人生给我上的33節课 The 33 Lessons Life Taught Me

本文作者Regina Brett,是美國俄亥俄州克里夫蘭報紙 THE PLAIN DEALER 的專欄作家。她說:「為了慶祝自己漸漸老去,我曾寫了《人生给我上的45節课》。這是我平生最受歡迎的一篇專欄。這個星期我的里程表將翻轉至50,故在此更新」。

She said, “ To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most-requested column I've ever written. My odometer rolls over to 50 this week, so here's an update” 。

按:VCW將原文50節課裁為33節。
  1. 人生不是公平的,但還算是好的。
     - Life isn't fair, but it's still good.
  2. 如果所懷疑,你只管邁出了一小步。
    - When in doubt, just take the next small step.
  3. 人生苦短, 短到來不及浪費時間去恨任何人。
     - Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.
  4. 你没必要每次吵架都要贏 。不妨同意你們之間存有不同的意見。
     - You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.
  5. 和你的過去和解,它就不會搗亂你的現在了。
     - Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.
  6. 不要拿自己的人生和別人比較。你根本不知道別人的生活是怎樣過。
     - Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.
  7. 一眨眼的功夫什麼都會變化,不過別擔心,上帝從來不眨眼。
     - Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.
  8. 深吸一口氣 ,會平靜你的心。
     - Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.
  9. 把無用的、醜陋的、 令人不高興的東西通通扔掉 。
     - Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.
  10. 凡殺不了你的肯定會使你變得更堅強 。
     - Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.
  11. 再次得到童年的快樂永遠不嫌晚,但是第二次得到只能靠自己,不能靠別人。
     - It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one is up to you and no one else.
  12. 點上蠟燭,用最好的被單,穿上最好的睡衣,不要等到特殊的場合才用。今天就是好日子。
     - Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.
  13. 做好充分的准備,然後就順其自然 。
     - Overprepare, then go with the flow.
  14. 現在就擺脫傳统 , 不要等到老了才穿紫色的衣服。
     - Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.
  15. 遇到倒霉的事可以問自己這樣一句話:五年以後 , 這還重要嗎?”
     - Frame every so-called disaster with these words: "In five years, will this matter?"
  16. 原諒每一個人每一件事。
     - Forgive everyone everything.
  17. 別人怎麼想, 與你無關。
     - What other people think of you is none of your business.
  18. 時間能癒合幾乎任何傷口,但要給時間以時間。
     - Time heals almost everything. Give time time.
  19. 相信奇跡會出現。
     - Believe in miracles
  20. 上帝愛你因為他是上帝,不是因為你做了什麼,或者沒做什麼。
     - God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.
  21. 不要總是回顧人生。現在就去表現,並盡量發揮。
     - Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.
  22. 老朽不堪總比英年早逝好。
     - Growing old beats the alternative - dying young. 
  23. 每一天都出門,奇跡在四處等著呢 。
     - Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.
  24. 如果我們把問題都堆在一起,看完了別人的,我們必會把自己的撿回來。
     - If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.
  25. 忌妒是浪費時間。你已經擁有你所需要的一 切 。
     - Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.
  26. 最好的尚在後頭。
     - The best is yet to come.
  27. 不管你感覺如何,起床、盛裝、好好表現 。
     - No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.
  28. 學會讓步。
     - Yield.
  29. 閱讀詩篇。它涵蓋了每種情感。
      - Read the Psalms. They cover every human emotion.
  30. 人生苦短,又何必長期悲憫。要不過着充實的生活,要不奄奄一息。
     - Life is too short for long pity parties. Get busy living, or get busy dying.
  31. 當涉及到追求你所熱愛的人生,不要接受否定的答覆
     - When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.
  32. 如果你不要求, 你就得不着。
     - If you don't ask, you don't get.
  33. 人生並沒有被繫上蝴蝶結,但它仍然是一份禮物。
     - Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift.