愛、生活、人生系列

Gifts Giving from Santa Claus 聖誕老人送禮物     「聖誕老人」此一神秘人物，帶給小孩子們禮物的概念，衍生自4世紀生活在土耳其的主教聖尼古拉。北美洲，荷蘭和英國，把這一傳統，融入聖誕節日的慶祝，荷蘭語的聖尼古拉，傳進英語，成為「Santa Claus」。在英裔美國人的傳統中，聖誕老人總是快活的在聖誕前夜，乘著馴鹿拉的雪橇到來，他從煙囪爬進屋內，留下給孩子們的禮物，並吃掉孩子們為他留下的食物。聖誕季期間，在美國和英國的很多超市裏，都有小孩可以向其要禮物的「聖誕老人」出現。現今， 在許多國家裡，聖誕節前夕，孩子們會準備好空的容器，或在壁爐上懸掛聖誕襪，以便聖誕老人可以裝進一些小禮物，如玩具或糖果等。聖誕節（Christmas）的日期是每年12月25日。天主教教徒會在12月24日的平安夜（Christmas Eve），舉行子夜彌撒，慶祝耶穌的誕生。基督教徒會舉辦聖誕感恩禮拜，慶祝這個重要的節日。聖誕節（Christmas），又稱耶誕節，起源與基督教有關，主要是基督教紀念，和慶祝耶穌的誕生。耶穌誕生的故事充滿異象，是因上帝為體恤人們，拯救苦難，而差遣耶穌來到世上。為了紀念與表達對耶穌的敬愛，便開始慶祝聖誕節。聖誕老人(Santa Claus)的傳說，可以追溯到千年前。當時有位樂善好施的紅衣主教叫聖尼古拉，他經常行善，幫助許多貧困家庭。有一次，聖尼古拉遇到了一位即將遭到變賣的貧困女子，他藉由在夜晚時間，爬上他們的屋頂，將帶來的金幣，往煙囪丟進去，這些金幣剛好掉進掛在壁爐旁的襪子裡，從此之後，就逐漸衍生出聖誕老人從煙囪爬進房子，將禮物放在聖誕襪的由來。吃聖誕大餐，是聖誕節的重頭戲，這天是家人親友團聚歡度時光、分享美食的重大日子，象徵著愛和溫馨的聖誕大餐，每年不變。和家人、朋友和情侶間交換禮物，有著分享喜悅的含義，透過精心挑選禮物，傳達更多的關愛和關心。聖誕卡片的故事，可以追溯到19世紀初的英格蘭。當時英國藝術家約翰·赫斯基斯(John Horsley)，設計了一張描繪著歡慶的場景，並附有祝福詞句的聖誕卡片，這被視為聖誕卡片的開端。後來，聖誕卡片的設計變得多元，也成為互相關懷、表達祝福的習俗。 送禮是人與人用來表達心意的一種方式，而禮物是主要關鍵，不需要太貴，也不用很頂級。俗話說：「千里送鵝毛，禮輕情意重。」我們收到禮物時，要抱持著感恩的心，生在福中很幸福！「禮物運動」是從史賓賽．強森博士著作《禮物》得到的靈感，書中年輕人用盡方法，四處探尋，渴望找到老人所說能讓他快樂的「禮物」。直到有一天，年輕人決定暫時放下這一切，不再汲汲營營地盲目追尋，他才赫然發現，那份禮物，原來一直就在他的身邊，就在當下。我們每一天，都可以得到禮物，也可以當個送禮物的人。一句問候、一句讚美、一句關心的話語，都可以是禮物，在簡單的語言之間，送禮物的動作已經完成了。面對挫折、挑戰與困境，也只需要換個心境，抱持著「一切都是好極了」的心態，以積極的思路，去解決問題，逆境也是一份禮物。只要我們的眼睛，都看見美好的、能給生命帶來光明快樂的東西。每一天，我們都會從「聖誕老人」手中，得到最美好的禮物。      Santa Claus is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christmas Eve. Santa Claus is generally depicted as a portly, jolly, white-bearded man, often with spectacles, wearing a red coat with white fur collar, and a red hat trimmed with white fur, carrying a bag full of gifts for children. He is popularly associated with a deep, hearty laugh. Santa Claus strives to find a way to bring joy into the lives of all children all over the world, and eventually invents toys for them. Santa Claus is really the cultural icon who is all about peace, joy, giving, and caring for people. Children sometimes write letters to Santa Claus, with a wish list of presents that they wish to receive. Right now, writing letters to Santa Claus has the educational benefits of promoting literacy, computer literacy, and e-mail literacy. A letter to Santa is often a child’s first experience of correspondence. Santa Claus is an iconic figure in popular culture that has been celebrated for generations. He is best known for delivering gifts to children on Christmas Eve, often coming down chimneys and leaving presents in stockings hung by the fireplace. He is associated with joy, generosity and kindness and symbolizes the spirit of giving. Santa Claus is also seen as a symbol of hope, which makes him more important during times of difficulty or distress. He appears in Christmas stories as an example of how to remain positive and generous despite adversity. Santa Claus reminds us that it is possible to make miracles happen if we come together and put our faith in the spirit of goodwill and kindness. In today’s modern world, Santa Claus has become a symbol of Christmas cheer and family fun, bringing joy to children and adults alike. Every year, children still write to Santa Claus sharing their Christmas wishes and dreams. These letters are filled with joy and optimism, and they serve as a reminder of the magic that Santa Claus brings to Christmas. Santa Claus, now, is an iconic and beloved figure that has become an important part of Christmas traditions around the world. His image has been embraced with his superb spirit to evoke feelings of peace, hope, joy and generosity in people of all ages and backgrounds. Powered by Firstory Hosting

Empathy 同理心      台灣的花蓮縣，正經歷著令人難以承受的天災，連續幾天的濕、冷，再加上地震，為人們的身、心，帶來極度的不安穩，威脅到生命最基本的「安全」需求。當我們聽到有人大聲疾呼：發揮同理心、人溺己溺、人飢己飢等訴求時，我們似乎可以感受到正在寒凍中受苦的人，急需我們的關心與幫助。哲學家說：「在烏托邦裡，不存在同理心」，是的，同理心的原意是 to suffer with，不只是理解他人的感覺，而且還要與他人產生連結，經歷他人的傷痛，然後，才有能力給出關懷。在日常生活裡，同理心，簡單地說，就是跟他人一起感受(to feeling with)，與他人產生連結，拉近人與人之間的距離。通常，要同理跟我們親近的人，是比要同理陌生人來的容易，也就是說，我們更容易同理相同性別、類似遭遇，或身處相同環境的人。這樣的相似性，讓我們較容易設身處地站在對方的角度看事情，從對方的角度，來體會對方的感受。人們常說，「設身處地」，就是要透過耐心的陪伴與傾聽，真正聽見、明白他人的處境，瞭解他人的傷痛。      每個人都有同理別人的能力，但是，能否將同理心付諸行動、徹底執行，則取決於幾個面向：我們有多少資源（時間）、對方是誰，陌生人還是家人、朋友，及我們心裡認為的同理心的意義和價值。其實，只要有心，同理很簡單。首先，我們必須放慢步伐，試著與他人靠近，開啟連結；其次，透過陪伴與傾聽，設身處地的感受他人的狀態與情緒；最後，經由適當的語言，與非語言的方式，回饋給對方，讓他人體會到我們的意願與陪伴。     同理心其實並不是一件容易的事，同理心是需要訓練的，它是一種能力。很多人在成長的過程中，並沒有受到這樣的訓練，導致他想要同理別人，也不知道該怎麼做，尤其是小孩子。小孩子一向都是自我中心的，他們都是希望別人配合他，而不可能去配合別人的。然而，我們要如何訓練同理心呢？同理心的本質是「換位思考」，也就是設身處地的為別人著想，把自己放進別人的情境裡，去思考別人可能遭受到的感受。如果我是他，我處在那樣的位置和處境，我會有什麼感覺呢？人性是共通的，我們會有什麼想法，別人也會，思想是相通的。同理，不是同情，人同此心，心同此理，我們同的是道理，而不是情感，所以同情跟同理，是須分開的。當我們站在對方的位置，去體會他，一起感受時，就是同理心的換位。然後，我們要把事情，放在第三者的視角，來發現他人的問題，內心的流程，與事件的結構。我們要用概括性、俯瞰式的角度來瞭解，才能引出對方不但聽得懂，又能找到解套的對談。      In a world of such violence, hatred and brutality as the present one, we are all aware of what is going on in the world: the competition, the ambitions and frustrations, the extraordinary brutality, hatred and violence arising from the conflicts between political parties, and among certain countries. There is an extraordinary amount of cruelty in a world where a small group of people takes charge of millions of others, and directs their lives through tyranny, such as Mainland China, South Korea, Russia and Iran, etc. There is not a matter that we can be lightly dismissed. We need to seek security, and perform certain functions to save the world. Empathy helps us see things from other persons’ perspectives, sympathize with their emotions, and build stronger relationships with others. Empathy is the ability to see things from others’ perspectives and feel their emotions. Putting ourselves in other persons’ shoes would lead us to act with compassion and improve the situations. Empathy isn’t just about hardships. When our children are excited about something, we feel their joy. When our friends are laughing at jokes, we experience their amusement. Empathy allows us to deepen our relationships as we connect with our friends’ and loved ones’ thoughts and feelings, and they connect with ours, too. Empathy can also extend to people we don’t know as well. If we see someone sitting alone at a party, for example, we might empathize with his/her loneliness and chat with him/her. If we see images of other people suffering on the other side of the world, we might be moved to donate resources to alleviate their suffering. On the other hand, when we see a crowd roaring with joy on TV, we, too, have our high spirits. Their delight becomes our delight. Nevertheless, unlike empathy, sympathy doesn’t involve sharing what someone else feels. When we’re sympathetic, we care about the person’s problem or misfortune and feel sorry for his/her suffering, but we don’t fully feel his/her pain. Sympathy is more of a feeling of pity for the person, while empathy is more a feeling of compassion for them. In this sense, empathy has an important role to play in our life. First, it can strengthen our bonds with the people we interact with. As we try to understand others, we also make them feel heard and understood. They’re then more likely to take the time to empathize with us as well. Because empathy leads to better relationships, it can be a key component to building a more satisfying life. Furthermore, empathy can motivate us to take actions that improve the lives of others. These actions might include anything from donating to a charity to encouraging a friend to seek help for alcohol abuse, and to simply comforting someone with a hug. In social situations, empathy can help us decide on the wisest course of action. Once we have a better understanding of someone else’s perspectives, it’s easier to move on to proposing the compromises. On the other hand, if we have low empathy, we might have a lack of patience when dealing with people who are in distress. In this sense, we never seem to have the time to listen to other people’s perspectives or reflect on their emotional states. Moreover, being empathetic requires us to make ourselves vulnerable. This demands us to reflect on our own emotional states as well as to practice being open with others. When we communicate intense emotions, including shame, jealousy, and grief with others, other people will be more willing to open up to us in return. People are more likely to feel empathy toward people who are similar to them. We don’t necessarily have to agree with every perspective we come across. However, taking the time to simply listen with an open mind can help us see the humanity in people with different backgrounds or views. As we engage with people of different backgrounds, we’ll likely find that many of our earlier notions of them were inaccurate. It’s okay to admit to being wrong. It’s also true that building empathy is a way to expand our social circle and boost our happiness. Empathy really has a ripple effect. As we take the time to truly listen to others, we’re making it easier for them to trust, comfort, and empathize with us and even more people. Powered by Firstory Hosting

