You’ve probably heard the old saying “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”

你肯定听过这样一句谚语：“篱笆外的草总是分外绿”，别人的似乎总比我们好。

Perhaps you feel like it’s true. You look at other people’s lives, and you envy them. They seem to be doing so much better than you. They’ve got a great job. Lots of money. A happy home life. They seem to have it all. And you can’t help wishing that you did, too.

也许你觉得这句话是对的，你会羡慕嫉妒别人的生活，觉得他们什么都比你做得好：体面的工作、丰厚的收入、幸福的家庭，他们好像什么都有了。所以你忍不住希望：要是自己也能拥有这些就好了。

But none of us ever really know what it’s like to live someone else’s life. No-one’s life is perfect – whatever it looks like from the outside.

但我们从来无从知晓，如果让我们去过别人的生活会是什么样子。也许从外面看来很美好，但没有人的生活是完美无缺的。

Plus, it’s a safe bet¹ that some of your friends are looking at your life and thinking very similar things. Whatever state your life is in, you’ve got a lot of good things. You just need to recognize them again.

而且我完全可以肯定，有一些你的朋友也和你一样，看着你的生活想着类似的事情。其实不管你现在的生活状态如何，你都已经拥有了很多美好的事情，你只需要重新认识自己的生活。

I. Enjoy What You Have

享受你所拥有的一切

One of the best ways to love your current life is to write a list of things you’re grateful for. It doesn’t matter if they seem small or insignificant²: little everyday moments of happiness count. You might think of:

热爱自己现在的生活，最好的方式之一就是写下生命中让你心怀感激的事情。就算是很琐碎很没有意义也没有关系：正是这些日常生活中快乐的小时刻让我们的生活变得有意义。你可能会想到：

1. People who you’re grateful for – your family, friends, housemates, co-workers…

你感谢的那些人：你的家人、朋友、室友、同事等等；

2. Treats which you enjoy – the smell of fresh coffee, the taste of dark chocolate, a long bath after a hard day…

你喜欢的那些东西：新鲜现磨咖啡的香味，黑巧克力的味道，还有辛苦一天后好好洗个热水澡；

3. Things which make your day easier – the dishwasher, online grocery shopping, fast internet access at work…

会让生活变得轻松的事物：洗碗机、网上购物、工作时的快捷网络；

4. Anything special which you’ve grown accustomed to – your wedding ring, your smartphone, a favorite coat…

已经让你变得习惯的特别物件：结婚戒指、智能手机、最喜欢的外套；

5. Happy moments – chatting with a friend, something which made you laugh, playing with your kids…

那些欢乐时光：和朋友的闲聊、让你开怀大笑的事情、和孩子们一起玩耍......

II. Focus on the Good Points

专注生活中好的方面

When we’re thinking about future goals and ambitions, it’s easy to end up in quite a negative mood about the present. Perhaps you start thinking through all the things you want to change in your life: losing weight, getting fit, quitting smoking, switching jobs…

当我们想到未来的目标和理想时，我们很容易对当下陷入一种消极的情绪中。也许你开始想到生活中你想改变的所有事情：减肥、健身、戒烟、换工作等等。

As well as thinking of what you might want to change, look at the areas of your life which are currently³ good. Maybe:

在想到你想要改变的这些事情的同时，也看看现在的生活中已经很好的部分，也许是：

1. You get on well with your colleagues at work, and you’ve got a good relationship with your boss

你跟同事相处得非常融洽，跟老板的关系也很好；

2. You’ve got some real strengths – like being able to establish a quick connection with clients⁴, and being organised

你已经培养了一些真正的优势：比方说能很快的与客户建立联系，而且比较有条理；

3. Your house is set up pretty much how you want it – there might not be loads of space, but it feels like home

家里的构造正是你一直想要的：可能空间不大，但非常有家的温馨；

…and so on. How could you make more of these good things? Perhaps you could spend more time on your hobbies, or concentrate on your particular strengths at work.

还有很多。这些好的方面应该如何利用呢？也许你可以在自己的爱好上花更多的时间，或在工作上专注于自己的特长。

III. Live in the Moment

活在当下

It’s appropriate to plan for the future, and to learn from the past – but it’s not a good idea to constantly have your mind on how “things will be better next year when…” or on “life was so much better last year because…”

为未来计划和从过去学习，这都是很正确的做法，但如果你的心里总是在纠结 “明年等......的时候事情可能会好起来” 或是“去年的生活轻松多了因为......” ，那就不太对了。

Being able to live in the moment means appreciating what’s around you. It’s about having your attention on now, instead of reminiscing about what’s already gone, or worrying about what’s yet to come. Living in the moment means:

活在当下，意思是要欣赏现在生活中周围的一切。把你的注意力放在现在，而不是追忆已成过去的往事，或是忧心还未到来的明天。活在当下意味着：

1. Enjoying your days off, without constantly thinking about Monday morning.

休息日就好好休息，别总是想着马上要来的周一；

2. Taking time to stop and watch a beautiful sunset, or to enjoy the smell of fresh-mown grass.

花点时间停下来看看美丽的夕阳，或者闻闻刚刚修剪过的草坪的青草香；

3. Eating your meals more mindfully – instead of grabbing⁵ a sandwich on the run.

更用心的享受每一餐食物，而不是抓一个三明治匆匆了事。

By keeping your attention on the present moment, the here-and-now, you can get much more enjoyment⁶ from the life you already have.

让你的注意力专注在当下的时光，此刻此处。你会从已经拥有的生活中感受到更多的乐趣。