继续在脑海里想象我取得新的成功时的情景。我想象自己穿着西装，带着一个皮革公文包，登上一架飞机。对于我而言，那是一个相当大的跨越，因为当时的我甚至穷得都买不起西装。
但我知道，如果我要梦想，为我的五种感官填补细节信息就非常重要。所以我去了皮革商店，在镜子前看着自己提着公文包的样子。它看起来怎样，摸起来感觉如何？闻上去怎样？我试穿了几件红色套装，甚至看见那里真有一张穿红色套装的女人带着公文包乘坐飞机的照片。我把照片挂在每天都能看到的地方，它帮我保持梦想，让它始终都生动鲜活。
很快，生活开始发生变化了。我和孩子们搬进了一套小公寓。我们每周只有98美元用于生活开支，我们吃很多的花生酱，开一辆旧汽车。但是有史以来第一次，我们感到自由和安全。我努力做我的销售工作，把所有的时间都专注于我那“不可能实现的梦想”。
有一天，我接到了一个电话，对方邀请我在公司即将推出的年度会议上发表演讲。我接受了，而且我的演讲获得了成功。这引发了一系列的宣传活动，最终，我成为一位国内知名的培训讲师。我继续发展自己的演讲事业，并前往世界各地的许多国家进行演讲培训。我不可能实现的梦想已成为现实。
我相信，所有的成功都来源于展开梦想的翅膀——相信你的价值，相信你的洞察力，培养自己，制定目标和个人策略。最后，不可能实现的梦想甚至也能成为现实。
【美丽语录】
You cannot control what happens to you, but you can control your attitude toward what happens to you, and in that, you will be mastering change rather than allowing it to master you.—Brian Tracy
你不能控制发生在你身上的事，但你可以控制看待它的态度。而这么做时，你将可以掌控改变，而不是让改变掌控你。——布莱恩·崔西
注释
①aisle [ail] n. 侧廊，（席位间的）通道
②siren ['sai?rin] n. 汽笛；警报器
③stretch [stret?] n. 伸展；张开；弹性
④strategy ['str?tid?i] n. 策略，战略
His Life's Work 一辈子的工作
Wyverne Flatt
When his wife died, the baby was two. The six other children—three boys and three girls, range in age from 4 to 16.
A few days after he became a widower, the man's parents and his wife's parents came to visit.
"We've been talking," they said, "about how to make this work. There's no way you can take care of all these children and make a living. So, we've arranged for each child and be placed with a different uncle and aunt. We're making sure that all of your children will be living right here in the neighborhood, so you can see them anytime..."
"You have no diea how much I appreciate your thoughtfulness," the man said. "But I want you to know," he smiled and continued, "if the children should interfere with my work, or if we should need any help, we'll let you know."
Over the next few weeks the man worked with his children, assigning them chores and giving them responsibilities. The two older girls, aged 12 and 10, began to cook and do the laundry and household chores. The two older boys, 16 and 14, helped their father with farming.
But then another blow came. The man developed arthritis①. His hands swelled, and he was unable to use his farm tools. The children shouldered their loads well, but the man could see that he would not be able to continue in this way. He sold his farming equipment, moved the family to a small town and opened a small business.
The family was welcomed into the new neighbourhood. The man's business flourished②. He derived③ pleasure from seeing people and serving them.Word of his pleasant personality and excellent customer service began to spread. People came from far and wide to do business with him. And the children helped both at home and at work. Their father's pleasure in his work brought satisfaction to them, and he drew pleasure from their successes.
The children grew up and got married. Five of the seven went off to college, most after they were married. Each one paid his or her own way. The children's collegiate successes were a source of pride to the father. He had stopped at the sixth grade.
Then came grandchildren. No one enjoyed grandchildren more than this man. As they became toddlers, he invited them to his workplace and his small home. They brought each other great joy.
Finally, the youngest daughter—the baby who had been two years old at her mother's death—got married.
And the man, his life's work completed, died.
