Most people say “yes” much more readily than “no”.

    A friend is moving house this weekend and would like some help, and you agree. But, what you really wanted was a couple of quiet days relaxing at home. Or a roommate spends the entire weekends playing video games and wants to borrow your homework for “reference”. But, you've just finished it after taking a whole day to work hard.

    Many people say “yes” to those kinds of requests. They tend not to consider their own interests and feelings, and are often angry with themselves afterwards.

    Saying “no” requires courage and considerable practice, in fact, according to psychologists.

    “Everyone wants to be liked,” says Gabriel Steinki, a German psychologist. “Saying ‘no' risk losing the affection of the person asking the favor or even a job.”

    The result is that many people say “yes” just for keeping the peace. But experts say this is regrettable. Anyone should have the right to say “no”.

    In fact, rejecting a request can even help to strengthen a relationship because it expresses a true feeling.

    But, for people used to agreeing to every request, changing can be a long and uncomfortable learning process.

    Most people believe that “If I say ‘no', I'll lose the affection of the person. But the affection is important to me.” This way of thinking can be replaced by this “If he only likes me because I always do what suits him, then the price of his affection is too high in the long term.”

    Steinki says the key is talking to the other person to find a mutual(相互的) solution. “One needs to present the situation from one's own point of view, and to suggest how the situation can be dealt with to the advantage of both parties. The other person must have the feeling that his interests are being considered.”

    When the refusal is not accepted, Steinki advises giving the reasons calmly again until the person gets the message.

    Successful People

    People can succeed in many aspects. Here are some successful people.

    Stephen Hawking

    Much more than the namesake of Into the Universe with Stephen Hawking, Stephen Hawking is one of the most well-known physicists in the world, and he was able to achieve that in spite of being diagnosed with ALS when he was 21. He can now only speak with the assistance of a computer and has been a full-time power chair-user since the 1980s. His disability, however, has never been an excuse to give up on his desire to study the universe, specifically the framework of general relativity and quantum mechanics. His best-selling book, A Brief History of Time, stayed on the Sunday Times bestsellers list for a surprising 237 weeks.

    Franklin Delano Roosevelt

    A beloved U. S president who helped guide the nation successfully through World War II, President Franklin Delano Roosevelt is considered a great president and the entire time he was in office, FDR was also a wheelchair-user. Upon starting his political career in excitement, he got illness while drinking water at a campground and became disabled from the waist down. Even though it wasn't made public until years later that he couldn't walk for fear of the public doubting his ability, FDR proved disability wasn't a roadblock to being a great leader.

    Marlee Matlin

    An Academy Award winning actress for her leading role in Children of a lesser God, Marlee Matlin is one of the most successful actresses who are deaf. She has been deaf since she was 18 months old. She also received a Golden Globe Award for her role in Children of a lesser God. Since receiving her Oscar, Marlee has been a character on many TV shows including The Word and Law & Order: SVU, and has appeared on reality shows such as The Apprentice and Dancing with the Stars.

    Steven Wonder

    One of the most beloved singers alive today, Stevie Wonder is a musician, singer and songwriter who was born blind. He was born six weeks early. The blood vessels at the back of his eyes had not yet reached the front and stopped their growth, therefore leading to his blindness.

    Considered a child talent, Stevie signed with his first record label at age 11, Motown's Tamla label, and he's been performing since. Over his wildly successful music career, Stevie has recorded more than 30 U. S. top ten hits, including his singles “Superstition” “Sir Duke” and “ I Just Called to Say I Love You”.

    Maybe you have ever seen a cross. A cross can be a piece of jewelry or an image in a painting. But do you know the cross is a very popular symbol for Christmas？

    It came from the story of Jesus' death on the cross two thousand years ago in Jerusalem. Jesus was Jewish，and at that time Jewish people were under Roman rule. Jesus was badly punished because he declared to be the Son of God and the King of Jews. Surely，the Son of God could have saved himself from the death！But the Bible says that Jesus had a reason to die that day. It was in God's purpose that it would happen.

    Christians call the day that Jesus died “Good Friday”. At first，it is hard to understand how a terrible day could ever be called good. Well，the story does not end there. Jesus died and he was buried. But three days later，Jesus was alive，and the whole world was changed.

    Today，Christians everywhere remember this important time. They celebrate Easter. Easter is the day that Jesus rose from the dead. After his death on the cross，Jesus' body was placed in a tomb. On the third day from then，God raised him from the dead. Jesus stayed on earth physically for several weeks. Many people saw him. Easter is the happiest time of year for Christians because they believe that Jesus had victory over death and evil and that now he lives with God the Father in heaven. But before celebrating Easter, Good Friday should be remembered. Jesus died a horrible and painful death. He suffered, though he did nothing wrong. Christian believe that Jesus was God's substitute(代表) for humans， because humans all do wrong. He died because of humans and he died for humans.

