英文原文

【英文原文】

"There" Is No Better than "Here"

Many people believe that they will be happy once they arrive at some specific goal they set for themselves. However, more often than not, once you arrive " there" you will still feel dissatisfied, and move your " there" vision to yet another point in the future. By always chasing after another "there," you are never really appreciating what you already have right "here." It is important for human beings to keep soberminded about the age-old drive to look beyond the place where you now stand. On one hand, your life is enhanced by your dreams and aspirations. On the other hand, these drives can pull you farther and farther from your enjoyment of your life right now. By learning the lessons of gratitude and abundance, you can bring yourself closer to fulfilling the challenge of living in the present.

Gratitude .To be grateful means you are thankful for and appreciative of what you have and where you are on your path right now. Gratitude fills your heart with the joyful feeling and allows you to fully appreciate everything that arises on your path. As you strive to keep your focus on the present moment, you can experience the full wonder of "here."

There are many ways to cultivate gratitude. Here are just a few suggestions you may wish to try:

1. Imagine what your life would be like if you lost all that you had. This will most surely remind you of how much you do appreciate it.

2. Make a list each day of all that you are grateful for, so that you can stay conscious daily of your blessings. Do this especially when you are feeling as though you have nothing to feel grateful for. Or spend a few minutes before you go to sleep giving thanks for all that you have.

3. Spend time offering assistance to those who are less fortunate than you, so that you may gain perspective.

However you choose to learn gratitude is irrelevant. What really matters is that you create a space in your consciousness for appreciation for all that you have right now, so that you may live more joyously in your present moment.

Abundance. One of the most common human fears is scarcity. Many people are afraid of not having enough of what they need or want, and so they are always striving to get to a point when they would finally have enough.

Alan and Linda always dreamed of living "the good life." Both from poor working-class families, they married young and set out to fulfill their mutual goal of becoming wealthy. They both worked very hard for years, amassing a small fortune, so they could move from their two-bedroom home to a palatial seven-bedroom home in the most upscale neighborhood. They focused their energies on accumulating all the things they believed signified abundance: membership in the local exclusive country club, luxury cars, designer clothing, and high-class society friends. No matter how much they accumulated, however, it never seemed to be enough. They were unable to erase the deep fear of scarcity both had acquired in childhood. They needed to learn the lesson of abundance. Then the stock market crashed in 1987, and Alan and Linda lost a considerable amount of money. A bizarre but costly lawsuit depleted another huge portion of their savings. One thing led to another, and they found themselves in a financial disaster. Assets needed to be sold, and eventually they lost the country club membership, the cars, and the house. It took several years and much hard work for Alan and Linda to land on their feet, and though they now live a life far from extravagant, they have taken stock of their lives and feel quite blessed. Only now, as they assess what they have left -- a solid, loving marriage, their health, a dependable income, and good friends -- do they realize that true abundance comes not from amassing, but rather from appreciating.

Scarcity consciousness arises as a result of the "hole-in-the-soul syndrome." This is when we attempt to fill the gaps in our inner lives with things from the outside world. But like puzzle pieces, you can't fit something in where it does not naturally belong. No amount of external objects, affection, love, or attention can ever fill an inner void. We already have enough, so we should revel in our own interior abundance.

中文译文

【中文译文】

一些人认为一旦他们实现给自己制定的某些具体目标，他们就会快乐。然而，你常常会发现，一旦你到达了“那里”，你仍然会感觉不满足，而且会将的你“那里”的视野移向未来的某一点。不断的追求一个又一个“那里”，你永远不能真正欣赏你已经在“这里”所拥有的一切。人类在面对“不满足现状”这个古老的驱动力时保持冷静的头脑很重要。一方面，你的生活通过你的梦想和渴望来提高。另一方面，这些驱动力使你越来越远离你现有的生活中的快乐。学会感激和满足，你会更加接近如何成功地完成“现时”生活中的挑战。

感激。感激的含义是你对于你现在所拥有的一切和你现在所在人生旅途中的位置心存感激并欣赏。感激使你的心充满愉悦的感觉并且使你完全欣赏人生路上的所有景致。在你将焦点放在“现在”的时候，你就能够体会“这里”的全部奇妙。

培养感激的心情有很多方式。以下是一些你可能想要尝试的建议：

1. 想象一下如果你失去你现在所拥有的一切，你的生活将是什么样子。这一定会提醒你应该多么感激现有的一切。

2. 每天列出所有你要心存感激的事，这样你每天都会意识到自己应该怀有感恩之心。当你觉得你没有什么需要感激的时候更要这样做。或者在睡前拿出几分钟时间感谢你所拥有的一切。

3. 拿出时间向那些没有你幸运的人提供帮助，这样你可能会获得新的认识。

你如何去学习感恩无关紧要。重要的是你在心中留下了一席之地去感激你所拥有的一切。这样你可以更开心的活在“现在”。

满足。人类最害怕的东西之一是不足。很多人害怕无法拥有足够的他们需要或者想要的东西，于是他们在要最终获得足够的东西的时候还会觊觎其他的。

埃兰和琳达总是梦想过“好生活”。两人都来自于贫困的工薪阶层家庭，他们很早结婚，开始变得富有这一共同目标努力。他们努力工作了很多年，积累了一点财富，于是他们能够从他们两室的家搬到高消费社区的一所富丽堂皇的七室的房子中去。他们把精力放在所有他们认为能象征富足的东西上面；本地高级俱乐部的会员身份、豪华轿车、名师设计的服装、上流社会的朋友。无论他们积累了多少财富，似乎都是不够的。他们无法消除来自两个人童年时期对贫乏的深深的恐惧。他们需要学会满足。1987年股市崩盘，埃兰和琳达损失了很多钱。一件奇怪但是花费很多的诉讼又耗掉了他们另一大笔积蓄。雪上加霜，他们发现自己陷入经济困境中。资产需要被卖掉而且他们最终失去了高级俱乐部的会员身份、汽车和房子。埃兰和琳达更加努力的工作了几年才使生活又安定下来。尽管他们的生活大大地远离了奢华，但是他们更懂得生活了，他们感到很幸福。只有现在他们审视他们剩下的财富的时候——坚定而且充满爱的婚姻、健康、稳定的收入、好朋友——他们才认识到满足不是来自于积蓄而是感恩的心。

不足的意识来自于“精神空虚综合症”。这是指我们要用外界世界的东西来填补内心世界的空白。但是就像拼图游戏一样，你不能在本来没有东西的地方填上任何东西。客观事务、感情、爱或者关注永远不能填满内心的空虚。我们已经拥有足够的东西，所以我们应该发自内心地满足。

译者感言

【译者感言】

中国有句老话“知足者常乐”！平实的语言中蕴含着深奥的哲理。很多时候我们会抱怨自己很累，好像心中很委屈，觉得谁都对不起自己。其实不妨换个角度想想，我们如此努力的真正的驱动力是什么？真的是我们挂在嘴边的想要家人过得多好吗？我们真的是无私地永远为别人而活吗？也许我们只是不愿承认或者从没想到过这一切压力的真正来源恰恰是我们内心的不满足。现有的东西似乎永远是最差的，没有得到的永远是最好的。追求更高的目标当然无可厚非，只是我们也要学会满足，学会放弃如同心魔般的渴求。这样我们每一个“现在”都会过得更开心。有了这么多开心满足的“现在”，还担心没有好的“未来”吗？