There's no doubt that our character has a profound effect on ourfuture. What we must remember, however, is not merely how powerful character isin influencing our fate (命运), but how powerful we are in shaping our own character and, therefore, our own fate. Character may determine our fate, but character is not determined by fate.

    It's a common mistake to think of character as something that is fully formed and fixed very early in life. It calls to mind old proverbs like“A leopard can't change its spots” and “You can't teach an old dog new tricks.”

    This perspective that our character is “etched in stone” is supported by a great deal of modern psychology emphasizing self-acceptance. As Popeye says, “I am what I am.” The hidden message is: Don't expect me to bemore, better, or different.

    Ultimately, these views of humanity totally under value the lifelong potential for growth that comes with the power of reflection and choice.

    How depressing it would be to believe that we can't choose to be better, more honest, more respectful, more responsible, and more caring. Noneof us should give up the personal seeking to improve our character. Not because we're bad, we don't have to be sick to get better, but because we're not asgood as we could be.

    There are so many things in life we can't control, whether we're beautiful or smart, whether we had good parents or bad, whether we grew up with affirmation or negation. It's inspiring to remember that nothing but moral willpower is needed to make us better.

    No, it isn't easy. But if we make a great effort to become moreaware of the habits of heart and mind that drive our behavior, we can begin to place new emphasis on our higher values so that we become what we want our children to think we are.

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    Among the most popular forms of dieting is the South Beach diet, developed by Arthur Agatston of Miami, Florida. Dr. Agatston developed the South Beach diet for his patients with heart problems to lose weight. Since weight matters a lot in keeping heart healthy and traditional low-fat diets were too difficult for them to stick to, Dr. Agatston decided to create a plan that could help his patients. At first, the diet was just for his patients. Soon, thanks to his patients' success, the diet became the buzz in Miami, and eventually, word spread across the nation.

    This diet focuses on a healthy balance between carbohydrates（碳水化合物）and fats. It is based on eating a combination of “good” carbohydrates and fats, while limiting those “bad” ones. It is divided into three different phases.

    The first phase lasts for two weeks and is the strictest of the three. During this phase, you are asked to restrict（限制）all carbohydrates (good and bad). You are allowed to eat all types of fish, cheeses, eggs, and nuts, and a large number of vegetables. Most dieters can expect to lose between 8 and 12 pounds during this phase.

    During Phase 2, you are allowed to reintroduce some of those carbohydrates that are not allowed before. You are encouraged to start eating carbohydrates that have a low glycemic index（升糖指数）. But you should keep in mind that the key is moderation（适度）. Most people continue to lose 1-2 pounds per week. You continue with this phase until you reach your target weight.

    Phase 3 is designed to help you keep your weight. During Phase 3, you can reintroduce some of the carbohydrates that have a higher glycemic index, although again, this should be in moderation. Phase 3 is meant to be a way of life.

    He looked like a pirate.

    With his handkerchief tied in a knot behind his little nine-year-old head, he looked like a pirate, a sad pirate. The first time little David came to our camp, he was hairless and worn out from medical treatments. He was also very angry.

    Paul Newman's camp counselors (指导老师) were hoping to fill David's days with fun and laughter. But David stayed inside himself, wanting to be alone, or in a corner of the cabin. At this camp for children with life-threatening illnesses, we had seen some pretty tough children worn out by cancer recover full of energy despite their illness. But we saw little progress in David no matter what we tried with him. Five days into the eight-day session saw a quiet, sad little pirate.

    Then something happened on that fifth night. Something at camp that we would call "huge". It was cabin night. That's the time when campers and counselors spend time together in each individual cabin instead of an all-camp activity. Campers love cabin nights because there's always a bedtime snack. On the cabin table that night were bags of potato chips.

    David slowly walked over to the table, leaving his comer to join the rest of us. He took one of the bags of the potato chips and started smashing(弄碎) it with his little fists, as all the other campers looked on in disbelief, I wondered what the cabin counselor would do.

