英语专业晨读美文-人生篇 12 Build a Wonderful Life

[00:01.75]Top Six Ways to Build a Wonderful Life

[00:06.38]1. Live Below Your Means

[00:10.85]There will always be temptation to forsake 1 the future

[00:13.95]for immediate 2 gratification.

[00:15.50]We all want to buy that new piece of technology,

[00:18.22]treat ourselves to an expensive night on the town,

[00:20.98]or take out a loan for the flashy car we can't afford.

[00:23.75]It might feel great at the time

[00:25.88]but rash spending hurts a lot later on.

[00:28.55]Enjoy life's simple pleasures and save as much as you can.

[00:31.81]Expensive things don't create lasting 3 happiness and security.

[00:35.60]Careful spending will bring you greater leisure

[00:38.40]and enjoyment 4 in the long run.

[00:40.41]2. Put Your Money to Work

[00:42.52]Saving is great, but to make the most of your money

[00:45.50]you need to put it to work.

[00:46.81]Good investments can be the difference

[00:48.97]between retiring in your 40's or in your 60's.

[00:51.54]A post today at The Simple Dollar really got me thinking.

[00:54.80]According to Trent's projections 5,

[00:57.53]if a person in their early 20's invests

[00:59.73]20% of their income in an S&P index fund,

[01:02.92]the interest they earn will equal their current salary

[01:06.10]when they reach their early 40's.

[01:07.79]They could retire without a drop in income!

[01:10.63]Wise investing is the surest path to financial independence

[01:14.29]and it's something everyone can work on.

[01:16.79]It's definitely an area I'll be devoting more attention

[01:20.38]to in my personal life and on this blog.

[01:22.48]3. Educate Yourself

[01:24.90]To be happy we need continuous growth.

[01:27.76]The best way to grow is life-long education.

[01:31.23]This doesn't mean you need to pursue a doctorate 6

[01:34.62]or spend 2 hours reading every day.

[01:36.45]Self-education can be anything

[01:38.68]that takes you out of your comfort zone.

[01:40.51]The important part is keeping an open mind

[01:43.00]and searching for fresh ideas and perspectives.

[01:45.55]Education builds over time.

[01:47.81]It might feel like the bits of wisdom

[01:50.37]you acquire don't mean much,

[01:52.02]but over the years they add up to form a wiser,

[01:54.48]kinder, more interesting person.

[01:57.40]4. Develop Lasting Personal Relationships

[02:02.06]Suppose you had everything you wanted.

[02:04.20]Would you be happy without anyone to share it with?

[02:07.29]The personal relationships we develop with friends

[02:10.28]and family members are the greatest

[02:12.32]source of happiness in our lives.

[02:14.00]Don't forget about them.

[02:15.62]Taking the time to cultivate and enjoy

[02:18.05]personal relationships is essential to long-term happiness.

[02:21.78]Without the people you care about

[02:23.60]you'll probably be miserable 7,

[02:25.76]no matter how successful you become.

[02:28.21]5. Work Towards a Dream You're Passionate 8 About

[02:32.45]Even if your life isn't perfect,

[02:35.09]you can always build towards a goal you're passionate about.

[02:38.47]If you aren't building towards something,

[02:40.62]you're probably stagnating 9. When this happens to me

[02:43.97]I start to feel like a victim trapped by my own life.

[02:47.19]The best way to reverse this is working towards a goal.

[02:50.63]We can't control everything about our lives,

[02:53.67]but working towards a goal gives us something positive

[02:56.10]to focus on and lays the foundation for future success.

[02:59.82]No matter what your passion is,

[03:02.48]get out there and start doing something.

[03:04.78]As Lao Tzu said, even a journey of 1 000 miles

[03:08.93]begins with a single step.

[03:10.87]6. Stay in Shape

[03:13.56]You only get one body. Once it's been ruined

[03:16.25]there isn't much you can do about it.

[03:17.54]Exercise to keep the rust 10 off.

[03:19.55]Avoid excessive consumption of damaging substances

[03:23.67]and unhealthy foods. It may feel like terrible self denial

[03:27.60]at the time but enjoying good health

[03:30.12]in your later years is worth the sacrifice.