Self-presentation and Self-achievement 自我表現與自我成就 We all want others to see us as confident, competent, and likeable. In fact, we make dozens of decisions every day to get people to see us as we want to be seen. Success requires interacting with other people. We can’t control the other side of those interactions. But we can think about how the other persons might see us and make choices about what we want to convey.  Self-presentation is any behavior or action made with the intention to influence or change how other people see us. Anytime, we’re trying to get people to think of us a certain way. It’s an act of self-presentation. Generally speaking, we work to present ourselves as favorably as possible. We want to make sure that we show up in a way that not only makes us look good, but also makes us feel good about ourselves. To some extent, every aspect of our lives depends on successful self-presentation. For example, we do want our families to feel that we are worthy of attention and love. We present ourselves as studious and responsible to our teachers at school. We want to be fun and interesting at a party, and to be confident at networking events. In order to achieve the results that we want, it often requires that we behave a certain way. That is, we do certain behaviors that are desirable in certain situations. In this sense, matching our behavior to the circumstances enhances us to connect to others, and attune to the needs and feelings of others. According, we might feel surprised when people don’t present themselves in a way that is consistent with the demands of their roles. For instance, in the classroom, if we are the presenters who are responsible for explaining the main ideas of the handout to students, we cannot only read the passages without any further interpretations. Perhaps, we are shy and get nervous in front of people, or we just don’t fully prepare to speak up. Nevertheless, that is not the enough reason. As a result, we can see that teachers and students are very disappointed with us. In this situation, we hardly accomplish our duties completely. Because we spend so much time with other people in society, and our success largely depends on what they think of us, successful self-presentation is one of the most important factors when we interact with others. Some people are particularly concerned about creating a good impression before others. Therefore, we have to provide evidences that we are the best persons in every aspect. At its heart, self-presentation requires a high-level self-awareness and empathy. In order to make sure that we’re showing up as our best in every circumstance, we have to be aware of our own motivations as well as what would make the biggest differences to others. Again, take presenters in the classroom as an example. To carry out the best self-presentation, first of all, we need to know well for our roles to have the oral presentation. We read over the handout in detail, and distribute the content of the handout to group members. Secondly, we discuss how to teach and point out key elements of the handout with group members. We, then, get feedback and suggestions from other group members. Thirdly, we ask all the members to brainstorm together for creating the review sheet according to the handout. We, next, share our viewpoints with one another. At last, we should rehearse all the oral presentations in English in order that we can present the best teaching materials in class. Anyway, self-presentation is defined as the way we try to show off in front of others, but it’s just as much about how we would see ourselves, too. Consciously working to make sure that others could see the very best of us is a wonderful way to develop into the persons we want to be. Furthermore, self-achievement is also very important for students in the classroom. When students focus better on their own progress, they, thereby, develop a stronger sense of achievement. Achievement, in positive psychology, is about more than getting top marks in class. When students can see their own progress in learning, and mastering a subject or skill, they will feel a sense of achievement. Self-achievement for students requires clearly defined objectives, goals and expectations. Once, students, themselves, have a strong understanding of the goals to complete, they, just then, acknowledge and build self-achievement. Studies have shown that feeling a sense of accomplishment is an important element in developing positive wellbeing for students. Research also points out that people with a strong sense of purpose, persistence and accomplishment perform better at school and work. For some students, submitting assignments on time, or showing up to every class might be important markers of progress and their achievement of a goal. We do appreciate them to have their self-achievement. Self-achievement really helps students to have confidence in their school lives. Therefore, the importance of self-presentation and self-achievement cannot be overemphasized. All in all, self-presentation brings self-achievement, and self-achievement approaches toward success. Thus, we, including teachers and students, have to recognize our earnest efforts to accomplish things in our lives, and be proud of what we are doing with our whole hearts. Powered by Firstory Hosting

Great Things Don’t Come Easy Life is not always easy. We have to work hard to get what we want. There will be times when we will feel down, and think that there is no hope for our future. And, life is not all about the ups, there are downs, too. It’s during these difficult times to remind us that the only way to get what we want in life is through hard work and dedication. It takes perseverance, self-discipline, and hard work to achieve success. The best way to learn is to have a belief in ourselves. Some of the most successful people in the world had to overcome many obstacles on their ways to success. They never gave up, they never backed down, and they always believed in themselves. Belief is one of the main principles we should live by to lead a worthwhile life. We should never give up on our dreams, stay persistent in life and business, and always believe that good things don’t come easy. Anyway, failure is not the end of the world. It is an opportunity for growth, learning, and improvement. Some people may view failure as a negative thing, but it can also be seen as a positive thing. Failure can lead to new ideas and opportunities that we never would have thought of before. We need to take baby steps slowly toward success. The time we wish for something might be out of our reach. Albert Einstein had been working on a theory for the relationship between space and time for years, but had made little progress. He was again stumped, so he decided to get some fresh air, and hopped on his bike for an excursion through the quaint streets of Bern, Switzerland. When he gazed at the clock tower, he had a sudden moment of clarity. Time can beat at different rates through the universe. It all depended on how fast we moved. There is a belief that we are fortunate to have these sudden realizations and attribute our breakthroughs to them, but are they really so sudden? The answer is not. In fact, it is not so much a sudden moment of insight, but rather takes a long time from experiences. Slow leads to progress, success, and breakthroughs. With patience, discipline, and hard work, eventually, we’ll stumble upon a breakthrough. All good things take time. Besides, getting distracted isn’t a bad thing, as we saw from Albert Einstein. Sometimes, we enjoy, take breaks, and let things happen organically because, very often, it is in these unsuspecting activities that our minds truly open up. It doesn’t matter if we do a little or a lot on a daily basis. The only measurement is that we are getting closer to our dreams every day. We might take a break and let the subconscious take over for a while. Then, slow and steady wins the race. “I walk slowly, but I never walk backward,” Abraham Lincoln. Ultimately, no matter how small or slow it feels, little efforts add up far quicker than we’d realize. The road to success starts within a heart that wants to be the best at something–a heart, mind, and soul that does not want to be ordinary, but extraordinary. Winners never look for the easy way out. They simply look at the impossible, and say to themselves to set their hearts upon lofty dreams, and chase after them with their whole hearts. The truth is that the road to success is narrow, and many will miss it because the road to failure is broad and easy. Any ordinary person can stay ordinary, but those who work hard, doing a daily routine, become extraordinary people. If we want to reflect a spirit of excellence in everything we do, hard work should become the second nature to us. Hard work is one element which helps us achieve our greatest dreams. A farmer goes out and works hard to plant his crop. He waters it, weeds it, and even fertilizes his field. His hard work will pay off at harvest time. If the farmer did not water, weed, and fertilize his crop, it would yield very little. Similarly, if the athlete will not plant a crop of hard work, he, too, will yield nothing for his effort. All of these take time. The farmers, as well as the athletes, earn great rewards from their continual efforts. Again, great things don’t come easy. Time and hard work will prove them, and we believe in ourselves fully.  Powered by Firstory Hosting

上台表演這件事     「好棒喔～下星期五就要表演了，我終於要把這件事完成了。」「上台表演會有一點壓力，對吧？」「不只一點，還蠻多的呢！」「妳會不喜歡嗎？」「不會啊！我很期待。」小朋友的對話，讓我們學跳舞的成人，真的想了很多。每一次去跳舞，我們成人都得花上大半的時間練舞；每一次，我們都是一直練習、一直練習，但是，我們從來就不敢站上舞台，真正表演。     上台表演這件事，需要有上台的慾望、表演的渴望、持之以恆的耐性與毅力，還要有責任心。其實，跳舞是必須承受一點小小的壓力的，我們是要被訓練，站在舞台上，獲得台下觀眾的熱烈掌聲的。但是，身為成人的我們，哪有勇氣上台啊！勇氣是對自己的要求與負責，勇氣也是對自己學習的信心。但是，是否愛跳舞的業餘成人們，沒有勇氣，沒有信心呢？     其實，上台表演的意義，是呈現自己學習的成果，並藉此與他人分享。上台表演，真的不必像上戰場一樣，那麼嚴肅，那麼可怕。相反地，多一點上台表演的機會，會累積「戰力」，我們不僅可以磨練技巧，訓練膽量，克服緊張，更能與人合作、互動，培養默契，在排練和演出的過程中，學習表現自己與成全別人。也就是說，上台表演，不只是個人的活動，也是學生與老師、學員與朋友之間相處的機會。有過上台經驗的人都知道，在台前台後所獲得的友誼、建立的態度、增進的技術、和通過的考驗，是對自己的學習與生活，受益無窮的。       另一方面，上台表演，也是學習成果的檢視。舞台上，表現好的一面，是我們事前點滴努力的成果；而表現未能盡善盡美的地方，則是我們要繼續努力的目標。我們如能把握每一次認識自己、結交朋友的機會，便能為自己創造更多進步的空間。學習是一條漫長的道路，而上台表演，是鼓勵自己不斷努力、克服困難、共融共好的過程，且亦可留下無以磨滅的深刻回憶。每次看到那些穿著漂亮衣服，上台跳舞的舞者，我們都好羨慕。她們微笑地面對觀眾，抬頭挺胸，笑容可掬，好不甜美，就算有舞步不對，觀眾也不會因為她們的失誤而取笑啊！所以，只要站在台上，我們就是舞台上的主人，就是要給今天在場的每位貴賓，一個舒服的演出饗宴。我們一定要有自信的微笑與舉止，走路不疾不徐，敬禮，並微笑地注視台下的觀眾，謝謝他們願意空出時間，前來鼓掌。因此，在我們努力練習，到了上台表演完後的那一刻時，請放自己一馬，抬頭挺胸，用自信的眼神，和誠摯地微笑，告訴觀眾：「這段時間，我們很努力準備了，感謝大家來看我們的成果發表，謝謝大家的掌聲。」相信，上台表演這件事，是我們對站在舞台上的負責，也是我們對在場的觀眾，表達我們深深地、滿滿的誠意的演出。 Powered by Firstory Hosting