This man's work had been the lonely but joyful task of raising his family. This man was my father. I was the 16-year-old, the oldest of seven.
他妻子去世的时候，最小的孩子刚满两岁，其他六个孩子，三男三女，最小的才4岁，最大的也就16岁。
他成为鳏夫后，过了几天，他的父母和岳父母双双来到他家里。
“我们已经讨论过以后该怎么办了。”他们说，“你不可能一边照顾所有的孩子，一边工作谋得生计。所以，我们把每个孩子安排到各个叔叔阿姨家里去。我们保证所有的孩子都会生活在附近，你可以在任何时候见到他们……”
“你们不知道我有多么感激你们的体贴周到，”男人说，“但我想让你们知道，”他笑了笑，接着说，“如果孩子们影响了我的工作，或者我们需要任何帮助，我会通知你们的。”
在接下来的几个星期里，男人与他的孩子们一起干活；他给他们分配杂活儿，让他们担当责任。两个年长的女孩，分别是12岁和10岁，开始做饭、洗衣服，料理家务；两个年长的男孩，分别是16岁和14岁，帮助他们的父亲干些农活。
但是紧接着，他们遭到了另一个打击——男人患了关节炎。他的手高高肿了起来，无法使用农具了。孩子们挑起了家庭的重担，但是男人明白，他无法这样继续下去。他卖掉了农业设备，全家搬到了一个小镇上，开始经营起小生意。
这个家庭在小镇上受到了人们的欢迎。男人的生意也很红火。他接待人们，为他们提供服务，并从中得到了快乐。他开朗和善的性格，以及给客户提供的优良服务，在人们之间口口相传。人们从四面八方赶来与他做生意。孩子们在家庭事务和生意上都提供了极大的帮助。父亲在生意上获得的喜悦让孩子们感到满足，而他也为孩子们的成功感到十分愉悦。
孩子们长大了，结婚了。七个孩子中的五个上了大学，大多数是婚后上的大学，每个人都自己负责上大学的费用。孩子们在大学获得的成功让他们的父亲引以为豪。而他自己只上了六年级就辍学了。
后来，孙子孙女也出生了。没有人比他更喜欢孙子孙女了。当他们蹒跚学步之时，他把他们带到工作的地方和他的小房子里。他们给彼此带来了巨大的乐趣。
最后，最小的女儿——母亲去世时才2岁的婴儿——也结婚了。
这个男人，他一辈子的工作终于完成了。他去世了。
男人一直孤独但却快乐地养育着他的家人，这是他一辈子的工作。这个男人是我的父亲，而我就是那个16岁的男孩，七个孩子中最年长的那个。
【美丽语录】
A man does what he must—in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures.—John Kennedy
一个人要有所担当——不在乎个人后果，不在乎困难、危险及压力。——约翰·肯尼迪
注释
①arthritis [ɑ:'θraitis] n. 关节炎
②flourish ['fl?ri?] v. 茂盛，繁荣；挥舞；活跃
③derive [di'raiv] v. 获取；得自；起源
Become What You Want to Be
奥运冠军之路
Brian Cavanaugh
Let me tell you about a little girl who was born into a very poor family in a shack① in the Backwoods of Tennessee. She was the 20th of 22 children, prematurely born and frail. Her survival was doubtful. When she was four years old she had double pneumonia② and scarlet fever—a deadly combination that left her with a paralyzed and useless left leg. She had to wear an iron leg brace. Yet she was fortunate in having a mother who encouraged her.
Well, this mother told her little girl, who was very bright, that despite the brace and leg, she could do whatever she wanted to do with her life. She told her that all she needed to do was to have faith, persistence③, courage and and indomitable spirit.
So at nine years of age, the little girl removed the leg brace, and she took the step the doctors told her she would never take normally. In four years, she developed a rhytmic stride, which was a medical wonder. Then this girl got the notion, the incredible notion, that she would like to be the world's greatest woman runner. Now, what could she mean—be a runner with a leg like that?
