在这里，我应该驻足观察一些奇怪的现象，有些人在画室或自家浴室从不唱歌，但在宗教集会或教堂里，他们会毫不犹豫地用那五音不全的嗓子放声高歌。我相信，要想回答这个问题，就得有一个完好的解释，但这属于神学的范畴，已经超出了我的研究范围。
“如果一件事值得去做，就应该好好去做”，这该死的说法就是导致个人生活极其匮乏的原因，从某种意义上讲，它也是公众生活水平降低的原因。这条谚语对资质平庸的人有两方面影响：它让资质平庸之辈不屑练习，而令资质超凡者为此付出很多，同时也将自己的思想强加给他人；它使人们疏于写作和写日记，同时也导致了本该锁在作者抽屉里的文集和日记的发表。
它导致了布兰克先生不去写诗——出于自娱自乐或与朋友的消遣，他可以写得很好的。同时，它也致使德茜小姐为了她那些并不成功的模仿之作（模仿德拉梅尔先生、叶芝先生和布里奇斯博士）而去纠缠各个杂志社疲惫的编辑们。结果是，现在，我们整个国家的艺术生活存在着两方面的迫切需求：更多的业余爱好者从事艺术实践，以及更高水平、更专业的艺术。只有达到这两个目标，我们才能获取心灵深处最美好的东西。
我认为，对我们来说，除去公民的职责，除去我们作为儿子、丈夫、父亲或者女儿、妻子、母亲的责任外，只有一件事情值得我们好好去做，值得我们全力以赴。这件事可以是写作、制造蒸汽机，也可以是砌砖块。除此之外，很多事我们都可以草草地去做，仅用我们一部分的精力，目的是为了放松自己或者触动自己的心灵。只有意识到这一点，人们才会幸福，才会满意，我们的家园才会更加美好。
我认为，有些事情草草去做可能比认真去做要好一些。比如钓鱼，其结果就是鱼儿被宰杀，一想到这些，钓鱼的乐趣就会荡然无存。当然，如果你既能钓到鱼又不去宰杀它，那就另当别论了。
生活不是理所当然
Not Being Grateful without Missing
佚名 / Anonymous
All of us have read thrilling stories in which the hero had only a limited and specified1 time to live. Sometimes it was as long as a year; sometimes as short as twenty-four hours, but always we were interested in discovering just how the doomed2 man chose to spend his last days or his last hours. I speak, of course, of free men who have a choice, not condemned3 criminals whose sphere of activities is strictly delimited.
Such stories set up thinking, wondering what we should do under similar circumstances. What associations should we crowd into those last hours as mortal beings? What happiness should we find in reviewing the past, what regrets?
Sometimes I have thought it would be an excellent rule to live each day as if we should die tomorrow. Such an attitude would emphasize sharply the values of life. We should live each day with a gentleness, a vigor4, and a keenness of appreciation which are often lost when time stretches before us in the constant panorama of more days and months and years to come. There are those, of course, who would adopt the epicurean motto of "Eat, drink, and be merry", most people would be chastened by the certainty of impending death.
Most of us take life for granted. We know that one day we must die, but usually we picture that day as far in the future, when we are in buoyant health, death is all but unimaginable. We seldom think of it. The days stretch out in an endless vista. So we go about our petty task, hardly aware of our listless attitude towards life.
The same lethargy, I am afraid, characterizes the use of our faculties and senses. Only the deaf appreciate hearing, only the blind realize the manifold blessings that lie in sight. Particularly does this observation apply to those who have lost sight and hearing in adult life. But those who have never suffered impairment of sight or hearing seldom make the fullest use of these blessed faculties. Their eyes and ears take in all sights and sound hazily, without concentration，and with little appreciation. It is the same old story of not being grateful without missing.
我们都读过一些令人兴奋激动的故事，故事的主人公只能再活一段很有限的时光。有时长达一年，有时却短至24小时。但是在探究这个将要离世的人选择怎样度过他最后岁月的问题上，我们都充满兴趣。当然，我说的是有选择权利的自由人而不是死刑犯。死刑犯的活动范围是受严格限制的。
这样的故事使我们思索，如果我们自己处在相似的情况下，应该做什么呢？临死之时，什么样的事情、体验和关系该被放入最后的时光中呢？回忆往昔，什么使我们快乐开心呢？什么又使我们悔恨抱憾呢？
有时，我常这样想，每天活得要像明天即将死去一样，这或许是一个非常好的规则。这样的态度可以鲜明地强调生命的价值。我们应该活得优雅从容、朝气蓬勃、观察锐敏，而这些将会日复一日，月复一月，年复一年地慢慢丢失。当然，也有一些人一生只是“吃、喝、享受”，然而，大多数人们在得知死亡的确存在时都会有所收敛。
我们大多数人认为生活是理所当然的。我们知道总有一天要面对死亡，但总认为那一天还在遥远的将来。当我们身强体健时，死亡好像是不可想象的，我们很少考虑它。日子多得好像没有尽头。因此，我们一味忙于琐事，却没有意识到这种对待生活的态度太盲目。
我担心同样的冷漠也存在于我们对自己所有官能和意识的使用上。只有聋子能够欣赏听力，只有肓人体会得到看见事物的乐趣。这种研究特别适合那些在成年时丧失了视力与听力的人。而那些从未体会过丧失视力和听力之苦的人们，很少能充分使用这些美好的官能。他们心不在焉，也不太感兴趣，用眼睛和耳朵模糊地看着和听着周围的一切。正如人们不知道珍惜自己拥有的，直到失去了才明白它的价值一样，人们只有在病的时候，才意识到健康的好处。
切勿等待
Now Is the Best Time to Be Happy
佚名 / Anonymous
We convince ourselves that life will be better after we get married, have a baby, then another. Then we are frustrated1 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 spouse2 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, treasure3 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 destination4.
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！
乐观哲学
On Happiness
佚名 / Anonymous
I have never been basically pessimistic1, although I have appeared so to some readers.
I have taken life so seriously as to be disposed to optimism2.
