DZ

It has been so bitterly cold here in Pennsylvania.
I can’t remember a winter being as cold as this, but I’m sure there were colder days.
Even though the daylight hours are growing longer minute by minute, it’s easy to find an excuse not to go out unless you absolutely must, but bhen again I often have to push myself to accomplish things.
People I speak to have been in all kinds of nasty moods. They say they’re “under the weather,” not feeling good about this time of year.
As I stood outside with my two dogs yesterday, it was so cold that my nose and face felt crisp and my cars were stinging.
Of course, that doesn’t matter to Ricky and Lucy. They have a routine they must go through to find just the fight spot no matter how cold or hot it is.
So I wait.
But this time it was different. As cold as it was, I suddenly was invigorated thinking about how wonderful this extreme cold really was.
Then the sun broke through the clouds and memories of summer’s scorching hot days flashed through my mind. I could remember standing in the heat of the afternoon, sweat pouring down my brow and the hot, burning sun againse my face. I reminded myself then and there that in the cold of the winter I would wish I had this heat.
I was right.
Two extremes in my life that most of the time I find uncomfortable, I normally dread them and gripe about it all the way through.
But today I was grateful for them. Without the extremes in my life, I would never appreciate the days when things were just right. Without the extremes life would be boring.
It’s being pushed to one of the extremes that makes us appreciate the middle more. Health challenges reminds us that we need to pay more attention to how we live. Financial extremes reminds us that when things are in excess it’s time to tuck away for when the times are lean.
So bring on the cold so I appreciate the heat more.
Make me sweat on a hot summer’s day so I wish I had a handful of snow to rub my face in.
I’ve come to the conclusion that all too often I find a reason not to be happy with where I am at that moment.
Whether it’s hot or cold, good health or bad, in the money or out of it, I always wanted it to be different.
But no more. I want to start finding a reason to be happy right where I am. Even if it’s simply the fact that I’m alive.
I’m tired of being “Under the Weather!”

so,just find a reason to be happy

[ 本帖最后由 DZ 于 2007-10-26 10:36 AM 编辑 ]

DZ

呵呵,那谈谈你的心得体会吧?都净化纳几篇啦?

DZ

Living in modern society brings anxious, usually coming from work and life both. Sometimes even little things make us upset. How to deal with the worries and realx ourselves? Here are some advices which may help and add happy elements our life.

1. Take pictures everyday
Taking photos to record your daily life is a good way to make you feel happy. According to psychologists the pictures may remind you of those happy memories.
2. Cry out
When feel sad, some prefer to hide their emotions. Actually, crying out will partially release your pressures and sadness...
3. Rest at weekends
Weekends are time for rest. But some people, especially women, spend whole weekend on housework, which brings more fatigue. After a week's working, weekends are best time for relaxation. Having a nice lie-in is a good idea.
4. Blog your life
Blog is the abbreviation of Web log, which means write online diary. It's very popular nowadays. You can write down all that you want to say. That's a great method to relieve tensions..
5. Enjoy a feast
Usually, most ladies choose simple and lite foods to keep slim. While sometimes, when feel upset, indulging yourself with a feast. Eating tasty foods makes people feel good.
6. Join more activities
Having a get-together is a great enjoyment to relax. Going out with friends for a drink going for a picnic or having a party, you will have fun..
7. Go for swimming or running
Taking long time swimming or running make you feel exhausting. For that reason, it makes forget everything temporarily and brings good sleep.
8. Sing while taking shower
Some people like singing while taking shower. They don't care how well they're singing. It's a just a way to relax. Have a try, you are the only audience.
9. Throw away lonely nights
Don't lock yourself at home after work. Have dinner with friends, or go out for some fresh air. You won't feel lonely.
10. Smile to yourself
Every morning, before going out for work, look at the mirror and smile to yourself, which may bring more confidence.

DZ

让我们从现在开始，多想想你拥有的，而不是你想要的。如果这样做，你的生活会比以前更美好，那种感受或许将是你生命中的第一次，你将会懂得心满意足的含义。
One of the more 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 my difference how much we have, we just keep expanding our list of desires, which guarantees 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 circumstances. 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 emphasis of our thinking from what we want to what we have. 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 have a great life anyway.
Make a note of 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.

幽幽草

辛苦了,顶一个.

DZ

thanks,幽幽
We've always been told it's true, but now experts have proved that money really can't buy you happiness.
They quizzed jackpot winners and came up with 10 tips to keep you feeling on top of the world.
And the results were surprising. No flash cars of expensive jewellery. Instead it was the simple pleasures, available to almost anybody, that bring the most enjoyment.
Top of the list is spending time with your family.
But jackpot winners' advice is: "Don't give up work. Having a regular routine and social interaction are essential. Keeping up friendships is important too, as is a stable marriage.
Buying your own home, preferably in the North where people are friendlier, is a good idea. But don't get into debt.
No matter how much money you have, living within your means is vital if you want to avoid stress."
Dr Richard Tunney, of Nottingham University said: "The old saying 'money can't buy you happiness' may not be true, but traditional family values, a comfortable home and financial security are clearly key elements to a happy life."

zhongtao

thanks!
I like it. but I can't understand  every sentance. Exactly said, I only understand a little.