At age 13, she entered a race. She came in last-way, way last. She entered every race in high school, and in every race she came in last. Everyone begged her quit! However, one day, she came in next to last. And then there came a day when she won a race. From then on, Wilma Rudolph won every race that she entered.
Wilma went to Tennessee State University, where she met a coach named Ed Temple. Coach Temple saw the indomitable spirit of the girl, that she was a believer and that she had great natural talent. He trained her so well that she went to the Olympic Games.
There she was pitted④ against the greatest woman runner of the day, a German girl named Jutta Heine. Nobody had ever beaten Jutta. But in the 100-meter dash, Wilma Rudolph won. She beat Jutta again in the 200-meters. Now Wilma had two Olimpic gold medals.
Finally came the 400-meter relay. It would be Wilma against Jutta once again. The first two runners on Wilma's team made perfect handoffs with the baton. But when the third runner handed the baton to Wilma, she was so excited she dropped it, and Wilma saw Jutta taking off down the track. It was impossible that anybody could catch this fleet and nimble girl. But Wilma did just that! Wilma Rudolph had earned three Olympic gold medals.
让我告诉你一个小女孩的故事。她出生于田纳西州偏远棚户区一个非常贫困的家庭，在这个家庭的22个孩子中排行20。她是个虚弱的早产儿，幸存下来的几率很小。4岁的时候，她得了双侧肺炎和猩红热——一个致命的疾病组合，这场疾病使她的左腿瘫痪，她不得不用铁质支架支撑身体。然而，幸运的是，她的母亲一直鼓励着她。
这个母亲告诉她的小女孩，她非常聪明，尽管她的腿瘫痪了而必须依赖支架，但她可以按她理想的方式去生活。她告诉她，她需要的只是信心、毅力、勇气和不屈不挠的精神。
所以，9岁那年，小女孩卸下了支架。尽管医生说她永远都不能正常迈步走路，但她仍然开始练习起走路。在四年时间里，她新创了一种节奏步伐。这是一个医学奇迹。后来，这个女孩有了一个令人难以置信的想法：她想成为世界上最伟大的女子跑步运动员。那么，她是什么意思呢——成为一个有那样一条腿的跑步者？
13岁时，她参加了一个比赛。她跑了最后一名，远远落后于其他人的真正的最后一名。她参加高中里的每一场比赛，在每场比赛中总是最后一名。每个人都恳求她退出比赛！然而，后来有一天，她跑了倒数第二名。再有一天，她居然赢得了比赛。从那时起，威尔玛·鲁道夫赢得了她所参加的每一场比赛。
威尔玛上了田纳西州立大学，在那里遇到了一位名叫艾德·坦贝尔的教练。教练在女孩身上看到了不屈不挠的精神，也看出她很有天赋，对自己很有信心。在他的训练下，女孩变得十分优秀，进而去参加了奥运会。
在奥运会上，她与当时最优秀的女运动员德国女孩尤塔·海涅同场竞技。没有人曾击败过尤塔。但在100米短跑中，威尔玛·鲁道夫获胜了。在200米中，她再次击败尤塔。现在，威尔玛有两枚奥运会金牌。
最后是400米接力比赛。这将是威尔玛与尤塔的再一次对决。威尔玛团队的前两名运动员完美地完成了接棒，但是当第三名运动员将接力棒传给威尔玛时，她是如此激动，以至于把它掉在了地上。威尔玛看见尤塔沿着跑道飞一般地跑去。任何人都不可能追上这个身手敏捷、健步如飞的女孩。但威尔玛却做到了！威尔玛·鲁道夫赢得了她的第三枚奥运会金牌。
【美丽语录】
Never underestimate the power of dreams and the influence of the human spirit. We are all the same in this notion: The potential for greatness lives within each of us.—Wilma Rudolph
绝不要低估梦想的力量及人类心灵的作用。在这点上我们并无区别：成就伟大的潜力活在我们每个人心里。
——威尔玛·鲁道夫
注释
①shack [??k] n. 棚房；窝棚；小室
②pneumonia [nju:'m?unj?] n. 肺炎
③persistence [p?'sist?ns] n. 坚持，毅力
④pit [pit] v. 使凹陷；使竞争
I Can Make It Happen 我能做到
Anonymous
History abounds① with tales of experts who were convinced that the ideas, plans, and projects of others could never be achieved. However, accomplishment came to those who said, "I can make it happen."
