When we accept that imperfection is part of being human,and when we can continue rolling through life and appreciate it,we will have achieved a wholeness that others can only aspire to.That,I believe,is what God asks of us——not “Be perfect”,not “Don‘t even make a mistake”,but “Be whole.”
If we are brave enough to love,strong enough to forgive,generous enough to rejoice in another’s happiness,and wise enough to know there is enough love to go around for us all,then we can achieve a fulfillment that no other living creature will ever know.
从前,一只圆圈缺了一块楔子。它想保持完整,便四处寻找那块楔子。由于不完整,所以它只能慢慢地滚动。一路上,它对花儿露出羡慕之色;它与蠕虫谈天侃地;它还欣赏到了阳光之美。圆圈找到了许多不同的楔子,但没有一件与它相配。所以,它将它们统统弃置路旁,继续寻觅。终于有一天,它找到了一个完美的配件。圆圈是那样的高兴,现在它可以说是完美无缺了。它装好配件,并开始滚动起来。现在它已成了一个完美的圆圈,所以滚动得非常快,以至于难以欣赏花儿,也无暇与蠕虫倾诉心声。当圆圈意识到因快奔疾驰而失去了原有的世界时,它不禁停了下来,将找到的配件弃置路旁,又开始慢慢地滚动。
我觉得这个故事告诉我们,从某种奇妙的意义上讲,当我们失去了一些东西时反而更加完美。一个拥有一切的人其实在某个方面是个穷人。他永远也体会不到什么是渴望、期待及如何用美好梦想滋养自己的灵魂。他也永远不会有这样一种体验:一个爱他的人送给他某种他梦寐以求的或者从未拥有过的东西意味着什么。
人生的完整性在于知道如何面对缺陷,如何勇敢地摒弃不现实的幻想而又不以此为缺憾。人生的完整性还在于学会勇敢面对人生悲剧而继续生存,能够在失去亲人后依然表现出完整的个人风范。
人生不是上帝为谴责我们的缺陷而给我们布下的陷阱。人生也不是一场拼字游戏比赛,不管你拼出多少单词,一旦出现了一个错误,你便前功尽弃。人生更像是一个棒球赛季,即使最好的球队也会输掉1/3的比赛,而最差的球队也有春风得意的日子。我们的目标就是多赢球,少输球。
当我们接受不完整性是人类本性的一部分,当我们不断地进行人生滚动并能欣赏其价值时,我们就会获得其他人仅能渴望的完整人生。我相信这就是上帝对我们的要求:不求“完美”,也不求“永不犯错误”,而是求得人生的“完整”。
如果我们能够勇敢地去爱,坚强地去宽容,大度地去为别人的快乐而高兴,明智地理解身边充满爱,那么我们就能取得别的生物所不能取得的成就。
我们将走向何方Where Are We Heading
The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings,but shorter tempers;wider freeways,but narrower viewpoints;we spend more,but have less;we buy more but enjoy less.
We have bigger houses and smaller families;more conveniences,but less time;we have more degrees,but less sense;more knowledge,but less judgment;more experts,but more problems;more medicine,but less wellness.
We drink too much,spend too recklessly,laugh too little,drive too fast,get too angry too quickly,stay up too late,get up too tired,read too little,watch TV too much,and pray too seldom.
We talk too much,love too seldom,and hate too often.We’ve learned how to make a living,but not a life;we’ve added years to life,not life to years.
We’ve been all the way to the moon and back,but have trouble crossing the street to meet the new neighbor.We’ve conquered outer space,but not inner space;we’ve done larger things,but not better things.
We’ve cleaned up the air,but polluted the soul;we’ve split the atom,but not our prejudice.We write more,but learn less;we plan more,but accomplish less.
We’ve learned to rush,but not to wait;we have higher incomes,but,lower morals.
We build more computers to hold more information to produce more copies than ever,but have less communication;we’ve become long on quantity,but short on quality.
These are the days of two incomes,but more divorce;of fancier houses,but more broken homes.
These are the days of quick trips,disposable diapers,throw away morality,one night stands,overweight bodies,and pills that do everything from cheer,to quiet,to kill.Where are we heading?
