Trying new things is the only way we can discover hidden talents. I 1 my career as an editor for a magazine. I didn't really mind the work, but I wanted something more 2Then I was offered a management 3 of a digital reading company. The job was a seemingly 4 mix of my skills and interests, so I jumped at it.

    5, soon after I joined the company, its model changed to focus on K-12 education, and everything about my position changed. I was asked to take on the 6 different roles of selling content to teachers and training people. I felt more than a little 7 my comfort zone.

    I knew I wanted to grow as a(an)8 and make a serious effect on the company. I told myself that everything feels 9 at first and I should at least try.10 I felt like I didn't have a(an)11. I knew jumping out of the 12 was the right thing for me, even though it felt pretty awful.

    I was fortunate to be 13by very helpful people, both at work and at home. They kept 14 me. I spent hours researching my company's 15. I asked lots of questions and spoke to many people in need. I looked for opportunities to put in extra 16 .The more I did, the better I felt.

    Over time, I discovered that the job was17I could do and liked doing. It was an amazing 18 to see the company grow and know that my efforts contributed to 19success and that it's important to take risks and accept new 20. Actually, there's nothing worse than failing because you refuse to even try.

    It has always been my dream to attend college. When I was younger, I would watch TV shows with college students having lots of 1. It looked like a great experience — going to parties,2with friends and letting the good times 3. When I entered high school, however, I started learning the real 4 of college－to get a good education and a well-paid job. Therefore, with a passion for success in life, I expressed my5about attending university to my parents. They were 6 I'd chosen the path, but were disappointed because they couldn't 7the cost. Upset and stressed, I started looking for 8 to pay myself.

    My search for money began online. I went to every free scholarship search engine and spent up to five hours each day looking for scholarships I 9 for. It was hard, but I knew it would 10  when I'd found almost all the scholarships I could apply for, I 11 them by deadline, which gave me a way to prioritize my schedule. After  12 everything, it was time to fill out the applications. Despite the amounts, ranging from ＄100 to ＄40,000, I took each scholarship 13  because together they would fund my goal. With this in my mind, the hardest part began: writing the essays. To14 my writing, I asked friends, relatives and teachers to  15 over my work. Now I've won 16 scholarships and can attend college for free.

    The scholarship search truly made me a 17 person. I learned the importance of setting a(n)  18 and accomplishing it.19 I did have to read several rejection letters, those made me stronger. I'm thrilled I had the opportunity to learn more about my 20 to succeed no matter what difficulties got in my way.

    A lot happened to me while I lived on Thirteenth Street. I 1 school at Miss Marie Purkins' School for Little Folks kindergarten which I loved until I broke my leg one day 2  rope. And it wasn't3  a moving rope. One of the rope ends in the playground was tied to a tree, the other end to a swing set. The kids would  4  on one side and take turns running and jumping over it. All the other kids5 the rope.

    But I had no6I was a little short and fat anyway, and I was so slow that I was once the only kid at an Easter egg hunt who didn't get a7egg, not because I couldn't find them but because I couldn't get to them 8enough. On the day I tried to jump rope but I was wearing cowboy boots to school. Like a fool I didn't9the boots to jump. My heel 10  on the rope, so I turned, fell and hurt my leg. I lay in11on the ground for several minutes while Daddy12over from his company to get me.

    I had broken my leg above the knee, and13I was growing so fast, the doctor was 14to put me in a cast up to my hip.  15  he made a hole through my ankle, pushed a stainless steel bar through it. And then he 16 it to a stainless steel horseshoe, and 17 my leg up in the air over my hospital bed. For two months, I had been lying on my 18 feeling both foolish, waiting to return to my19 . I missed my playmates so much.

    After I got out of the hospital, my folks bought me a bicycle,20I never lost my fear of riding without the training wheels. No wonder people say, "Once bitten, twice shy."