信念與預期Thoughts and Predictions       人類天生渴望認同和讚美。當我們對別人懷有期望，他們通常會因此而更努力的達到這個期望，以獲得認可，進而強化自我價值感。因此，不管我們或別人，若能抱持正面的期望和讚美，將會促使我們與他人更有動力，進而提升生活與工作效能。這就是「信則有、不信則無」。       畢馬龍效應也叫「自我應驗預言」，源於古希臘神話的一位雕塑家畢馬龍，他依據自己心目中女神的模樣，雕刻出他覺得世界上最美的女人，但因為實在太美了，他每天凝望著雕像，最後情不自禁的愛上自己雕刻出來的雕像，他開始日夜祈求，希望愛神維納斯能讓雕像成為他的妻子，最後，愛神深受他的真誠感動，於是賜與雕像生命，使她活了過來，兩人從此結為夫妻。於是，人們便將由期望產生實際效果的現象，稱為「畢馬龍效應」。心理學家認為，這是我們的預期心理，所能達到的心想事成。也就是說，我們要在腦海裡，時時有很多正向的信念，然後，真誠熱情的祈求，一定會讓我們夢想成真的。       The Pygmalion effect gets its name from the Greek myth of Pygmalion. Pygmalion was a sculptor who carved a statue of a beautiful woman he later fell in love with. He wished that he could find a woman as beautiful as his sculpture to marry. Aphrodite, the goddess of love, granted his wish and transformed his sculpture into a living, breathing woman. Just as Pygmalion’s fixation on the sculpture allowed it to come to life, our focus on an expectation even can impact the outcome in a given situation. The Pygmalion effect is a psychological phenomenon that describes how others’ positive expectations of us can also become a self-fulfilling prophecy, improving our performance. The Pygmalion effect happens when we expect success from someone else. We are likely to give him/her greater support in order to help him/her achieve that success. Similarly, if we believe someone has high expectations of us, we will work harder to meet those expectations. Expectations act as a prophecy because they become motivators for hard work. According to the Pygmalion effect, higher expectations lead to higher performance. Therefore, this concept suggests that when someone believes in us and expects us to succeed, we are more likely to work harder, overcome obstacles, and achieve our goals. If we constantly doubt our abilities and hold low expectations of what we can achieve, our beliefs can hinder our progress, and prevent us from fulfilling our potential. But, if we cultivate a positive mindset and set high and achievable expectations, they can really motivate our behaviors to reach those lofty expectations. In other words, we only need to make sure that we fully believe in the potential of our predictions and abilities. Researchers have conducted numerous studies to explore the Pygmalion Effect in various settings, such as education, workplace, and athletics. For instance, research in the field of education shows that when teachers hold positive expectations for their students, they provide them with additional support and encouragement, and consequently, the students are more likely to thrive academically. Similarly, managers who have high expectations of their employees and provide them with opportunities for growth and development often witness improved performance and job satisfaction. The Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw (1856-1950) who wrote the play Pygmalion (1913), and later in 1964, adapted to be American musical comedy-drama film My Fair Lady (《窈窕淑女》) proves to be a successful example of the Pygmalion Effect. Summary of the story: Two old gentlemen meet in the rain one night at Covent Garden. Professor Higgins is a scientist of phonetics, and Colonel Pickering is a linguist of Indian dialects. Professor Higgins bets that, with his knowledge of phonetics, in a matter of months, he will be able to transform the cockney speaking Covent Garden flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, into a woman as poised and well-spoken as a duchess. The next morning, the girl appears at Higgins’ laboratory on Wimpole Street. For a number of months, Higgins trains Eliza to speak properly. Two trials for Eliza follow. The first one occurs at Higgins’ mother’s home, where Eliza is introduced to the Freddy family. The son Freddy is very attracted to Eliza because he thinks she is a real lady. The second trial, which takes place some months later at an ambassador’s party, is a resounding success. She really behaves that she is a perfect, elegant lady in London high society. Although the Pygmalion effect is subconscious, it demonstrates that others’ expectations can greatly influence our performance. When someone thinks highly of us, we would work hard to maintain that reputation. In this way, the Pygmalion effect does act like a self-fulfilling prophecy because our beliefs and thoughts, definitely, encourage us to take the necessary steps to meet others’ high expectations. We are much likely to push ourselves harder because we believe that we can achieve success, too. Once we understand how expectations impact the behavior of both ourselves and others, we will properly mediate those expectations for the best possible outcomes. Then, how can we use the Pygmalion Effect to improve our confidence and performance? 1.    Set high expectations, but not too high. When we set high expectations, we need to have some stretch, but, at the same time, be realistic. 2.    Use confident language. We can express our confidence when we start thinking that we can do things. We have to believe in ourselves all the time. 3.    Celebrate achievements. “Success breeds success.” When we take the time to celebrate our achievements, it not only reinforces the accomplishments and builds our confidence, but also motivates others to want more of that success. 4.    Promote positive gatherings. We can set a positive example by using meeting time to compliment and build the confidence of our friends. During the meetings, we can share positive accomplishments they are proud of. We can also encourage our friends to compliment and express appreciation to others. 「天生我材必有用」，在浩瀚的宇宙中，我們來到這個世上，都佔有一個獨特的位置，其中，我們有長處與優點，是別人無法取代的。我們每個人都有與生俱來的優勢，經由後天的學習，轉化與加工，我們都可以將生活過得有意義，讓自己變得有魅力。我們要用開闊的心，去相信自己和別人的讚賞。自信是發自內心的力量，它無法衡量，但卻可以讓人有勇氣去面對一切挑戰。「鼓勵」也是讓人前進的動力。接受自己和別人的讚賞與鼓勵，就會信心滿滿。好的事情，美的事物，大家都喜歡。我們所呈現的一切，都是內心的信念，「相信我們真的很好」，並常常預期好人好事，都是提升我們繼續成長的重要動能，透過一句句的讚賞與鼓勵，我們真的可以預期未來，將能越來越好。 Powered by Firstory Hosting

善待別人的感動 一位女子剛嫁入門，豈料婆婆凡事皆看她不順眼，不是嫌她飯菜烹調不佳，就是說她洗熨衣物不夠好；常常當面指責她無能，或背後指罵她懶惰，把她說得一無是處。媳婦知道婆婆脾氣不好，不僅不敢頂嘴一句，更加小心翼翼整理家務，從早忙到晚，總是逆來順受，而婆婆卻仍是百般刁難她。鄰人看不過去，忍不住對女子說：「你婆婆既然如此狠心待你，你何不回敬她幾句氣話，讓她氣死算了。」女子聞言，不敢苟同，反而嚴肅地說：「我婆婆待我非常好，是我自己晨昏未盡孝道之責，亦以此深感慚愧不已！今後，請不要再說這些話了；你應該教導我，要如何更孝順婆婆才是。」在門外的婆婆，無意間聽見兩人對話，方知媳婦是如此難得，待鄰人離去後，才進門對媳婦說：「過去是我錯怪你了，請原諒我過去對你的態度......。」說完，婆媳倆抱頭痛哭，一切陰霾，猶如冰釋。 另有一位婆婆，不但心胸寬闊，而且非常慈祥；她的媳婦卻很不孝，忤逆之至。她不以有一惡媳而埋怨、憤怒，還常對左鄰右舍說：「我家媳婦不但賢慧，而且乖巧，早上我一起來，她就將洗臉水、牙刷、毛巾等，一切盥洗的東西，端到面前；三餐也料理得很好，家中整理得既乾淨又整齊；晚上睡覺前，床鋪、棉被都鋪整得非常好......，要說孝媳，非我家媳婦莫屬。」由於她逢人就說，因此，全鄉鎮的人都知道她家有一孝媳。有一天，縣老爺要選拔模範媳婦，聽從傳聞，選中了這家的媳婦。當這位媳婦前往領獎，被大大褒揚後，回家途中，不禁愈想愈慚愧。她流著懺悔的眼淚，跪在婆婆面前，痛哭不已，請求原諒。自此以後，一改以往作為，成為名副其實的孝媳。 婆媳關係，從古至今，不只是家庭問題的主因，也是社會問題的所在。彼此來自不同的生長背景，擁有不同的價值觀，要相處在一起，是多麼不容易！最好是雙方都能以誠相待，若不能相互遷就、體諒，則明理的一方，需要秉持正知見的善解心，去包容寬諒。加倍善待別人的感動，獲利的，永遠是自己，創造雙贏。      身而為人的角色，不是為「利己」而活，而是必須為「服務別人」而活。只要內心常想「我能為別人做什麼？」，自然會被讚許，創造雙贏。一個人只要有心，想要為他人做事，都會問自己，我能為身邊的人做什麼？我能為部門做些什麼？我能為主管或同事做什麼？我能為家人或朋友做什麼？即使遇見不認識的人，也能升起「利他」之心。譬如搭高鐵，下車前整理座位垃圾，讓之後的乘客，感到舒適方便；到餐廳用完餐，把桌面碗盤、廚餘，簡單清理，讓服務人員或清潔阿姨，輕鬆一點；此外，在辦公室，上完廁所，或使用茶水間，順手幫忙清理洗手台水漬或雜物，讓後面使用的同事，感到清潔舒適。人活著，要好好善待別人，舉凡孝敬父母、禮敬師長、廣結善緣、善解人意、隨手助人，或笑臉迎人等態度，皆是對別人好，亦是對自己好的生活哲學。      事物總是相對存在的，任何事物，都有它好的一面，也有它不好的一面，關鍵是，要看人怎樣去對待，怎樣去取捨。比如說，在人性的陋習中，有好勝心、嫉妒心、虛榮心、表現欲、自私、自卑等。所以，勇敢是一種美德，但用錯了地方，就是好勝，甚至是愚蠢。有上進心，是一件好事，對於別人的長處，我們會努力的效法。但是，也有人努力的企圖將別人拉下來，嫉妒他們。人都喜歡聽到別人稱讚自己，卻不知忠言逆耳，良藥苦口。這個世界，不僅需要好人，更需要有能力的好人，他們是有智慧，有品德，能善待他人的好人。學會做好人，是一種智慧，而一個人如能修養好品德，不但可善待他人，更能愛護自己。     「種瓜得瓜，種豆得豆」。付出什麼，就收穫什麼。哲人說：「善待別人，就是善待自己。你給世界一個微笑，世界會回報你許多微笑。」要善待別人，不一定需要慷慨的施捨，和巨大的投入。重要的是，我們要學會傾聽，學會理解，學會讚美，學會忠告，學會感恩，學會體貼，學會表達自己的愛心。有時，一個在不經意間，善意的舉動，就能在別人的心中，灑下一片溫暖的陽光。聖嚴法師說「生命的意義在服務，生活的價值在奉獻」。給予的人，才是真正快樂的人。做善事、幫助別人，受益最多的是自己，做好事，更能使自己心情愉快、遠離病痛。加倍善待別人的感動，永遠創造雙贏。感動的時刻，如此刻骨銘心，只要「相信美好」，就會「遇見美好」。感動是有熱有光，並能感染別人的，感動讓我們懂得感恩、惜福。感動帶來正能量，讓我們永遠有更好、更新的未來。 Powered by Firstory Hosting

