Years ago, I worked at the Ringling Brothers Barnum & Bailey Circus. One day, as I was passing the elephants, I suddenly stopped, 1by the fact that these huge creatures were being held by only a small rope tied to their front legs. It was 2that they could, at any time, break free, 3strangely enough, they didn't. I asked a trainer the 4for this.

    He said, “When they were very young, we used the 5 size rope, and it was enough to hold them. As they grow up, they believe the rope can 6 hold them, so they never try.”

    Like the elephants, how many of you believe you cannot do a thing, simply because you7 once before? Do you often tell 8 “I cannot dance” or “I'm not good at math”?

         These are 9 of self limiting beliefs. You must realize you're 10 for them. A limiting belief that says you're poor at math may have 11 as a reaction to the embarrassing experiences related to math, or the remarks made by someone important to you which12 you. The cool thing is that because you create the 13you can choose to change it! Here is how:

    First, 14 it with “I am good at math”. Once you change your 15 , your subconsciousness(潜意识) will make this 16 by driving you to act. That might be to take a math course or to go online 17 help, etc. Gradually you'll really see your math skills are 18 .

    This is such a simple process that you can 19 it today. Don't be like the poor elephants and make your life 20 in a place because of a limiting belief you developed years ago.

    A man worked in a post office. His job was to handle(处理) all 1 that had unclear addresses. One day he came across a letter which was 2to God. He opened it and it 3 ， “Dear God，I am an 83­year­old woman and I live on a very small pension(养老金).Yesterday someone stole my 4.There was a hundred dollars in it，which was all the money I had 5 until my next pension comes. Next Thursday is Thanksgiving Day，and I have invited my last two friends for 6.Without that money，I have 7 to buy food with. I have no family to 8 ， and you are my only 9.Can you please help me？” The man was 10 ， and went around showing the letter to all the other workers. Each of them 11 their wallets and donated a few dollars. By the time he 12 his showing，he had collected 96 dollars. 13then he sent it to the old woman. Thanksgiving Day came and went. The workers 14forgot about it. Then one day，there came another letter from the old lady to God.All the 15gathered around when the letter was16.It read，“Dear God，how can I ever thank you enough for what you did for me？Because of your kindness，I was able to 17 a lovely dinner for my friends. We had a very 18 day，and I told my friends about your19 gift. Thank you very much！” Seeing this，all the workers felt 20 with the nice thing they had done. They looked into each other's eyes and smiled.

    Imagine that you're a whale (鲸鱼), about 25 feet long and weighing thousands of pounds. You can 1 as fast as 35 miles per hour and may travel 100 miles in a day. The entire 2  is your home. Now picture yourself as the3 whale living alone in a small pool. You cannot dive 4  or swim great distances. There is nothing much to do 5  circle the small pool day after day.

    Now imagine you're an elephant living in a close family group. Members of the family 6 each other while travelling long distances to find the large quantities of food needed to7 the family. Now picture yourself8  in a trailer（拖车）or train moving from city to city. You're9 to perform tricks like standing on your head-things you'd 10 do in the wild.

    For many years, people watched whales and elephants 11  in circuses（马戏团）and marine（海洋的）parks. But now people are speaking up for the 12. They're saying that they deserve to live a more 13 life and not be used for entertainment. And people and some companies-are beginning to 14.

    In March 2015, Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey  15  that they would no longer use elephant acts in their circuses. And on May 1, 2016, the elephants performed their last 16  . One year later, SeaWorld Theme Parks announced that it would gradually 17 using shows featuring whales performing silly 18 .

    The announcements by Ringling Bros. and SeaWorld are first steps in putting an end to using wild animals for19 . These decisions were made as a result of many people speaking out loud and clear that  20 animals deserve to live free.

    As I sat motionless on the steps of the pool, watching everyone else swim back and forth, I realized that I had spent most of my life watching others enjoy themselves. It was then that I1a little girl staring at me with a look of confusion. I smiled at her, hoping to 2the ice by talking to her. Unfortunately, my3failed and she just kept on staring. My 4increased as a little boy swam up to me and said, “I feel sorry for you.”

