Five Hundred & Forty One. -The Traveler's Gift;

I'm here to share with y'all about this book which I read recently.

七個禮物

It was Z who lent me this book,

& I felt that this book just came in time to "save" me,

somehow.

My sis noticed me reading this book,

& went to the library to borrow the English version.

"The Traveler's Gift" by Andy Andrews

"Forty-six-year-old David Ponder feels like a total failure. 

Once a high-flying executive in a Fortune 500 company, 

he now works a part-time, minimum wage job and struggles to support his family. 

Then, an even greater crisis hits: his daughter becomes ill, 

and he can’t afford to get her the medical help she needs. 

When his car skids on an icy road, he wonders if he even cares to survive the crash. 

But a unique experience awaits David Ponder. 

He finds himself traveling back in time, 

meeting leaders and heroes at crucial moments in their lives

—from Abraham Lincoln to Anne Frank, 

from biblical times to the second world war. 

By the time his journey is over, 

he has received seven secrets for success—and a second chance. 

The Traveler's Gift offers a modern day parable of one man's choices—

and the attitudes that make the difference between failure and success." 

--excerpt from Wikipedia

 

Instead of blindly stating the "Seven Decisions to Success" blah3,

the story unfolded with the different encounters with various key historical figures,

& values/stories shared from their perspectives,

which are very much applicable to our lives..

The quotes/phrases from this book made me think alot;

I found myself recalling several situations,

where applying the "decisions mentioned" could have made the difference.

Without further ado, lemme share with y'all the Seven Lessons learnt,

both in Chinese & English.
Various quotes & phrases which I found really meaningful,

which I felt had helped me,

which I hope can help you too. :)

Lesson 6 was my favourite: 

I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. I will forgive myself.

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第一個人生決定：從現在開始一切自己負責

Lesson 1: "The buck stops here" 

＂為自己的過去負責，也為成功負責。

今天的我，無論是在心裡、生理、心靈、情緒、財務等方面，

都是因為我下過的決定造成的；

我的決定受到想法支配，

因此，我的想法造成了今天的我。

如今，我要從心裡、生理、心靈、情緒、財務等方面開始改變，

首先就是要改變自己的思考方式。

控制自己的想法，控制自己的情緒。＂

"I accept responsibility for my past, & I am responsible for my success. 

I am where I am today --mentally, physically, spiritually & financially-- 

because of decisions I have made. 

My decisions are governed by my thinking. 

Therefore, I am where I am today

--mentally, physically, spiritually & financially -- because of how I think. 

Today I will begin the process of changing where I am 

-- mentally, physically, spiritually & financially-- 

by changing the way I think. I control my thoughts, 

I control my emotions."

"壞消息是，過去掌握在你手中；

好消息是，未來也掌握在你手中。"

"The bad news is, the past was in your hands; 

the good news is, the future is also in your hands."

第二個人生決定：我將尋求智慧

Lesson 2: I will seek wisdom

＂小心選擇交往的對象。傾聽智者的忠言，

加進了他的知識與經驗，能夠大大提升成功的機會。＂

I will choose friends with care. I will listen to the counsel of wise men; 

add his knowledge & experience to my own 

& dramatically increase my success.

第三個人生決定：我是個起而行的行動者

Lesson 3: I am a person of action

＂對過去無能為力，對未來卻近在咫尺，

用雙手緊緊握住未來，雙腿迅速向前奔跑。＂

"I can do nothing about the past, but my future is immediate; 

grasp with both hands & carry it with running feet." 

＂別讓恐懼戰勝。放棄的人才會失敗。＂

"Do not give in to fear. Failure exists only for the person who quits. "

"你知道你在哪裡嗎？你知道你自己的身份嗎？

你知道你要去哪裡嗎？"

"Do you know where you are? Do you know your identity? 

Do you know where you are heading to?"