Keeping Balance Maintaining a balanced life is becoming increasingly more important for our personal health and well-being in a fast-paced, modern world. We live in a world full of different beliefs and opinions, so one person’s answer to one question could be completely different to the other person. The Internet, particularly social media, advertises all sorts of information on exercise and nutrition. If we can find a sport or training programs we enjoy, we need to stick to it. Consistency helps us lead to the most positive impact on our life balance. Everyone’s bodies and minds respond in different ways; the most important thing is that we are getting the right balance. In other words, it’s crucial that we find the balance that we enjoy. Being healthy doesn’t happen overnight, but each little change we make is a step in the right direction. We should keep it simple, and be kind to ourselves. Everyone responds to exercise and diet differently, however, there are a number of steps we can take that are sure to help us keep a great balanced lifestyle. • Take care and look after ourselves: In order to achieve a balanced lifestyle, we must make sure we are healthy. Our body needs plenty of rest, exercise and healthy food. It’s important to take some time out from a busy day to enjoy activities and unwind by reading or meditating. • Be organized: It’s important to keep a clear plan in advance, allowing time for our tasks and making room for activities we enjoy. Being organized can help reduce stress and improve our life balance. • Set goals: Achieving goals can help us assist with gaining a positive mindset. Our goals can cover anything from our jobs, our finances or our fitness goals. • Eat right: Our body needs healthy foods and nutrients to create new cells, clean toxins and function properly. Ensuring we eat right can help improve our diet and life balance. • Improve our mood: It’s not just exercise that can lead to improvement of our mood. Healthy habits, such as social connections, can, too, keep the mind active. No one is born with the ability to ride a skateboard, surf or even stand on their tiptoes. Unlike other mammals, human beings have no balance at birth, and no capacity to walk or even stand. As we get older, we may notice that some people are really good at keeping their balance. They can dance well, jump ropes and do somersaults. But they were not born with this ability. Instead, it takes time and practice. Balance is a skill. The more we practice, the better we become. As we know, babies are born nearsighted, and able to see only about 10 to 12 inches away. No wonder, for many people, walking in the dark means risking a fall because the brain is receiving so little visual information about the environment. Besides, when babies try to stand, their brains would process the signals to their feet, legs and hands in order to help them balance. But, yet, there are still some gestures for babies to lose their balance. Therefore, we all need to learn the skills and practice more to keep balance. As people get older, their balance often decline due to age-related changes to their muscle and vision, as well as other causes. This increases their risk of falling. In fact, falls are a leading cause of physical injuries for adults of over 65 years old. Nowadays, people not only should work on balance and flexibility, but also have to maintain and protect their mental health. More and more, we are hearing high-profile (知名度高的) people talk about the mind-body connection, or how mental health issues affect their physical health.      We do have to maintain the balance between our mental and physical health. Actually, our minds and bodies are interconnected. There are some kinds of things that we might throw our mental and physical health connection off-balance. For example, people living in a stressful environment have a higher likelihood of developing cardiac issues, like heart attacks. Others who have respiratory (呼吸系統) issues tend to have more anxiety and pressure. Chronic illness, injuries, financial stress, and bad relationships all let us reach the scales of the off-balance zone. Here are some of the warning signs that our mental-physical connection can be unbalanced: 1.    Forgetting birthdays, anniversaries or important appointments 2.    Not being able to finish tasks 3.    Becoming easily distracted 4.    Not finding enjoyment in things we usually like 5.    Difficulty eating Getting stuck in negative thoughts over stressful situations also impacts our physical health. We may recognize these symptoms, like headaches, when mental burdens begin to feel like physical weights. Being able to set negativity aside and to keep moving forward is an important skill for a person’s both mental and physical health. There are a few things that we can still take away any imbalance. These include: 1.    Get moving for, at least, half an hour a day, five days a week. This could be walking, biking, swimming or any physical activity. 2.    If we want to drink alcohol, we keep the consumption moderate. 3.    Eat foods that are good for us, and avoid food with too much caffeine. 4.    Practice some kinds of mindfulness for 10 minutes each day. Furthermore, good relationships are important for our mental wellbeing. They can: 1.    Help us build a sense of belonging and self-worth. 2.    Give us an opportunity to share positive experiences. 3.    Provide emotional support and allow us to support others. Except for that, research shows that learning new skills improve our mental wellbeing, too. When we learn new things, we start to connect with others, and perform acts of giving and kindness. We then create positive feelings and a sense of reward. We might want to volunteer in our local community, such as helping at a school, hospital or care home, and express gratitude to our friends or someone they have done for us. We, thus, are willing to spend time with friends or relatives who need support or company. Then, we learn to pay more attention to the present moment, including our thoughts and feelings, our bodies and the world around us.  We practice mindfulness more, and are, much easier, able to positively change the way we feel about life and face the challenges before us. Powered by Firstory Hosting

心動不如行動       俗話說：「心動不如行動，沒有行動，就沒有成功。」沒錯！與其經常立志，不如天天努力。所有行動的來源，是起心動念，成敗來自行動。心動和成功，只有一步之遙，而關鍵在於我們是否懂得行動，那麼，何不腳踏實地，從現在做起……？萬事始於心動，成於行動，行動是成功的階梯，目標越準，行動越快，成就就越大。心動是想法，有想法，才能成大業。明確目標、計劃和方法，運用得當，就是成就大事的基礎。只有行動，才能將心動的想法，轉變為現實，進而實現自己的宏偉的目標和理想。 　    常常，我們擁有心動的夢想，就不敢怠慢。越大的夢想，我們就越焦慮，越有壓力，得失心越重，食寢難安，所以，平凡就好。但是，如有夢想，怎麼辦呢？光說不練，是沒有用的，只有靠自己的行動，才能去實現夢想。終日所思，不如須臾之所學。我們終日所思、所慮，一定要馬上投到行動中去做。因為，只有行動，才能真正達到目的。       「語言是花苞，行動才是果實。」我們總是把心動掛在嘴巴，但卻不對心動實施行動，這是我們最大的敗筆。的確！許多事情，光是想，是不會成功的，重要的是，要付出努力。世界有名的窈窕淑女—奧黛麗．赫本，從小熱愛芭蕾，但因家境窮困，而無法學習，但她卻不放棄，努力練跳，最後，成為鼎鼎大名的國際巨星。也許，我們總是只會心動，但如果不行動，就永遠不能成功。一件有意義的事，應該馬上動身。只要相信自己，永不放棄，我們的夢想，就不是空想！行動是大於心動的。但是，儘管行動了，最後仍失敗，怎麼辦？其實，我們也不要放棄，至少我們奮鬥過了。凡走過的，都會留下痕跡，都是經驗，都刻骨銘心啊！       「做事要從心流露，也就是要從感動出發。」受到美國資本主義的影響，我們所謂的成功學，代表金錢、名聲、權力、豪宅及名車等，但其實，這是一種被催眠的價值觀。這些東西都與生命無關，人死後，能夠留下來的，只有精神。如果人們都只去追求那些與生命無關的東西，我們就找不到熱情，壓力也越來越大，生命漸漸耗竭，到最後，身心俱疲。心靈承受不了壓力時，人們會求助於心理醫師，但現代心理學無法使人們找到熱情，醫師也只有開藥給病人吃，但是，吃藥是不可能解決精神問題的。讓生命豐富的方法，是東方古老的經典：《道德經》。《道德經》中的「道」，意指生命的過程跟循環，一顆種子從發芽、生根、茁壯、開花、結果，到最後又回到種子的狀態。「德」是表示實踐，直接從心裡流露。        有感動，才有熱情，才會行動。我們做事，要從心流露，從感動出發。每一刻，我們都投入這此時此刻的感動，然後，去完成它。有了感動以後，我們就可以找到熱情。無條件的熱愛，可化成日日夜夜的行動，讓我們每天都發光發熱。現代人，在生活中的感動片刻太少，或是，有感動卻不去完成，我們就會失去生活的品質和幸福。感動是一種修煉，投入的這一刻，就會有感動。所謂投入，不一定是流淚、激動，而是專注地面對這一刻的人事物，拿掉過去、未來的想法，此刻從心流露。然後，每一天，我們都有一點點的成長，去實踐感動，找到熱情。一個人如果找到他真正的感動，就會投入工作，像做藝術品一樣，帶有一種動人的氛圍，及精神的感染力，我們也會被他投入工作的身影所感動。賈伯斯就是找到真正工作的例子，他對工作的熱情，讓他發光發熱，感染與他共事的人們。賈伯斯曾說：「生命短暫，不要浪費時間，活在別人的陰影裡；不要被教條所惑，盲從教條，等於活在別人的思考中；不要讓他人的噪音，壓過自己的心聲。最重要的是，要有勇氣，跟著自己的內心與直覺。求知若渴，虛心若愚。」我們的生命，歸屬於天命，有跡可循，最明顯的，就是自由與踏實的感受。當我們從事自己熱愛又擅長的工作時，我們才能活出真實的自己。舞蹈家瑪莎．葛蘭姆(Martha Graham)說：「一個人真正開始跳舞之前，要花十年的時間，學習基本功；真正的創意，需要技巧、紀律和訓練。唯有不斷地訓練，才能達到最佳狀態。」我們因有心動，有熱情，才有行動，再加上訓練，假以時日，就會成功。 Powered by Firstory Hosting

認真負責 在這個世界上，我們每個人都有不同的優點或專長，但卻也很難找到十全十美的人，原因是，每一個人，難免都有一點點缺點。不過，只要我們全心全力的為事情付出，即使做得不盡完美，但我們已經無私地奉獻了自己，盡力完成事情了，又有什麼好埋怨的呢？只要肯努力認真，負責盡職，就是最美的，最值得令人尊敬的。在這個社會上，有小部分的人，或許不夠完美，沒有天資聰穎或表現傑出，但是，他們默默地在努力付出，認真負責。也有小部分的人，天生就有一些障礙，但是，他們也無私地為工作、生活付出，日子一樣過得很快樂。可見，即使是有障礙的人，只要肯努力付出、認真打拚，負責盡職，也能散發出生命的光芒的。 想想，每個人，不管年齡大小，無論職位高低，都有自己的舞台，每個人都背負著不同的使命，來到這個世上，在人生的旅途上，在自己的工作崗位上，努力不懈。只要我們用盡心力，做好每一件事，就能事半功倍，得到不同的收穫與報酬。認真負責的態度，是決定一切事情成敗的關鍵，只要我們夠認真，肯負責，我們不僅可以得到別人的肯定，也能讓自己，凡事都能迎刃而解。      認真，是一種自我要求，更是職場人士必備的成功要素。也就是說，無論從事什麼職業，我們都要盡職負責地對待自己的工作。在工作的過程中，盡自己最大的努力，來求得不斷的進步。認真做事的人，即使不能當領導，也會是很好的幕僚。認真做事，必能獲得主管的信賴與付託。在學校，認真讀書，就是最好的學生；認真教書，就是最好的老師。在社會上，認真待人，我們就是最好的朋友。然後，認真生活，我們才有最好的人生。例如，我們對家居環境的整齊清潔，都很認真的處理。對兒女的培育教養，也很認真的樹立典範。對生活不奢侈浪費，胡作非為，凡事都處理得井井有條，規規矩矩。我們如能如此認真，那就是最好的人生了。      認真，是人生成功立業的根本，同樣地，責任也是人生很重要的態度。負責的定義是承擔責任，實現承諾、完成任務，即便有疏失，也能擔當後果、盡力改善。每個人都應該有責任感，對事情負責、對別人負責，更要對自己負責。要掌握負責的定義，成為一個有責任感的人，可以從負責任的態度，開始學習。首先，負責任的態度，是確實執行該做的事、盡力完成每項任務。例如，剛進入公司的麵包師傅，負責的工作，是烘培出一個個美味的麵包。累積經歷與年資後，公司賦予他店長的職位，然後，隨著身份由麵包師傅變成店長，要負責的，就不僅是要做出好吃的麵包而已，更要承擔起營運管理的責任。其次，負責任的態度，是在任務沒有執行妥善時，能勇敢承擔後果，並改善。人生中不可能每件事情都完美，總會遇到結果不理想的時候，也難免會有意外或阻礙。這時候，負責任就是勇敢道歉，立即改善，解決問題，並承擔後果。負責任的人，能力將越來越強。因為，負責盡職，是對待每件事情，都能處理妥當。這樣負責任的態度，不但能督促自己進步，將事情處理得更圓滿，還能讓我們盡最大的努力，力求改善，記取教訓，使下次做到更好。我們為人處事，真的要認真負責啊！ Powered by Firstory Hosting