    After the5a thought struck me, I had to change 6the world viewed me. Because it was children who stared at me the most, I decided to write a children's book that taught them about7in a fun way. This is when KatGirl, a super hero in a8who helps children that are being bullied, came into my mind.

    I quickly9inside my apartment and began creating the story. As I wrote each word, I could10my future as a world-renowned author and public speaker. My excitement11like wildfire. Over the next two years, the story12many changes before it saw the world in the spring of 2011. My perseverance 13paid off.

    One day I was invited to speak to the students at a neighboring school. I confidently wheeled into a classroom filled with students who14at me just like the little girl in the pool.” How do you feel when you see me?” I asked them. The kids bravely15“ I feel sorry for you.”

    I opened my book and started reading. Immediately I noticed the children's stares turned to 16“ How do you feel when you see me?” I asked again. Without 17they replied, “ You are so cool! Does your18fly too?” I just smiled, “No, not yet, but maybe some day.” I knew in my heart that this was19The past two years had proven to me that with 20anything is possible.

Hope in my arms

    Last year, I was invited to participate in a carnival（嘉年华） for Tuesday' s Child, an organization that helps children with AIDS.

    All the children that had 1 at one special room could paint a square on a piece of cloth. Later the squares would be sewn(缝) together to2 a quilt. The quilt would be presented to a man who had devoted his life to the   3 and would soon be retiring.

    The kids were given paints in bright colors and asked to paint something that would make the quilt beautiful. As I looked around at all the squares, I saw pink hearts, blue clouds, orange sunrises and red flowers. The pictures were all bright and 4. All except one.

    One boy was painting a heart, but it was dark and lifeless. It lacked the bright colors that his fellow artists had used. I asked why. He told me that he was very5 and so was his mom. He said that his sickness was not ever going to get better and 6 was his mom's. He looked7into my eyes and said, "There is no hope in my life."

    I told him I was sorry and I could understand why he had made his heart a dark color. I told him that8 we couldn't make him better, we can give 9, which can really help when you are feeling sad. I told him that if he would like, I would be happy to give him one so he could see what I meant. 10, he crawled(爬上) into my lap（大腿）. I thought my own heart would burst for this sweet little boy. He sat there for a long time. Finally he slipped 11to finish his coloring.

    As I was getting ready to12 home, I felt a tug (猛拽) on my jacket. Standing there was the little boy,13. He said, "My heart is changing14. It is getting brighter. I think those hugs really do 15." On my way home I felt my own heart. It too had changed to a brighter color.

    I had just arrived in this Asian country for a one-year teaching position. One day, I took the subway to visit some ancient palaces and temples in the downtown. The following account of what happened to me has taught me much about culture 1.

    Since all the 2 were taken, I stood. Suddenly, I felt someone pulling on my bag.3 I probably was in someone's way, I moved over slightly. 4 in one quick motion(动作), I felt my bag removed from my back, and in a flash it was5. I turned around to see who the thief was. I looked at the people standing behind me, but didn't see my bag or any 6.My heart sank and I began to7.

    I glanced around the car only to find directly across from me was an elderly lady, and sitting on her lap was my 8. I tried to get it back from her lap. But as I began to 9 it up, she quickly grabbed it back and held onto it. I looked around at the people standing beside me, and those sitting beside her, but no one took any 10 of the situation. Trying not to cause a(n)11, I tried to communicate through gestures. I used my hands as best as I could, but she 12 my requests for my bag and pointed to my back. She picked up my bag, showing how 13 it was. I finally began to understand. She was holding my bag to 14 me.

    As the subway 15 the main downtown station and I was getting ready to get off, the woman 16 handed me back my bag. But 17 I had a chance to thank her, she had disappeared into the crowd.

    Sadly, this 18 custom was more surprising to me than pleasing. Everyone back home had heard of being robbed—that was 19 city behavior—but having a stranger hold onto someone's bag out of 20, in a city of twelve million people—that was truly unusual.