Would you like to live an extraordinary life? A life beyond the normal, tame world where the vast majority of people dwell, a life where what seemed impossible before suddenly seems imminent?
Who wouldn't like to live that kind of life? The funny thing is, it's a lot more achievable than most people think... which is why they sit there and ignore it, not reaching out to take hold of something that is within their reach.
I have fallen into that trap myself, and in fact, am just now climbing out of it. I went into computers, and programming specifically, because it pays well and I have a talent in that area... but it's never been what I really wanted to do, what brings out the passion inside of me.
Most people are the same way... they settle for a job that they are good at, and hopefully pays well, or at least pays enough to get by. They have an average life, even if they seem successful by the world's standards (ie nice car, nice house, etc.).
Some people, on the other hand, lead extraordinary lives. It seems like they have a magical touch, churning out success after success, overflowing with energy, and apparently just blessed.
In reality, though, they are just ordinary people, who do something unusual... they hold on to their dreams, embrace their passions, and never give up hope.
I read a book while going through my recent plumbing problems about the importance of doing so, a book which reminded me to let my passions, which had been suppressed for so long that they were a shadow of a memory, out to breathe and grow stronger. I've felt a difference in myself already, with more mental peace and less feeling of being stuck in place.
The book was written by a man who has lived a life by those principles... he built a school in the inner city Pittsburgh that teaches gourmet cooking, advanced photography, ceramics, and other things you wouldn't expect to find in poor neighborhoods... and the school provides all of those things without charge.
That man is Bill Strickland, and the book he wrote, that I read, loved, and recommended to many people amongst friends and family, is called Making The Impossible Possible. It's all about living an extraordinary life by following your dreams and not letting go, by embracing and encouraging your passions, and by never, ever letting go of hope.
It doesn't matter what your dreams and passions are, or whether they are "respected"... it doesn't have to contribute to your outward signs of success, and you don't have to do it for a living. Your passion might be cooking, and you may simply whip up new recipes for your family and friends. It may be writing, and you may start a blog with only 32 people coming to it in the entire first month.
It doesn't matter how big or small you start off (or stay, for that matter). It doesn't matter if you are good or bad. The mere fact that you are, in fact, embracing your passions will make your life seem brighter, happier, and more fulfilling.
The funny thing about embracing your passions, though, is that even if you don't intend for it to happen, other, more worldly signs of success often follow. Your friend that you cook a new recipe for may rave about it to his friend, who happens to be in a position to recommend it to others, and the word may spread until you end up hiring others to make enough of whatever it is to keep up with demand. Or, in the case of the blog, you may end up 7 months later with 60,000 visitors in one month.
Tomorrow I'm going to write another article that is inspired by the same book... mentioned in passing was one of my beliefs about self improvement that differs considerably from what most people will tell you.
For those of you who are interested, this is the book:
译文:
激情，希翼和梦想--化不可能为可能
你想要一个与众不同的人生吗？一个超越平凡的人生，超越大千世界的芸芸众生，一个将不可能瞬间变为现实的人生？
谁不喜欢过这种人生呢？有趣的是，其实这是一件比大多数人想象得容易得多的事。。。这也就是为什么他们只是坐在那里，忽略它，不伸出手去抓住那些其实触手可及的梦想。
我也曾掉落过这个陷阱，其实我也是刚爬出来的。我从事过计算机工作，尤其是编程类的，因为薪酬还算优渥而且我也有这方面的天赋。。。但这个工作从来不是我真正想要的那种能激发我体内的激情的事业。
大多数人都是这样。。。他们选择了自己擅长的工作，希望报酬丰厚或者至少能过上好日子。他们过着平平的生活，即使他们符合这个世界评价成功的标准（比如有辆好车，一座好房子，等等。）。
另一方面，还有一些人他们引领着与众不同的人生。他们看起来如有神力，成就了一次又一次的成功，满溢出蓬勃的经历，显然是天之骄子。
然而实际上，他们也是普通人，只是做着不寻常的事。。。他们坚持自己的梦想，释放自己的激情，永不放弃希望。
最近我在研究有没有必要
我的铅管问题时读了一本书，这本书让我想起了压抑已久的激情，它曾是我的阴影，一旦呼出，愈演愈烈。我感到一个不一样的我，心智更平静，不再感到磕磕碰碰。
这本书的作者一生坚持这些原则。。。他在匹兹堡的市中心造了一所学校，教人烹饪美食、先进的摄影、制陶和其他一些你在贫穷的社区中找不到的课程。。。而这些课程全不收钱的。
这个男人叫比尔·史垂兰，他写的这本书我已经读过了，很喜欢，所以拿来推荐给周围的朋友和家庭成员，这本书叫做《化不可能为可能》。这本书是关于如何过一个与众不同的人生，要追随你的梦想，而不是擦身而过，拥抱激发你的激情，永不放弃希望。
其实你起步的高度如何并没有什么关系（或只是停驻，等待你的梦），你是否优秀也不打紧。事实就是你真正拥抱了激情，点亮了你的人生，你将更快乐，更有成就感。
一旦你激发了热情，有趣的便是就算你不刻意为之，成功的信号总如影随形于你。可能你给朋友一个新的处方，然后你的朋友告诉了他的朋友，碰巧那个人又向别人推荐了你的处方，于是这便传开了，直到最后你会想方设法来保证你所做的都符合最初的要求。或者，你的博客在7个月后，月访问量达到6000人。
明天我还要写一篇文章，也是因为受到这本书的启发。。。文章是关于我以前提过的我的信仰之一，自我进步于大多数告诉你该如何做是有很大区别的。
如果你感兴趣的话，这本书是：