    Christians often wear crossed around their necks of hang them in their homes because they believe it is a very important sign. The cross helps them remember how much God loves them. It helps them remember how much his Son had to suffer. Seeing a cross always makes them think of Jesus' death， and what it means.

    Since his early childhood, G. A. Minton has always been a faithful fan of science fiction and horror. Whenever a scary movie was playing at the local theatre, he was there in attendance with his friends, loudly screaming in terror.

    In his everyday life, Minton likes playing the game of golf most, having lettered on his high school golf team. In addition to writing, he also enjoys reading, traveling, fishing, swimming, working out, listening to hard rock music, and watching great movies－especially those about horror, science fiction, mystery and comedy.

    Strangely enough, it was only after Minton was knocked down by a drunk driver and suffered a closed-head injury that he developed a new found passion for writing. After the car accident, he suffered from both memory loss and problems communicating with others, which frustrated him to no end. He had to go to see his doctor on a regular basis and for weeks he had to take medicine used by patients who are suffering from Alzheimer's disease. Luckily, his brain slowly began to mend itself.

    At the end of the healing process, something was very different. He noticed that he had developed a strong urge to write down a story that had formed in his mind. That's how his first novel Trisomy XXI was born. He penned（写作）it in only three months. He began with chapter one and wrote in a freestyle manner—almost in a stream of consciousness. The narrative flowed freely from his vivid imagination, creating a thrilling tale of terror that is formed from an ordered sequence of events.

    One could think that the damaged neurons（神经元）had rearranged themselves into a different pattern, and thus improving the creative elements in his brain. Besides, stranger things have happened! He has recently completed his second novel. Currently, his brain is busy at work, seriously processing the text for another -story of the terror-one that will both entertain and horrify its unsuspecting reader!

    John Winston Ono Lennon (9 October 1940-8 December 1980) was an English rock musician, singer, songwriter, artist and peace activist who gained worldwide fame as one of the founders of The Beatles. As a member of the group, Lennon was one of the leading singers and co-wrote most of the band's songs with bassist(低音歌手) Paul McCartney.

    In his singing career, Lennon wrote and recorded songs such as Give Peace a Chance and Imagine. Lennon showed his rebellious(反叛的) nature and cleverness on television, in films such as A Hard Day's Night, in his books such as In His Own Write, and in press conferences(新闻发布会) and interviews. He was controversial(有争议的) through his work as a peace activist, artist and author.

    Lennon had two sons: Julian Lennon, with his first wife Cynthia Lennon, and Sean Ono Lennon, with his second wife, avant-garde(前卫) artist Yoko Ono. After a retirement from 1976-1980, Lennon reemerged(再度出现) with a comeback album, but was killed one month later in New York City on 8 December 1980. In 2002, respondents to a BBC poll(投票) on the 100 Greatest Britons voted Lennon into the eighth place. In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Lennon number 38 on its list of "The Immortals(不朽的): The Fifty Greatest Artists of All Time" and ranked The Beatles number one.

    Many people believe Henry Ford invented the automobile (汽车). But Henry Ford did not start to build his first car until 1896. That was eleven years after two Germans developed the world's first automobile. Many people believe Henry Ford invented the production line that moved a car's parts to the worker, instead of making the worker move to the parts. That is not true, either. Many factory owners used methods of this kind before Ford. What Henry Ford did was to use other people's ideas and make them better. And he made the whole factory a moving production line.

    In the early days of the automobile, almost every car maker raced his cars. It was the best way of gaining public notice. Henry Ford decided to build a racing car. Ford's most famous race was his first one. It was also the last race in which he drove the car himself.

    The race was in 1901, at a field near Detroit. All of the most famous cars had entered, but only two were left: the Winton and Ford's. The Winton was famous for its speed. Most people thought the race was over before it began.

    The Winton took an early lead. But halfway through the race, it began to lose power. Ford started to gain. And near the end of the race, he took the lead. Ford won the race and defeated the Winton. His name appeared in newspapers and he became well-known all over the United States. Within weeks of the race, Henry Ford formed a new automobile company. In 1903, a doctor in Detroit bought the first car from the company. That sale was the beginning of Henry Ford's dream. Ford said: "I will build a motor car for the great mass of people. It will be large enough for the family, but small enough for one person to operate and care for. It will be built of the best materials. It will be built by the best men to be employed. And it will be built with the simplest plans that modern engineering can produce. It will be so low in price that no man making good money will be unable to own one."

    The Model T was a car of that kind. It only cost $850. It was a simple machine that drivers could depend on. Doctors bought the Model T. So did farmers, even criminals. They considered it the fastest and surest form of transportation. Americans loved the Model T. They wrote stories and songs about it. Thousands of Model T's were built in the first few years.