The healthy adolescent boy or girl likes to do the real things in life,to do the things that matter. He would rather be a plumber's mate and do a real job that requires doing than learn about hydrostatics(流体静力学)sitting at a desk, without understanding what practical use they are going to be. A girl would rather look after the baby than learn about child care. Logically we should learn about things before doing them and that is probably why the experts enforce this in our educational system.But it is not the natural way—nor, in my view, the best way. The adolescent wants to do things first for only then does the appreciate the problems involved and want to learn more about them.

    They do these things better in primitive life,for there at puberty(青春期) the boy joins his father in making canoes,patching huts,going out fishing or hunting.He is serving his apprenticeship in the actual accomplishments of life.It is not surprising that anthropologists(人类学家) find that the adolescents of primitive communities do not suffer from the same neurotic(神经质的) “difficulties” as those of civilized life.This is not,as some assume,because they are permitted more sexual freedom,but because they are given more natural outlets for their native interests and powers and are allowed to grow up freely into a full life of responsibility in the community.

    In the 19th century this was recognized in the apprenticeship system,which allowed the boy to go out with the master carpenter,or ploughman,to engage in the actual work of carpentry or roof-mending,and so to learn his trade.In some agricultural colleges at the present time young men have to do a year's work on a farm before their theoretical training at college.The great advantage of this system is that it lets the apprentice see the practical problems before he sets to work learning how to solve them,and he can therefore take a more intelligent interest in his theoretical work.

    Since more knowledge of more things is now required in order to cope with the adult world, the period of growing-up to independence takes much longer than it did in more primitive community,and the responsibility for such education,which formerly was in the hands of the parents,is now necessarily undertaken by experts at school. But that should not make us lose sight of the basic principle, namely the need and the desire of the adolescent to engage responsibly in the real pursuits of life and then to learn how—to learn through responsibility, not to learn before responsibility.

    Some people make you feel comfortable when they are around. You spend an hour with them and feel you are already close friends. They are always good talkers. Here are several skills that good talkers have in common. If you follow the skills, they'll help you put people at their ease, and make friends with them quickly. {#blank#}1{#/blank#}

    First of all, good talkers ask questions. Almost anyone, no matter how shy he is, will answer a question. One well-known businesswoman says，“At business lunches, I always ask people what they did that morning. {#blank#}2{#/blank#}” From there you can move on to other matters—sometimes to really personal questions. {#blank#}3{#/blank#}

    Second, once good talkers have asked questions, they listen to the answers. Your questions should have a point and help to tell what sort of person you are talking to. And to find out, you really have to listen carefully. Real listening at least means some things. If someone sticks to one topic, you can take it as a fact that he's really interested in it. Real listening also means not just listening to words, but to tones of voice. {#blank#}4{#/blank#}

    Finally, good talkers know well how to “say goodbye”. If you're saying goodbye, you may give him a firm handshake and say, “I've really enjoyed meeting you.” {#blank#}5{#/blank#} Let people know what you feel, and they may walk away, happy and satisfied.

A. It's polite to listen to others with a smile.

B. You'd better change the subject if the voice sounds dull.

C. Don't be afraid to say so if you want to see that person again.

D. Common as the question is, it will get things going.

E. You can become a popular person.

F. And how he answers will let you know how far you can go.

G. These people have something in common.

    According to the findings of a new study, telling kids they're smart enhances the idea that intelligence is a genetic gift rather than a skill that ran he improved, and children who think their intelligence is fixed are not likely to pay attention to mistakes and recover from them.

    In the study publisher! online, researchers looked at 123 children who were about 7. The team assessed the children to determine whether they had a “growth mindset（思维定式）”. They asked the children to complete a fast-paced computer task while their brain activities were recorded. During the recording, researchers noted that brain activity stopped within a half-second after making a mistake. The larger the brain response was, the more the child focused on the error.

    Based on the data they collected, the researchers concluded that children with a “growth mindset” were much more likely to have a larger brain response after making a mistake, and in turn were more likely to improve their performance by paying closer attention to the task after making an error.

    For parents, the lessons are clear: for starters, don't pay praises that suggest intelligence is fixed. If a child hands you an A test, don't say “You are smart!” Instead say “Wow, that study really paid off!”

    Second, focus on using errors to work together and learn. Many parents and teachers shy away from mentioning a child's mistakes, telling them “It's OK. You'll get it next time.” without giving them the opportunity to figure out what went wrong. Instead, it's better to tell the child that mistakes happen, and to pay attention and work to figure out where and how they made the mistake.

    A mother stared down at her son who was dying of terminal leukemia (白血病). Like any parent she wanted her son to grow up and realize all his dreams. She took her son's hand and asked, "Bopsy, did you ever think about what you wanted to be when you grew up?"

    "Mommy, I always wanted to be a fireman when I grew up."

