After a decade at the publishing company, I was fired. I had worked so hard for so long. I was always doing my job 1 , clawing my way up the ladder. And 2 ? Doing these things had 3 me in the end, very little of lasting value. I wondered what would happen if I let it all go—didn't look for a job, didn't keep my 4 ambition.

    My husband thought it was a great idea. “Just 5 .” he said. As a serious windsurfer, he suggested I try the sport as a path to clarity. I had windsurfed before , but only in 6 water. I didn't like high winds. I didn't like going fast—that was 7. But I wanted to abandon the past. My 8 was to do nothing but read and windsurf every day. I wanted to feel the fear and do it anyway. I wanted to learn how to ride the currents, and I couldn't think of a better way than to 9 myself to the invisible, ever-shifting wind.

    I decided to sail at Swell City, a favorite outpost on the Washington side of the Columbia. That July 10 to be one of the windiest months on record. I grew to find that what I was doing did 11 for my standing in the world. It won me no friends.Then again, I was 12 .

    One day, a friend and her l5-year-old son came, and after I explained my 13 , he said the simplest but most profound thing: “It's all in the 14 . ” This kid had windsurfed only three times , 15 he knew the secret. “If you go out there knowing you're going to 16 it, you will, ”he continued. “But if you go out there afraid you'll get hurt , you will. ” I smiled at him. Wasn't that 17 the same problem I'd encountered in life? I'd always been terrified l wouldn't reach the goal or 18 the job. I knew I had to let that fear go. And slowly I did.

    The wind wanted nothing from me. It cared not at all about my ambition or accomplishments. It 19 me that the beauty of life is in the trying. And that's where I am: still trying for the turnaround in life and in the 20 .

    I used to be a very self-centered person, but in the past two years I have really changed. I have started to think about other people 1 I think about myself. I am happy that I am becoming a 2person:

    I think my 3started when I was at Palomar College. At first, I just wanted to get my 4, and be left alone. I thought I was smarter everyone else, so I hardly ever5to anyone in my classes. By the end of my first semester, I was really,6. It seemed as if everyone but me had made friends and was having fun. So tried a(n) 7. I started asking people around me how they were doing, and if they were having trouble I 8to help. That was really a big 9for me. By the end of the year, I had several new friends, and two of 10are still my best friends today.

    A bigger cause of my new 11, however, came when I took a part-time job at a Vista Nursing Home. One old lady there who had Alzheimer s disease became my 12. Every time I came into her room, she was so13because she thought I was her daughter. Her real daughter never 14her, so I took her place. She let me 15. That making others feel good make me feel good, too. When she died, I was16, but I was very grateful to her.

    I think I am a much 17, person today than I used to be, and I hope I will not 18these experiences. They have 19e to care about other people more than about myself. 20who I am today, and I could not say that a few years ago.

    Two old beggars (乞丐) were sitting on a busy street corner of a big city. They watched 1 as a lot of people walked by without looking at them. Sometimes, a kind-hearted woman or a small child would 2 a few coins in the hats in front of them.

    Today was not a 3 day for begging. The men were able to 4 enough for a big meal. As it was getting dark, they started to 5 their things.

    Just as they were getting ready to leave, they 6 a man walking toward them. He was a 7 man they could tell that from his fine clothes. The first beggar said to the second with 8 , “He's coming our way!” The man stopped, 9 into his pocket and took something out. What looked like a piece of hard 10 , wrapped (包裹) in white paper, hit each of their waiting hats. The rich man turned and 11 his way.

    “He could have easily left us a few 12 or a bill, but he laughed at us with a piece of rock candy,” said the first beggar. He looked at the offering 13 .“There's no way we can 14 this — we have no teeth.” With these words, he picked up the thing and threw it away. Then he collected his things and 15 .

    The second beggar wanted to do the same, 16 a second thought made him change his 17 .“I haven't had anything like this for ages,” he thought. “How 18 of that man to offer me something so sweet!” With that, he opened the white paper. To his 19 , there was no hard rock candy inside. 20 , a shiny white pearl (珍珠) worth thousands of dollars fell into his hand.