The Italian sculptor Agostino d'Antonio worked diligently② on a large piece of marble. Unable to produce his desired masterpiece, he lamented, "I can do nothing with it." Other sculptors also worked this difficult piece of marble, but to no avail. Michelangelo discovered the stone and visualized③ the possibilities in it. His "I-can-make-it-happen" attitude resulted in one of the world's masterpieces—David.
The experts of Spain concluded that Columbus's plans to discover a new and shorter route to the West Indies was virtually impossible. Queen Isabella and King Ferdinand ignored the report of the experts. "I can make it happen," Columbus persisted. And he did. Everyone knew the world was flat, but not Columbus. The Nina, the Pinta, the Santa Maria, along with Columbus and his small band of followers, sailed to "impossible" new lands and thriving resources.
Even the great Thomas Alva Edison discouraged his friend, Henry Ford, from pursuing his fledgling④ idea of a motorcar. Convinced of the worthlessness of the idea, Edison invited Ford to come and work for him. Ford remained committed and tirelessly pursued his dream. Although his first attempt resulted in a vehicle without reverse gear, Henry Ford knew he could make it happen. And, of course, he did.
"Forget it," the experts advised Madame Curie. They agreed radium was a scientifically impossible idea. However, Marie Curie insisted, "I can make it happen."
Let's not forget our friends Orville and Wilbur Wright. Journalists, friends, armed forces specialists, and even their father laughed at the idea of an airplane. "What a silly and insane way to spend money. Leave flying to the birds," they jeered. "Sorry," the Wright brothers responded. "We have a dream, and we can make it happen." As a result, a place called Kitty Hawk, North Carolina, became the setting for the launching of their "ridiculous" idea.
Finally, as you read these accounts under the magnificent lighting of your environment, consider the plight of Benjamin Franklin. He was admonished to stop the foolish experimenting with lighting. What an absurdity⑤ and waste of time! Why, nothing could outdo the fabulous oil lamp. Thank goodness Franklin knew he could make it happen. You too can make it happen!
历史上流传着很多所谓“行家”或“专家”的故事，他们深信他人的某些创意、计划或项目或许永远都不能实现。但是，那些坚持认为“我能做到”的人往往并不信这个邪，并且最终取得了成功。
意大利雕刻家阿戈斯蒂诺·安东尼奥对着一大块大理石苦思冥想。他无法用它雕刻出理想的杰作，于是哀叹道：“我用它创作不出什么。”其他雕塑家也曾试图雕刻这块难以处理的大理石，但也都一无所获。米开朗基罗发现了这块石头，并在想象中呈现出它被雕刻成作品的各种可能性。他的这种“我能做到”的态度，给后世留下了闻名世界的杰作——大卫。
西班牙的专家们认为，哥伦布开发一条通往西印度群岛的较短的新路线计划几乎是不可能的。伊莎贝拉女王和费迪南国王并没有理睬这些专家的报告。哥伦布坚持认为：“我可以实现这个计划。”他做到了。每个人都认为世界是平的，但哥伦布不这么看。尼娜号、宾塔号、圣玛丽亚号，连同哥伦布和他的小规模追随者，航行到专家们所谓“不可能”的新大陆，发现了极其丰富的自然资源。
即使最伟大的发明家托马斯·阿尔瓦·爱迪生，也曾劝阻过他的朋友亨利·福特不要去投资刚刚起步的汽车行业。爱迪生相信福特的想法毫无价值，并邀请福特来为他工作。但福特仍不知疲倦地致力于追求他的梦想。尽管他的第一次尝试以失败而告终——他所生产的第一辆车居然没有反向齿轮，但亨利·福特知道他可以实现自己的梦想。而且，最后，他确实成功了。
“算了吧！”专家向居里夫人建议道。他们一致认为镭在科学上是不可能的。然而，居里夫人坚持说：“我能做到。”
我们不要忘记，我们的朋友莱特兄弟，奥维尔·莱特和威尔伯·莱特。记者、朋友、军队专家、甚至他们的父亲都嘲笑他们建造一架飞机的想法。“这不过是个愚蠢而疯狂的挥霍钱财的把戏。把飞行那事儿留给天上的鸟儿吧！”他们嘲笑道。“对不起，”莱特兄弟回答，“我们有一个梦想，我们能做到。”结果，在北卡罗莱纳州一个叫基蒂霍克的地方，他们实践了在别人看来荒谬无比的想法。
