"The proper function of man is to live - not to exist." -- Jack¹ London

“人应该生活，而不仅仅是生存。”——杰克·伦敦。

Too often we go through life on autopilot, going through the motions and having each day pass like the one before it.

很多时候我们的生活就好像是开着自动挡，像是在敷衍了事，每天的生活都和前一天一模一样。

That's fine, and comfortable, until you have gone through another year without having done anything, without having really lived life.

这样的日子过得不错、很舒坦，直到你发现这一年又什么也没做，没有真正地享受生活。

That's fine, until you have reached old age and look back on life with regrets. That's fine, until you see your kids go off to college and realize that you missed their childhoods.

这样的日子过得不错，直到你变老，回首往事，满是遗憾。这样的日子过得挺好，直到你看着孩子们都去上大学了，你才意识到自己错过了孩子们的童年。

It's not fine. If you want to truly live life, to really experience it, to enjoy it to the fullest, instead of barely scraping by and only living a life of existence, then you need to find ways to break free from the mold and drink from life.

这样的日子其实过得并不好。如果你想真正地生活，真正地体验生活，最大程度地享受生活，而不是勉强度日只为了生存，那么你应该想办法打破常规。

What follows is just a list of ideas, obvious ones mostly that you could have thought of yourself, but that I hope are useful reminders². We all need reminders sometimes. If you find this useful, print it out, and start using it. Today.

下面是我的一些想法，很明显大部分内容可能你自己就能想得到，但是我希望可以真的提醒你。我们都有需要提醒的时候。如果你觉得有用，可以打印出来，并开始做。今天就动手吧。

1. Love.

爱。

Perhaps the most important. Fall in love, if you aren't already. If you have, fall in love with your partner all over again. Abandon caution and let your heart be broken. Or love family members, friends, anyone -- it doesn't have to be romantic love. Love all of humanity, one person at a time.

也许这是最重要的。如果还没有爱的人的话，那就去爱一个人。如果你已经有了爱人，那么再和你的伴侣坠入一次爱河吧。别太谨慎小心，就算心碎也没关系。或者去爱家人、朋友，去爱任何人，不一定非得是浪漫的爱情。爱所有的人，一次只爱一个。

2. Get outside.

出去走走。

Don't let yourself be shut indoors. Go out when it's raining. Walk on the beach. Hike through the woods. Swim in a freezing lake. Bask³ in the sun. Play sports, or walk barefoot through grass. Pay close attention to nature.

不要老让自己呆着屋子里。下雨天时出去走走，在海滩上散散步，徒步穿过森林，在冰冷的湖中游泳，晒晒太阳，进行体育活动，或赤脚在草地上走走。和大自然紧密接触。

3. Savor⁴ food.

品尝食物。

Don't just eat your food, but really enjoy it. Feel the texture⁵, the bursts of flavors. Savor every bite. If you limit your intake⁶ of sweets, it will make the small treats you give yourself (berries or dark chocolate are my favorites) even more enjoyable. And when you do have them, really, really savor them. Slowly.

不要只是吃东西，而要去真正地品尝食物。感受食物的口感和味道。仔细品尝每一口。如果你平时限制自己吃甜食，那么每一口（我最喜欢浆果或黑巧克力）品尝起来会更加可口。当你吃的时候，一定要好好地慢慢地品尝。

4. Create a morning ritual.

形成早晨的习惯。

Wake early and greet the day. Watch the sun rise. Out loud, tell yourself that you will not waste this day, which is a gift. You will be compassionate⁷ to your fellow human beings, and live every moment to its fullest. Stretch or meditate⁸ or exercise as part of your ritual. Enjoy some coffee.

早点儿起床，迎接新一天的到来。看着太阳升起,大声告诉自己你不会浪费这一天，因为这是份礼物。你会对自己的同胞充满同情慈悲之心，也会充分利用生活中的每时每刻。把伸展身体、冥想或锻炼身体作为每天日常活动的一部分，记得享受美味的咖啡。

5. Take chances.

冒险。

We often live our lives too cautiously, worried about what might go wrong. Be bold, risk it all. Quit your job and go to business for yourself (plan it out first!), or go up to that girl you've liked for a long time and ask her out. What do you have to lose?

我们通常都活得过于谨慎，担忧着怕自己哪里会出错。勇敢一点，冒冒险。辞去工作，为自己打工（但先要计划好！）或约会心仪已久的女孩。你还有什么可失去的呢？

6. Follow excitement.

追随你的兴奋点。

Try to find the things in life that excite you, and then go after them. Make life one exciting adventure after another (with perhaps some quiet times in between).

寻找生活中能让你兴奋的事情，然后就去做吧。让生活变成一件接一件的冒险。（不过中间应该留一些安静的时光。）

7.Find your passion.

