心灵鸡汤英文.docx

心灵鸡汤英文.docx

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心灵鸡汤英文

ThereAreNoVans

IrememberoneThanksgivingwhenourfamilyhadnomoneyandnofood,andsomeonecameknockingonourdoor.Amanwasstandingtherewithahugeboxoffood,agiantturkeyandevensomepanstocookitin.Icouldn'tbelieveit.Mydaddemanded,"Whoareyou?

Whereareyoufrom?

"

Thestrangerannounced,"I'mherebecauseafriendofyoursknowsyou'reinneedandthatyouwouldn'tacceptdirecthelp,soI'vebroughtthisforyou.HaveagreatThanksgiving."

Myfathersaid,"No,no,wecan'tacceptthis."Thestrangerreplied"Youdon'thaveachoice,"closedthedoorandleft.

Obviouslythatexperiencehadaprofoundimpactonmylife.IpromisedmyselfthatsomedayIwoulddowellenoughfinanciallysothatIcoulddothesamethingforotherpeople.BythetimeIwaseighteenIhadcreatedmyThanksgivingritual.Iliketodothingsspontaneously,soIwouldgooutshoppingandbuyenoughfoodforoneortwofamilies.ThenIwoulddresslikeadeliveryboy,gotothepoorestneighborhoodandjustknockonadoor.IalwaysincludedanotethatexplainedmyThanksgivingexperienceasakid.Thenoteconcluded,"AllthatIaskinreturnisthatyoutakegoodenoughcareofyourselfsothatsomedayyoucandothesamethingforsomeoneelse."IhavereceivedmorefromthisannualritualthanIhavefromanyamountofmoneyI'veeverearned.

SeveralyearsagoIwasinNewYorkCitywithmynewwifeduringThanksgiving.Shewassadbecausewewerenotwithourfamily.NormallyshewouldbehomedecoratingthehouseforChristmas,butwewerestuckhereinahotelroom.

Isaid,"Honey,look,whydon'twedecoratesomelivestodayinsteadofsomeoldtrees?

"WhenItoldherwhatIalwaysdoonThanksgiving,shegotexcited.Isaid,"Let'sgosomeplacewherewecanreallyappreciatewhoweare,whatwearecapableofandwhatwecanreallygive.Let'sgotoHarlem!

"Sheandseveralofmybusinesspartnerswhowerewithusweren'treallyenthusiasticabouttheidea.Iurgedthem:

"C'mon,let'sgotoHarlemandfeedsomepeopleinneed.Wewon'tbethepeoplewhoaregivingitbecausethatwouldbeinsulting.We'lljustbethedeliverypeople.We'llgobuyenoughfoodforsixorsevenfamiliesforthirtydays.We'vegotenough.Let'sjustgodoit!

That'swhatThanksgivingreallyis:

Givinggoodthanks,noteatingturkey.C'mon.Let'sgodoit!

"

BecauseIhadtodoaradiointerviewfirst,Iaskedmypartnerstogetusstartedbygettingavan.WhenIreturnedfromtheinterview,theysaid,"Wejustcan'tdoit.TherearenovansinallofNewYork.Therent-a-carplacesarealloutofvans.They'rejustnotavailable."

Isaid,"Look,thebottomlineisthatifwewantsomething,wecanmakeithappen!

Allwehavetodoistakeaction.ThereareplentyofvanshereinNewYorkCity.Wejustdon'thaveone.Let'sgogetone."

Theyinsisted,"We'vecalledeverywhere.Therearen'tany."

Isaid,"Lookdownatthestreet.Lookdownthere.Doyouseeallthosevans?

"Theysaid,"Yeah,weseethem."

"Let'sgogetone,"Isaid.FirstItriedwalkingoutinfrontofvansastheyweredrivingdownthestreet.IlearnedsomethingaboutNewYorkdriversthatday:

Theydon'tstop;theyspeedup.

Thenwetriedwaitingbythelight.We'dgooverandknockonthewindowandthedriverwouldrollitdown,lookingatuskindofleery,andI'dsay,"Hi.SincetodayisThanksgiving,we'dliketoknowifyouwouldbewillingtodriveustoHarlemsowecanfeedsomepeople."Everytimethedriverwouldlookawayquickly,furiouslyrollupthewindowandpullawaywithoutsayinganything.

Eventuallywegotbetteratasking.We'dknockonthewindow,they'drollitdownandwe'dsay,"TodayisThanksgiving.We'dliketohelpsomeunderprivilegedpeople,andwe'recuriousifyou'dbewillingtodriveustoanunderprivilegedareathatwehaveinmindhereinNewYorkCity."Thatseemedslightlymoreeffectivebutstilldidn'twork.Thenwestartedofferingpeople$100todriveus.Thatgotusevencloser,butwhenwetolthemtotakeustoHarlem,theysaidnoanddroveoff.

Wehadtalkedtoabouttwodozenpeoplewhoallsaidno.Mypartnerswerereadytogiveupontheproject,butIsaid,"It'sthelawofaverages:

Somebodyisgoingtosayyes."Sureenough,theperfectvandroveup.Itwasperfectbecauseitwasextrabigandwouldaccommodateallofus.Wewentup,knockedonthewindowandweaskedthedriver,"Couldyoutakeustoadisadvantagedarea?

We'llpayyouahundreddollars."

Thedriversaid,"Youdon'thavetopayme.I'dbehappytotakeyou.Infact,I'lltakeyoutosomeofthemostdifficultspotsinthewholecity."Thenhereachedoverontheseatandgrabbedhishat.Asheputiton,Inoticedthatitsaid,"SalvationArmy."Theman'snamewasCaptainJohnRondonandhewastheheadoftheSalvationArmyintheSouthBronx.