最后，当你在明亮的灯光下阅读这些故事的时候，想一想本杰明·富兰克林的困境吧。他被人们屡次告诫停止愚蠢的照明试验。在当时的人们看来，那是多么荒谬而又浪费时间的试验啊！没有什么可以超越美轮美奂的油灯。幸亏，富兰克林知道他可以实现自己的梦想。别忘了，你也可以梦想成真！
【美丽语录】
To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream, not only plan, but also believe.—Anatole France
为成就大事，我们需要的不只是行动，还要梦想；不只是计划，还要相信。——阿纳托尔·法郎士
注释
①abound [?'baund] v. 富于；充满
②diligently ['dilid??ntli] ad. 勤奋地
③visualize ['vi?u?laiz] v. 使……看得见；形象化；设想
④fledgling ['fled?li?] a. 刚开始的；无经验的
⑤absurdity [?b's?:diti] n. 荒谬，悖理；荒谬的事
Sparky 斯巴克：一个失败者的故事
Brian Cavanaugh
A story is told about a boy named Sparky. For Sparky school was all but impossible. He failed every subject in the eighth grade. He flunked① physics in high school. Receiving a flat zero in the course, he distinguished himeself as the worst physics student in the school's history. Sparky also flunked Latin, algebra and English. He didn't do much better in sports. Although he did manage to make the school's golf team, he promptly lost the only important match of the season. There was a consolation② match; he lost that, too.
Throughout his youth Sparky was awkward socially. He was not actually disliked by the other students; no one cared that much. He was astonished if a classmate ever said hello to him outside of school hours. There's no way to tell how he might have done at dating. Sparky never once asked a girl to go out in high school. He was too afraid of being turned down.
Sparky was a loser. He, his classmates...everyone knew it. So he rolled with it. Sparky had made up his mind early in life that if things were meant to work out, they would. Otherwise he would content himself with what appeared to be his inevitable mediocrity③.
However, one thing was important to Sparky—drawing. He was proud of his artwork. Of course, no one else appreciated it. In his senior year of high school, he submitted some cartoons to the editors of the yearbook. They were turned down. Despite this particularly painful rejection, Sparky was so convinced of his ability that he decided to become a professional artist.
Upon graduating from high school, he wrote a letter to Walt Disney Studios. He was told to send some samples of his artwork, and the subject matter for cartoons was suggested. Sparky drew the proposed cartoon. He spent a great deal of time on it and on all the other drawings he submitted. Finally the reply came from Disney Studios, he had been rejected once again. Another loss for the loser.
So Sparky decided to write his own autobiography in cartoons. He described his childhood self—a little boy loser and chronic④ underachiever. The cartoon character would soon become famous worldwide. For Sparky, the boy who had failed every subject in the eight grade and whose work was rejected again and again, was Charles Schulz. He created the "Peanuts" comic strip and the little cartoons boy whose kite would never fly and who never succeeded in kicking the football—Charlie Brown.
