Since today is my 30th birthday I thought it fitting to share 30 things I understand now that were complete mysteries to me just a few short years ago. These are simple lessons about life in general that I picked up while traveling, living in different cities, working for different companies (and myself), and meeting remarkable and unusual people everywhere in between.
走过人生第30个年头,多少会有一些感慨,而能在此和你们一同分享这30个人生真理,实在是再好不过了。我曾经也困惑过、彷徨过,然而,我渐渐在一些经历中悟出了些许真谛,有的是在旅行中的灵光一现,有的是生活在不同城市时的所见所闻,抑或是在不同公司工作时所习得的经验,当然啦,也包括和那些卓越不凡的伟大人物的结识,从他们的身上,我也学到了很多。现在,我就为大家献上我悟出的30条人生真理。

1. There comes a point in life when you get tired of chasing everyone and trying to fix everything, but it’s not giving up. It’s realizing you don’t need certain people and things and the drama they bring.
当你厌倦于追逐某个人或者试着去适应某些事物时,这并不代表着你在自暴自弃。只是你明白了,你就是你自己,而那些人、那些事以及他们所带来的东西并不是你想要的。

2. If a person wants to be a part of your life they will make an obvious effort to do so. Don’t bother reserving a space in your heart for people who do not make an effort to stay.
如果一个人想要成为你生命中的一部分,他们的努力,你会看得到。相反的,在你的世界里,你也不必苦心为那些不重视你的人留有一席之地。

3. If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down – which is not always as obvious and easy as it sounds.
如果你想飞,你必须放弃阻碍你腾空的东西。这听上去容易,但做起来却很难。

4. Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing.
即使做一件事情错了十次,也比什么都不做来得强。

5. Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success. You don’t fail by falling down. You fail by never getting back up. Sometimes you just have to forget how you feel, remember what you deserve, and keep pushing forward.
每一次的成功背后总是有着一连串的失败,而每一次的失败却使你离成功更近一步。摔倒了,并不意味着你失败了。真正的失败,是你摔倒之后再也没有站起来。有时候,忘记你的感受,记住你应得的,然后继续前进,这就是你该做的。

6. When you get to know people with different ethnic backgrounds, from different cities and countries, who live at various socioeconomic levels, you begin to realize that everyone basically wants the same things. They want validation, love, happiness, fulfillment and hopes for a better future. The way they pursue these desires is where things branch off, but the fundamentals are the same. You can relate to almost everyone everywhere if you look past the superficial facades that divide us.
当你认识了来自不同种族、不同城市、不同国家、不同社会阶层的人后,你会明白,人们最根本的需求都是一致的。那就是被肯定、爱或者被爱、获得幸福、得到满足以及对未来美好生活的向往。尽管他们追求的方式不同,但是本质是不变的。当你透过表象看到本质时,你会发现世界各地的人都是相通的。

7. The more things you own, the more your things own you. Less truly gives you more freedom.
拥有越多,限制越多。反之,你将获得更多自由。

8. While you’re busy looking for the perfect person, you’ll probably miss the imperfect person who could make you perfectly happy. This is as true for friendships as it is for intimate relationships. Finding a companion or a friend isn’t about trying to transform yourself into the perfect image of what you think they want. It’s about being exactly who you are and then finding someone who appreciates that.
当你在寻找最好的那个人时,你可能会错过那个不怎么完美却可以让你真正快乐的人。友情或者其它亲密的关系都是如此。寻找伴侣或是朋友,并不是要你变成你以为他们会喜欢的那类人。就做你自己,你会找到那个欣赏你的人。

9. Relationships must be chosen wisely. It’s better to be alone than to be in bad company. There’s no need to rush. If something is meant to be, it will happen – in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason.
请慎重选择你的人际关系,宁缺毋滥。没有必要操之过急,不是不来,只是时候未到。相信你一定会在对的时间遇上对的人。

10. Making a thousand friends is not a miracle. A miracle is making one friend who will stand by your side when thousands are against you.
有一千个朋友并不是什么了不起的事儿。真正了不起的是,有那么一个朋友,在其他人都背弃你的时候,始终站在你的身边支持你。

11. Someone will always be better looking. Someone will always be smarter. Someone will always be more charismatic. But they will never be you – with your exact ideas, knowledge and skills.
总会有人比你漂亮、比你聪明、比你有魅力。但是他们终究不是你,也同样不会拥有你独有的思想、知识和技能。

12. Making progress involves risk. Period. You can’t make it to second base with your foot on first.
前进的路上总会存在风险。这毋庸置疑。总不见得你脚还踩在一垒上就想着跑到二垒去吧。

13. Every morning you are faced with two choices: You can aimlessly stumble through the day not knowing what’s going to happen and simply react to events at a moment’s notice, or you can go through the day directing your own life and making your own decisions and destiny.
每天早上醒来你都有两个选择:一是碌碌无为、虚度光阴,等到事情迫在眉睫了才勉强去应对。而另一种选择是,把命运掌握在你自己的手里,你的人生你做主。

14. Everyone makes mistakes. If you can’t forgive others, don’t expect others to forgive you. To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you.
人无完人,是人都会犯错。你不去原谅别人的过错,凭什么奢望别人会原谅你?原谅,不仅仅是对他人的谅解,也是对自己的宽恕。

15. It’s okay to fall apart for a little while. You don’t always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well. You shouldn’t be concerned with what other people are thinking either – cry if you need to – it’s healthy to shed your tears. The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again.
休息是为了走得更远,偶尔崩溃一下也未尝不可。不要总是假装自己很坚强,无谓地去证明一切都很好。也不必太在意别人的看法,想哭就哭,谁说流泪对身体不好呢?但记住,哭完了,请你继续微笑着面对人生。