    Mom smiled back and said, "Let's see if we can make your wish come true." Later that day she went to her local fire department in Phoenix, Arizona, where she met Fireman Bob. She explained her son's final wish and asked if it might be possible to give her six-year-old son a ride around the block on a fire engine. Fireman Bob said, "Look, we can do better than that. If you'll have your son ready at seven o'clock Wednesday morning, well make him an honorary fireman for the whole day, He can come down to the fire station; eat with us, go out on all the fire calls, the whole nine yards! And, if you'll give us his sizes, we'll get a real fire uniform made for him."

    Three days later Fireman Bob picked up Bopsy, dressed him in his fire uniform and escorted（护送）him from his hospital bed to the waiting hook and ladder truck. Bopsy got to sit up on the back of the truck and help steer it back to the fire station. He was in heaven.

    There were three fire calls in Phoenix that day and Bopsy got to go out on all three calls. He rode in the different fire engines and even the fire chief's car. Having his dream come true, with all the love and attention that was lavished（慷慨给予）upon him, Bopsy lived three months longer than any doctor thought possible.

    One night all of his vital signs began to drop and the head nurse began to call the family members to the hospital. Then she remembered the day Bopsy bad spent as a fireman, so she called the fire chief and asked if it would be possible to send a fireman in uniform to the hospital to be with Bopsy as he made his transition. The chief replied, "We can do better than that. We'll be there in five minutes. Will you please do me a favor? When you hear the sirens（警报器）screaming and see the lights flashing, will you announce over the PA system that it's just the fire department coming to see one of its finest members one more time? And will you open the window to his room? Thanks?"

    About five minutes later a hook and ladder truck arrived at the hospital, extended its ladder up to Bopsy's third floor open window and 14 firemen and two fire-women climbed up the ladder into Bopsy's room. With his mother's permission, they hugged him and held him and told him how much they loved him. With his dying breath, Bopsy looked up at the fire chief and said, "Chief, am I really a fireman now?"

    "Bopsy, you are," the chief said. With those words, Bopsy smiled and closed his eyes for the last time.

Welcome to Inspire 21

    Our aim is to provide "Inspiring words for the 21^st century". So, here we offer a unique collection of inspiring short stories, motivational short stories, and humorous short stories for you to read and share.

    If you do care to share, click the "SHARE" button in the bottom left corner of each page. And thanks for telling others about Inspire 21.

    The inspiring stories that are labeled (标记) "TRUE" are done so to the best of our knowledge, but we do not have full proof in some cases. However, all of these stories and messages are provided because of their uplifting content, whether true or not. Many books we've read and movies we've watched were totally untrue, but we enjoyed the inspiration they gave us—especially if they had a happy ending.

    So, please read and share these stories at your own discretion (判断力). Thank you for your understanding!

    Also, many of the inspiring stories used here are used with permission from the author. However, we cannot grand (授予) permission to reuse any of these inspirational stories, as the majority of them are not ours.

    Lastly, many inspiring stories (emailed to us or we came across online) are listed as "Author Unknown". If you happen to know the author's name, to whom credit should be given, please contact us with that information so we can keep our inspiring story collection accurate. Thank you again!

    Sam Allred suffers from a rare and incurable kidney (肾脏)disease. One day, when his sister was playing a song repeatedly, Sam sang along. His sister thought it was funny so she recorded it and posted the video online. The video—and Sam—became a hit. Only 8 years old at that time, he couldn't have expected the response.

    "(The television show) The Doctors called and wanted me on their show so they paid for me to go to California," says Sam, now 13,"and we got to stay in a hotel where all the movie stars stayed."

    During that visit to California, Angle Allred, Sam's mother, had an idea about Sam writing a children's book. Together, she and Sam wrote Opening Hearts, which tells Sam's experience of living with a chronic (慢性的) illness.

    "I wrote the book to teach people to be kinder to people," Sam says.

    Moreover, Sam wanted to send pillows to sick children staying in hospitals around the country to make their stay more comfortable, an idea that came from a time when he was in the hospital.

    "A few kind boys came in with pillows and they gave me one and it meant a lot to me that someone cared about kids in the hospital," says Sam.

    Angie thought of starting a nonprofit organization to provide a way for people to contribute money to realize Sam's ideas. She named the nonprofit organization Kindness for Kids.

    Since then, Sam has taken pillows to children staying at Providence Hospital in Anchorage.

    Sam's father, Scott Allred, owns a small business that contracts (承包) shipping services with FedEx Ground. He asked the company for help.

    "FedEx Ground learned about Sam's pillow project, "says Erin Truxal, manager of public relations for FedEx Ground. "We thought, 'What a perfect way for us to get involved.'"

    The company provided shipping services for Sam to ship about 5,000 pillows to hospitals.

    Sam wants to send more pillows to all of the children's hospitals in every state. His goal is simple: Kids in the hospital as happy as they were before they got sick.