找到自己的激情。

Similar to the above tip, this one asks you to find your calling. Make your living by doing the thing you love to do. First, think about what you really love to do. There may be many things. Find out how you can make a living doing it. It may be difficult, but you only live once.

和上面的建议相似，这条建议是让你去寻找自己的使命。做自己喜欢的事情来维持生计。首先，想清楚自己真正喜欢做什么。可能有很多种。找出一种你既喜欢又能谋生的工作。这可能很难，但是毕竟你只活一次。

8.Get out of your cubicle⁹.

走出你的格子间。

Do you sit all day in front of computer, shuffling¹⁰ papers and taking phone calls and chatting on the Internet? Don't waste your days like this. Break free from the cubicle environment, and do your work on a laptop, in a coffee shop, or on a boat, or in a log cabin. This may require a change of jobs, or becoming a freelancer¹¹. It's worth it.

你是不是整天都坐在电脑前，不断处理琐碎的文件、打电话、在网上聊天？不要把你的时光都这样浪费掉。从格子间出来，在咖啡店里、船上或一个小木屋里用笔记本工作。这样的话你可能需要更换工作或成为自由职业者。但是这样做是值得的。

9.Turn off the TV.

关掉电视。

How many hours will we waste away in front of the boob tube? How many hours do we have to live? Do the math, then unplug the TV. Only plug it back in when you have a DVD of a movie you love. Otherwise, keep it off and find other stuff to do. Don't know what to do? Read further.

你有多少时间是浪费在电视机前？我们活着又有多长时间？计算一下，然后关上电视。只在你有一张想看的DVD时再把电视打开，其他的时间还是找点儿别的事情去做。不知道做什么？那就继续读下去吧。

10. Pull away from Internet.

断开网络。

You're reading something on the Internet right now. And it is just more wasting away of your precious time. You cannot get these minutes back. Unplug the Internet, then get out of your office or house. Right now! And go and do something.

你现在正在网上冲浪。但是上网其实浪费了你的宝贵时光。你不可能让时光倒流。断掉网络，从办公室或屋子里走出去。现在就做吧！出去做点儿别的事情。

11. Travel.

旅行。

Sure, you want to travel some day. When you have vacation time, or when you're older. Well, what are you waiting for? Find a way to take a trip, if not this month, then sometime soon. You may need to sell your car or stop your cable bill and stop eating out to do it, but make it happen. You are too young to not see the world. If need be, find a way to make a living by freelancing, then work while you travel. Only work an hour or two a day. Don't check email but once a week. Then use the rest of the time to see the world.

当然，有一天你会去旅行的，等你有假期时，或等你年纪再大一点儿。好吧，你到底在等什么？想办法去旅行吧，如果这个月不行，那就过段日子吧。你可能需要卖掉你的车或停掉有线电视或不能再外出就餐了，不管怎么样，让旅行成真吧。趁着年轻去看看世界。如果需要的话，可以找份自由职业者的工作，边旅行边工作。一天工作一到两个小时，一周查一次电子邮件。剩下的时间用来看世界。

12. Rediscover what's important.

重新发现重要的事情。

Take an hour and make a list of everything that's important to you. Add to it everything that you want to do in life. Now cut that list down to 4-5 things. Just the most important things in your life. This is your core list. This is what matters. Focus your life on these things. Make time for them.

花一个小时，把对你来说重要的事情都列出来。把你想做的事情都列上去。然后把里面的内容缩减到4到5项。只找出你生活中最重要的事情，这是你的核心清单。这是对你来说重要的内容。关注这些事情吧，为这些事情留些时间。

13. Exercise.

锻炼身体。

Get off the couch and go for a walk. Eventually try running. Or do some push ups and crunches¹². Or swim or bike or row. Or go for a hike. Whatever you do, get active, and you'll love it. And life will be more alive.

离开沙发去散散步。试着跑起来。或做一些俯卧撑和仰卧起坐，或游泳、骑车、划船。还可以去远足。无论你做什么，活动起来，你会喜欢上运动的。你的生活也会更加地富有生机。

14. Be positive.

保持积极的态度。

Learn to recognize the negative thoughts you have. These are the self-doubts, the criticisms of others, the complaints, the reasons you can't do something. Then stop yourself when you have these thoughts, and replace them with positive thoughts. Solutions. You can do this!

学会认识到自己内心中的负面思想。像自我怀疑、对他人挑剔、抱怨、不想做事情的理由，这些都是。当你发现自己有这样的想法时要阻止自己，用积极的思想代替。你能行的！

15. Open your heart.

敞开你的心扉。

Is your heart a closed bundle of scar tissue? Learn to open it, have it ready to receive love, to give love unconditionally¹³. If you have a problem with this, talk to someone about it. And practice makes perfect.

你的心中是不是满是伤痕？学着去放开，去准备接受爱、无条件地给予爱。如果你没法这样做，和别人聊一聊。熟能生巧。