The clock is always ticking. The seconds keep on ticking just like busy ants. The ants keep themselves always busy by always hunting for food everywhere. Similarly the seconds always keep on ticking to attain short-term goals of making a minute with 60 ticks. After reaching a milestone of a minute the second hand of a clock doesn’t take a break, but start afresh for another round of 60 ticks. They take it minute by minute and inadvertently reach a quarter of an hour, and hour and then a day. They always focus on the smaller targets—that is a minute and the bigger aim of the clock itself gets fulfilled. That’s why the minutes hands have to work less, as the seconds hand does most of the running around. The minute hand just has to make 60 movements on a clock dial. The hours hand is the luckiest of the lot. It just moves once in an hour. But the seconds hand moves for 3,600 times around the dial for the same hour!
Parallel to this, in our life we never realizes that we have lots to do. Between every big task we can always find enough time to fit in a plethora of smaller tasks. If you are waiting for a train at the station, you can always read a magazine or rather chalk out your study timetable for exams. While traveling in the bus too one can find enough time to at least skim through the previous days notes.
Be like the clock. Always keep on ticking by involving yourself in various things and learning new things. These small knowledge and experience modules will perhaps one day take you to your bigger goal some day. They say “Time and Tide waits for no man.” If so, now stop staring at the screen and utilize your time effectively!
人们说生死不掌控在任何人手中。生与死随时都可能发生在每个人身上，时间也如此。多数时候我们都觉得时间充足，因此放纵自己去从事各种各样完全是浪费时间的活动。
时钟总是不停地滴答，秒针也像为了觅食而不停忙碌的蚂蚁一样永不停息地前行。同样，为了实现秒针滴答60次完成一分钟的任务，它一刻不停地忙碌奔走着，即使完成了一分钟，它也不停歇，又开始新一轮的60次征程。它们走了一分钟又一分钟，不经意间走了一刻钟、一小时甚至一天。它们始终专注小目标，也就是一分钟，使时钟的更大目标自然而然地得以实现。这就是分针走得少，秒针走得多的原因。分针一小时要走60次。时针是它们中最幸运的，它一小时只需走一次，而秒针在一小时内却要走3600次。
与之类似的是，生活中我们从未认识到有大量的工作等着我们去做。每个艰巨的任务之间总会有足够的时间供我们去完成一些小任务。例如你在火车站等火车时，可以阅读杂志或为考试制定复习计划。当你乘巴士出行时，也会有充足的时间翻阅一下前些天的笔记吧。
与时钟相似，你总是循序渐进地卷入各种事件，以获得新知。这些琐碎的知识和经验将有助于你日后更大目标的实现。俗话说“岁月不待人”，若果真如此，从现在起做事情就不要流于形式，而应有效地利用时间。
心灵小语
时间永远都在，消逝的是我们。在有限的时间里，我们能留下什么？能否创造与之对应的价值吗？
记忆填空
1. The__ is always ticking. The seconds keep on ticking just__ busy ants. The ants keep themselves always busy by always hunting for__ everywhere. Similarly the seconds always keep on ticking to attain short-term__ of making a minute with 60 ticks.
2. Parallel to this, in our life we never realizes that we have__ to do. Between every big task we can always find enough__ to fit in a plethora of smaller tasks. If you are waiting for a train at the__, you can always read a magazine or rather chalk out your study timetable for exams.
佳句翻译
1. 人们说生死不掌控在任何人手中。
译______________
2. 多数时候我们都觉得时间充足，因此放纵自己去从事各种各样完全是浪费时间的活动。
译______________
3. 岁月不待人。
译______________
短语应用
1. Due to this perhaps we indulge in various activities, which are a wholesale waste of time.
indulge in：沉溺于；沉湎于；沉迷于
造______________
2. Similarly the seconds always keep on ticking to attain short-term goals…
keep on：继续；保持；反复地做
造______________
语言智慧
Choosing Words to Create Success
安妮特·科尔比 / Annette Colby
Did you know that you can increase your ability to be successful by consciously choosing the right words? It’s true! Let’s say you’re motivated, excited even, to create change in your life. You’ve even gone so far as to put your well-formed goals down in writing. From there, you’ve determined your first steps to begin the process of changing your eating habits and exercising more. You’ve got enormous enthusiasm and know exactly what it is you’re going to do. You choose your goal for tomorrow, and then inadvertently cripple your success before you even start. You say, “I’ll try.”
What does “I’ll try” mean? It means you’ve given yourself an out. Should some obstacle surface, you now have a built-in escape route that gets you off the hook. The word presupposes failure. It lacks intention and confidence. You are sowing doubt in your own mind. It says, “Alright, I’ll give it a go, but I can’t really see it working out.”
Now observe what it feels like to say “I am.” For example, “I am now committed to feeling good by honoring my decision to walk 20 minutes today.” If it doesn’t feel right, then you’ve selected a goal that is something other than your natural first step. Back up and find the action step you are ready to undertake. It doesn’t matter how small and insignificant it may seem at the time. You’re better off starting with something teeny-tiny and achieving success than starting with something you already know you’re not ready for. The wise Lao-Tzu once stated, “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step.” Make sure you are able to complete your first step.
Perhaps having revised your initial starting point, again notice what it feels like to say, “I am now.” This phrase directs you and says that you have power and intention. It says that you believe in what you are saying and you will find a way to make it happen. You’ve made a commitment to yourself that you’ve chosen to honor. It says that you will find a way to get it done even if things get in the way. It means that even if difficulties pop up, you’ll find some way to stick to your intent.
Once you find a plan of action that seems doable, forget trying to do it. To try to do something is to not do it. Instead, declare whole-heartedly, “I am now achieving this!”
Make your success inevitable.