摘要:成長需要時間。我仍然記得15歲時，在阿姨21歲生日派對上討論變老的可怕。

　　Growing up takes time. I remember at 15 talking to my aunt on the 15th anniversary of her 21st birthday about the stigma of aging. Later that evening, I asked my grandfather about the hula girl tattoo on his arm.

　　“That’s your grandma,” he proudly answered before stretching out the skin on his forearm and quipping, “and this is what she used to look like.”

　　成長需要時間。我仍然記得15歲時，在阿姨21歲生日派對上討論變老的可怕。那天晚上，我還問爺爺他手臂上紋著的跳草裙舞女孩是誰。

生日的時候應(yīng)該反思的十五個問題

　　“那是你奶奶。”他驕傲地答道，然后伸出小臂俏皮地說，“這是她年輕時的模樣。”

　　Don’t struggle through another year—shake off those birthday blues with these useful questions to unlock your mind.

　　不要勉強(qiáng)應(yīng)付著長一歲——反思下面這些生活問題，拋開生日憂郁，點亮自我心靈吧。

　　1. Where was I this time last year?

　　去年此時我是什么階段?

　　Forecasting is both the most and least important part of planning. To get an accurate picture of where you are, you need to check where you were last year at the same time. Are you still on the right path? If not, what threw you off course, and what can you do to get back up and moving in the right direction?

　　預(yù)測是計劃中最重要的部分，但也最容易被忽略。若想明確判斷自己處于怎樣的階段，就得回顧去年此時的狀態(tài)?，F(xiàn)在你還在正確的道路上嗎?若不是，那么是什么讓你偏離了方向?你又該怎么做才能回歸到正確方向上呢?

　　2. Am I who I want to be?

　　我是自己期望的樣子嗎?

　　When you were six years old, you had dreams of who you wanted to be. Are you that person? You may not be in the exact career, but are you the type of person you wished for? The happiest people live to please their inner child—that person you used to be before everyone taught you about “real” life.

　　當(dāng)你才6歲的時候，就夢想過自己成為怎樣的人?，F(xiàn)在你成為那樣的人了嗎?或許不盡其然，但你是否就是自己期望的類型呢?最快樂的人懂得取悅自己內(nèi)心的“小孩”——那是你未曾經(jīng)歷現(xiàn)實生活之前的純真自我。

　　3. Have I lost/gained weight since last year?

　　跟去年相比，我變瘦還是變胖了?

　　What does your body look like compared to last year? If you wanted to lose or gain weight, did you? Did you bulk up like you wanted, or are you the same or worse? There’s no better time than now to strengthen your resolve to get into shape.

　　跟去年相比，你現(xiàn)在的身材如何?如果你曾打算減肥或增胖，那么現(xiàn)在做到了嗎?你有沒有如愿長胖，或者沒啥兩樣，甚至更瘦了?趁著現(xiàn)在的大好時機(jī)，趕緊下定決心塑造身形吧。

　　4. Did I accomplish my goals for this year?

　　我實現(xiàn)今年的目標(biāo)了嗎?

　　It’s not just for the new year; everyone makes goals and resolutions throughout the year. Did you accomplish your goals for last year? What did you wish for when you blew out your candle? What did you do to make it happen?

　　不僅在新年，每個人一年到頭都會下定決心制定計劃。你有沒有實現(xiàn)去年的目標(biāo)?吹滅生日蠟燭的那一刻，你許過怎樣的愿望?為了實現(xiàn)愿望，你又做過什么呢?

　　5. Why do I have to age?

　　為什么我只能長大變老?

　　Much like pooping, everyone ages. I have no more of an answer than anyone else. Just enjoy the life you have and try to find your smile. It’s the only way to truly live.

　　跟排便一樣，誰都會變老。我也想不出高人一等的答案。所以，盡管享受當(dāng)下生活，努力保持微笑吧。這也是真實生活的唯一方式了。

　　6. Do I need to change any routines?

　　我是否需要改變?nèi)粘Ａ?xí)慣?

　　At certain ages, you become susceptible to different ailments, depending on your lifestyle, gender, social position, etc. If you need to quit smoking or get serious about a project, now’s the time.

　　到了一定年齡，根據(jù)性別、生活方式以及社會地位的不同，你會容易患上各種疾病。如果你需要戒煙或正兒八經(jīng)做好某個項目，那么現(xiàn)在就是最好時機(jī)。

　　7. What do I have to be grateful for?

　　哪些是我應(yīng)該心懷感恩的?

　　You have a roof over your head, shoes on your feet, and clothes on your back. If you’re breathing and awake, you have something to be grateful for. Show your gratitude to the world.

