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引言：

先把难的事情做完，让自己真情流露，一路走来笑声朗朗，人生旅途将变得更美好。

FOUR FOOLPROOF WAYS TO IMPROVE OUR LIVES, TODAY

So, my life is perfect. (Yeah.I wish!) Well, it isn't too bad. But can it be better? I've been asking myself this question for several years. The answer is simple:Yes, it can!

I don't care what we are doing or how we're doing it, there is always a way to improve upon our lifetyle.

How can it be better? Well, I can share some things I've done that helped me. And, hopefully, if you're dealing with the same chalenges or situations in life, these ideas might help you.

Here are four rules I've come to live by:

First, do what I love

If I don't enjoy something, I get rid of it or don't do it. Sounds crazy, right? I worked for three years to build up a one-man band act with my saxophone, a keyboard, and my flute. Then, one day, after doing the gig for a corporate Christmas party, I decided that the one-man band act might pay enough, and might be fun, but it would not be the musical outlet I was truly seeking: that of interacting with other musicians and touring around the country (or world). So I stopped doing it. I sold most of my gear, including my P.A. system, flute, and keyboard, for pennies on the dollar. Then, I focused on talking to people about my aspiration to play in a band, to front a band, and make great things happen musically. Two years later,I met Dino, and we started a band called The Olive Club. We're playing music we enjoy and the band is growing into the type of band I had envisioned.

However, achieving this vision might have been possible even if I had continued doing the one-man-band act.Some roads, after all, do lead to the same destination-they just take longer to arrive there. My position on our decisions is to just make them and don't look back. Why have regrets? Regret doesn't help us with where we are today. Nor does it help us with where we are going. What does help is to make a decision, and move on, and be satisfied that is was right, no matter what we did.

Second, do the hardest things first.

I know that when I do the hard things first that my life seems so easy I wonder how it counld have been any other way. Just doing the easy things caused our life to become cluttered. We might as well face our challenges head-on and then cruise through the easy part.

Third, allow myself to feel emotions.

When I'm happy, I like being happy and laughing. If I get angry, I gave myself permission to scream or break something. Go ahead, really,it is okay to feel!

I once heard Kevin Ryerson say, " I believe we were supposed to have emotions. Such as joy, anger, happiness,sorrow. As the Old Testament said, "I am a loving God, I am a jealous God, I am an angry God, etc."--if it is good enough for God, it is good enough for me! When we allow ourselves to feel, yet remain "aware" of what we are doing or saying, we enable ourselves to become fully human.

Fourth, be positive and have faith in myself, and in my ability to manifest.

I like to look up at the blue sky, see the birds chirping, and smile. And find something to laugh about. If we aren't laughing, we aren't living. With once ounce of joy we replace a thousand sorrows. Through faith in our self, we enable the world around us to give back to us. Through our belief in our self, we create our world, our life, our potential.

Taking a look at how we live our lives can be be refreshing. By leaving the things that aren't working((after seriously trying), doing the hard things first, allow our emotions to be real, and smile and laugh along the way, the journey can be better for all of us.

We welcome your comments and success stories about living an elegant simplicity life and making your life more fun and abundant feedback.

参考译文

当今改善我们生活的四种途径

这样看来，我的生活是完美的，（是的，我也希望如此！）其实我的生活也不差，但是可以更好吗？　这几年来我我一直在问自己这个问题．答案和简单：是的，它可以！

我不介意我们在做什么和怎么做，总有改善我们生活方式的方法．

怎样使我的生活变得更好呢？我可以和你们分享我的方法．如果你们在生活中也面对同样的情况或挑战的话，希望这些想法可以给你们一些帮助．

以下是我生活的四条生活法则

首先，做自己喜欢的事情．

如果我不喜欢一些事，我就摆脱它或不做它．这听起来很荒唐，是吧？我花了三年的时间组织一个由萨克管、电子琴和长笛组成的一人乐队。然而，有一天，在为一个公司的圣诞晚会做了表演之后，我认为这个一人乐队虽然收入颇丰且充满乐趣，但是我真正在寻找的是音乐上的出路：我应该在全国（或是全世界）做巡回演出并和其他音乐家合作。于是我停止表演。我廉价出售了我的乐器，包括我的Ｐ.Ａ.系统、长笛和电子琴。然后，我把重点放在告诉众人我想在乐队表演，想担任一支乐队的领奏，想让伟大的事情像音乐一样发生。两年后，我遇见了笛努并和他开创了一支叫橄榄俱乐部的乐队。我们演奏我们喜欢的音乐，乐队朝着我们心目中的样子成长。

然而，也许一个人的乐队也能够达到这个目标。毕竟有些道路是殊途同归的－－只是它要花更长的时间到达目的地而已。在作决定的时候，我的立场是一旦做出决定就绝不后悔。

为什么要有遗憾呢？遗憾不能够对我们今天的境况有任何帮助，也不能在我们前进的道路上有任何帮助。能够帮助我们的就是决定，继续前进，无论做什么都坚持它是正确的并为此感到满意。

第二、先做最难的事情。

我知道当我把难的事情做完了后，我的生活就变得简单，我就可以想想改变生活的方法。知识做简单的事情会使我们的生活变得混乱。我们也许得先面对生活的挑战，才能够悠闲地穿过简单的部分。

第三，容许自己感受各种感情

当我高兴的时候，我喜欢表现出高兴的神情和开怀大笑。如果我生气另外，我会大叫或摔东西。真的，去尽量感受吧，很不错！我曾经听凯文说：“我相信我们本该有的感情的，

例如喜悦、愤怒、高兴、悲伤。”正如《旧约》上说的：“我是个充满爱心的神，我是个爱妒忌的神、我是个爱发怒的神等等－－如果神也觉得好的话，对我也是好的！”当我们允许自己去感受，但是仍然“意识到”在做什么或说什么的时候，我们才成为一个完整的人。

第四、乐观、自信，善于表达自己

我喜欢抬头看蓝天，听小鸟喳喳叫，然后会心一笑。我找一些令自己发笑的事情。如果缺少笑声，生活将暗淡无光。所谓一笑解千愁。对自己充满信心，周围的人也会对你持同样的信心。相信自己，我们创造了世界，我们的生活和潜力。

看看我们是怎样生活的将令你精神一振。事情行不通就暂时放在一边（当然要经过努力的尝试），先把难的事情做完，让自己真情流露，一路走来笑声朗朗，人生旅途将变得更美好。

我们欢迎大家各抒己见，也欢迎大家跟我们分享你们的成功故事，讲讲你们是这样开创简单而优雅的生活的。这样，你们的生活会有更多的乐趣，同时也会有更多的回报。

词汇释义

1.saxophone n. 萨克斯管

2.envision vt. 想象, 设想

例句：

But the competition of man against man is not the simple process envisioned in biology.
但是人反对人的竞争不是象生物学中所想象的那种简单过程。

3.manifest vt. 显示, 证实, 出示

例句：

His generosity manifests itself in times of need.
他的慷慨在困境中表现了出来。

4.chirp n. 喳喳声, 唧唧声 v. 吱喳而鸣

例句：

Birds had begun to chirp among the trees.
鸟儿们已经开始在树林里叽叽喳喳地叫了。