【譯文】“新年新高度”（摘自《環球郵報》）

零二年，最有價值的人是那些讓周圍世界變得更美好的人。

作者：邁克·里普金
二零零一年十二月三十一日

譯者：胡司令
二零零二年元月五日

那麼，二零零二年了，生活對你有什麼期望呢？更進一步說，你對你自己有什麼期望？好吧，我們看
看新年的真正涵義是什麼：我們大家都被一個更高的標準所約束。放縱的年代在“九一一”結束。現
在是責任的年代。

因此，這裡有十條最好的“新年決心”可以讓你考慮。

一）毫不動搖地保持樂觀。在任何困難中都看到光明和機會，在任何情況下都期待最好結果。無論你
尋求什麼，你都終將找到它。我們要麼變得更好，要麼變得痛苦；取決於我們是否吸取經驗教訓。樂
觀主義象電能一樣——沒有它很難辦事。明白這個道理吧：面對前所未有的挑戰，你會前所未有地左
右逢源。遇到真正的緊急需求，真實的你也就會出現。

二）認識到自己能為他人所做的最大好事並付諸行動。肖伯納說，“生活的目的是有目的的生活”。
你的生活目的是啥呢？你個人的精力投放在哪裡：是自保還是為他人增值？有個著名的悖論：如果你
只關心自己，你不會照顧好自己。只有幫助他人你才能成功。

三）不斷提高自己的生氣活力。生活的遊戲不是關於誰正確，而是關於誰離去。我們當中百分之六十
以上的人超過三十六歲。新世紀真正的貨幣不是現金，而是生命力。這是一年中每月、每周、每日保
持充沛體力和神韻的能力。對周圍的人而言，你就是一個能源，你無法給與你自己沒有的東西。如今
百分之九十以上的成年人根本不做身體鍛煉。我們當中過半數的人超重。三分之一的人仍在吸煙。因
此今年要下決心提高身體、感情和精神的活力。只要邁開一小步，你就會首先讓自己驚奇，然後所有
其他人也跟着驚訝。

四）養成慷慨給予的習慣。成功不是因為你去追求她而得到的, 她是因為你成為你自己而為你所吸引
的。你自己付出越多，別人越願意幫你。人在內心深處都想知恩必報。所以要下決心尋找有助於他人
的方式。有一句有趣的格言：生活在標準線之上。如果這根線代表他人對你的期望，你應該總是比別
人期望的做得更好。你逐漸會有如商業作者肯·布蘭卡所謂的“口碑迷”，成為為你一路競相傳頌的
活廣告。

五）精神食療法。棍子和石頭能敲折你的骨頭，而語言卻能留下一輩子的傷痕。人不如大象，不會遺
忘。所以要下決心用調和的語言，不用對立的語言。要忍住不對他人發泄消極的東西。相反，多說些
熱愛生活和人際聯繫的事情。

六）當世界公民，做地球村的一員，全面接受其他民族的文化和影響。我們每個人的安康福祉同我們
對其他民族思想和文化的開放程度之間有着直接關聯。如果別人的觀點不同，他也可能是對的。絕對
真理不復存在，要歡迎不同意見。成為你自己的百家冠軍吧。你不但會交到更多朋友, 而且能集思廣
益有助於解決自己的難題。

七）把握自己的目的。不要忙於生計而忘記生活。你想成為什麼人，你想成就什麼事，做出抉擇然後
大膽邁向你的目標。人類今天最寶貴的必需品就是信心。

八）加強與他人的聯繫。誰的人際關係最好，誰就得勝。人際圈子越廣，機會就越多。這就是信任的
問題，也是個形象的問題——你在要緊的人腦袋裡留下的印象。所以要拿出至少十分之一的時間拓寬
自我影響的範圍。將自己圈子裡的機會介紹給其他人：讓人的潛力異花受粉。跟別人在一起時，讓每
次相遇成為愉快的記憶。當你傾聽時，全心全意去聽。讓熱情融化對拒絕的恐懼。

九）放棄熟悉舊事物，加強創新能力。昨天是最遙遠的。每天嘗試用新鮮的眼光看待世界。正如薩爾
曼·汝希第寫道：今年永遠是明年的石器時代。聽從直覺，跟隨本能，與其絞盡腦汁，不如讓直覺和
本能告訴你怎麼辦。你在某個方面是畢加索或愛因斯坦。找出是在哪方面然後最大限度地發揮。

十）成為你自己，不模仿他人。當我們都是真我時，你我才是最佳狀態。當我們未經琢磨、真實自發
時我們才處於最佳狀態，因為那才是我們將所有精力集中於人或事之時。在一個極度競爭的世界，我
們負擔不起事後聰明的代價。新新時代的成功就是速度的問題。所以馬上要行動，此時不動，更待何
時？

這些就是十條新年新決心，助你二零零二年活得更好。下定決心，然後行動吧。

邁克·里普金是來自多倫多的作者。

明天：另一種決心。

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"Next year next level" (from The Globe and Mail)

In ought-two, the most valuable people will be those who enhance the world around them.