    The college-age volunteer counselor positioned a bag of chips on die table in front of himself, and he, too, started smashing it with his fist. The campers went crazy as everyone ran to the table to get in on the fun of smashing potato chips with their fists.

    Somehow everyone knew, everyone sensed, that anger within him was now being released.

    For the last couple days of the session, David was a different kid. He was a little nine-year-old boy again, trying to fill the hours of each remaining day at camp with as much fun as could be possible.

    Several days after the session, David came back again. This time, there wasn't anything he wouldn't try to fit in to his day. He sure was having a great time at camp. David asked me if I needed an altar(祭坛)boy when I celebrated Mass in the woods. Sure enough, he was my altar boy. I remembered how carefully he listened to me when I talked about death. I said it's only a doorway. You walk through the door and there's the Lord God and behind God a whole line of people waiting to hug you.

    After Mass, he said to me, "Hey Fatha, a door, huh?"

    A couple more days of fun passed and tonight was the talent show. The tradition is that campers and counselors dress up in costumes, and everyone gets a standing applause for singing and dancing or simply just acting like fools on stage.

    The show had begun: lights, camera, action.

    Unfortunately, the only action taking place in our row of seats was little David making his way from counselor to counselor to say an early good-bye to camp. He had become quite ill and had to go to the hospital because of this new crisis.

    When this little nine-year-old pirate stood in front of me, he gave me a hug and a big wet kiss on my cheek. I was crying. He was crying. A whole row of counselors was in tears. After the hug and kiss, he put his hands on my shoulders, and tears still in his eyes, said: "See you on the other side of the door, Fatha."

    Mobile technology has created new ways for all types of learning styles to help discover new information. If you want to teach yourself things, here are some apps that will help you.

    Coursera

    Perhaps one of the biggest advancements in the history of e﹣learning, Coursera has teamed up with top school like Duke, Stanford, and John Hopkins to bring you direct access to real college courses in psychology, computer science, business, and technology. Each course features pre﹣recorded videos, projects, and quizzes, just like you'd receive inside the classroom.

    Lumosity

    This app features three﹣day sessions that target many different areas of brain activity：memory, speed, problem solving, and thinking flexibility. Each day you can participate in a timed session to sharpen mental intelligence and keep track of your progress over time.

    Duolingo

    If you've ever wanted to learn a new language but didn't know where to start or couldn't afford expensive apps, you need to check out Duolingo. This app teaches more than a dozen languages by breaking up exercises into mini games. The developer of Duolingo claims that 34 hours of learning in this app equals a full term's worth of school.

    EarthViewer

    Ever wonder what Earth looked like a million years ago？There's no better way to know than to look for yourself. Earth Viewer takes you on a digital journey to see how the landscape（地貌） and face of the planet has developed over the past 4.5 billion years, and view climate changes, sea level adjustments, or the evolution of famous cities.

    Coming to the end of my assistantship in Barcelona, I start to think about what the future might hold.

    It's been seven months and a few days since I arrived here and things have changed so much in what some might call a short period of time. When I first arrived in Terrassa I was excited and nervous to start a new adventure in a country I love. The first few days seem so long ago now, trying to find a place to live, organizing my timetable with the schools, meeting new people.

    However, a fortnight later, the excitement started to fade and I began to spend more than a few nights thinking about family and friends back home, wondering if I should be there with them. Everything started to change after meeting some new friends and spending good time with them, eating together and seeing new places as a group. I suppose we should never forget how important it is to have good people in your life, because they can make a difference.

    Coming back to Terrassa after visiting home for Christmas felt like returning to a second home, to a place that was mine with people I cared about. Things got even busier and more people came into my life; new friends, romance and a whole lot of good food flowed by in what seems to have been weeks, not months.

    Now, looking forward, there are some decisions to make. Should I return home to Scotland and move on with life there or try to extend my time here, perhaps make it something permanent? Experiencing other cultures or learning about the world is such an important thing to do if you have the means.

    My advice from my experience so far is to travel and try new things whenever you get the opportunity. You may find somewhere you were always supposed to be.