    A couple in ordinary clothes walked into the Harvard's outer office. "We want to see the president," the man said softly. "He will be busy all day," the secretary spoke 1, concluding that the couple had no 2 with Harvard from what they wore. "We'll 3," the lady replied.

    Four hours, the secretary 4 them, hoping that the couple would finally become 5 and go away. They didn't. And the secretary grew 6 and finally decided to disturb the president. Someone of his 7 obviously had no time to spend with nobodies, but he 8 people in such clothes filling in his outer office.

    The president, frozen-faced, walked 9 toward the couple. The lady told him, "We had a son that 10 Harvard for one year. He loved Harvard and was very happy here. But he was accidentally 11. And my husband and I would like to 12 a memorial (纪念物) to him somewhere on campus." The president wasn't 13; he was shocked, "Madam," he said 14. "We can't put up a statue for every person who studied in Harvard and died."

    "Oh, no." the lady 15 quickly, "In fact, we thought we would give a building to Harvard." The president 16 at the couple and then shouted, "A building! Do you know how much a building costs? The cost of the Harvard's buildings is over 7.5 million dollars."

    For a moment the lady was 17. The president was pleased. He could 18 them now. The lady turned to her husband and said quietly. "Is that all it costs to 19 a university?" Her husband nodded. Mr. and Mrs. Leland Stanford walked away, traveling to Palo Alto, California, where they established the university 20 after them—a memorial to a son.

    A terrible fever made Anne Sullivan nearly lose her eyesight in her childhood, and the doctors said she was a hopelessly mad girl. She had been1in the basement of a mental hospital (精神病医院) in Boston. Sometimes, little Annie2 hit anyone who came near to her. She ignored everyone who appeared in front of her most of the time.

    However, an old nurse 3 that little Annie had hope. She went to4little Annie every day. The child ignored her in most cases, but the old nurse5stopped seeing her every day in the basement. The6 lady left cookies for little Annie and spoke words full of encouragement to her. She believed that as long as she showed7, little Annie could get better.

    Finally, the doctors noticed the8in little Annie. They moved her upstairs and her condition continued9Then her last day there came, and the child who seemed to be "10" went out of the locked door of the mental hospital.

    After she grew up, Anne Sullivan hoped to11 others, just as the kind old nurse helped her. She became the12of Helen Keller. She13her, trained her strictly and worked with her14she lit the candle that brought15to the whole world. Anne Sullivan16a miracle (奇迹) in the life of Helen Keller. But first it was a kind nurse who had full17in little Annie that turned a(n)18 child into a great teacher.

    If there had been no Anne Sullivan, the name of Helen Keller would not be19But if there hadn't been a20who kept showing love, Anne Sullivan wouldn't be known to the world, either.

I suffered my brain injury from a car accident. I was rear-ended(追尾) twice 1 , which caused my head to hit the headrest each time I was hit. I had received news over time from my doctor, which was mentally and emotionally 2 for any 18-year-old to accept. I was 3 , and did not know what this meant for me and my future. Throughout the journey, I tried to 4 why I didn't feel like myself two years after the accident and recognized things I never had 5 with before, such as being unable to remember pretty much anything. My 6 had increased and I did go through days of depression. I wanted to be a 7 but I felt as though that dream would never be reached.

       Sitting in bed feeling 8 , I tried to focus on why I wanted to be a lawyer. I 9 myself that I was the only one holding myself back from making that 10 a reality. Thinking of this, I pulled myself together and have been fighting for my dream ever since. And I am 11 with my bachelor's degree in criminal justice and two pre-law certificates in 3 years at Florida International University.

12 I have to work ten times harder than I would have if I hadn't had this 13 , I wouldn't take it back. I am 14 now due to the things that have happened to me. Nothing is impossible, but it is how you take on a(an) 15 that will get you to where you want to be.