Now Is the Best Time to Be Happy
First listen and then answer the questions.
1. Why should we stop waiting?
2. What’s the best time to be happy according to the passage?
We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren’t old enough and we’ll be more content when they are grown up.
After that, we’re frustrated that we have teenagers to deal with. We will certainly be happy when they are out of that stage. We tell ourselves that our life will be complete when our spouse gets his or her act together, when we get a nicer car, and are able to go on a nice vacation. Or when we retire.
The truth is, there’s no better time to be happy than right now. If not now, when? Your life will always be filled with challenges. It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.
Happiness is the way. So, treasure every moment that you have and treasure it more because you shared it with someone special, special enough to spend your time with him, and remember that time waits for no one.
So, stop waiting.
There is no better time than right now to be happy.
Happiness is a journey, not a destination.
So, work like you don’t need money; love like you’ve never been hurt; and dance like no one’s watching.
我们安慰自己，生活会随着结婚，有了一两个孩子而更加美满。然而，孩子尚小时，他们会把我们弄得焦头烂额，只有当他们长大后，我们才能感到心满意足。
之后，我们又会对十几岁孩子的问题感到束手无策。只有当他们走过这一时期，我们才会真正幸福愉快。我们告诉自己，当爱人始终如一地给予我们支持，当我们获得了漂亮的汽车，能够进行一次愉快的旅行，或者当我们退休后，那时的生活才称得上完美。
事实上，没有比“现在”更令人幸福的时光。如果不是“现在”，又会是何时呢？最好接受“人生充满挑战”这一事实，并决定无论怎样都要让自己快乐。
幸福是一段旅程。因此，要珍爱你拥有的每刻，更要珍视那些与你分享时光的特别之人，谨记，岁月不待人。
所以，切勿等待。
人生中没有比现在更快乐的时光。
幸福是一段旅程，而非目的地。
因此，投入地去工作，让人觉得你并不需要钱财；倾心地去爱，让人觉得你不曾被伤害；旁若无人地尽情去舞蹈吧！
Learning for Better Understanding
Keywords and expressions
1. spouse
作名词：配偶
例：If you want to know whether your marriage will survive, look at your
spouse’s yearbook photos.
如果你想知道你的婚姻会不会持久，那么去看一看你的配偶每年拍的照片集。
2. Retire
作动词：退休
例：When workers retire, they can withdraw money from the plan.
当工人们退休了，他们可以从该计划中提取资金。
Practicing for Better Learning
Do the following statements agree with the information in the reading text?
Write
TRUE if the statement agrees with the information
FALSE if the statement contradicts the information
(1) The truth is, there’s no better time to be happy than right now.
(2) Your life will always be filled with challenges. You must admit this to yourself and decide to be happy anyway.
Chunks in Practice
Listen to the following passage twice and then fill in the blanks with
appropriate words.
1. Then we are frustrated that the kids aren’t old and we’ll be more content when they are .
2. Your life will always be filled with . It’s best to admit this to yourself and decide to be happy .