这是一个关于男孩斯巴克的故事。斯巴克在学业上的表现非常糟糕：八年级时，他每门功课都不及格；上高中时，物理不及格。他在物理课上得了个零分，成了学校历史上物理成绩最差的学生。他的拉丁语、代数、英语等课程也纷纷挂了科，连体育课成绩都不好。尽管他设法加入了学校的高尔夫球队，但他很快就在那个赛季唯一重要的比赛中落败了。在另一场安慰赛上，他也输掉了。
在斯巴克的整个青年时期，他在社交生活中总是处于尴尬的境地。实际上，其他学生并不是那么讨厌他；只是没有人在乎他。一个同学在校外时间跟他打声招呼，他都会感到非常吃惊，更别说他在约会方面会有什么上佳表现了。上高中时，他从未邀请过女孩出去约会，因为他太害怕被拒绝了。
斯巴克是一个失败者。他和他的同学们……每个人都知道这一点。所以他也习以为常了。在很早的时候，他就已经下定决心，如果一切注定会好，那么迟早会好起来的。否则，他将愉快地接受自己看起来命中注定的平庸。
然而，有一件事对斯巴克而言非常重要——绘画。他对自己的画作引以为豪。当然，没有人会欣赏他的作品。在他上高中高年级的时候，他提交了一些卡通图画给年鉴编辑。但它们遭到了拒绝。尽管被拒绝特别痛苦，但斯巴克非常确信自己的能力，他决心成为一个职业画家。
高中毕业后，他写了一封信给迪斯尼工作室。对方要求他发些自己的卡通作品做为样本，而且，卡通的主题得是由对方提议的。斯巴克按照对方的主题画好了卡通作品。在这些作品以及他提交的其他所有绘画上，他花去了大量的时间。最后，迪斯尼工作室回复了他，他再一次被拒绝。失败者的又一个失败。
后来，斯巴克决定以卡通片的形式来撰写他的自传。他描述了童年时代的自己——一个失败的小男孩，一个学习落后的差生专业户。这个卡通人物很快闻名世界。斯巴克，那个八年级时每一门课都不及格的男孩，那个作品一次又一次被拒绝的男孩，实际上就是查尔斯·舒尔茨。他创造了“花生”系列卡通漫画，还有那个风筝永远飞不起来、从来没能成功踢足球的卡通小男孩——查理·布朗。
【美丽语录】
Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.—George Woodberry
被击倒不是最大的失败，不曾尝试才是真正的失败。——乔治·伍德贝利
注释
①flunked [fl??k] v.（使）失败；（使）考试不及格
②consolation ['k?ns?'lei??n] n. 安慰，慰藉
③mediocrity ['mi:di'?kriti] n. 平常；平庸之才
④chronic ['kr?nik] a. 长期的；慢性的；惯常的
When Dreams Won't Die 梦想永不灭
Marilyn Johnson Kondwani
Ever since I can remember, I've been fascinated① by beauty. As a young girl surrounded by the numbing sameness of all those cornfields around Indianapolis, the glamorous worlds of fashion and cosmetics were a magnificent escape for me. Every time I looked at the advertisements in women's magazines—all those gorgeous models with flawless skin and expertly applied makeup, their statuesque bodies adorned with incredible② designer outfits—I was whisked away to exotic places I could only revisit in dreams.
The Revlon ads were especially wonderful. But there was only one problem—not one ad in those days featured a woman of color like me. Still, there was a "whisper of wisdom" inside me, telling me that someday my dream would come true and I would have a career in the cosmetics industry.
Very few companies bothered to market cosmetics to women of color in those days, but my inspiration came from C. J. Walker, the first African-American woman to become a millionaire. She started out with two dollars and a dream, right in my own hometown. She earned the fortune at the turn of the century, with her own line of hair-care products just for women like herself.
