今天我38岁了。

我已经活了将近四十个年头。住在像巴黎这样的城市里，有很多千年不坠的建筑，让你能体会到什么叫做“一眨眼的功夫”。但已经活了这么久仍然让我感到很神奇，我以为我的人生刚开始呢。

我通常不太重视过生日，但它也总是给我一个反思的机会。我想跟你们分享一些我的体会，就算是给初生之犊一些指引吧。

虽然他们在人生的道路上也会跟我一样频频跌跤，我希望这篇文章能为他们开启一盏明灯。
Chloe, Justin, Rain, Maia, Seth, 和 Noelle，这篇是写给你们的。长篇大论，先说声抱歉了。

38年来的38个体会

1. 别让自尊阻止你道歉。为了自尊而拒绝道歉绝对划不来 - 这对你们的关系有害无益。

2. 身外之物不仅没有用处，它们甚至有害。它们没法提升你生活的价值，却让你付出很大的代价。你不仅要花钱，还要花时间和路费去购买、然后要保养它们，还要担心受怕，给它们投保，维修等等。

3. 放慢脚步，别急。慢活的人生才有趣。

4. “目标”不是你想的那么重要。试试看一个星期漫无目的的做事，结果你会发现做了很多不错的事。而且不必管理目标，你就会抛开生活中的一些条条框框。没有目标你会更轻松一些，也更能自由的选择你原来没看到的做法。

5.  活在当下。我们对未来的种种忧虑和规划，以及对过去的回忆，都只是在脑中妨碍我们好好珍惜现在。抛开那些吧，专注于你此刻正在做的事情。这样一来，不管做什么心情都是平静的。

6. 当小孩要求你的关注，永远都要满足他们。全心全意的对待你的孩子，不要觉得他们打扰了你而感到厌烦，要感谢他们提醒了你多花点时间给你所爱的人。

7. 别欠债。包括信用卡的卡债、学生贷款、房屋贷款、个人借贷、和汽车贷款。我们觉得这些都有用处，但其实一点也不。它们产生的困扰超过带来的好处，它们会毁了生活，让我们付出远超过获得。不要花超过你赚的，先赚够了钱才去买。

8. 我不酷，但我不在乎。年轻时我浪费太多精力想要显酷。抛开这个想法会更棒，做自己就好。

9. 唯一真实的市场营销就是产品本身的精良。如果它很好，你的顾客就会替你宣传。其它的营销手段都是忽悠。

10. 如果你要说的话不能公诸于世，就不要用邮件或短信发出去。在这个数字时代，你不知道什么会被公开。

11. 人们是不能被激励的，你顶多只能用自身的行动来启发他们。那些以为可以用行为科学或管理技巧来激励别人的，都不曾好好的被这么激励过。

12. 如果你发现自己盲目从众，赶紧调头。他们也不知道自己要往哪里去。

13. 你会错过很多事物，但没关系。我们太在意要努力去做每件事，体验所有应该体验的，不错过任何重要的事情... 结果我们忘了其实我们无法做到每一件事。现实的条件注定了我们要错过绝大部分的事物。我们无法读完每一本好书，看完所有好电影，游览世上每个好城市，吃遍所有很棒的餐厅，认识每个优秀的人。但让我告诉你个秘密：如果我们不试图做到每一件事，生活会更棒。学着去享受生活中的每一片刻，你会发现人生变得无比美好。

14. 从错误中能学到最多。不要怕犯错，但尽量不要一再犯同样的错误。

15. 失败是成功之母。没有经历失败，我们就不知道如何成功。你应该尝试失败，而不是在恐惧之中尝试避免失败。

16. 休息远比你想象来得重要。大家都太努力工作，忘了要休息，结果逐渐讨厌工作。在健身房里你常会看到，来训练马拉松比赛的人把自己累垮了，因为他们不知道要如何让紧绷的肌肉和关节复原。那些过度认真的人，其实是不了解在劳累过后，休息一下能让他们更有威力。

17. 很少有什么快乐能比得上读一本好书，一次轻松的散步，一个热情的拥抱，或是有一个好朋友。而这些都不用花钱的。

18. 锻炼不是一蹴可几的。这是一个漫长的学习过程，日积月累的成果。我已经持续锻炼了五年，还有很多要做、要学习的。但我获得的成果令人惊艳，而且过程也很棒。

19.目的地只是旅程的一小部分。我们太在意目标和未来了，以至于错过了路上的美景。如果你眼里只有最后的目标，只有达到时你才会开心。然后你又要开始担心下一个目标了。

20. 好好的散个步可以解决很多问题。想要减肥瘦身？去散步。想要不花什么钱又过得好？去散步。想要消除压力，让脑筋清醒？去散步。想要静思，享受当下？去散步。生活或工作上有问题？去散个步吧，你就会头脑清晰起来。