"真理就是真理。

愚蠢的事就算有一千個人相信，終究還是愚蠢！

真理永遠不必依賴輿論的共識。

我已經知道了，寧可依循心中的真理孤獨而行，

也好過跟著一群呆頭鵝走向庸碌。＂

"Truth is truth. 

If a thousand people believe in something foolish, 

it is still foolish. 

Truth is never dependent upon consensus of opinion. 

I have found that it is better to be alone 

& acting upon the truth in my heart than 

to follow a gaggle of silly geese doomed to mediocrity."

"如果你擔心別人會怎麼看你，

那你對他人看法的信心顯然高於對自己的信心；

自己的未來如果要仰賴別人的看法及認可，是很可憐的。

記住，如果你害怕收到批評，你將終生一無所有！"

"If you worry about what other people think of you, 

then you will have more confidence in their opinions than you have in your own. 

Poor is the man whose future depends on the opinions & permission of others. 

Remember this, if you are afraid of criticism, you will die doing nothing!"

第四個人生決定： 我有一顆堅定的心。

Lesson 4: I have a decided heart

"開始與結束，在旅程的兩端都必須展現出熱情。

熱情是內心的產物，熱情是偉大夢想的助力，

熱情孕育出信念，將平庸轉變為卓越！

你的熱情會激發別人，一起投入追尋你的夢想。

有了熱情，再大的困難也能克服，千軍萬馬也阻擋不了你！"

"Getting started, getting finished

-- both ends of a journey required a demonstration of passion. 

Passion is a product of the heart. 

Passion is what helps you when you have a great dream. 

Passion breeds conviction & turns mediocrity into excellence! 

Your passion will motivate others to join you in pursuit of your dream. 

With passion, you will overcome insurmountable obstacles. 

You will become unstoppable!"

第五個人生決定：  今天我選擇快樂。

Lesson 5: Today I will choose to be happy.

＂笑容是熱忱的外在表現，熱忱是推動世界前進的力量。

當我選擇微笑，我就變成自己情緒的主人。

沮喪、絕望、挫折、恐懼，遇到我的微笑就會消失。

微笑就能展現出自我的力量。選擇快樂，心存感激。

有太多次，我有如乞兒般禱告，總是要求更多，卻忘了感謝。"

"Laughter is an outward expression of enthusiasm, 

& I know that enthusiasm is the fuel that moves the world. 

When I choose to smile, 

I become the master of my emotions. discouragement, despair, frustration, 

& fear will always wither when confronted by my smile.
The power of who I am is displayed when I smile. 

I will choose to be happy. 

I am the possessor of a grateful spirit.
Too many times I have offered the prayers of a beggar, 

always asking for more & forgetting to give thanks."

第六個人生決定：我將以寬容的心迎接新的一天。

Lesson 6: I will greet this day with a forgiving spirit. 

＂寬容只在給予他人之際才有價值。

原諒他人這個小小的舉動，

可以釋放我內心的惡魔--那些無法改變的過去。

讓我得以改造心靈，建立新的開始。＂

"Forgiveness has value only when it is given away. 

By the simple act of granting forgiveness, 

I release the demons of the past about which I can do nothing, 

& I create in myself a new heart, a new beginning."

"許多時候, 莽撞冒失的人對我說的一句話或一個行動，

會讓我大生悶氣，浪費好多寶貴時間幻想自己要如何報復或是回話，

這種感覺就像鞋子裡跑進一顆石頭。

現在我知道這種心理障礙的真相了。

我在心中滋長的怒氣，通常是單方面的，

因為得罪我的人根本很少察覺自己的無禮行為！

從現在開始，我將摸摸原諒他人，

甚至包括那些不知道自己需要請求我原諒的人。

原諒他人，讓我不再受到徒勞無益的想法煎熬。"

"Many are the times when I have seethed in anger at word 

or deed thrown into my life by an unthinking or uncaring person. 

I have wasted valuable hours imagining revenge or confrontation. 

Now I see the truth revealed about this psychological rock inside my shoe. 

The rage I nurture is often one-sided, 

for my offender seldom gives thought to his offense!