[ 本帖最后由 zhongtao 于 2007-11-4 07:19 PM 编辑 ]

DZ

it doesn't matter.take your time

DZ

Each spring brings a new blossom of wildflowers in the ditches along the highway I travel daily to work.
There is one particular blue flower that has always caught my eye. I've noticed that it blooms only in the morning hours, the afternoon sun is too warm for it. Every day for approximately two weeks, I see those beautiful flowers.

This spring, I started a wildflower garden in our yard. I can look out of the kitchen window while doing the dishes and see the flowers. I've often thought that those lovely blue flowers from the ditch would look great in that bed alongside other wildflowers. Everyday I drove past the flowers thinking, "I'll stop on my way home and dig them." "Gee, I don't want to get my good clothes dirty..." Whatever the reason, I never stopped to dig them. My husband even gave me a folding shovel one year for my trunk to be used for that expressed purpose.

One day on my way home from work, I was saddened to see that the highway department had mowed the ditches and the pretty blue flowers were gone. I thought to myself, "Way to go, you waited too long. You should have done it when you first saw them blooming this spring."

A week ago we were shocked and saddened to learn that my oldest sister-in-law has a terminal brain tumor. She is 20 years older than my husband and unfortunately, because of age and distance, we haven't been as close as we all would have liked. I couldn't help but see the connection between the pretty blue flowers and the relationship between my husband's sister and us. I do believe that God has given us some time left to plant some wonderful memories that will bloom every year for us.

And yes, if I see the blue flowers again, you can bet I'll stop and transplant them to my wildflower garden.

laoli1112

I got most of it!

laoli1112

I have stayed at home for a couple of days because i broken my right ankle half a month ago! Sometime i was very happy for i have so much time to study English from internet.It is a chance for me,i will improve my English!

DZ

yeah,Fire is as hurtful as healthful,you do can improve your English now!and take care of yourself

DZ

Taking the first step
How will you know you can succeed at something if you don't give it a try?
How will you know you can drag yourself out of the depths of your despair if you don't try?
How do you know you won't get that new job if you don't apply? How do you know...
Before becoming a success at anything, you must take that first step.
Giving and Receiving Love
Humans need love. It is in the giving and receiving of love that we choose life. Participating in this fundamental exchange lies in our ability to trust others.
Happiness Now!
Happiness is to be found along the way, not at the end of the road, for then the journey is over and it is too late.
Today, this hour, this minute is the day, the hour, the minute for each of us to sense the fact that life is good, with all of its trials and troubles, and perhaps more interesting because of them.

Setting aside special moments
Over the years, I have noticed that it has become more and more difficult to set aside those special moments of the day when we can remove ourselves from the hectic, frenetic pace of everyday life.
Yet finding time to get away, to reflect, to concentrate, or to just let the mind wander freely is important for our overall health.
Studies have shown that reducing stress in daily life significantly reduces the risk of heart attacks or the need for heart surgery.

Reflecting on Anger
Another way of dealing with anger is to reflect on its results.
We know very well that when we are angry, we do not see the truth clearly. As a result, we may commit many unwholesome actions.
Our future life is determined by our intentional actions today, just as our present life is heir to our previous intentional behavior. Intentional actions committed under the influence of anger cannot lead to a happy future.
A Fresh Start Now
The greatest power you possess for succeeding in life is your understanding that life gives you a fresh start any moment you choose to start fresh.
You've only to test the truth of this fact about the newness of life to discover the incredible freedom that waits for you just behind it.
Nothing that stood in your way even a heartbeat before stands there now in the same way. It's all new, even if you can't as yet see it that way.

Finding Spiritual Guidance
Look for spiritual guidance everywhere and at any time... Spiritual guidance is not restricted to one area, or one particular day, or one particular time of the day.
While you may be more open to receiving your guidance in the quiet hours of the early morning, or the late night, your spiritual guidance is always present. It is present in books that you 'happen' to come across, articles you are attracted to reading, things you hear that when looked at from that perspective apply to your situation.
Perhaps if we expected to receive spiritual guidance at each and every moment of our lives instead of simply in church on Sunday, or when we sit quietly in meditation, we would receive many more messages throughout the day.
Emotions Have an Effect!
Every emotion that surges or trickles through you causes a physical reaction somewhere in the body. A minor upset may take a couple of days to register as a headache or backache; a more vehement explosion of anger or hatred directed at someone could result in a terrible case of ulcers or colitis, because that emotion is pounding your body.
But just as negative emotions have a negative effect on the body, so too do positive emotions have a positive effect.