愛或恐懼       我們的情緒，是愛與恐懼嗎？其實，我們只有一種情緒：是愛，沒有恐懼。那為什麼我們會有愛與恐懼的情緒呢？那是因為，我們在形成當下的事件的想法時，不是基於顯見的真理，而是以想像的真理，來思考當下的事件。       一頭獅子，突然衝出來大吼，我們嚇呆了，因為我們想像有被抓傷的危險。山路轉了個彎，我們駛向路肩，窗外是三千呎深的懸崖，我們嚇壞了，因為我們想像一轉錯彎，就會死掉。觀眾等著我們發表重要的演說，我們不知所措，因為我們想像難得有機會上台，卻可能讓大家失望而被嘲笑。這一切都是基於我們想像的真理，想像這個「不好的」、「不快樂的」、前方有重重「艱難險阻的」，或是其他什麼的。當然，感到恐懼，並不是什麼問題。在面對改變時，我們是可以預期克服恐懼的，沒有什麼好或不好，很正常，我們都是這樣被教導的，好像恐懼是存在，是真實的。       而真實的真理是，沒有恐懼這種東西。我們只有一種情緒，那就是愛。宇宙裡只有一種情緒，一種能量，我們稱為「愛」。除了愛，無它，恐懼是愛的流露。如果我們不愛自己，就不會為自己擔憂，不會害怕任何東西，不會在乎遭遇到任何事，甚至不在乎是否活著。「求生本能」是愛最自然的表現方式。同樣地，如果我們不愛他人，不愛國家，就不會為他人擔憂，為國家擔憂，害怕會發生什麼事。恐懼和愛是同一件事，只是說法不同而已。愛只有一種，恐懼則以各種形式呈現，包括：害怕、孤單、匱乏、自卑、冷漠、傷感、痛苦、焦慮、憂愁、煩惱、惶恐、鬱悶、不悅、憤怒、緊張、退卻、失落、埋怨、怨恨、失望、絕望等。心靈的本質是愛，並且始終處於愛中，這是心靈的自然狀態。愛與恐懼無法並存，心靈感受到恐懼時，表示愛出了問題。當我們感到恐懼的時候，直覺地，我們會試圖控制恐懼，設法消除恐懼所帶來的不舒服感，而且急於找答案、解決問題。然而，當我們依據眼之所見、耳之所聞，及自己的判斷時，我們不但無法解決問題，反而使問題更隱晦，難以化解。例如，家人最能在生活中看到我的各種毛病，也常常指出我的缺失。這些指點與糾正，會讓我覺得受到指責，感到不舒服，而這不舒服的感覺，是恐懼的一種形式。於是，我試圖控制恐懼，希望家人盡快閉嘴。我常用的方式，包括：(1)辯解，認為家人所指情況，並非事實，誤解了我；(2)反擊，指出家人也有類似的毛病，沒資格批評我；(3)憤怒，以生氣喝止家人，要求立刻停止對我的攻擊。上述用來控制恐懼的方式，都是基於眼前的情境，因此，解決問題的方法，就是辯解、反擊、憤怒。然而，事實並非如此，讓我感到恐懼的真正原因，是心靈的罪咎感。如果我不明究理，試圖控制恐懼，直接予以反應，只會強化我的罪咎感與恐懼，使問題愈演愈烈。       那麼，要如何面對恐懼、化解恐懼呢？因為恐懼根本就不存在，我們是無法駕馭恐懼的，唯有愛，駕馭得了恐懼。所以，當我們感到恐懼時，我們要提醒自己， (1)先洞察這就是恐懼；(2)恐懼源於缺乏愛；(3)缺乏愛的唯一方法，就是補充愛。印度哲人說：「如果喜歡花，就去當園丁。做自己喜歡的事時，沒有恐懼，沒有比較，也沒有野心，只有愛 。」焦慮多半是有原因的，不管是擔心明天的考試、拚業績、還是家人生病，推根究底，通常能找出一個或幾個理由，讓我們知道自己在緊張什麼。倘若仔細分析，我們就可羅列一些癥兆出來。比如，我們「怕自己無法在截止日前，完成預定工作」，但這不是真的恐懼，怕發現自己沒有想的那麼好，害怕面對自己，知道自己會失望而感到恐懼，這種情緒叫做「憂慮」。「憂慮」是一種主動的心理狀態，而「恐懼」則是一種被動的生理反應。小時候溺過水的人，學潛水時，第一次下水，整個頭泡在水裡，就開始恐慌，這是真正的恐懼，因為恐懼是「生物的直覺反應」，必然是「被動」的狀況，是「違反趨吉避凶的生理需求」。相信有鬼的人，如果把鬼當成會害人的壞東西，是會對鬼有所恐懼的。至於不相信有鬼的人，是不可能「怕」鬼的。我們怕不怕鬼，基本上，是受到文化環境形塑的。台灣的旅行團，到歐洲旅行，有人在奧地利的旅館「被鬼壓床」，這種形式的鬼魂，在奧地利是完全不存在的。相信有鬼，而且從小住在亞洲的華人，到了奧地利，是看不到歐洲的吸血鬼跟殭屍的。世界上到底有沒有鬼，鬼是長什麼樣子，其實是我們可以透過邏輯思考找到答案的。就像我們對蛇，也有不同的感受，極度怕蛇的人，就算面對的是無毒，而且牙齒已經拔掉的寵物蛇，也會心驚肉顫，但喜歡蛇的山友，即使在荒野中，看到劇毒的蛇，也會饒富興味地在近距離，欣賞造物主創造的美麗作品。      怕鬼的人，必須相信鬼是真的。同樣的，信神的人，需要相信神是真的，怕蛇的人，需要相信蛇會趁著我們半夜，睡眼惺忪上廁所的時候，從馬桶裡爬出來，怕「共匪」的人，必須相信一不小心投票選錯人，共匪就會打過來。「相信是真的」，才是構成恐懼的條件。我們每個人，都有可能為自己找到很棒的方法，來面對恐懼。例如，有人去收驚；有人跟自己說：「鬼片拍來，就是要嚇人的」，然後，找機會到片場，看化妝師如何把一個普通人，化妝成恐怖的鬼。怕黑的人，可以把黑暗的環境變亮，變溫暖，也可以去黑夜觀星，享受黑夜的美好，也可以單獨走黑暗的巷弄、練「合氣道」防身。怕溺水的人，可以請教練學習游泳、換氣，在水裡自救。所有的恐懼，也都可以去預想最壞的情況，並且接受，就不會感到恐懼了。      美國心理學家佛洛姆，強調愛應有四個元素，愛是照顧、責任、尊重與了解。(1)照顧：我們要看到愛的行為表現中，口口聲聲的愛中，是否有照顧的行為，是否有照顧到對方的需求，「愛乃是我們對所愛的生命及其成長的積極照顧」。善於照顧的人，是不吝嗇於付出行動來愛人的。(2)責任：負責是一種發自內心的自願行為，負責任，表示把對方視為自己重要的存在，意味著看到對方的需求，我們是願意為對方付出時間與心力的。(3)尊重：如果負責缺乏了尊重，愛容易成為支配和佔有，帶著尊重的付出，會看到每個人的差異化，尊重其獨特性。(4)了解：如果照顧的愛，缺乏了解，愛可能會變成強迫。了解是需要時間與耐心，去與眼前的人溝通與對話。願意了解的人，會給予我們時間，去傾聽我們的情緒與價值觀。照顧、責任、尊重和了解是互相依賴且連結的。     了解了愛之後，如果我們沒有人可以愛，我們最應該愛的，就是自己，無條件的愛自己，照顧與關懷自己的需求、對自己有責任感、尊重自己，花大量時間與自己相處，了解自己是誰、了解自己的身心。愛是一門藝術，是一門技術與能力，愛創造的是更完整的自己，更健康的關係，更接納與支持的社會。 Powered by Firstory Hosting

幽默的好處       當處在一個看似緊張的場合中，突然一句幽默的話，真的會劃破沉靜的氣氛，讓大家感受到會心的一笑，真好。其實，笑是我們在體驗幽默中，很常見的一種表現。幽默除了能幫助個體舒緩焦慮的情緒，釋放身體的緊張外，適當利用幽默的方式，來回應錯誤行為，也可增加團體的團結，促進融洽的氣氛。研究指出，幽默引發的笑，是能降低壓力賀爾蒙(皮質醇)，對我們的肌肉骨骼、心血管、免疫系統等，都可產生有益的影響，還有，幽默對心跳、血壓、睡眠狀況等，也都會有好轉的現象。再者，幽默感能使人產生正向的情緒，直接維護我們的心理健康，提升幸福感。幽默更有助於建立社會關係，與社會支持，學者們一致認為，幽默感越佳的人，越能有社交能力及人際吸引力，也越能感受到更多令自己滿意的社會關係。      幽默的話語，令人噗哧一笑，不僅讓我們自身感到愉悅，也能幫助我們在日常生活中，甚至面對壓力時，用更正向的心態，來迎接挑戰!人們常說，「笑一笑，十年少」。雖然有點誇張，但近年來，有越來越多的科學證據表明，大笑的確能給身心帶來許多益處。笑真的是開心愉快的標誌，因為，假笑或是強顏歡笑，其實是很難的，開懷大笑後的那種放鬆感，無異於一次痛快的體育鍛煉，它可以放鬆僵硬的肌肉，更能讓大腦釋放內啡肽(endorphins)的化學物質，讓人感覺渾身暖洋洋。大笑的確會加強我們的免疫系統，同時，還能催生更多抵禦疾病的抗體和細胞。研究表明，和親戚或朋友在一起分享笑話時，不但讓大家更具安全感，且笑聲的傳染力，更意味著友善、熱情與包容。如果沒有歡聲的笑語，這個世界，就將變得不那麼友好了啊。       其實，偶爾開開自己的玩笑，適當自嘲一下，也不錯，因為那會讓我們更有人緣、更快樂，原因如下： 1. 能擁抱真實的自己       放不下所謂的「偶像包袱」嗎？為了維持形象，活成別人心目中的樣子嗎？那真的會讓自己活得好累。沒有人是完美的，我們如能誠實地接受自己，接納自己的缺點，就可以幽自己一默。只有當我們有足夠的自信心時，我們才能坦然地開自己的玩笑，接納自己的不完美，面對真實的自我。 2. 提升自信心 對自己有所懷疑，其實並沒有不好。懂得「自嘲」幽默的人，通常較樂觀，能以正向心態，面對生活中的各種困難及尷尬，也較能正視自己的缺點，學會改進。開自己玩笑的幽默，代表著對自己有一定自信心，生活也就不會太僵化了。 3. 別人可能會更喜歡我們，因為我們很真 即使我們並非有意，當我們取笑別人時，很可能會傷害到對方，但如果我們是開自己的玩笑，不僅自己有笑容，也會讓周圍的人，一起大笑，別人會覺得我們既真實又可愛，氣氛也就不會太緊張或冷場。 4. 分享自己曾做過的蠢事 人人都曾做過蠢事，有些事回想起來，甚至會覺得自己很好笑，而這些都是我們可以和別人分享的玩笑話。我們如能接受自己的全部，包括優缺點，就能自在地「自嘲」自己，生活也會更快樂。       幽默不是開玩笑，或隨口說說。想要引起共鳴，我們本身就應該自然而然地流露出幽默感。我們都希望人生有意義。然而，有時工作與生活太認真、太辛苦了，使人變得庸俗，備感壓力。偶爾，我們發揮一點幽默感，不僅可以助興，消除一板一眼的嚴肅感，也可以讓人生的意義，浮現出來。與同事、夥伴、家人、朋友相處時，常常任何出乎意料的事，都可能讓情況發生變化，提高警覺。但，這時，如能在適當時機，幽默一下，其培養出來的默契與關係，就顯得令人彌足珍貴了。       帶著健康的幽默感，是用理智的視角，伴隨著同理心，有人性，與別人互動，產生共鳴的。有趣的是，發揮幽默感，並不是輕忽正經事，相反地，它會更讓我們即使面對嚴肅的事情時，依然淡定地，繼續前進。       我的幽默感，來自我們全家大小事。我現在和先生住在一起，他姓蔡，我叫他蔡先生，他是個很拘謹的人，但也確實很好笑。我的兒子已婚，我叫他小蔡先生，他生了一男一女，老大Charlie，5歲，老二 Ivy，3歲，媳婦是黃小姐，他們全家，就住在我們家隔壁，每天我們也都有超好笑的事發生，哈哈哈哈哈···，每天，我笑都笑不完啦！  Powered by Firstory Hosting

