7 Crucial Lessons People Often Learn Too Late in Life. Life lessons are full of wisdom because they often have to be learned the hard way. However, the hardest part about that process is realizing that sometimes not every opportunity lasts forever. You finally “get it” long after the fact. If possible, it’s best to learn these things sooner rather than later.
7个总是很晚才学习到的重要启示,生活启示充满了智慧，因为只有经历了困难才能被体会到。然而，这个过程最困难的部分是逐渐意识到有时候不是每一个机会都能长留。你最终是在经历了这个事实后才真正懂得。如果可能，最好的是早一点了解这些事实而不是晚一点。
1. If you want to “do what you love,” you have to work three times as hard as everyone else. Most people do not get to spend their lives doing whatever it is they love. Instead, they do what they are told they should do, or what their parents or town or friends or peers suggest that they do. Or they simply pursue nothing close to their heart at all. But if you want to “do what you love,” you need to see that as a privilege, not an expectation. Those people are not the majority. So, if that’s what you truly want, you have to put in the work now.
1.如果你想要做你热爱的东西，你必须像其他任何人一样努力地去做三次。大部分的人并没有利用他们的人生去做他们所热爱的一切。相反，他们所做的是他们被告知应该做的，或者是他们的父母朋友同龄人建议他们做的。或者他们仅仅追求和他们心灵无关的东西。但是如果你想要去做你热爱的事物，你需要把它视作一个荣幸而不是一种期待。因为这样的人是少数人。因此，如果那确实是你真正想要的，你应该现在就行动起来。
2. Beneath anger is always fear. As the wise Yoda says, “Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering.” Whenever we suffer, especially for long periods of time, at first, we believe it is because of something outside of us – something we hate. And if we make it past that emotion, we find below that hate is a rumble of anger, and certainly something we have held onto for far too long. But beneath all of that is always fear. A fear of loss. A fear of vulnerability. A fear of letting go. But if you can get to the point of acknowledging the fear, you will see its lighthearted shadow: compassion. And you will be able to move forward.
隐藏在愤怒之下的是害怕。正如智慧的Yoda所说：“害怕指向阴暗面。害怕导致愤怒，愤怒导致憎恨，憎恨导致痛苦（煎熬）”无论什么时候，尤其是当我们处于一段漫长的煎熬时光，我们首先认为这是因为处于我们外部的一些事物导致的，一些我们讨厌的事物造成的。如果我们传递这种情绪，我们会发现隐藏在讨厌情绪之下的是涌动的愤怒，它们是一些我们执着了很久的一些东西。在这所有情绪之下掩藏的根本是害怕。一种对于失去的害怕，一种对于脆弱的害怕，一种对于放手的害怕。但是如果你能认识到了解这种害怕的意义，你会找到这其中愉悦的背面：同情。然后你就能继续前进。
3. Our everyday habits form our future selves. What you do today is one more action toward who you will be tomorrow. When that action is replicated over the course of a week, you begin to scratch the surface of change. When that action is replicated over the course of a month, you begin to notice a slight difference. When that action is replicated over the course of a year, or two years, or five years, you may no longer recognize yourself – you will have changed, in that particular way, completely. Do not underestimate the power of each and every small habit replicated over time. For good or bad, your habits determine who you will ultimately become.
我们每天的习惯塑造了未来的自己。你今天的所作所为引领朝着未来的自己更近一步。当行动在一周之中循环反复，你开始逐渐变化，当行动在一个月之内循环反复，你会察觉到已有细微的不同。当这个行动随着一年的时间，或者两年的时间又或是五年的时间流逝但坚持着，你可能早已辨认不出之前的自己了。你已经完全地改变了。不要低估每一个随着时间而累积起来的习惯的力量。无论是好是坏，你的习惯决定你最终会成为的样子。
4. Your emotions take practice. When we think about practice, we often talk in terms of skill. You practice the piano, or you practice playing hockey. But the thing is, who you are emotionally also takes practice. You can practice humility, you can practice forgiveness. You can practice self-awareness and humor, just as easily as you can practice anger, resentment, drama, and conflict. Who you are, emotionally, is a reflection of the things you consciously(or unconsciously) practice. You were not “born” upset. You have merely practiced that emotion far more than you have, say, joy.
你的情绪需要练习。当我们想到练习的时候，我们从技艺的角度探讨。你练习钢琴或者是曲棍球。但是事实上，你的情感同样也需要锻炼。你能够锻炼人性，学会感恩。你能够练习自我意识和幽默，正如你能生气、忿恨不平，历经戏剧和冲突一样。从情感上来看，你是你有意识或者无意识习得一切的反映。你不是天生忧郁，你仅仅是几乎没有习得过你不曾有过的情感，那就是快乐。
5. Everyone has his or her own agenda. This is quite a cliché phrase, and is often said in a negative context. But I am using it differently: It is worth acknowledging that, at the end of the day, we all must provide for ourselves. We all have our own dreams, goals, aspirations, families, close friends, and significant others, and we all want the same fundamental things. There are those you can trust, of course, but the best way to keep yourself rooted and at ease is to know that each and every person has his or her own agenda. You cannot control others. You cannot expect them to put you before themselves. And trying to do so may work for a period of time, but eventually, the truth will rise to the surface. Instead, make it a point to address and help others move towards their own dreams, as you request their help in moving toward yours. The relationship will more smoothly move in the right direction this way.
每一个人都有他自己的日程安排。这听起来是一个陈词滥调，而且总是被置于一个消极的语境之下。但是我确是一番不同的意见：值得懂得的是：在一天结束的时候，我们都必须供养我们自己。我们都有梦想、目标、抱负，我们都有家人，亲密的朋友和重要的伙伴。我们都想要一些相同的基本需求。他们当然是你可以信赖的人，但是，让你自己扎根安定和放松的最好的方法是懂得每一个人都有他自己要完成的事情；你不能够控制其他人。你不能指望别人把你放在他们自己之前。也许能够这样持续做一段时间，但是最终实际情况就会浮出表面。相反，当你请求他人在你实现梦想的道路上提供帮助时，特别注意强调和在他人朝他们的梦想前进时给予帮助。（与他人）之间的关系以这样的方式才能朝着一个良好的方向运行。
6. Achievement will never be as fulfilling as the journey. It is one thing to set a goal and enlist the help of others to see its achievement through. It is entirely another to sacrifice your own well-being, and the well-being of those around you, for that goal and its achievement. The high at the end is never worth the emotional strain that takes place to get there. If you are not able to enjoy the journey with those around you, then the end goal will become meaningless.
成就永远都不会像旅行一样令人圆满。设定一个目标，并寻求他人的帮助来完成它是一回事。为了这个目标和它的实现而牺牲你自己和你周围的人的幸福完全是另一回事。最终的高潮永远不值得为了到达终点而经历的情感紧张。如果你不能和你身边的人一起享受整个旅程，那么最终的目标将会变得没有意义。
7. Working hard and laughter are not mutually exclusive. Building on the previous point, I never understood why people feel that laughing means not taking the matter at hand seriously.
努力工作和欢声笑语并不是不可兼容，互相排斥的。基于前一点，我一直不明白为什么人们觉得欢笑意味着不认真对待手头的事情。