I will now and forevermore silently offer my forgiveness 

even to those who do not see that they need it. 

By the act of forgiving, I am no longer consumed by unproductive thoughts. 

I give up my bitterness."

"我將原諒我自己。多年來，

我最大的敵人就是自己。

我所犯的每一個過錯、每一個誤判、

每一個失誤,都在我心中一次又一次地重現。

每個未實現的承諾、每個浪費掉的日子、每個未達成的目標，

都加深了我對自己人生中一事無成的厭惡感。

癱瘓人心的幻滅緊攫住我，每當我對自己失望，

就表現出怠惰無為，結果變成更加失望。

原諒自己，就能清除懷疑、恐懼與挫折，

讓過去真的成為過去。"

"I will forgive myself. 

For many years, my greatest enemy has been myself. 

Every mistake, every miscalculation, 

every stumble I made has been replayed again and again in my mind. 

Every broken promise, every day wasted, 

every goal not reached has compounded the disgust 

I feel for the lack of achievement in my life. 

My dismay has developed a paralyzing grip. when I disappoint myself, 

I respond with inaction & become more disappointed. 

I realize today that it is impossible to fight an enemy living in my head. 

By forgiving myself, I erase the doubts, fears & frustration 

that have kept my past in the present. 

From this day forward, my history will cease to control my destiny. 

I have forgiven myself. My life has just begun."

第七個人生決定：我將堅持到底。

Lesson 7: I will persist without exception.

＂弱者受到環境支配；智者卻能將所有環境當成武器。＂

"Circumstances are rulers of the weak, but they are weapons of the wise." 

＂沮喪的人花太多時間在想眼前既定之事，

卻沒有花足夠的時間去思考他希望成就之事。＂

"A person who is depressed is spending too much time 

thinking about the way things are now, 

& not enough time thinking how he wants things to be."

"人不是受到信心驅策，就是受到恐懼驅使，

因為信心與恐懼都是對未來發生之事的預期，

或是對無法看見、無法碰觸之事的成見。

懷抱恐懼的人總是活在精神錯亂的邊緣，

懷抱著信心的人則活在永恆的獎賞之中。"

"All men are driven by faith or fear--one or the other-- 

for both are the same. 

Faith & fear is the expectation of an event that hasn't come to pass 

or the belief in something that cannot be seen or touched. 

A man of fear lives always on the edge of insanity; 

a man of faith lives in perpetual reward."

"信心就是相信還沒看見之物，

信心的獎賞就是看見你所相信之物。"

"Faith is to believe what one has not seen. 

The reward of faith is to see what one has believed. "

"理智不留任何空間給奇蹟，信心則會產生奇蹟。

相較之下。信心最總會是比理智更可靠的嚮導。

理智有其極限，而信心則無窮無盡。

唯一會限制你實現夢想的，就是你緊抓不放的自我懷疑。 "

"Reason never makes room for miracles; 

faith releases miracles. 

& in final comparison, 

faith is a sounder guide than reason. 

Reason can only be stretched so far, but faith has no limits. 

The only limit to your realization of tomorrow 

is the doubt to which you hold on tight today. "

＂身為人類，你會逃避與鬆懈，是因為不了解；

你會放棄。是因為缺乏信心。＂

"As a human, you detour and ease off because you lack understanding.

You quit because you lack faith." 

"今天，我選擇堅持到底。

我不再分心；

我的注意力不再像風中的葉片，時而向東，時而向西。

我知道我想要的結果，

我堅持我的夢想，

我奮鬥到底，絕不放棄。"

"Today, I choose to persist w/o exception. 

No longer will I live in a dimension of distraction,

my focus is blown hither & yon like a leaf on a blustery day.

I know the  outcome I desire. I hold fast to my dreams.

I stay the course. I will continue despite exhaustion.

I will not quit."

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If you can, do have a read at this book.

It had certainly helped me in a way,

& I really hope it will help you too. :)