Pessimism is a waste of force— the penalty of one who doesn' t know how to live.
Happiness is in action, and every power is intended for action.
I have always found that it' s more painful to do nothing than something.
Of all the virtues, cheerfulness and enthusiasm3 are the most profitable.
Enthusiasm flourishes more often in adversity than it does in prosperity4.
Contentment grows out of an inward superiority to our surroundings.
We fall into the mistake of supposing that to look forward must mean to look anxiously forward. It is just as easy to look forward with hope as with sadness.
The source of nearly all the evil and unhappiness of this world is selfishness. We know it; but we still keep on being selfish.
Fame without happiness is but a sorry at best.
虽然有时我给读者一种悲观的错觉，但我从来不是一个本质悲观的人。
我更倾向于乐观，因为我非常严肃地看待生命。
悲观是浪费精力的情绪——是用以惩罚那些不知如何生活之人的。
行动才有幸福，每一股力量都是为了行动。
我始终觉得，无所事事比努力工作要痛苦得多。
快乐和热情是所有美德中最宝贵的。
逆境比顺境更能激发热情。
满足源于对周围环境的一种内在优越感。
我们常误认为展望未来意味着对未来的忧虑。满怀憧憬与愁眉紧锁一样容易。
几乎世上所有的罪恶和不幸都源于自私。我们很清楚这点，却仍执迷不悟地自私。
不能带来快乐的荣誉只能是一种遗憾。
体味拥有，心满意足
Think More about What You Have
佚名 / Anonymous
One of the most pervasive and destructive mental tendencies I' ve seen is that of focusing on what we want instead of what we have. It doesn' t seem to make any difference how much we have; we just keep expanding our list of desires, which guarantees1 we will remain dissatisfied. The mind-set that says "I' ll be happy when this desire is fulfilled" is the same mind-set that will repeat itself once that desire is met.
We want this or that. If we don' t get what we want, we keep thinking about all that we don' t have and we remain dissatisfied. If we do get what we want, we simply recreate the same thinking in our new circumstances2. So, despite getting what we want, we still remain unhappy. Happiness can' t be found when we are yearning for new desires.
Luckily, there is a way to be happy. It involves changing the emphasis3 of our thinking from what we want to what we have. Rather than wishing your spouse was different, try thinking about her wonderful qualities. Instead of complaining4 about your salary, be grateful that you have a job. Rather than wishing you were able to take a vacation to Hawaii, think of how much fun you have had close to home. The list of possibilities is endless! Each time you notice yourself falling into the "I wish life were different" trap, back off and start over. Take a breath and remember all that you have to be grateful. When you focus not on what you want, but on what you have, you end up getting more of what you want anyway. If you focus on the good qualities of your spouse, she' ll be more loving. If you are grateful for your job rather than complaining about it, you' ll do a better job, be more productive, and probably end up getting a raise any-way. If you focus on ways to enjoy yourself around home rather than waiting to enjoy yourself in Hawaii, you' ll end up having more fun. If you ever do get to Hawaii, you' ll be in the habit of enjoying yourself. And, if by some chance you don' t, you' ll have a great life anyway.
Make a note to yourself to start thinking more about what you have than what you want. If you do, your life will start appearing much better than before. For perhaps the first time in your life, you' ll know what it means to feel satisfied.
专注于我们想得到的，而不是我们所拥有的，这是我见过的一种最具普遍性和破坏性的心理趋向。我们拥有多少，似乎并无太大区别，我们欲望的清单不断扩充，使我们永远不满足。“当我实现了这个愿望，就会快乐。”一旦这个欲望得到满足，以后还会出现相同的欲求心理。
我们想要这个或那个。如果得不到，就会不断地去想那些没有的东西，总是感到不满足。而如果得到了，在新的条件下，我们又产生同样的心理。所以，尽管我们得到了，还是不开心。如果我们一味地渴求新的欲望，将无法找到幸福。
幸运的是，我们想要获得幸福，有这样一种方法：转换我们思考的重心，从想要的转移到拥有的。我们可以试着去想伴侣的可贵品质，而不去希求她该如何与现在不同；可以为自己拥有一份工作充满感激，而不去抱怨薪水太低；可以设想闭门在家的种种乐趣，而不是渴望去夏威夷度假。可以这样去考虑的事物无穷无尽！一旦你意识到自己又陷入这个思维陷阱：“我希望生活不是这样”时，要退后一步，重新思考，深呼吸，想想你所拥有的。这样，感激之情便会油然而生。当你关注的不再是自己想要的，而是所拥有的时，你最终得到的一定会比想要的更多；如果你关注伴侣的优秀品德，她就会更可爱；如果你对工作充满感激，而不是抱怨，你会做得更好，工作效率更高，薪水也可能提高；如果你在家能自得其乐，而不是等着去夏威夷享受，你会找到更多的乐趣。假设你真的去了夏威夷，往往会更快乐，即使因为某种偶然没能去成，仍然会过得开心。
记住，从现在开始，多想想你拥有的，而不是你想要的。如果你这样做，你的生活就会比以前更美好，那种感受或许是你生命中的第一次，你将会懂得心满意足的含义。
你的生活自己决定
You Have A Choice
佚名 / Anonymous
I woke up early today, excited over all I get to do before the clock strikes midnight. I have responsibilities to fulfill today. I am important.
My job is to choose what kind of day I am going to have.
Today I can complain because the weather is rainy or I can be thankful that the grass is getting watered for free.
Today I can feel sad that I don' t have more money or I can be glad that my finances encourage me to plan my purchases wisely and guide me away from waste.
Today I can grumble1 about my health or I can rejoice that I am alive.
Today I can lament over all that my parents didn' t give me when I was growing up or I can feel grateful that they allowed me to be born.
Today I can cry because roses have thorns or I can celebrate2 that thorns have roses.
Today I can mourn my lack of friends or I can excitedly embark3 upon a quest to discover new relationships.
Today I can whine because I have to go to work or I can shout for joy because I have a job to do.
Today I can murmur dejectedly4 because I have to do housework or I can feel honored because the Lord has provided shelter for my mind, body and soul.
Today stretches ahead of me, waiting to be shaped. And here I am, the sculptor who gets to do the shaping.
What today will be like is up to me. I get to choose what kind of day I will have!
清晨，我早早醒来，为自己在午夜的钟声敲响前，将要做的一切激动不已。我有责任让今天过得充实，我的作用是很重要的。
选择如何度过每一天，这是我的工作。
今天下雨了，所以我可以抱怨；但是，草地无需花费力气去浇灌，所以我还可以感激。
今天没有足够的钱，所以我可以难过；但这也使我懂得理性消费，引导我远离浪费，所以我也可以欣喜。
今天为自己的健康问题，我可以满腹牢骚；但自己仍然活着，所以我可以欢呼雀跃。
今天因为小时候父母给予的太少，我可以悲叹不已；但是，他们赋予我生命，所以我也可以万分感激。