We are all teachers and students
We are all teachers and students. You learn (hopefully) from the people in your life, and they have the opportunity to learn from you as well.
We are all 'in the same boat' and if we start learning from each other and sharing what we have learned with others, perhaps we can get to where we're going faster.
Sometimes we learn from people's mistakes, sometimes from their examples, but always we have the opportunity to look around us and see 'little mirrors' of ourselves.
.....................................
NOTES:
take the first step 走第一步   开一个头
succeed at 在...方面成功
drag out   v.拖延
participate in  v.参加, 参与, 分享
fundamental   adj.基础的, 基本的 n.基本原则, 基本原理
set aside   v.留出, 不顾, 取消, 驳回
hectic   adj.脸上发红, 发热的, 兴奋的, 狂热的, 肺病的
               n.脸红, 患肺结核
frenetic  adj.发狂的, 狂热的  n.发狂者
get away   v.逃脱, 离开, 把...送走
overall     adj.全部的, 全面的
significantly   adv.意味深长地, 值得注目地
reflect on    v.思考, 反省, 怀疑, 导致, 责备
unwholesome   adj.不健康的
intentional    adj.有意图的, 故意的
heir   n.继承人, 后嗣
a fresh start   新的起点, 新的开始
possess    vt.占有, 拥有, 持有, 摆布, 支配
restricted   adj.受限制的, 有限的
perspective  n.透视画法, 透视图, 远景, 前途, 观点, 看法, 观点, 观察
meditation   n.沉思, 冥想
have effect  见效, 生效  开始发生作用  实施, 实行
vehement   adj.激烈的, 猛烈的, (情感)热烈的
ulcer  n.溃疡, 腐烂物
colitis  n.[医]大肠炎

[ 本帖最后由 DZ 于 2007-11-6 09:10 AM 编辑 ]

DZ

Consider… YOU. In all time before now and in all time to come, there has never been and will never be anyone just like you. You are unique in the entire history and future of the universe. Wow! Stop and think about that. You're better than one in a million, or a billion, or a gazillion…
You are the only one like you in a sea of infinity!
You're amazing! You're awesome! And by the way, TAG, you're it. As amazing and awesome as you already are, you can be even more so. Beautiful young people are the whimsey of nature, but beautiful old people are true works of art. But you don't become "beautiful" just by virtue of the aging process.
Real beauty comes from learning, growing, and loving in the ways of life. That is the Art of Life. You can learn slowly, and sometimes painfully, by just waiting for life to happen to you. Or you can choose to accelerate your growth and intentionally devour life and all it offers. You are the artist that paints your future with the brush of today.
Paint a Masterpiece.
God gives every bird its food, but he doesn't throw it into its nest. Wherever you want to go, whatever you want to do, it's truly up to you.
......................................................　
Notes：
　gazillion  n.Informal An indefinitely large number:【非正式用语】 指一无限大的数：“The crowd cheered wildly . . . as gazillions of balloons poured down from the rafters”(Tom Shales)“群众疯狂欢呼…当无数的汽球自椽中倾泄而出”(汤姆·夏乐)
masterpiece  n.(1)An outstanding work of art or craft.一个引人注目的艺术品或工艺品 (2)The greatest work, as of an artist.Also called  masterwork （艺术家的）最伟大的作品 也作  masterwork (3)Something superlative of its kind:最杰出的作品：在其同类中的最佳者：a masterpiece of political ingenuity.政治技巧的最佳运用
infinity   n.无限, 无穷大
awesome adj.（1）Inspiring awe:令人恐惧的：an awesome thunderstorm.一场令人恐惧的暴风雨 (2)Expressing awe:表示敬畏的：stood in awesome silence before the ancient ruins.在古代遗迹前充满敬畏地默立 (3)Slang Remarkable; outstanding:【俚语】 卓越的；杰出的：“a totally awesome arcade game”(Los Angeles Times)“绝对杰出的连拱廊比赛”(洛杉矶时报)
whimsey n.（名词）怪念头, 奇想
            Variant of whimsy   whimsy的变体
whimsy n.异想天开, 怪念  奇怪的行为; 反复无常
by virtue of  adv.依靠, 由于
virtue   n.德行, 美德, 贞操, 优点, 功效, 效力, 英勇
accelerate vt.加速; 催促, 促进; 增加(数量)accelerated cement快凝水泥He decided to accelerate his advertising.他决定增加广告的数量。
accelerate vi.速度增加; (教学)速成 n.接受速成教育的学生
intentionally adv.有意地,故意地
intentional  adj.有意(识)的, 故意的; 企图的His insult was intentional.他的侮辱是有意的。
devour vt.(尤指动物)吞吃, 狼吞虎咽, 挥霍, (火灾等)毁灭, 破坏, 吞没, 贪看, 贪听

lileitingroom

I TOO！！