    I used to hate running. It seemed too hard, and pushing outside my comfort zone was not what I was 1 to do. My husband Charles had been a serious competitive 2 for many years. After our marriage, he wouldn't 3 talking about how much he missed it. So he picked it up again, and after about a year, I started to 4 him at the track. Just a few weeks later, Charles 5 us both up for a five-kilometer race. I 6 about doing it. It was too soon.

But on race day, there I was. The gun 7. Thousands of runners pushed forward. The first kilometer was tough. "I don't think I'm gonna make it." I was already breathing 8 and painfully aware of the group of runners pounding past me. "No, you're doing great," said Charles. He was trying to encourage me, to get me focused on something else 9 my discomfort. "I can't," I said, barely audibly (听得见地). He tried a 10 way to persuade me. "Just make it to that house and let's see how you 11."

After another minute I saw the three-kilometer mark. All I could think of was that I was dying and that my husband made me 12. Miserable doesn't even begin to describe how I felt. "You'll be fine. You've got less than a kilometer to go." I rounded a corner, and saw both sides of the street 13 with people watching the race, all cheering the runners on. I willed my 14 to keep going. Then I looked up and saw the clock. The seconds ticking away gave me 15. I knew that if I 16finished this race I would achieve something. 17, I straightened up and kicked it. I had my arms held higher when I passed through the finish line. A volunteer18 a medal around my neck.

"You did great! I'm so proud of you!" Charles was 19 that I'd made it. "That was AMAZING! I want to do another race. This running stuff is amazing!" I proudly 20 my medal as we walked to the post-race festivities. My lungs and my comfort zone both expanded.

    When I was 7 months pregnant with my daughter, I witnessed a car accident. Someone and I1to get the elderly lady who2the accident out of the car. It was during the summer months and I was one of the few3staff on. I stayed with her4the ambulance came but I couldn't travel with her as there was no one else in my department to5the class.

    My mother-in-law,6years later, was collecting donations about a 10-minute walk from where the7occurred. She left calling cards saying she would be back to houses where no one was in. When she8to a house an elderly lady was really9of talking to her. She questioned my mother-in-law and asked if she had any10called Rose-Marie.

    The lady had made a11with my surname (姓) she had remembered from all those years ago and my mother-in-law' surname. The lady12the story to my mother-in-law and told her of my13. She also said she had tried to14me down and even put a notice in the petrol station nearby asking anyone who15me to get in touch with her! She had also been16about me as I was pregnant.

My mother-in-law was17to tell her my daughter was healthy and 10 years old. It is a really beautiful kindness to me to18remember me after all that time and to even remember my19. Her kindness touched me more than20could possibly touch her.

    When I was in school, I joined an undergraduate program to chat with specific patients and then discuss it with others. On one special visit, I1entered a darkened room to find an elderly man lying in the bed. When I moved a little closer to the bed, I realized that he was quite 2, but also very confused and anxious. He3wanted to communicate something to others. He seemed weak, and I couldn't tell if he was in 4, or just scared. He obviously didn't want me to leave.5 I felt so lost and uncomfortable that I had to leave the room after a couple of minutes.

    The next time I was at the hospital, I was asked to make follow-up visits with the same6of patients. I expected my time7 the confused man to be just as short as the last time if he was even still alive. As I arrived at the 8, his daughter was there chatting with him. He was sitting up in the bed and looked a bit better than before. I introduced myself to the daughter and explained to her that I had come by before.9 the patient, I then suggested that I was certain he didn't 10 me at all.

    To my surprise, he 11 me immediately. "I remember you. You were the 12 !" he said excitedly. I thought he must be 13 me for someone else, but he then accurately told me enough details of our first 14. I was so confused about that. During my first visit to this weak patient, I did absolutely15 to help this man but 16. Then he explained that my 17 last time gave him hope to live, I must 18 that a stranger in hospital whose name I even didn't know changed my attitude to the life with a single19, It makes me want to offer whatever kindness I can to others, and I try to recognize and 20 the kindness that others offer to me. Obviously, we couldn't know the impact our actions, or even just our presence, has on life.