Good Morality The old morality, with roots in religion, speaks of respect, service to others, sacrifice, resistance to temptation, and moderation in the pursuit of pleasure. Now, we see that the new morality celebrates self-centeredness and self-indulgence. There are current examples we can find everywhere, including campuses at schools, for children’s wrong behavior as follows: 1. Juvenile crime: More than half of all serious crimes in the United States are now committed by youths 10 to 17 years of age. 2. Disrespect for authority: Children and teenagers defy their teachers, even swear at them. Violence continues to mount. Each year, more than 100,000 teachers and hundreds of students are assaulted in school. 3. Children’s cruelty to each other: We’re seeing just children’s meanness. 4. Cheating: Students are cheating on tests, but get good grades as a result. 5. Drugs and drinking: The number of teenage alcoholics is estimated to be 2.5 million in US. 6. Teenage sex: One in five teens has had intercourse by age 15. Half of all illegitimate babies in US are now born to teenage mothers. 7. Theft: Student shoplifters don’t seem to care when they get caught. They don’t think they’ve done anything wrong. In fact, we should help children a) learn to think for themselves, b) take on responsibilities, and c) develop a positive self-image. Actually, the same approaches that help children grow morally also help our family members manage their conflicts constructively and enjoy a greater measure of happiness.        We have some good ideas about getting children to behave and become fair-minded: 1.        Give them choices: Our child doesn’t want to stop playing and have dinner, so we ask: “Would you like to come to dinner now, or go to bed?” 2.        Offer challenges: “Let’s see if you can get to the table by the time I count to ten: One, two, three,…” etc. 3.        Use stories to teach good behavior. 4.        Call time-outs: When children are misbehaving, we need to give them 10 minutes to calm down by having them stop what they’re doing. 5.        Spanking may help: One study found that parents who occasionally spank their children do not nag or yell at them as much as parents who never spank. Moreover, spanking may succeed in controlling a particular behavior. 6.        Be sure to teach good manners: We have to show children good manners, and give them plenty of praise when they remember their manners. 7.        Have them help with the household chores. 8.        Teach them to develop a sense of what’s fair. 9.        Make rules and be sure to enforce them. 10.    When our children are behaving well, we point out to them how much we like it. Almost everybody, including children and adults, has to learn to become independent-minded. Everyone in the school, from the principal down to the students and the staff, cooks and janitors, must pledge to follow the established behavioral rules, and be compassionate and caring towards others. In other words, it won’t work unless it’s practiced at all times and by all people. Moral values are the foundation of people’s characters. Genuinely, we might say that, nowadays, strong and undeterred individuals have been shaped by their moral values, thoughts, and beliefs. It’s also really very important that as a decent person in society, we must invest time and effort in our moral growth. The vital moral values are respect, honesty, compassion, kindness, gratitude, cooperation and generosity. Respect is a vital moral value that all people have to learn, regardless of their age, religion, nationality, beliefs, or points of view. As a matter of fact, every person must be taught from a young age to respect every religion, race, culture, and lifestyle in society. Then, “Honesty is the best policy.” Being true to our parents, teachers, relatives, friends and others, definitely, help us to form a good personality trait and reputation. Compassion is defined as the feeling of love and concern for others. If parents taught compassion to their children from an early age, there would be significantly less hunger, conflict, homelessness, and unhappiness in the real world. The significance of kindness through empathy, acceptance, justice, pleasant gestures, and thoughtfulness is happy enough that it could also imply doing good without expecting good in return. Next, gratitude is the willingness to express appreciation for what we have. And it all starts with happiness. So, it is very grateful for what we have in life to cultivate contentment and thankfulness. Cooperation is the act of assisting others in the pursuit of a common objective. The first step toward developing a spirit of cooperation is to collaborate at home. A family should practice collaboration by doing domestic chores together and listening to one another’s difficulties. Besides, healthy competition can encourage people to cooperate in order to be successful as a society. Last but not least, Generosity is developing a nice and socially responsible person since our childhood. A generous child will be willing to offer his or her time and assistance to others, regardless of the circumstances. We should learn to lend a helping hand to those in need in and outside the classroom at any time.       All in all, we consider moral traits are so important for us because morality can benefit us in our whole lives. Moral traits have social values. If we know a person is honest and compassionate that we can associate with that person safely, and then, we can begin a fruitful relationship with them. Furthermore, from an adaptive perspective, moral traits signal to us that we can increase our wealth and improve our health in the long run. Powered by Firstory Hosting

自助者天助之God Helps Those Who Help Themselves      有些事，不是因為看到希望，才去堅持，而是因為堅持，才看到希望。只有當我們自己本身願意去努力時，上天才能提供機會，幫助我們。人生中永遠有想不到的難題，往往當下也未必能馬上找到解方。重點是，一定要先從自己能做些什麼開始。現今，是社群媒體當道的年代，要讓「自助」發出聲量，一切，就要先從自己想辦法，幫助自己開始。把心思專注在「自助」上，我們才會發現，不但，少了很多負面情緒，更在不知不覺中，為往後的峰迴路轉，埋下種子。有了自助和人助，最後才能期待天助。      每個領域，都有很擅長者，甚至具有天賦者，根本就是老天爺賞飯吃。但是，絕大部分的人，都是透過努力，克服一關又一關，才能養成看起來毫不費力的功力的。跨越挑戰的魄力與勇氣，是自己要先給自己的。常言道：自助、人助、天助，當我們願意先從幫助自己開始，之後，周遭的人，才會看到我們的決心，才更瞭解如何幫助我們。成功是屬於有意願的人的。只有我們自己，才是命運的主人，改變命運的機會，就掌握在我們自己的手裡。 　 　 首先，優秀的品行，是我們事業發展的基礎。如果我們擁有良好的職業道德，品行優秀、有良好的行為習慣，肯自動自發、敬業、忠誠，我們一定魅力無窮。其次，觀念制勝，成敗得失，均在一念間。觀念是一種思想，是我們無形之中的行事準則，有什麼樣的觀念，往往就決定我們的行動方向。要想成功，我們就必須樹立自己正確的觀念，用正確的觀念，指導一生。再者，積極的心態，會使人每天如沐春風、鬥志昂揚。最後，養成良好習慣，可成就美好事業。我們反覆的行為，形成習慣，而習慣又反過來塑造我們獨特的個性。哲人曾說：「種下一種行為，收獲一種習慣；種下一種習慣，收獲一種個性；種下一種個性，收獲一種命運。」好的習慣，會使我們內心，湧動一股奮發向上的力量，而這種力量，就會成就我們輝煌的人生。班傑明．富蘭克林說：「珍惜時間，可以使生命變得更有價值。」歌德說：「絕不能讓最要緊的事，受最不要緊的事擺布。」我們要養成珍惜時間的好習慣，因為，時間就是金錢，時間就是生命。真的，自助者，天助也！只有自己幫助自己，自己認識自己、提升自己、改變自己，如此，我們才能改變自己的命運，成就自己的事業。   Powered by Firstory Hosting

Interpersonal Relationships      Understanding the importance of social connections, and how to maintain them is the key to creating meaningful interpersonal relationships that follow us through life’s ups and downs. Interpersonal relationships are the emotional bonds we create with the people around us. This refers to both our close relationships with family members, friends, romantic partners, and our more surface-level interactions with acquaintances and coworkers. Any time when we interact with someone, we’re creating an interpersonal relationship, whether it lasts for only a few minutes or our whole lives. Everyone has different personality, so no relationship is the same. And personal connections ebb and flow based on individual needs and levels of commitment. Maybe we don’t talk to a childhood best friend anymore because of distance. Or, we’re close with a work colleague because we’ve bonded over a shared experience. This is a natural part of the relationship lifecycle. In modern times, we, actually, rely on cooperation with others to fulfill our lives not only to necessarily survive, but also to live happily and emotionally. Connections with others have a host of benefits. They include: 1.    Feelings of well-being and happiness 2.    A sense of belonging 3.    A positive effect on how we manage stress 4.    Access to new perspectives and ideas 5.    Enhanced resilience in times of crisis, such as a job loss, or the death of a loved one 6.    Improved self-esteem In fact, throughout our lives, except for our family members and siblings, we make friends and maintain friendships from time to time, such as the relationships we develop at school, or others according to shared experiences and interests. But no matter how we meet, a good friend offers comfort, support, and companionship. Here are six ways to cultivate healthy and successful relationships: 1. Learn to listen It demonstrates respect and care for the other’s feelings, opinions, and interests. As an active listener, we’re more mindful in our interactions, engaging fully with what the other person says.  2. Express openness A healthy relationship requires sharing opinions, experiences, and emotions. Being open in our personal relationships requires sincerity. 3. Communicate often We need to use communication very often to share our life experiences, expectations, and understandings with our friends. 4. Be respectful We don’t have to agree with our friends about everything. But we should demonstrate that we value their interests and thoughts, even when they differ from ours.  5. Offer empathy Empathy and compassion help us connect with our friends, and let us understand their experiences. 6. Set boundaries Boundaries define what we’re willing to accept in a relationship based on our expectations and limitations. Boundaries also mean that we care about each other’s comfort levels, and respect each other. However, sometimes, despite our best efforts, a relationship isn’t meant to be. Feeling sad is a natural and understandable response to losing a friend, no matter how it happens. Interpersonal relationships are complex. Only some of the people we meet will have the privilege of becoming close to us, and that’s perfectly normal. Everyone has something unique to offer, and being open and welcoming to new social interactions will still enrich our life in rare ways. It’s important to give us and our friends enough time to think and settle down. Besides, we don’t complain the situations but stay positive to handle as well as to improve things, once something wrong happens among friends. We have to talk to our friends about expectations and boundaries, and then, wait calmly for the outcome. To sum up, if the situation is not good enough, we talk it out to our friends, express ourselves fully, gain support from our friends, stay positive toward it, give more room and space to figure out, and, at last, solve the problems. Eventually, we need to, patiently, take time to the results. If things still haven’t managed to sort it out, at least, we won’t regret not making efforts.   Powered by Firstory Hosting