By MIKE LIPKIN

December 31, 2001

So what does life expect of you in 2002? Better yet, what do you expect of yourself?
Well, here's the defining truth of the new year: we are all being held to a higher
standard. The age of indulgence ended on Sept. 11. It's now the age of accountability.

So here are 10 of the best New Year's resolutions you can make.

1. Resolve to stay brutally optimistic. See the opportunity in every difficulty and
anticipate the most favorable outcome out of every situation. Whatever you look for,
that's what you'll find. We can get better or we can get bitter; it all depends on the
lessons we draw from each experience. Optimism is like electricity -- very little happens
without it. Know this truth: you have all the resources you'll ever need to handle all
the challenges you'll ever have. It's in the true emergencies that the true you emerges.

2. Resolve to identify the most powerful benefit you offer to the people around you and
then deliver it. "The purpose of life," said George Bernard Shaw, "is a life of purpose."
What's yours? Where are you investing your personal energy: self-preservation or adding
value to others? Here's the well-being paradox: if you're only concerned about yourself,
you cannot take care of yourself. Only by helping others can you succeed.

3. Resolve to pump up your personal vitality. In the game of life it's not about who's
right, it's about who's left. Over 60 per cent of us are more than 36 years old. The real
currency of the new century is not cash, it's vitality. It's the ability to keep going
every day of every week of every month of the year with vigour and verve. All you are to
the people around you is a source of energy and you cannot give what you don't have.
Ninety per cent of all adults do no physical exercise at all. More than half of us are
overweight. A third of us still smoke. So, this year, resolve to enhance your physical,
emotional and mental vitality. Take just a small step. First you'll amaze yourself and
then you'll amaze everybody else.

4. Resolve to be habitually generous. Success is not something you pursue, it's something
you attract by what you become. The more you give of yourself, the more favours you
attract from others. People have a deep-rooted drive to give back. So resolve to search
for ways to contribute to others. Here's an interesting aphorism: Live above the line. If
the line represents others' expectations of you, consistently surpass those expectations.
You'll develop what the business author Ken Blanchard calls "raving fans," people who
become walking billboards for you.

5. Resolve to go on a mental diet. Sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can
scar you for life. It's humans, not elephants, who never forget. So resolve to use the
language of conciliation, not the language of confrontation. Avoid the temptation to
vent your negativity on others. Instead, use words that express your joie de vivre and
connection with others.

6. Resolve to be a global citizen, fully open to the cultures and influences of others.
There is a direct correlation between personal well-being and openness to other peoples'
ideas and cultures. If someone has a different point of view, they're probably right as
well. There are no absolutes anymore, so welcome different opinions. Become a one-person
champion of plurality. Not only will you make lots of new friends, but you'll also gather
multiple reference points to help you resolve personal challenges.

7. Resolve to take control of your destiny. Don't be so busy trying to make a living that
you forget to make a life. Decide who you want to be and what you want to achieve and then
stride boldly towards your vision. The most precious human commodity today is confidence.

8. Resolve to increase your human connectedness. The person with the best connections
wins. The wider your network, the more opportunities you generate. It's all about trust.
And it's all about profile -- your presence in the minds of the people who matter. So
invest at least 10 per cent of your time broadening your sphere of influence. Connect
other people to opportunities within your network: cross-pollinate their potential. When
you are with others, make every encounter a pleasurable one. When you listen, truly
listen. And burn your fear of rejection.

9. Resolve to increase your creativity by letting go of the familiar. Nothing is as far
away as yesterday. Try to see the world through fresh eyes every day. As Salman Rushdie
writes, every year is the Stone Age to the year that follows it. Listen to your intuition
and follow your instincts, they'll tell you what to do before your head has had a chance
to figure it out. You are a Picasso or Einstein at something. Discover what it is and
then develop it to the maximum.

10. Resolve to be you because others are already taken. You and I are at our best when
we're being authentic. We're at our best when we're being positively spontaneous because
that's when all our energy is being invested in the person in front of us or the task at
hand. In a hyper-competitive world, we cannot afford to second-guess ourselves. Success
in the new, new age is all about speed. So act now, because if not now, when?

So there you have it, 10 New Year's resolutions to help improve your life in 2002. So
decide. And act.

Mike Lipkin is a Toronto-based author.

Tomorrow: Another kind of resolution.