21. 抛开你的期待。如果你对某个人、对某一次的体验、对一个假期、或者对一本书有所期待，你就给它加上了与现实脱节的前提。你为这个人或事套上一个幻想，然后努力让现实符合你的幻想，这经常会以失望告终。你应该做的是去体验现实的本质、品味现实的内涵、并且为之高兴。

22. 施比受更有福。施与时不要祈求回报，这样你的善行就更纯净美好。我们经常在付出时会期待同等的回报 -- 至少希望得到一点感激或表扬。试着抛开这些，单纯的付出就好。

23. 竞争很少能跟合作一样有用。我们的社会鼓励竞争 - 割i喉战、适者生存、等等等等。但是人类应该要合作来保持物种的延续，而且合作可以整合资源让每个人都有所贡献。团队合作需要另一套的技巧，但绝对值得去努力尝试。

24. 知足才会常乐。我们总是对生活不满意，想要更多，因为我们不了解自己拥有什么。与其总是看到你没有的，要对你已经获得的保持感激，包括你所爱的人、简单的快乐、健康的身体和良好的视力、音乐和书籍、你的个性美貌和创造力、以及它们之中的一切。每天都要心存感激。

25. 对其他生命的恻隐之心比自身的享乐来得重要。许多人太喜欢肉类和乳酪的滋味，于是对素食者嗤之以鼻，但这些人其实是把自己的口腹之欲摆在其它动物的苦难之前。吃奶蛋素（甚至全素）绝对可以保持身体健康，所以杀生或虐待动物是不必要的。比起无视于其它生命的苦难，拥有恻隐之心会让你活得更满足。

26.饮食习惯是可以改变的。我曾认为自己不可食无肉，但我慢慢的减少吃它，现在一点也不怀念肉味了。我也曾认为不能没有垃圾食物，譬如糖果、油炸的零嘴、玉米片、各种不健康的东西。但如今我宁可吃一些新鲜的浆果或天然的坚果。我们的饮食习惯能有这么大的改变很诡异，但也很神奇。

27. 要有创造力。世界上充满了各种吸引你注意的事物，但没有太多能跟创造力一样重要。身为一个作家，没有什么跟创造力一样有关键性了。创造力是给我生命带来意义的少数事物之一。当你要做事的时候，抛开其它的影响，好好的发挥创造力。

28. 要有愿景。通常我们担心或气愤都是因为我们失去了愿景。从大局看，现在碰到的问题根本不算什么，引起争执的事简直微不足道。抛开它，继续做该做的事吧。

29. 别老坐着，会坐出毛病的。起来动一动，跳跳舞，跑跑步，去玩一玩。

30. 善用复利的魔力。尽早投资，让它像炼金般的增值。节省点过日子，别寅吃卯粮，尽量储蓄然后投资在共同基金里，看着它们增值。

31. 学校教的，还有各种媒体（新闻、电影、书籍、杂志、互联网）传递的信息，都有一个要我们去迎合的世界观。弄明白这个世界观是什么，然后质疑它。想想看有没有其它选择，然后去验证它。给个提示：企业在信息资源中置入了各种影响力。再给个提示：去读一读乔姆斯基(Noam Chomsky)。

32. 学会换位思考。我们经常轻易的判断别人。应该站在他们的立场，试着去了解他们所做的事。首先假设如果能了解他们的遭遇，我们就会知道他们所做所为都有个好理由。如果你懂得换位思考，你的人生会变得更美好。

33. 做少一点事。多数人都想要做太多事了。他们的生活中充满了待办事项清单，然后像个机器人似地要一件件搞定。抛开清单，想想看哪些事真的重要。别像个机器，只要好好的做你喜欢的事，而且把它做好。

34. 做父母的都不知道自己在干嘛。我们都假装很懂，然后希望自己做得对。有些人纠结于细节，结果毫无乐趣。我只希望自己不要搞得太糟，让孩子们知道自己受宠爱，享受跟孩子们在一起的时光，让他们看到生活充满乐趣，而且不妨碍他们成长为一个优秀的人。他们本来就很优秀的。

35. 爱有很多种。我爱我的孩子们，毫无保留，而且超乎我的想象。对每个孩子我有不同的方式爱他，而且我知道他们每个都是完美的。

36. 生命非常的短暂。你可能以为还可以活好久，但时间过得比你想的快。小孩的成长快得好像在后面催着你，你的责任还没卸下来就已经满头华发了。好好享受生命中的每一刻吧。

37.恐惧会试图阻止你。疑虑也会试图阻止你。自我怀疑和恐惧会让你不敢去尝试做一些很棒的事、不敢从事新的探险、不敢创造新事物给全世界看。这种想法会根植在你的潜意识里，所以你根本不会察觉。小心这些恐惧和疑虑，用照妖镜照照它们，将它们千刀万剐，放心去做，因为它们都是不对的。

38. 我还有很多要学的。我现在唯一学到的，就是我几乎什么都不懂，而且我以为懂的通常都是错的。人生还有很多堂课要上，而我期盼着它们。

转自译言网

Today (April 30) I turn 38 years old.

