First listen and then answer the questions.
1. When will we feel satisfied?
2. How to enjoy yourself when you are free?
One of the most pervasive and destructive mental tendencies I’ve seen is that of focusing on what we want instead of what we have. It doesn’t seem to make any difference how much we have; we just keep expanding our list of desires, which guarantees we will remain dissatisfied. The mind-set that says“I’ll be happy when this desire is fulfilled”is the same mind-set that will repeat itself once that desire is met.
We want this or that. If we don’t get what we want, we keep thinking about all that we don’t have and we remain dissatisfied. If we do get what we want, we simply recreate the same thinking in our new circumstances. So, despite getting what we want, we still remain unhappy. Happiness can’t be found when we are yearning for new desires.
Luckily, there is a way to be happy. It involves changing the emphasis of our thinking from what we want to what we have. Rather than wishing your spouse was different, try thinking about her wonderful qualities. Instead of complainingabout your salary, be grateful that you have a job. Rather than wishing you were able to take a vacation to Hawaii, think of how much fun you have had close to home. The list of possibilities is endless! Each time you notice yourself falling into the“I wish life were different”trap, back off and start over. Take a breath and remember all that you have to be grateful. When you focus not on what you want, but on what you have, you end up getting more of what you want anyway. If you focus on the good qualities of your spouse, she’ll be more loving. If you are grateful for your job rather than complaining about it, you’ll do a better job, be more productive, and probably end up getting a raise any-way. If you focus on ways to enjoy yourself around home rather than waiting to enjoy yourself in Hawaii, you’ll end up having more fun. If you ever do get to Hawaii, you’ll be in the habit of enjoying yourself. And, if by some chance you don’t, you’ll have a great life anyway.
Make a note to yourself to start thinking more about what you have than what you want. If you do, your life will start appearing much better than before. For perhaps the first time in your life, you’ll know what it means to feel satisfied.
專注於我們想得到的，而不是我們所擁有的，這是我見過的一種最具普遍性和破壞性的心理趨向。我們擁有多少，似乎並無太大區別，我們欲望的清單不斷擴充，使我們永遠不滿足。“當我實現了這個願望，就會快樂。”一旦這個欲望得到滿足，以後還會出現相同的欲求心理。
我們想要這個或那個。如果得不到，就會不斷地去想那些沒有的東西，總是感到不滿足。而如果得到了，在新的條件下，我們又產生同樣的心理。所以，盡管我們得到了，還是不開心。如果我們一味地渴求新的欲望，將無法找到幸福。
幸運的是，我們想要獲得幸福，有這樣一種方法：轉換我們思考的重心，從想要的轉移到擁有的。我們可以試著去想伴侶的可貴品質，而不去希求她該如何與現在不同；可以為自己擁有一份工作充滿感激，而不去抱怨薪水太低；可以設想閉門在家的種種樂趣，而不是渴望去夏威夷度假。可以這樣去考慮的事物無窮無盡！一旦你意識到自己又陷入這個思維陷阱：“我希望生活不是這樣”時，要退後一步，重新思考，深呼吸，想想你所擁有的。這樣，感激之情便會油然而生。當你關注的不再是自己想要的，而是所擁有的時，你最終得到的一定會比想要的更多；如果你關注伴侶的優秀品德，她就會更可愛；如果你對工作充滿感激，而不是抱怨，你會做得更好，工作效率更高，薪水也可能提高；如果你在家能自得其樂，而不是等著去夏威夷享受，你會找到更多的樂趣。假設你真的去了夏威夷，往往會更快樂，即使因為某種偶然沒能去成，仍然會過得開心。
記住，從現在開始，多想想你擁有的，而不是你想要的。如果你這樣做，你的生活就會比以前更美好，那種感受或許是你生命中的第一次，你將會懂得心滿意足的含義。
人生是否快樂，關鍵看你是否知足。俗話說欲壑難填，人的欲望是無止境的，一種欲望滿足了還會有更多的欲望滋生，若欲望太多太高，則永遠得不到滿足和快樂。在各種滿足不了的欲望麵前，我們需要換一個角度去理解。要始終保持一顆平常心，看淡他人升遷；要耐得住寂寞，抗得住平淡。
Learning for Better Understanding
Please fill in the blanks with the proper words accordingto the given sentences.
1. There is a ______ towards regional cooperation.
有一種地區性合作的趨勢。
2. You have my ______ that Ill finish the job on time.
我向你保證按時完成工作。
3. It’s the best result that could be expected under the ______.
這是在這種情況下可以期望的最好結果。
4. He ______ to me about the food.
他向我抱怨夥食不佳。 Chunks in Practice
Listen to the following passage twice and then fill in the blanks with appropriate words.
1. we just keep expanding our list of _______ , which guarantees we will remain dissatisfied. The mind-set that says“I’ll be happy when this desire is _______”is the same mind-set that will_______ itself once that desire is met.
2. If you focus on ways to enjoy yourself around home rather than _______ to enjoy yourself in Hawaii, you’ll _______ having more fun. If you ever do get to Hawaii, you’ll be in the habit of enjoying yourself.And, if by some chance you don’t, you’ll have a _______ life anyway.
3. When you’re faced with so many _______ and draining situations, realize how minuscule problems will seem when you _______ your life as a whole—and remember the positive things.
Now a Try
Listen to the passage again, and try to enjoy what you have had.