　　你頭上有屋瓦、腳上有鞋子、身上有衣服;如果你還有呼吸、神志清醒，那就該心懷感恩。感恩這個世界吧。

　　8. What good can I do next year?

　　明年我能做什么?

　　Now that you have a firm grasp on who you’ve been, it’s time to decide who you’re going to be. You may want to be an entrepreneur or an adventurer or just get promoted to management at your current job. Whether you want to have a child or be one, make plans, because time doesn’t stop for anyone.

　　現(xiàn)在你已經(jīng)明確知道自己一直以來是怎樣的人了，所以請想想以后要成為怎樣的人吧?；蛟S你想成為一名企業(yè)家、冒險家，又或許只想在現(xiàn)任工作中升職到管理層。不論你是打算生小孩還是自由自在，趕緊制定計劃吧，因為時間不等人啊。

　　9. Who have I let in my life?

　　我的生活圈里都有哪些人?

　　Look around at your friends and family—you’re stuck with some of these people, but others can be exchanged (or, at the very least, you can spend less time with them). Only allow people into your life who bring positive energy and influence. Politely phase the rest out at your leisure.

　　看看身邊的家人朋友——你每天都得面對這些人;但是，其他人是可以變動的，或者至少可以少花點時間和他們相處。只有能帶來正能量的人才可以進(jìn)入你的生活。有空請禮貌地屏蔽掉不相干的人吧。

　　10. What do I need?

　　我需要什么?

　　Start prioritizing your life. We all have so many goals that it’s impossible to keep up with them all. Taking stock of what you have and what you feel you need keeps you financially and mentally organized. You need a ball to keep your eye on it.

　　開始優(yōu)化你的生活吧。我們都有太多目標(biāo)，以至于無法全部實現(xiàn)。整理出自己已經(jīng)擁有的以及想要擁有的，然后你會在財務(wù)與心理上井然有序得多。你需要專注集中地做好事情。

　　11. How do I feel?

　　感覺如何?

　　How do you honestly feel about yourself? You can lie to whoever you choose, but be honest with yourself. If you’re unhappy with a situation, make the necessary changes to make it better. Sometimes this means quitting a job or packing up and moving. Even if you’re wrong, you’ll survive, and at least you’ll know for next time.

　　實打?qū)嵉?，你覺得自己如何?你可以對任何人撒謊，但對自己則絕對要坦誠。如果你不喜歡某個環(huán)境，那就采取必要改變來讓它變得更好。有時這意味著你得辭去一份工作或者打包走人。就算錯了也沒什么，至少下次你心里會有數(shù)。

　　12. What’s my motivation?

　　我的動力是什么?

　　Actors ask this all the time, and there’s a reason—you need to know what’s motivating you to get up every morning to keep living. Times will get hard, no matter what path you’re on, so figure out what drives you, and focus on that.

　　演員常常問這樣的問題。原因在于——你需要清楚是什么激勵你每天早晨起來繼續(xù)過日子。不論你選擇怎樣的道路，生活總會有艱難的時候，所以弄清自己的動力，然后全力以赴吧。

　　13. Am I aging gracefully?

　　我是優(yōu)雅地老去嗎?

　　Sometimes you have to maintain your youth, and sometimes you need to let go. How you decide to live is up to you, but make sure you’re at least doing it with grace and compassion. Nobody likes a Debbie or Donald Downer.

　　有時你不得不竭力保持年輕，有時卻應(yīng)懂得順其自然。怎樣生活取決于你自己，但至少應(yīng)懂得從容寬和地面對。沒有人喜歡陰郁喪氣的人。

　　14. Who are these people?

　　這些人是誰?

　　Do you have any heroes? If so, what were they doing at your age? One of my childhood heroes was Tupac Shakur, and at my age, he had been dead for six years. That’s a sobering thought that keeps me pushing toward greatness with humbleness.

　　你有崇拜的人嗎?若有，他們在你這個年紀(jì)在干什么呢?圖派克-夏庫爾是我小時候很崇拜的一個人，在我這個年紀(jì)，他已經(jīng)去世6年了。這一發(fā)人深省的想法一直激勵我謙虛努力著。

　　15. Was it worth it?

　　是否值得?

　　At the end of the day, was everything you’ve done worth it? Even if you lose, if you enjoyed or appreciated the experience of trying, then you’ve won. If you lost more than you wanted, it may be time to make a change in your life.

　　一天結(jié)束時，你是否做完了所有的事情?哪怕失敗，如果你能享受或珍惜嘗試的經(jīng)歷，那也是一種成功。如果慘敗得一塌糊涂，或許你該對自己的生活做出改變了。