1984年的一个上午，很晚了，我驱车去旧金山吃午饭，开到一个收费亭旁边，我听到很响的音乐声。听起来好像在开舞会，或是迈克尔·杰克逊的音乐会。我朝四周看了看。别的汽车没有打开窗户的，也没有宣传车。我朝收费亭里望去，有个人在里边跳舞。
“你在干吗？”我问。
“我在开舞会呢。”他说。
“那其他人呢？”我看了看其他的亭子，没什么动静。
“我没邀请他们。”
我还有十几个问题要问他，但我后面的人急着要去某地，开始按喇叭，我只好开走了。但我在心里告诉自己：还要再找这个人。他眼里有某种东西，告诉我在他的收费亭里有一种魔力。
几个月后我又见到了他，音乐仍然很响，舞会还在举行。
我再次问他：“你在做什么呢？”
他说：“我记得你上次问过了。我还在跳舞，还在举行同样的舞会。”
我说：“瞧，其他人呢？”
“打住。”他说，“你看那些东西像什么呢？”他指着那排收费亭。
“看来就像收费亭啊。”
“真是没有想象力！”
我说；“那好，我放弃。你看它们像什么呢？”
他说：“直立的棺材。”
“你在说些什么呀？”
“我可以证实。每早八点半，活的人进去。然后他们死亡八个小时。下午四点半，就像死人中的拉撒路，他们复活回到家中。整整八个小时，头脑思维中断，他们只是呆板地工作，重复着相同的动作。”
我感到非常惊异。这个小伙子发展了一种哲学，创造了一个有关工作的神话。我禁不住又问了一个问题：“为什么你不一样？你过得很快乐。”
他看了看我：“我就知道你会问这个，”他接着说，“总有一天我会成为一个舞蹈家。”他指向行政机关大楼：“我的老板都在那里，他们花钱为我培训。”
十六个人呆板地做着工作，而第十七个，几乎处于同样的情况，却找到另外一种生活方式。那个人在举办的舞会，你我恐怕连三天都坚持不了。无聊！他和我后来确实一起吃过午饭，他说：“我不理解为何每个人都认为我的工作很枯燥。我有一个街角办公室，四周都是玻璃。我可以看见金门海峡、旧金山和伯克利山，半个西方世界都在这儿度假，每天我只是漫步到这里，练习跳舞。”
The Builder 为自己打造的工程
An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer of his plans to leave the house building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family1. He would miss the paycheck2, but he needed to retire. They could get by3.
The employer was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to4 shoddy5 workmanship6 and used inferior7 materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.
When the carpenter finished his work and the employer came to inspect the house and handed the front-door key to the carpenter. "This is your house," he said, "my gift to you."
What a shock！ What a shame！ If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too8 well.
So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted9 way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up10 less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized, we would have done it differently.
Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer11 a nail, place a board, or erect12 a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously13 and with dignity. The plaque14 on the wall says, "Life is a do-it-yourself project." Who could say it more clearly? Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.
一位上了年纪的木匠作好了退休的准备。他告诉老板他准备离开建筑行业，与老伴和儿孙们一起共享天伦之乐，过一种更悠闲自得的生活。虽然他因此而少了份薪水，但他想退休了。至于日子嘛，还可以凑合着过。
眼看这位优秀的木工就要离去，老板很遗憾。他问木工可否帮忙再建一所房子。木工答应了，可明眼人一眼就看得出来，此时他做事心不在焉，做出的活儿技艺粗糙，用的料也没那么讲究了。他就这样为自己的建筑生涯划上了句号，真是令人遗憾。
房子建好后，老板过来看新房并交给木工一把前门钥匙，说：“这房子归你了，我送给你的礼物。”
多么让人吃惊，多么让人羞愧啊！假如他知道在为自己造房，他会做得大不一样。现在他不得不住在自己建造的那所粗制滥造的房子里了。
我们又何尝不是如此呢？我们心浮气躁地打造生活，不是主动工作而是被动应付，能省事就省事。关键的时候也没尽心尽力。蓦然回首，才瞠目结舌地发现自己正住在自己建造的那所房子中，自食苦果。早知如此，何必当初。
就当你自己就是那位木工吧。就当你为自己建房，每天要钉钉、铺板、砌墙。那么，你就该用心地去建。你的生活只能这样建造。哪怕你只在房子里多生活一天，这一天也应该活得优雅、有尊严。墙上的铭匾写道：“生活正如一项为自己打造的工程。”还有什么比这更清楚的呢？明日的生活之果，孕育于你今天的态度和抉择之树上。
Your Life Is Not A Coincidence生命中没有意外
A son and his father were walking on the mountains.
Suddenly, his son falls, hurts himself and screams: "AAAhhhhhhhhhhh！！！"
To his surprise, he hears the voice repeating, somewhere in themountain: "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，忍不住痛地大叫了一声“ 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！！！”
他很好奇的大声问：“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。”
父亲大吼了一声：“我钦佩你！”
结果另一个声音传回来的也是：“我钦佩你！”
同样的，父亲再一次大声地说：“你是冠军！”
这个声音也回答：“你是冠军！”
小男孩感到非常的讶异，但又不解。
此时父亲向小男孩解释道：“一般人们称这是回音，但实际上这是‘生命’。
你所说的做的每一件事最后都会回应到你身上。
我们的生命就是很简单地回应我们所做过的事。
如果你要这个世界有更多的爱，那么你就要在你的心中创造出更多的爱；
如果你要你的团队更优秀，那么你也要先让你自己更优秀；
这样的关系可以套用在每一件事上，在生命中的每一件事。
生命，会回应给你每一件你曾做过的事。
生命中没有意外，它就是你的反射。
The Life I D
