开启快乐一天：8个小习惯让生活更美好

 　　These minor¹ changes in your daily routine will make a major difference in your life and career.

　　日常生活中做点细小的改变，也许会对你的人生和事业有着重大的影响。

　　Happiness is the only true measure of personal success. Making other people happy is the highest expression of success, but it's almost impossible to make others happy if you're not happy yourself.

　　快乐是个人成功的唯一标准，让别人快乐则是成功的最高境界了，但如果你自己都不开心，又怎么能让别人开心呢？

　　With that in mind, here are eight small changes that you can make to your daily routine that, if you're like most people, will immediately increase the amount of happiness in your life：

　　下面是8个日常生活中小改变，如果你像大部分人一样照做了，那么很快就会感到更快乐。

　　1. Start each day with expectation.

　　充满期待的开始新的一天

　　If there's any big truth about life, it's that it usually lives up to (or down to) your expectations. Therefore, when you rise from bed, make your first thought: "something wonderful is going to happen today." Guess what? You're probably right.

　　如果生活中有什么真理的话，那就是它从来不会辜负你对它的期待。因此一早起床，就要开始想：今天肯定会发生超棒的事情。说不定，你还真说对了。

　　2. Take time to plan and prioritize.

　　把事情按优先顺序计划好

　　The most common source of stress is the perception that you've got too much work to do. Rather than obsess² about it, pick one thing that, if you get it done today, will move you closer to your highest goal and purpose in life. Then do that first.

　　最普通的压力来源于你有太多的工作要去做。与其感到困扰，不如先挑出一件事情，如果今天完成了它，就会离最终人生目标更进一步。那么就先对它动手吧！

　　3. Give a gift to everyone you meet.

　　给你遇见的每个人一份小礼物

　　I'm not talking about a formal, wrapped-up present. Your gift can be your smile, a word of thanks or encouragement, a gesture of politeness, even a friendly nod. And never pass beggars without leaving them something. Peace of mind is worth the spare change.

　　我指的当然不是正式的包装好的礼物。这里的礼物，可以是你的笑容，一句感谢或鼓励的话语，礼貌的手势甚至是一个友好的点头。如果经过乞丐身边，千万别忘了施舍点什么。用这些零钱换来平和的心态很值得。

　　4. Deflect³ partisan⁴ conversations.

　　避免敏感性话题

　　Arguments about politics and religion never have a "right" answer but they definitely get people all riled up over things they can't control. When such topics surface, bow out by saying something like: "Thinking about that stuff makes my head hurt."对政治和宗教的争论永远都没有正确的答案，但偏偏这些我们普通人无法控制的事情倒真能让人生气。一旦这类话题出现，不如这样回应：“想这种事会让我头疼”。

　　5. Assume people have good intentions.

　　把每个人都想成是善意的

　　Since you can't read minds, you don't really know the "why" behind the "what" that people do. Imputing⁵ evil motives⁶ to other people's weird⁷ behaviors adds extra misery⁸ to life, while assuming good intentions leaves you open to reconciliation⁹.

　　既然你不会读心术，也必然不会知道人们做事背后的原因。对别人怪异的行为妄加恶意的猜测，只会让你的生活更加糟糕，以善意揣度别人会让你更加和善。

　　6. Eat high quality food slowly.

　　美食慢慢品尝

　　Sometimes we can't avoid scarfing something quick to keep us up and running. Even so, at least once a day try to eat something really delicious, like a small chunk¹⁰ of fine cheese or an imported chocolate. Focus on it; taste it; savor¹¹ it.

　　有时候我们不得不狼吞虎咽来继续工作。即使这样，一天至少也要好好的品尝一次美味的食物，比如小块芝士或进口巧克力。专心吃，慢慢品尝，尽情享受。

　　7. Let go of your results.

　　别太在意结果

　　The big enemy of happiness is worry, which comes from focusing on events that are outside your control. Once you've taken action, there's usually nothing more you can do. Focus on the job at hand rather than some weird fantasy of what might happen.

　　快乐最大的敌人是担忧，而担忧通常来自于对无法控制事情的过度关注。一旦你已经做了，那么再也无力更改。关注眼前的工作，切忌对可能发生的事情胡乱猜想。

　　8. End each day with gratitude¹².

　　带着感激结束每一天

　　Just before you go to bed, write down at least one wonderful thing that happened. It might be something as small as a making a child laugh or something as huge as a million dollar deal. Whatever it is, be grateful for that day because it will never come again.

　　睡觉之前，写下今天发生的至少一件好事。也许只是逗小孩笑这样的小事，又或者是谈成了一百万美金生意这样的大事。无论是什么，都要对这天充满感激，因为这天无法再重来了。

 

1 minor   

adj.较小(少)的，较次要的；n.辅修学科；vi.辅修

参考例句：

• The young actor was given a minor part in the new play.年轻的男演员在这出新戏里被分派担任一个小角色。
• I gave him a minor share of my wealth.我把小部分财产给了他。

2 obsess   

vt.使着迷，使心神不定，（恶魔）困扰

参考例句：

• I must admit that maps obsess me.我得承认我对地图十分着迷。
• A string of scandals is obsessing America.美国正被一系列丑闻所困扰。

3 deflect   

v.(使)偏斜，(使)偏离，(使)转向

参考例句：

• Never let a little problem deflect you.决不要因一点小问题就半途而废。
• They decided to deflect from the original plan.他们决定改变原计划。

4 partisan   

adj.党派性的；游击队的；n.游击队员；党徒

参考例句：

• In their anger they forget all the partisan quarrels.愤怒之中，他们忘掉一切党派之争。
• The numerous newly created partisan detachments began working slowly towards that region.许多新建的游击队都开始慢慢地向那里移动。

5 imputing   

v.把（错误等）归咎于( impute的现在分词 )

参考例句：

6 motives   

n.动机，目的( motive的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• to impeach sb's motives 怀疑某人的动机
• His motives are unclear. 他的用意不明。

7 weird   

adj.古怪的，离奇的；怪诞的，神秘而可怕的

参考例句：

• From his weird behaviour,he seems a bit of an oddity.从他不寻常的行为看来，他好像有点怪。
• His weird clothes really gas me.他的怪衣裳简直笑死人。

8 misery   

n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦

参考例句：

• Business depression usually causes misery among the working class.商业不景气常使工薪阶层受苦。
• He has rescued me from the mire of misery.他把我从苦海里救了出来。

9 reconciliation   

n.和解，和谐，一致

参考例句：

• He was taken up with the reconciliation of husband and wife.他忙于做夫妻间的调解工作。
• Their handshake appeared to be a gesture of reconciliation.他们的握手似乎是和解的表示。

10 chunk   

n.厚片，大块，相当大的部分（数量）

参考例句：

• They had to be careful of floating chunks of ice.他们必须当心大块浮冰。
• The company owns a chunk of farmland near Gatwick Airport.该公司拥有盖特威克机场周边的大片农田。

11 savor   

vt.品尝，欣赏；n.味道，风味；情趣，趣味

参考例句：

• The soup has a savor of onion.这汤有洋葱味。
• His humorous remarks added a savor to our conversation.他幽默的话语给谈话增添了风趣。

12 gratitude   

adj.感激，感谢

参考例句：

• I have expressed the depth of my gratitude to him.我向他表示了深切的谢意。
• She could not help her tears of gratitude rolling down her face.她感激的泪珠禁不住沿着面颊流了下来。