I’ve been on this earth for nearly four decades. Being in a city like Paris, where there are buildings that measure their age by the millennia, helps put that brief blink of the eye into perspective. But still, it amazes me that I’ve been around that long — I feel like I’ve barely begun.

I’m not usually one to make a big deal about my birthday, but as always, it has given me an opportunity to reflect. I thought I’d share a handful of lessons I’ve learned — as a helpful guide for those just starting out.

This post is for my children, whom I miss greatly across the distance of a continent and an ocean. I hope this will shine a dim light on the streets they have to navigate ahead of them, though I know they’ll still stumble as much as I have.

This is for you, Chloe, Justin, Rain, Maia, Seth and Noelle. I apologize for the length.

1. Always swallow your pride to say you’re sorry. Being too proud to apologize is never worth it — your relationship suffers for no good benefit.

2. Possessions are worse than worthless — they’re harmful. They add no value to your life, and cost you everything. Not just the money required to buy them, but the time and money spent shopping for them, maintaining them, worrying about them, insuring them, fixing them, etc.

3. Slow down. Rushing is rarely worth it. Life is better enjoyed at a leisurely pace.

4. Goals aren’t as important as we think. Try working without them for a week. Turns out, you can do amazing things without goals. And you don’t have to manage them, cutting out on some of the bureaucracy of your life. You’re less stressed without goals, and you’re freer to choose paths you couldn’t have foreseen without them.

5. The moment is all there is. All our worries and plans about the future, all our replaying of things that happened in the past — it’s all in our heads, and it just distracts us from fully living right now. Let go of all that, and just focus on what you’re doing, right at this moment. In this way, any activity can be meditation.

6. When your child asks for your attention, always grant it. Give your child your full attention, and instead of being annoyed at the interruption, be grateful for the reminder to spend time with someone you love.

7. Don’t go into debt. That includes credit card debt, student debt, home debt, personal loans, auto loans. We think they’re necessary but they’re not, at all. They cause more headaches than they’re worth, they can ruin lives, and they cost us way more than we get. Spend less than you earn, go without until you have the money.

8. I’m not cool, and I’m cool with that. I wasted a lot of energy when I was younger worrying about being cool. It’s way more fun to forget about that, and just be yourself.

9. The only kind of marketing you need is an amazing product. If it’s good, people will spread the word for you. All other kind of marketing is disingenuous.

10. Never send an email or message that’s unfit for the eyes of the world. In this digital age, you never know what might slip into public view.

11. You can’t motivate people. The best you can hope for is to inspire them with your actions. People who think they can use behavioral “science” or management techniques have not spent enough time on the receiving end of either.

12. If you find yourself swimming with all the other fish, go the other way. They don’t know where they’re going either.

13. You will miss a ton, but that’s OK. We’re so caught up in trying to do everything, experience all the essential things, not miss out on anything important … that we forget the simple fact that we cannot experience everything. That physical reality dictates we’ll miss most things. We can’t read all the good books, watch all the good films, go to all the best cities in the world, try all the best restaurants, meet all the great people. But the secret is: life is better when we don’t try to do everything. Learn to enjoy the slice of life you experience, and life turns out to be wonderful.

14. Mistakes are the best way to learn. Don’t be afraid to make them. Try not to repeat the same ones too often.

15. Failures are the stepping stones to success. Without failure, we’ll never learn how to succeed. So try to fail, instead of trying to avoid failure through fear.

16. Rest is more important than you think. People work too hard, forget to rest, and then begin to hate their jobs. In fitness, you see it constantly: people training for a marathon getting burned out because they don’t know how to let their straining muscles and joints recover. People who try to do too much because they don’t know that rest is where their body gets stronger, after the stress.

17. There are few joys that equal a good book, a good walk, a good hug, or a good friend. All are free.

18. Fitness doesn’t happen overnight. It’s a long process, a learning process, something that happens in little bits over a long period. I’ve been getting fit for five years now, and I still have more to learn and do. But the progress I’ve made has been amazing, and it’s been a great journey.

19. The destination is just a tiny slice of the journey. We’re so worried about goals, about our future, that we miss all the great things along the way. If you’re fixated on the goal, on the end, you won’t enjoy it when you get there. You’ll be worried about the next goal, the next destination.

20. A good walk cures most problems. Want to lose weight and get fit? Walk. Want to enjoy life but spend less? Walk. Want to cure stress and clear your head? Walk. Want to meditate and live in the moment? Walk. Having trouble with a life or work problem? Walk, and your head gets clear.

