Cleverness is a gift while kindness is achoice. Gifts are easy—they're given after all. Choices can be hard.

    I got the idea to start Amazon 16 yearsago. I came across the fact that the Internet usage was growing at 2,300percent per year. I'd never seen or heard of anything that grew that fast, andthe idea of building an online bookstore with millions of titles was veryexciting to me. I had just turned 30 years old, and I'd been married for ayear. I told my wife Mac kenzie that I wanted to quit my job and go to do thiscrazy thing that probably wouldn't work since most start-ups don't and I wasn'tsure what to expect. Mac kenzie told me I should go for it. As a young boy, I'd been a garage inventor. I'd always wanted to be an inventor, and she wanted meto follow my passion.

    I was working at a financial firm in NewYork City with a bunch of very smart people and I had a brilliant boss that Imuch admired. I went to my boss and told him I wanted to start a companyselling books on the Internet. He took me on a long walk in Central Park,listened carefully to me, and finally said, “That sounds like a really good idea,but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn't already have a goodjob.” That logic made some sense to me, and he convinced me to think about itfor 48 hours before making a final decision. Seen in that light, it was reallya difficult choice, but finally, I decided I had to give it a shot. I didn't think I'd regret trying and failing. And I suspected I would always behaunted (萦绕)by a decision to not try at all.

    After much consideration, I took theless safe path to follow my passion, and I'm proud of that choice. For all ofus, in the end, we are our choice.

The least-visited countries in the world

    It's every traveler's dream — a corner of the planet still undisturbed by tourists. And obviously, such places do exist. The United Nations World Tourism Organization lately reported the four least-visited countries globally.

    Liechtenstein (69,000)

    The sixth smallest country in the world is also one of the most undiscovered.

    Lying between Austria and Switzerland, Liechtenstein is an outdoor enthusiast's playground. It's the only country in the world to be totally in the Alps and a summer destination for hiking and cycling and snow-covered skiing perfection in winter, for those who can afford it.

    French Guiana (199,000)

    French Guiana is the least-visited country in South America, with some of the world's most diverse plant and animal life.

    While there is much to attract tourists to the area, not least its miles of jungle, the construction is in need of some attention.

    Montserrat (9,000)

    Once a popular holiday spot, this Lesser Antilles island has never quite recovered from a series of natural disasters. Hurricane Hugo in 1989 hit 90 per cent of the island and in 1995 the Soufriere Hills volcano erupted.

    These days, its volcano is now actually one of Montserra's main attractions, together with its beautiful beaches. Visitors can also go diving in its clear waters.

    Comoros (24,000)

    This collection of islands in the Indian Ocean near Madagascar serves as the perfect destination for those who want to get away from everyday city life.

Comoros offers beautiful volcanic scenery, fruitful forests, and remote sleepy towns. There are even some of the best undiscovered reefs(礁) just waiting to be explored by divers.

    You don't have to be a superhero to help the environment. Even small, simple actions can add up to big change. People around the world will celebrate Earth Day on April 22. But anyone – including kids – can work to help the earth at any time. TFK (Time for Kids) talked to a few kids about how they are protecting the planet. Let them inspire you!

    Mari, 10, lives in Flint, Michigan, where people have been without clean drinking water since 2014. That is when the water became polluted with lead（铅）. Children in Flint have suffered from health problems due to lead poisoning. Mari has worked hard to spread awareness of Flint's water crisis by organizing fundraisers and other events.

    At age 3, Ryan went with his dad to recycling center near his home, in Orange County, California. The next day, Ryan began collecting recyclables from neighbors. Soon, Ryan's Recycling Company was born. “Recycling keeps bottles and cans out of the ocean,” Ryan, now 8, told TFK, “so animals don't get sick from them and die.” So far, Ryan has helped customers recycle 320,000 bottles and cans. He has also donated nearly $6,000 to the Pacific Marine Mammal Center.