感動的心      我們人因為是「有情眾生」，內心有感情，所以，很容易為了一個人、一句話、一件事而深受感動，甚至讀一本好書，欣賞一部感性的影片，我們也都會忍不住感動流淚。感動是情感的流露，是人際關係的潤滑劑。一個容易感動的人，生命是有意義的。在團體中，如果主管經常因下屬的勤勞而感動；下屬也會常感受到主管的愛護，必然上下一團和氣。在家庭裏，父母如能常讓子女感動；為人子女的，也會想方設法地讓父母感動。有了感動，彼此就能敬上愛下，和樂相處。人與人之間的互動，感動是不可少的。在我們的日常生活中，無論是朋友、同事或鄰居，如能時時因說話、做事而感動，因禮貌、謙虛而感動，則對於別人所做的，我們就能歡喜感受，對於自己所做的，我們也能時時感動。感動是一種心靈的感覺，它很少張揚於外。感動不會大喜大悲，不會哭天搶地，更不會大吵大鬧，但，感動很微妙，一句話，一個心思，一個動作，一個眼神，或一幅場景，都常常會讓我們感動不已的。   原來，在我們的內心中，自由自在的那份和諧，竟然是感動。而，當我們抓住了和諧的感動時，世界便開始變美好了。我們很難想像，在我們的生命裡，沒有感動，那將是多麽蒼白而空洞啊！現今，在物慾橫流，人人擋也擋不住的當代，談感動似乎是很奢侈的。相對地，寂寞卻是一種真實而深刻的心情，孤立於萬丈紅塵之中，無以分析，無以組合，無法解釋，無以驅趕，它是龐大得無處可容，又細微得無處不入。然而，就在滾滾紅塵，奔波匆忙，漸漸疲憊麻木時，有些細小的事，總能幫我們喚醒內心深處一些沈睡已久的東西，那就是生命中的感動。有了感動，我們就不會感到寂寞孤獨，因為那份感動，是長在心底的一盆不熄的火焰，永遠抗拒絕著結冰。 　   那麽，請問感動來自哪裡呢？感動是一種怎樣的牽引呢？答案是，感動是我們對現實世界的關愛。在公車上，為一位老者讓座；在公寓門口，為一位孕婦開門；攙扶一位盲者過馬路；在車流的長龍中，停下來，給等候多時的車子，讓出空間；冒雨替不在家的鄰居，收回衣物；扶起倒地的幼兒……等等，這些舉手之勞，樸實不經意的舉動，滲透出來的情感，卻處處讓我們充滿感動。感動是人生中的一道風景，讓人在欣賞與品味中，深受愛的啟迪。有了真心的感動，儘管在風霜雪雨的日子裡，我們都不會感到寒意。於是，我們隨手之勞的一紙短信，一張賀卡，一個問候，一個祝福，都能滋潤人的心靈，陶冶人的靈魂，讓人用心去領悟生命的意義。我們知道，感動不只是一種幸福的感覺，而且是一種難以言傳的體會。只要能真正充滿熱情地面對生命，我們就會有一種無限的充實感和快樂感。感動可以點亮我們每一個日子，使我們每一天的生活，都鮮活生動、充實豐盈；感動可以激盪整個世界，讓宇宙、地球都變得熱情飛揚、平和安詳。      每天，我們踏著綠絨絨的草坪，呼吸著清新的空氣，享受暖暖的陽光，聽聽潺潺地溪水聲，在真實的寂靜中，我們捧讀自己的心靈，在自由的天地中，我們放鬆自己，那麼，幸福的感覺，就不知不覺地在汩汩流淌了。這樣的時刻，是舒心、愜意的。我們如能珍視自己所擁有的一切善良、純真和美好，無論是甜蜜，還是苦澀，在時間的篩子過濾後，我們即能享受令人感動的溫馨和美麗。生活是需要感動的，這樣的感動，不僅是愛情，也來自友情、親情，更來自於彼此間的心心相惜，時刻牽掛。以前，也許我們從來都沒有覺得感動是如此的重要，總認為，生活就是那麼一回事，一切的一切，都歸於黄土，化為烏有。也許是因為看淡了生離死别，覺得人生再無奈，也不過是世間的傷別。但，可就在一瞬間、一個送自種香蕉的小動作，就可讓我們深深地明白，原來，生活是需要感動去支撑，去維持的。只有那樣，我們的心才不會孤寂，我們才能感覺到被愛。我們只有伸出自己的雙手，才會給自己和别人，握手的機會。是感動和感恩，讓一切都變得美好了。我們不一定擁有足够的財富，但，付出和被感動的快樂，却讓我們擁有無數的關愛與問候。是啊，老天是公平的，祂為我們關上門的時候，也會為我們開一扇窗的。打開僅有的窗户，我們同樣可以擁有陽光，擁有空氣，擁有美景，擁有屬於我們自己的美好世界。 Powered by Firstory Hosting

Controllable vs. Uncontrollable Things In life, there are a lot of things that happen to us that we cannot control. Having said that, we don’t need the rest of our life to be negatively impacted as a result. Today, we talk about why it’s important to focus more on things we can control during tough times, rather than focusing on what we cannot. In the following, we have two examples to show the controllable achievements in the world: 江天霖(T. L. Chiang)，台灣鋼琴家；白祐帆(Dylan Pai). 國際標準舞老師，英國國際舞蹈教師協會IDTA認證教師。 如果很喜歡、很喜歡，那就放手去做吧！透過音樂的自我實踐，江天霖正在彈奏著超越文字語言的訊息，用旋律渲染一次次的感動，只要與音樂連結，都能是他的舞台。江天霖說，因為我熱愛音樂，所以，不管多苦多難，我都願意。      記得小時候，很多人的家裡，都會放一台鋼琴，但多半是父母希望自己的小孩，能從音樂領域中，有所啟發；江天霖正好相反，小時候是個電視兒童，對任何聲音都充滿好奇，雖然家中有鋼琴，但一開始是哥哥在彈，後來，他是吵著跟媽媽說他想學。自發性地彈琴，讓江天霖從小就跟音樂當好朋友。如果人生有兩條路可以選擇，一條是很平穩舒適的，一條是充滿荊棘艱困的，而音樂正是那條非常困難的路，我們願不願意選擇走下去呢？江天霖說，他願意。他很小就觸碰著這些上上下下的音符記號，音樂已從他的興趣喜好，轉變成「責任」了。來自音樂班的地獄訓練，他就得學會自我管理、自己盯進度，並面對同儕的競爭。這當然會很累囉！但為何可以堅持呢？因為是自發的喜愛，所以堅持。音樂是一種超越文字語言的訊息，除了家人，更是我們最熟悉的陪伴。對江天霖來說，不管是低潮，還是瓶頸，都是開心的時刻，因為音樂可以廢寢忘食，更可以自我療癒，感到幸福。      白祐帆說，我從未想過，舞蹈竟然能讓我的人生，有如此大的轉變。對我來說，跳舞是一種渴望。兒時身處在鄉村的傳統家庭中，也沒想過找舞蹈教室學舞，但看到電視，聽到音樂，身體就開始舞動了。在我大三升大四的時候，我來到人生的轉捩點：研究所還是跳舞？數不清的練習、上課，還有一場場的比賽，早已一步步讓我走向專業舞者的路了。但是，如果我要考研究所，就必須全力投入，才能進入我想要的學校，這也意味著我無法兼顧舞蹈。親戚朋友說：「好好讀書，找個好工作，穩定的成長，不是很好嗎？」「教跳舞會不會餓死啊？！」      儘管我從小就有跳舞的渴望，但這跟有無天份，完全是兩碼子事。我不是天生的舞者，從小就姿勢不良。在舞蹈，永遠沒有做的夠多的時候。當自己感覺已經做了很多時，看看鏡子，看看自己錄下的跳舞片段，還差的遠呢！這是我們必須接受的事實。我們要不斷地突破自己，才會進步。白祐帆說，有很多人，想學鋼琴、跳舞，都說自己沒有音樂細胞，身體不協調等等，因為太多的擔心而止步，但學了之後，往往證明這些都不是真的。記住，我們永遠不要害怕去嘗試新的事物，因為，我們絕對可以超越時空，廢寢忘食的。       The fact is, we can do controllable things to expect the uncontrollable outcome. The universe is, actually, always full of potentials and possibilities. Look at this, in our today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the things we can’t control. For example, we obsess over the weather, our jobs, and other people’s opinions of us, etc. Really, there’s nothing we can do to control the weather, so worrying about it won’t make the storm go away. The same goes for our jobs and other people’s opinions. Of course, that’s easier said than done. But, the point is, there’s no way in worrying about something we can’t change and control. We can only know the controllable things, and take action to improve the situations. We can just focus on our attitudes, our affections and our actions to do the controllable things. Bad things happen to everyone every day, but how we choose to react them defines us. If we can see the silver lining in every cloud, we would be better equipped to deal with whatever life throws to us. Life is, no doubt, full of hardships, however, how we learn and grow from those problems matters. We can become stronger and wiser by looking for the positive things that we are able to control. The following are some of the most common outlets we can use to control in order to deal with things that are out of their control: Talking to a friend or family member Writing down thoughts in a journal Seeing a therapist Working out Running or going for a jog Yoga Meditating Organizing or cleaning Watching a movie or TV show Hanging out with friends Breathing exercises Eating out Cooking It’s necessary to find a balance between taking care of the things we have to, and taking care of ourselves. Handling things beyond our power (uncontrollable) can be challenging. The truth is, things we can’t control would be also parts of our lives. Therefore, we need to learn to cope with the uncontrollable things, and live happier, more fulfilling lives. Happiness or a positive disposition is a choice. Our attitudes are the kinds of energy that we project to the world. Thus, going into a difficult situation with a positive attitude increases the likelihood of finding a path through a possible solution. Next are our affections. One of the best way to reduce the stress we are feeling is to increase the amount of connectedness we feel in our lives to other trusted and safe people. Just being able to talk to a friend or colleague who can safely handle our feelings is enormously powerful. Last but not least, we can control our actions. Our future is dictated by our disciplined actions in the form of what we do each day, the habits we develop and what we strive for with purposes. By way of our attitudes, our affections and our actions, we can handle our controllable things, and even expect the great amounts of good uncontrollable things happened in our lives soon. Powered by Firstory Hosting