21. Let go of expectations. When you have expectations of something — a person, an experience, a vacation, a job, a book — you put it in a predetermined box that has little to do with reality. You set up an idealized version of the thing (or person) and then try to fit the reality into this ideal, and are often disappointed. Instead, try to experience reality as it is, appreciate it for what it is, and be happy that it is.

22. Giving is so much better than getting. Give with no expectation of getting something in return, and it becomes a purer, more beautiful act. To often we give something and expect to get an equal measure in return — at least get some gratitude or recognition for our efforts. Try to let go of that need, and just give.

23. Competition is very rarely as useful as cooperation. Our society is geared toward competition — rip each other’s throats out, survival of the fittest, yada yada. But humans are meant to work together for the survival of the tribe, and cooperation pools our resources and allows everyone to contribute what they can. It requires a whole other set of people skills to work cooperatively, but it’s well worth the effort.

24. Gratitude is one of the best ways to find contentment. We are often discontent in our lives, desire more, because we don’t realize how much we have. Instead of focusing on what you don’t have, be grateful for the amazing gifts you’ve been given: of loved ones and simple pleasures, of health and sight and the gift of music and books, of nature and beauty and the ability to create, and everything in between. Be grateful every day.

25. Compassion for other living things is more important than pleasure. Many people scoff at vegetarianism because they love the taste of meat and cheese too much, but they are putting the pleasure of their taste buds ahead of the suffering of other living, feeling beings. You can be perfectly healthy on a vegetarian (even vegan) diet, so killing and torturing animals is absolutely unnecessary. Compassion is a much more fulfilling way to live than closing your eyes to suffering.

26. Taste buds change. I thought I could never give up meat, but by doing it slowly, I never missed it. I thought I could never give up junk food like sweets, fried crap, nachos, all kinds of unhealthy things … and yet today I would rather eat some fresh berries or raw nuts. Weird, but it’s amazing how much our taste buds can change.

27. Create. The world is full of distractions, but very few are as important as creating. In my job as a writer, there is nothing that comes close to being as crucial as creating. In my life, creating is one of the few things that has given me meaning. When it’s time to work, clear away all else and create.

28. Get some perspective. Usually when we’re worried or upset, it’s because we’ve lost perspective. In the larger picture, this one problem means almost nothing. This fight we’re having with someone else — it’s over something that matters naught. Let it go, and move on.

29. Don’t sit too much. It kills you. Move, dance, run, play.

30. Use the magic of compound interest. Invest early, and it will grow as if by alchemy. Live on little, don’t get into debt, save all you can, and invest it in mutual funds. Watch your money grow.

31. All we are taught in schools, and all we see in the media (news, films, books, magazines, Internet) has a worldview that we’re meant to conform to. Figure out what that worldview is, and question it. Ask if there are alternatives, and investigate. Hint: the corporations exert influence over all of our information sources. Another hint: read Chomsky.

32. Learn the art of empathy. Too often we judge people on too little information. We must try to understand what they do instead, put ourselves in their shoes, start with the assumption that what others do has a good reason if we understand what they’re going through. Life becomes much better if you learn this art.

33. Do less. Most people try to do too much. They fill life with checklists, and try to crank out tasks as if they were widget machines. Throw out the checklists and just figure out what’s important. Stop being a machine and focus on what you love. Do it lovingly.

34. No one knows what they’re doing as parents. We’re all faking it, and hoping we’re getting it right. Some people obsess about the details, and miss out on the fun. I just try not to mess them up too much, to show them they’re loved, to enjoy the moments I can with them, to show them life is fun, and stay out of the way of them becoming the amazing people they’re going to become. That they already are.

35. Love comes in many flavors. I love my children, completely and more than I can ever fully understand. I love them each in a different way, and know that each is perfect in his or her own way.

36. Life is exceedingly brief. You might feel like there’s a huge mass of time ahead of you, but it passes much faster than you think. Your kids grow up so fast you get whiplash. You get gray hairs before you’re done getting your bearings on life. Appreciate every damn moment.

37. Fear will try to stop you. Doubts will try to stop you. You’ll shy away from doing great things, from going on new adventures, from creating something new and putting it out in the world, because of self-doubt and fear. It will happen in the recesses of your mind, where you don’t even know it’s happening. Become aware of these doubts and fears. Shine some light on them. Beat them with a thousand tiny cuts. Do it anyway, because they are wrong.

38. I have a lot left to learn. If I’ve learned anything, it’s that I know almost nothing, and that I’m often wrong about what I think I know. Life has many lessons left to teach me, and I’m looking forward to them all.

中译文来自：http://article.yeeyan.org/view/188424/191528

• 标题：38 Life Lessons I’ve Learned in 38 Years
• 来源：http://zenhabits.net/38/
• 推荐者： ZenMindLei