    Joris, 11, has always loved cheetahs. When he learned that the big cats might disappear in his lifetime, he set out to help protect them. Joris began raising money. So far, Joris has raised more than $14,000. The money goes to a wildlife sanctuary（避难所）in Namibia, a country in Africa. This helps prevent the animals from being killed. Jorin has spent three summers volunteering at the sanctuary.

    One of the United States' social problems is the breakdown of the two-parent family. Today, millions of American children grow up without fathers. Too often, these children lack the love and help they badly need and which they would ordinarily receive from not one but two parents. In the old days, American parents placed the needs of their children above their own. At present, however, nearly one half of all new marriages end in divorce(离婚), with often troubling results for their children. Worse, every year, thousands of teenage, unmarried Americans become mothers outside marriage. However, Chinese continue to value whole marriages. This is not to say that Chinese marriages are all perfect - they certainly are not, there are increasing more divorces in China - but the willingness of Chinese to set aside their own needs and stay together for the sake of the children is highly respected and worthy of study.

    Families are important to Americans. If one was to ask a group of Americans what is the dearest to them, the majority would say “family”. And yet, so many Americans spend much more time at work- that is, beyond the formal forty-hour work week - than they do with their own families. It seems to me that Chinese generally find a better balance between work and family needs than many Americans do. Average Chinese usually head home right after work，have meals together, and spend time with their family members. What's more, Chinese try to make more time for grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins than many Americans; in many cases, multigenerational families live together. Of course, like many facts of Chinese society, this is all changing; increasing numbers of “New Chinese” are working longer hours and spending less time with their families than ever before. Still, while Americans do value their loved ones, I think we have something to learn from the Chinese about finding the proper balance between work and family.

    On a freezing cold day, a couple had to move into a small apartment because of their failure in business. The husband worked day and night to support the family but gave no care of his wife. So she thought, "He doesn't love me any more. He just cares about his business ... not me"．

    One day, she was about to take a shower when he stopped her at the door, "Let me take it first, okay?" "Why not me first?" she asked. "I am tired, honey, you take it later, okay?" She was entirely unhappy.

    One day, she found nothing to do and turned on his computer. A few words came into her sight. Reading them, she burst into tears. It was his diary：

    Today, I was quite sad. She asked me why I was always taking the shower first, and I said to her, "I was exhausted." She was unhappy. In her mind, I treated her not as well as usual, but what could I do? I was not as rich as before! We moved to the small apartment, and there was only one shower in the bathroom. It was so cold to take a shower in such a cold winter. But I found that if one person took the shower first, the room could get a little warmer. So every day I rushed to the bathroom first. I was thinking that, when she took the shower, the room would get warmer, even if it was only 1℃.

    Now I cannot give her a comfortable life, take her to good restaurants, or buy expensive dresses for her, but at least, I can give her 1℃ love.

When Lamont Thomas, a retired restaurant employee, became an empty-nester, it was the end of a parenting story. A couple years ago, the divorced father of two became a hero when he took on a kid named Michael Perez in 2001.

"He was a good young man and I just hated to see him in the welfare system," Thomas said.

Thomas eventually adopted Perez, who now works as a nurse.

Perez was just the beginning. Over the next 15 years, Thomas raised more than 30 kids. He did so all as a single parent and with all of his heart.

"Every child that I have had, it was my goal to make a difference in their lives," he said.

When he retired from raising children to spend time fishing and traveling, that didn't last for long.

"It really was a shocker," Perez said. "I didn't expect for him to restart and to do it all over again. "

Thomas began to foster again when he found out that five brothers and sisters all under the age of 6 were going to be permanently broken up. To guarantee they stayed a family, he adopted all of them too.

"I had to help them. They deserved to be raised together," Thomas said.

After Thomas' story first aired, CBS News received a lot of surprising mail from women who expressed interest in the great man. Some notes weren't obvious, others were braver, "Ask Mr. Thomas if he would like a pen pal," wrote one woman, while another said, "I'll marry Lamont!"

But the kids see no room for romance, nor does Thomas.

"I was about to change my phone number," he said.

So he remains single. He spent Thanksgiving with family and is more grateful than ever.