Weclimbedintothevaninabsoluteecstasy.Hesaid,"I'lltakeyouplacesyounevereventhoughtofgoing.Buttellmesomething.Whydoyoupeoplewanttodothis?

"ItoldhimmystoryandthatIwantedtoshowgratitudeforallthatIhadbygivingsomethingback.

CaptainRondontookusintopartsoftheSouthBronxthatmakeHarlemlooklikeBeverlyHills.Whenwearrived,wewentintoastorewhereweboughtalotoffoodandsomebaskets.Wepackedenoughforsevenfamiliesforthirtydays.Thenwewentouttostartfeedingpeople.Wewenttobuildingswheretherewerehalfadozenpeoplelivinginoneroom:

"squatters"withnoelectricityandnoheatinthedeadofwintersurroundedbyrats,cockroachesandthesmellofurine.Itwasbothanastonishingrealizationthatpeoplelivedthiswayandatrulyfulfillingexperiencetomakeevenasmalldifference.

Yousee,youcanmakeanythinghappenifyoucommittoitandtakeaction.Miracleslikethishappeneveryday-eveninacitywhere"therearenovans."

AnthonyRobbins

ThereAreNoVans.ReprintedbypermissionofAnthonyRobbins

TheBaggyYellowShirt

byPatriciaLorenz

Thebaggyyellowshirthadlongsleeves,fourextralargepocketstrimmedinblackthreadandsnapsupthefront.Notterriblyattractive,bututilitarianwithoutadoubt.IfounditinDecember1963duringmyfreshmanyearincollegewhenIwashomeonChristmasbreak.

PartofthefunofvacationathomewasthechancetogothroughMom'shoardofrummage,destinedforthelessfortunate.Sheregularlyscouredthehouseforclothes,beddingandhousewarestogiveaway,andthecollectionwasalwaysstoredinpaperbagsonthefloorofthefronthallcloset.

LookingthroughMom'scollectiononeday,Icameacrossthisoversizedyellowshirt,slightlyfadedfromyearsofwearbutstillindecentshape.

Justthethingtowearovermyclothesduringartclass!

"Isaidtomyself.

"You'renottakingthatoldthing,areyou?

"Momsaidwhenshesawmepackingit."IworethatwhenIwaspregnantwithyourbrotherin1954!

"

"It'sperfectforartclass,Mom.Thanks!

"Islippeditintomysuitcasebeforeshecouldobject.

Theyellowshirtbecameapartofmycollegewardrobe.Ilovedit.Allduringcollege,itstayedwithme,alwayscomfortabletothrowovermyclothesduringmessyprojects.TheunderarmseamshadtobereinforcedbeforeIgraduated,buttherewasplentyofwearinthatoldgarment.

AftergraduationImovedtoDenverandworetheshirtthedayImovedintomyapartment.ThenIworeitonSaturdaymorningswhenIcleaned.Thosefourlargepocketsonthefront-twobreastpocketsandtwoathiplevel-madeasuperplacetocarrydustcloths,waxandpolish.

Thenextyear,Imarried.WhenIbecamepregnant,Ifoundtheyellowshirttuckedinadrawerandworeitduringthosebig?

bellydays.ThoughImissedsharingmyfirstpregnancywithMomandDadandtherestofmyfamily,sincewewereinColoradoandtheywereinIllinois,thatshirthelpedremindmeoftheirwarmthandprotection.IsmiledandhuggedtheshirtwhenIrememberedthatMotherhadwornitwhenshewaspregnant.

By1969,aftermydaughter'sbirth,theshirtwasatleast1yearsold.ThatChristmas,Ipatchedoneelbow,washedandpressedtheshirt,wrappeditinholidaypaperandsentittoMom.Smiling,Ituckedanoteinoneofthepocketssaying:

"Ihopethisfits.I'msureitwilllookgreatonyou!

"WhenMomwrotetothankmeforher"real"gifts,shesaidtheyellowshirtwaslovely.Shenevermentioneditagain.

Thenextyear,myhusband,daughterandImovedfromDenvertoSt.LouisandwestoppedatMomandDad'shouseinRockFalls,Illinois,topickupsomefurniture.Dayslater,whenweuncratedthekitchentable,Inoticedsomethingyellowtapedtoitsbottom.Theshirt!

Andsothepatternwasset.

Onournextvisithome,IsecretlyplacedtheshirtbetweenthemattressandboxspringsofMomandDad'sbed.Idon'tknowhowlongittookhertofindit,butalmosttwoyearspassedbeforeIgotitback.

Bythenourfamilyhadgrown.

ThistimeMomgotevenwithme.Sheputitunderthebaseofourliving?

roomlamp,knowingthatasamotherofthreelittleones,housecleaningandmovinglampswouldnotbeeverydayevents...~.

WhenIfinallygottheshirt,Iworeitoftenwhilerefinishing"earlymarriage"furniturethatIfoundatrummagesales.Thewalnutstainsontheshirtsimplyaddedmorecharactertoallitshistory.

Unfortunately,ourliveswerefullofstains,too.

Mymarriagehadbeenfailingalmostfromthebeginning.Afteranumberofattemptsatmarriagecounseling,myhusbandandIdivorcedin1975.ThethreechildrenandIpreparedtomovebacktoIllinoistobeclosertotheemotionalsupportoffamilyandfriends.

AsIpacked,adeepdepressionovertookme.IrwonderedifIcouldmakeitonmyownwiththreesmallchildrentoraise.IwonderedifIwouldfindajob.AlthoughIhadn'treadtheBibl