If we die tomorrow,the company that we are working for could easily replace us in a matter of days.But the family we left behind will feel the loss for the rest of their lives.
And come to think of it,we pour ourselves more into work than to our family an unwise investment indeed.
So what is the morale of the story?
Don’t work too hard and you know what’s the full word of family?
FAMILY =(F)ATHER(A)ND(M)OTHER,(I)(L)OVE(Y)OU.
我们这个时代在历史上的说法就是我们拥有更高的建筑,但是有更暴的脾气;我们拥有更宽阔的高速公路,却有更狭隘的观点;我们花费得更多,拥有得却更少;我们购买得更多却享受得更少。
我们的房子越来越大,家庭却越来越小;便利越来越多,时间却越来越少;学位越来越多,感觉却越来越少;知识越来越多,观点却越来越少;专家越来越多,问题也越来越多;药物越来越多,福利却越来越少。
我们喝得太多,花钱大手大脚,笑得太少,开车太快,易怒,熬夜,赖床,书读得越来越少,电视看得越来越多,却很少向上帝祈祷。
我们常常夸夸其谈,却很少付出爱心,且常常心中充满了仇恨。我们学会了如何谋生,而不知如何生活。我们延长了生命的期限,而不是生活的期限。
我们登上了月球,并成功返回,却不能穿过街道去拜访新邻居。我们已经征服了太空,却征服不了自己的内心;我们的事业越做越大,但质量却没有提高。
我们清洁了空气,却污染了灵魂;我们分离了原子,却无法驱除我们的偏见;我们写得更多,学到的却更少;我们的计划更多,完成的却更少。
我们学会了奔跑,却忘记了如何等待;我们的收入越来越高,道德水平却越来越低。
我们制造了更多的计算机来存储更多的信息,制造了最多的副本,却减少了交流;我们开始渴望数量,但忽视了质量。
这个时代有双收入,但也有了更高的离婚率;有更华丽的房屋,却有更多破碎的家庭。
这个时代有了快速旅游,免洗尿布,抛弃道德,一夜情,超重的身体,以及可以从快乐中走向静止和自杀的药物。我们将走向何方?
如果我们明天就死掉,我们为之工作的公司可能会在一天内很轻易地找人代替我们的位置。但是当我们离开家人后,他们的余生将会在失落中度过。
考虑一下吧,我们将自己的时间更多地投入到工作中,而放弃与家人在一起的时光,实在并非明智之举。
那么这则故事的主旨是什么呢?
不要工作得太辛苦,你知道家的全称吗?
家=爸爸妈妈,我爱你们。
生命的反射Reflection of life
A son and his father are walking on the mountains.Suddenly,his son falls,hurts himself and screams:“AAAhhhhhhhhhhh!”To his surprise,he hears the voice repeating,somewhere in the mountain:“AAAhhhhhh!”
Curious,he yells:“Who are you?”He receives the answer:“Who are you?”Angered at the response,he screams:“Coward!”He receives the answer:“Coward!”
He looks to his father and asks:“What‘s going on?”The father smiles and says:“My son,pay attention.”And then he screams to the mountain:“I admire you!”The voice answers:“I admire you!”Again the man screams:“You are a champion!”The voice answers:“You are a champion!”
The boy is surprised,but does not understand.Then the father explains:“People call this ECHO,but really this is LIFE.It gives you back everything you say or do.Our life is simply a reflection of our actions.
If you want more love in the world,create more love in your heart.If you want more competence in your team,improve your competence.This relationship applies to everything,in all aspects of life;Life will give you back everything you have given to it.Your life is not a coincidence,it’s a reflection of you!
有一个小男孩跟他的父亲走在山中,小男孩不小心跌倒了,忍不住痛得大叫了一声“哇……喔”,但是令他吃惊的是,他听到了一个声音从山中的某处传出来,重复他的声音“哇……喔”。
他很好奇地大声问:“你是谁?”结果他得到的答案也是“你是谁?”小男孩生气了,大声地吼着:“胆小鬼!”这一次得到的答案也是“胆小鬼!”
他很好奇地问他父亲:“到底怎么回事啊?”父亲笑笑地跟儿子说:“儿子啊,注意听喔。”