I graduated from college with a degree in public health education. Before long I got a job with a leader in the pharmaceuticals industry—and became the first African-American woman to sell pharmaceuticals in Indiana. People were shocked that I took the job because a woman of color selling encyclopedias in my territory had just been killed. In fact, when I started, the physicians I dealt with looked at me as if I had two heads.
But eventually my uniqueness worked to my advantage. The doctors and nurses remembered me. And I reversed the negative halo effect by doing the job better than other people. Along with pharmaceuticals, I sold them Girl Scout cookies and helped the nurses with their makeup. They began to look forward to my coming, not just for the novelty, but because we enjoyed such heartwarming visits.
Within two years, I'd broken numerous③ sales records and was recognized as a Distinguished Sales Representative, formerly an all-white male club. I was looking forward to some hard-earned commission checks when suddenly, the company decided to subdivide the region and hired a handsome blond man to take my place. He would enjoy the fruits of my labor, while I was reassigned to another area that needed a lot of work. At this point, my dream of that cosmetics career with Revlon seemed a million miles away.
Discouraged and disenchanted, I picked up and moved to Los Angeles. Then one Sunday, as I searched longingly through the ads in the Los Angeles Times, there it was: a classified ad for a regional manager job with Revlon. I lit up completely and dove for the phone first thing Monday morning. The voice at the other end said that due to overwhelming response, Revlon was taking no more resumes.
I was devastated. But then a dear friend said to me, "Marilyn, I know you aren't going to let this job slip through your fingers. Go on down there anyway." Suddenly inspired and determined to turn the challenge into an adventure, I drove down to the Marriott where they were conducting interviews. When I arrived, a desk clerk curtly informed me that there was no way I could get an interview, nor would Mr. Rick English take my resume. I walked away, smiling. At least I now had the name of the man I needed to see.
I decide to have lunch to listen for the whisper of wisdom that would provide me with a new strategy. Sure enough, the idea came to me to explain my situation to the cashier as I was about to leave the restaurant. She immediately picked up the phone to find out what room Mr. English was in. "Room 515," she said turning to me. My heart began to pound.
I stood outside room 515, said a prayer, and knocked on the door. The minute he opened the door I said, "You haven't met the best person for the job because you haven't talked to me yet."
He looked stunned and said, "Wait a minute until I finish this interview and I'll speak to you." When I entered the room, I was clear and firm that this job was for me, and I got the job.
My first day at Revlon was like a dream come true. They hired me to market a new line of hair-care products designed especially for people of color. And by the time I'd worked there three years, the public was beginning to demand natural, cruelty-free products.
With public sentiment on my side, here was my chance! Once again listening to the whisper of wisdom inside me, I opened my own cosmetics company, which to this day continues to give me a sense of fulfillment impossible to describe.
I truly believe we should never give up on our hopes and dreams. The path may be rocky and twisted, but the world is waiting for that special contribution each of us was born to make. What it takes is the courage to follow those whispers of wisdom that guide us from inside. When I listen to that, I expect nothing less than a miracle.
