10 Wise Lessons: What I Wish I Knew When I Was Younger

过来人的10句箴言：年轻的时候懂这些道理就好了

As I recently celebrated¹ another year of life and am entering a new phase of mid-life (whatever that is) I began to contemplate² the lessons that I would pass on to my younger self.

最近刚过完生日，人到中年，人生进入了一个新的阶段，我开始思索年轻时候的我学到的经验教训。

Whether you are young or young at heart, it is never too late to change — or incorporate some new (and better) practices into your daily life. Here are 10 wise lessons that I wish I knew when I was younger:

不管你是真的风华正茂，或是心态年轻，改变，或让自己的生活吸收一些新的更好的尝试，永远为时不晚。下面是我希望我在年轻的时候就懂得的10个道理：

1. Don’t worry about what other people think of you.

走自己的路，让别人去说吧。

I used to worry too much what others thought of me, of my decisions and of my actions. Eventually, I came to realize that if you’re wasting too much time seeking validation³, respect or approval from others, then you won’t have time to accomplish all that you desire. Everyone has an opinion, but in reality other’s opinions of you are based more on their history and perceptions than anything you’re actually doing.

我总是会太过担心别人对我的看法，他们会怎么看待我的决定和行为？我后来意识到，如果你把时间浪费在寻求别人的认可、尊重和支持，那你就根本无暇做你自己想做的事。人们都会有自己的看法，但实际上其他人对你的看法更多地基于他们自身的历史和认知，而并不是你实际在做的事情。

2. Today is what’s important.

活在当下。

Enjoy every moment of today, because you are not guaranteed a tomorrow. Don’t put off your dreams. Don’t wait to do, try, enjoy all of those “someday” items. If it’s important to you, then DO IT TODAY. Pay attention to what is happening now, to the people around you, to the task at hand and to all of the choices you make today, big and small.

享受今天的每分每秒，因为你无法保证明天就一定会到来。不要拖延自己的梦想，别等到“将来某一天”再去做，去尝试，去享受。如果真的很重要，那就只争朝夕今天就做！关注正在发生的事情，身边的人，手上的工作，关注今天做出的选择，无论大小。

3. Let it go.

学会放手。

What happened yesterday is over. Those unmet expectations, difficult situations, failures and conflicts are in the past. You can’t change it, so let it go. Don’t waste your energy dwelling⁴ on anger, resentment⁵ or disappointment. It only keeps you stuck in the past and holds you back from moving forward in your life.

昨日种种譬如昨日死，那些没有实现的期待，那些艰难困苦、失败和冲突都已成为过去，你无力改变，所以干脆放手。别把自己的精力浪费在纠结着生气、愤恨和失望这些负面情绪上，这些只会让你沉湎过去，让你停滞不前。

4. It’s called work for a reason.

付出总会有回报。

Success at anything takes work. When you hear about an overnight success story, don’t forget about all of the work that came before. You may have to do work you do not enjoy and trudge⁶ through the trenches⁷ of planning, building, refining, moving up, out, over and redefining before you get to the place where success clicks. Keep going.

任何成功都需要付出劳动。你所听到的那些一夜成名的故事，不要忘记背后付出的所有劳动和汗水。也许你得做无爱的工作，需要在计划、构建、修改、实施、再修改这一系列琐碎的过程中艰难前行，直到突然有一天成功破天而降。继续前进不要停。

5. Believe in yourself.

相信自己。

You are your own worst critic, and so can you be your own best supporter. If you do not have confidence in your own value, abilities and contribution, then nobody else will either. You must have faith in your intrinsic worth. We each have something to offer that is necessary and valuable, though we may not know what that something is.

你是自己最尖刻的批评家，也可以是自己最大的支持者。假如你对自己的价值、能力和贡献都没有信心，那么其他人更不会相信你。要对自己的内在价值有绝对的信念。我们每个人身上都会有一些有价值的东西可以给予，可能我们自己都不知道。

6. Don’t burn your bridges.

别自断后路。

You never know when a former boss, colleague, business partner or acquaintance may come in handy. Try to part on good terms, stay on good terms and never gossip about former connections. Be respectful and open to possibilities. Maintain and foster connections on all levels. Connect others and offer your help to those you know. A wide pool of friends, peers and connections of all kinds will provide a wealthy resource of ideas and support as you go forward in life.