說話       莫言說：「真正厲害的人，從來不說難聽的話，因為人心不需要聽真話，只需要聽好聽的話，所以，我們要學著做一個有溫度且睿智的人。」懂得如何說話，是一門人生的藝術，若是不會說話，不僅會得罪人，更會禍從口出，而承擔說錯話的嚴重後果。那麼，如何讓自己學會說話呢？其實，不過是：「與貧者談講利益，與富者談找品味，與陌生者談測細節，與弱者談留面子，與男人談重邏輯，與女人談重感受，與孩子談重賞識，與智者談開門見山，與貴者談因勢利導。」因此，見什麼人，說什麼話，就是一種生存之道，更是讓自己在複雜的人際關係中，不受傷害，在各種關係中，如魚得水的根本。一個真正聰明的人，一定是一個有德行，懂禮貌的人，說話聲音不會很大，講話有理有據，邏輯清晰，不會太冷漠，也不會指鹿為馬，阿諛奉承，而是懂得如何去欣賞別人優點的人。柏拉圖說：「智者說話，是因為他們有話要說。愚者說話，是因為他們想說。」傻瓜用嘴講話，聰明人用腦講話，智慧者用心講話。說話一定要有節制和思考，不要不留餘地，不要講太滿，一旦出口，是很難收回來的。而且，有時候，話說到一半就好，看穿不說穿，這才是真會說話，懂得適時讓自己閉嘴，更是一輩子的修行。海明威說：「一個人要學會說話，需兩年，學會閉嘴，卻要用一生。」     每個人，每一天都要說話。不管每一次開口說話的目的為何，通常我們都希望，聽我們說話的人，能夠聽進去我們講的話。但是，不幸的是，我們常常會覺得，對方很容易沒把我們的話「聽進去」。這既會讓我們感到灰心，更會讓我們憤怒，因為對方沒把我們的話「聽進去」，我們被忽視了，也沒被尊重。      不過，我們有沒有認真想過，當我們說話的時候，還有誰也是我們的忠實聽眾呢？其實就是自己啊！寫日記的時候，我們唯一的讀者，就是我們本人，不管我們寫什麼，只要我們爽就好，裡頭的內容，我們沒有要公開，我們對自己負責就好。上傳文章的時候，我們是第一個讀者，裡面的文字，因為會隨著網路，傳到各地，所以我們就會慎言。書寫文字是這樣，同樣的，說話也是一樣。如果，我們就是自己一輩子的忠實聽眾，那麼，平常在說話的時候，我們真的都聽到自己說的話了嗎？我們聽了自己的話後，是什麼感覺呢？覺得爽嗎？愉悅嗎？常常，我們跟長者說話，他們都會說：「妳的嘴怎麼那麼甜？」對待長者，我們是很尊敬的，既不是刻意地諂媚，也不是卑微地討好，所以，他們很喜歡聽。     事實上，我們自己腦中的想法，就是會影響到我們自己的行為和語言，尤其是語言，因為話太容易說出口了，所以，我們通常來不及思考，就脫口而出了。尤其是，那些習慣出現的口頭禪或用詞，都很容易洩露出自己真實的樣貌。只是我們自己很難覺察到而已。如果不認真聆聽自己所說的話，我們通常不會發現，自己平常的表達習慣，到底出了什麼問題。練習用正面語言來表述想法，是很棒的，利人又利己。說話的時候，如果我們能夠用大腦多想一下，儘量使用正向的語句，話中不要問句，不要反問，不要帶那麼多的刺，那會有多悅聽啊！口語表達的改變，聽在我們自己的耳朵裡，舒服許多，別人也會喜歡的。     再者，我們總習慣笑臉對外，臭臉對内，樂於讚美他人，吝於欣賞家人。看到別人優點，就數落家人缺點。脾氣忍於外，卻發於內，口氣温柔對外，對内就十分粗暴。這一切的一切，是因為我們認為，家人之所以是家人，理所當然應承受這些，而不以為忤。尤其是對枕邊人的態度，更是如此，視為其出氣包，垃圾筒，實在不應該。現在，我們真的要把每天向家人說一句好聽的話，當做是一天必做的功課吧！相對於辛苦的考試！工作！學語言！說句好聽的話，完全不費力氣，不用熬夜，不用絞盡腦汁想創意，不用看別人臉色，是最廉價的付出，最輕鬆的負擔，但却是最無價、珍貴的，而廉價免費的東西，大家最不珍惜。我們千萬不要去看家人的任何缺點，而不經大腦的脱口而出！學習說正向的詞句吧！古德云：「自利利他真實義」，凡事先把自己整頓好，先度己，才能度他，利他，立他。好好珍惜家人，論業，願，家人都是我們付出的第一人選。善待家人，是最值得的投資，投資绝不虧本，絕不虧損，而且是複利乘數效果。說聲「你的頭髮很好看」，「你的動作很帥」，「妳的這套衣服很搭」，「妳的表情很美」，「今天的菜好好吃」等等！世界上最好聽的音波，就從家開始揚起吧！       然而，又有人說，我們人都喜歡聽好聽的話，不喜歡聽不好聽的言語，但是，真正對自己有幫助的話，卻是「忠言逆耳、良藥苦口的話」。我們究竟要如何判斷好聽或不好聽的話呢？當我們心存正念的時候，說出來的話，都是中肯、正向、好聽的，即使別人有錯，我們也要和顏悅色的解釋說明，而不是姑息敷衍。相同地，我們也不是只愛聽好話，當自己有意、無意犯了錯時，如果有人指點我們，我們也要心存感恩，不要不高興，還怪罪對方。別人願意告訴我們，是我們的福氣，當有一天，別人連說我們，都不想說，自己就要檢討了喔！思想，會影響個性。個性，會影響言行。言行，會影響命運。我們是當局者迷，旁觀者清，別人給我們的建議，不論好壞，先反省，有則改之，無則勉之。成功的人，都是會把別人好的建言，當作座右銘，努力過一生的。     Powered by Firstory Hosting

Being Honest with Yourself via Podcast Honesty is a fundamental principle that most of us have been taught from a young age. We are told that honesty is the best policy and that we should always tell the truth. However, despite this, many of us still struggle with being honest with ourselves. We pretend that everything is fine, when sometimes it isn’t. We do this to protect our ego or social status, even when it starts to create a personal or social cost to ourselves. Living dishonestly with ourselves can disconnect us from ourselves and others. We might not even realize that we are not being honest with ourselves until we experience negative emotions like anxiety, anger, or sadness. These emotions are a sign that we are not living the way we want to live or being true to ourselves. They may attach themselves to small arguments or irritations that are merely a symptom of a deeper need for change. It takes courage to be honest with ourselves. Being honest with ourselves means being willing to upset someone else, letting go of certainty, embracing the unknown and making new choices that disrupt the status quo. However, if we truly want to be proud of ourselves, we need to be true to ourselves. If we want to be the best leader, be part of a great team, or run an outstanding business, it all starts with being honest with ourselves. Being honest with ourselves doesn’t mean having all the answers. The first step is to acknowledge that feelings of anger, frustration, sadness, or anxiety keep coming back and that something isn’t right. It’s time to be honest with ourselves that something needs to change.  When we are honest with ourselves, we become more self-aware. We start to understand our thoughts, emotions, and behaviors more clearly. We can identify our strengths and weaknesses and work on improving them. Self-awareness is essential for personal growth, and it starts with being honest with ourselves. When we are honest with ourselves, we make better decisions. We can evaluate situations objectively and make choices that align with our values and goals. Honesty helps us avoid making decisions based on fear, ego, or societal pressure. When we are honest with ourselves, we build trust with ourselves and others. When we are truthful about our thoughts, feelings, and actions, we create a foundation of trust that others can rely on. Honesty is essential for building healthy relationships, both personally and professionally. When we are honest with ourselves, we open ourselves up to personal growth. We can identify areas where we need to improve and work on developing new skills and habits. Honesty helps us take responsibility for our lives and empowers us to make positive changes.  Creating Podcasts help us become more fearless, gain clarity, increase self-reliance and build healthier relationships. The first step is to do some honest self-reflection. To simply acknowledge on our Podcasts that something needs changes due to not right emotions and feelings. Then, via Podcasts, we see things directly from our hearts. We express our true ways of thinking toward us as well as our listeners. Last but not least, we can be even more incredible, impactful and inspirational speakers through listeners’ points of view when we simply start our Podcasts from the depth of our true hearts. Powered by Firstory Hosting

Thinking Too Much想太多 “We think too much and feel too little” by Charlie Chaplin. 我們總是想太多，卻太少去感受--查理·卓別林。 Spoken by the great man, Charlie Chaplin, these words couldn’t hold more truth for the modern age. We live in a world where the visual objects dominate, and physicality is the only definition of reality. The world has gone mad as we’ve all become entrapped within our heads. The tools we use for our thoughts are only the material ways of living. That is, the average person today has much less social interaction and contact than the prior generations because of the technology of smartphones and social media. People are becoming so concerned with their images in the eyes of others over personal uniqueness and experiences. Gradually, we form all our own thoughts in expectation of situations to harshly judge ourselves and others (想太多) such as, “What if I don’t reach on time?” “What if I do this?” “What if this happens?” “I hope this doesn’t happen.” “I hope the people here aren’t like this.” “I’m so stupid for saying that” and “why did I do that?” …. etc. But, think of that, how about our own internal thoughts in dealing with these different situations? Very often, we are restrained by the chains of our own thoughtful thinking. In fact, there are really so many various ways in which we entrap ourselves within our thoughts, and yet, we don’t see any other ways of living in a lot of cases. We, then, try to ask ourselves. Why do we enjoy movies? Why do we play video games? Why do we read books? And why do we listen to music? Why are these what we choose to do for enjoyment? Actually, when we watch a movie or read a book, we are no longer trapped within our heads. We are no longer concerned about what might happen tomorrow. We even no longer care whether someone likes us or not. We won’t worry so much of our days and tomorrow. Imagine that, when we approach an event or situation in our life with loads of pre-formed thoughts, ideas, worries, and opinions, we just feel anxious and lots of passive emotions. Yes, it’s better to let go of our worries, but we all know that it’s not so easy. When we are tormented by constant anxious thoughts, how many of us can get rid of these doubts or anxieties in our normal life? Now, if we can do 5-10-minute meditations every day to listen to our inner voice, we won’t think too much. It can work in terms of calming our internal dialogues. Habit is something created from our instincts or influenced by others in our lives. Our lives today work or exist because of these habits. We always think that we need strong determination to adapt or change habits as we are all victims of failing to try new or changing habits. But, the reality is not because we don’t have determination; it’s something where we are not trying to understand how it works. When a circumstance comes, we usually overthink too much on it. It’s natural to overthink a situation going to happen in the future, and this overthink could keep growing and becoming uncontrollable. Then, it, definitely, impacts our productivity and emotional strength. In this case, we can either stop thinking about it, or challenge our thoughts by asking more positive, realistic ways to look at the situation. In other words, we can train our minds to control and look at the life from a more balanced, less fearful perspective. Thinking too much is really useless at any situations in our daily lives. The most important thing is that there’s always more room in our life for pleasure, joy, and love, especially if worrisome thoughts have been taking up too much space. As psychologists suggest, “If overthinking is paired with worry, anxiety, and depressing thoughts, using joy can be a great antidote.” We can make time to engage with our favorite activities whether it’s going for a walk or calling a friend or not. Nobody is perfect, and everyone is susceptible to worries and fears. That means overthinking is not a weakness. However, we need to find and try a different tool to enjoy our lives instead of thinking too much. 不要想太多 Powered by Firstory Hosting