从我记事时起，我就一直着迷于美丽的事物。作为一名被印第安纳波利斯千篇一律的玉米田包围的年轻女孩，充满时尚和化妆品的精彩世界与我毫不相干。每当我看到女性杂志上的广告——广告上那光彩夺目的模特拥有无瑕的肌肤、精湛的化妆技术，身着极度时髦的服装尽显线条优美的身姿——我都会被带到只有在梦里才能见到的外面的世界。
露华浓的广告尤其好。但是只存在一个问题：那时候的广告上没有像我这样有色人种的女性。但是，在我的内心有个声音，就是“智慧之音”，它告诉我说，总有一天我会梦想成真，我会在化妆品行业有所成就。
那时候，很少有公司卖化妆品给有色人种的女性，但是C.J.沃克激励着我，她是第一位成为百万富翁的非洲裔美国女性。她就在我的家乡，凭借着2美元和一个梦想发家致富。她通过向同她一样的女性销售护发产品，在本世纪初赚得了财富。
我以公共卫生教育学位从大学毕业。不久，我在一家医药行业的领头公司获得了一份工作，成为了在印第安纳州销售药物的第一位非洲裔美国女性。人们对于我得到这份工作表示很吃惊，因为在这一地区刚有一位有色人种女性因为卖百科全书而被杀。事实上，当我开始工作时，与我打交道的内科医生看我就仿佛我是个有两个头的怪物。
最终，我的独特性成为了我的优势。医生和护士都记得我。而且，通过这份工作，我比其他人更能消除别人对我们的成见。卖药的同时，我还向女童子军出售饼干，帮助护士化妆。她们开始盼望着我来，不是因为这些新奇廉价的小物品，而是因为我们很享受这样交心的相处。
两年间，我打破了许多次销售记录，在以前都是白种男人的团队里，我被认为是杰出的销售代表。正在我期望着辛苦所得的销售佣金时，公司突然决定划分销售区域，聘任了一名帅气的金发男人接替我的位置。他可以享受我的劳动成果，而我却要被分配到另一区域并要重新做很多工作。此时此刻，关于露华浓化妆品的梦想离我似乎十万八千里远。
万分沮丧和大失所望的我收拾行李去了洛杉矶。然而，在一个星期天，当我在《洛杉矶时报》的广告上渴望地搜寻信息时，我看到了一个分类广告刊登招聘露华浓地区经理的消息。一瞬间，我的整个人亮了，星期一早上的第一件事就是打电话。电话那头的人说，由于收到太多回复，现在他们公司已经不再接收简历了。
我整个人立刻就蔫了。但是，我的一个好朋友对我说：“玛里琳，我知道你不会就这样让这份工作从眼前溜走的。无论怎样，你要去他们公司看一下。”这句话瞬间激发了我，我决定冒险挑战一次，开车去他们的面试地点——万豪国际集团。当我到达那里时，接待员很无礼地告诉我，我不可能参加面试，瑞克·英格丽史先生也不会接收我的简历。我微笑着走开了，至少现在，我知道了我需要见的那个人的名字。
我决定去吃午饭，倾听我的智慧之音给我提供新战略。果真，在我将要离开餐厅时，我突然想到把我的情况告诉那个收银员。她马上拿起电话查看英格丽史先生的房间号。“515房间。”她转身告诉我。我的心开始怦怦直跳。
我站在515房间的门外，祈祷了一下，然后敲门。在他开门的那一刻，我说道：“你还没遇到最适合这份工作的人吧，那是因为你还没有和我交谈。”
他吃了一惊，说：“你等一下，等我结束这个面试再和你谈。”在我进入房间时，我就清楚并坚信，这份工作就是我的了，确实，我也得到了。
我在露华浓公司工作的第一天，就仿佛我的梦成真了一样。他们任命我去销售新生产的特别为有色人种设计的护发产品。当我在露华浓工作三年后，公众开始追求自然、无刺激的产品。
当公众意见与我相同时，我知道我的机会来了！我再次听从了内心的智慧之音，开了自己的化妆品公司。直到今天，我的公司还一直给予我难以形容的成就感。
我确实认为我们不应该放弃希望和梦想。成功之路也许崎岖，但是世界在期待我们每个人生而注定要为世界所做的贡献。你需要的就是有勇气跟随由内心发出的、指引我们的智慧之音。在你听从它后，你就只需要期待奇迹发生。
【美丽语录】
Everything you want in life has a price connected to it. There's a price to pay if you want to make things better, a price to pay just for leaving things as they are, a price for everything.—Harry Browne
生活里你想要的每样东西都有代价。如果你想让事情更好就要付出代价，仅让事情维持它们现况也要付出代价，每件事都有代价。——哈利·布朗
注释
① fascinate ['f?s?'net] v. 使着迷；使神魂颠倒
② incredible [?n'kr?d?b?l] a. 难以置信的；惊人的
③ numerous ['num?r?s] a. 许多的，很多的