前老板、前同事、以前的生意伙伴或是熟人，说不定哪天就派上用场了。好聚好散，和他们保持良好的关系，也别在背后嚼人家舌根。学会尊重别人，可能无处不在。保持和培养各级的关系网，和别人保持联络，对别人伸出援手。交友广阔，朋友、同事和其他各种关系人脉会为你未来的生活提供丰富创意资源和支持。

7. Money is not the most important thing.

金钱并不至上。

Money is important. We all have bills to pay, I understand that completely. But in the end, money is not the end goal. Satisfaction in a job well done, contributing to something worthwhile and finding something you enjoy doing are more motivating goals and certainly lend themselves to a happier and less stressful life. Money does not equate⁸ to happiness. Money is simply a currency that allows you to eat, dress and live. It is not a magic wand.

钱很重要，我们都有账单要付，我完全能理解。但最终你会发现，金钱并不是我们的终极目标。圆满完成工作的满足感，为一些有价值的事情做贡献，还有找到自己爱做的事，这些目标更加会让你有动力，也会为你带来更快乐轻松的生活。金钱不等于幸福。钱只是让我们吃穿生活的货币，它不是哈利波特的魔法杖。

8. Don’t be afraid to stand up and stand out.

勇敢地站起来，让自己脱颖而出。

Take a stand. Speak up. Stand out from the crowd. If something is important to you, then stand up for it…Never compromise your integrity. If it’s not right, say so. Be quirky, be different, be yourself. Don’t worry so much about conforming to society’s standards or whatever passes for the norm. While I do think it reasonable to be clean, respectful and considerate, I think we place too much emphasis on fitting in and being “appropriate。” This is not your grandmother’s world. Don’t be afraid to be yourself.

站起来，说出来，让自己从人群中脱颖而出。如果有样东西对你很重要，那就站起来去争取。不要放弃你的正直。如果你觉得不对，就说出来。特立独行，与众不同，做自己就好。别事事循规蹈矩，要遵循社会的标准和准则。衣着整洁、尊重有礼、体贴周到，这样就可以了，不用太多强调融入他人和举止得体。如今早不是祖母的旧黄历了，别害怕，勇敢做自己。

9. It’s not a race.

生活不是竞赛。

We have so much to do, so much to accomplish and it feels as though we have to be in a hurry to get there. It is likely that you will live upwards⁹ of 80 years. That is plenty of time to fit a whole host of wonderful endeavors into your life. You do not have to do it all at once. In fact, if you try to do it all at once you will, at best not have time to enjoy it and at worst burn out and damage your health and relationships. Slow down and take one thing at a time, one day at a time.

我们有很多事儿要做，有很多梦想要实现，所以我们时刻匆匆忙忙，赶来赶去。其实我们可能会活到80岁，所以有大量的充裕时间可以努力。别急着一次干完所有的事情。实际上如果你想要一次做好所有想做的事情，最好的结果是你没享受过程，最坏的结果是你消耗了健康，毁掉了感情。放慢脚步慢慢来，一次干一件事情，日子一天一天的过。

10. Look for the good in everything.

凡事往好的方面想。

Stay positive. Look for the good in people. Celebrate the happy moments, big and small. Give helpful encouragement rather than negative criticism. If you view the world around you and life’s challenges through the lens of goodness, then you will find life much more enjoyable.

要乐观向上，擅于发掘别人的优点，庆祝生活中的大大小小的快乐瞬间。多给别人暖心的鼓励，避免负面的批评。如果你用善意的视角看世界和面对生活的挑战，你会发现生活会更美好。

Life is serious — and sometimes awful — but you can still be upbeat and hopeful. Otherwise, what’s the point?

生活不是儿戏—有可能还还很糟糕—但你还是可以乐观向上充满希望，要不然，人生又有什么意义？