I had just picked up my new car, a very beautiful automobile if you're into cars. A few months later, I was involved in an1. That new and very beautiful car was destroyed.

    It was clearly not my2. The other guy was so busy on his cell phone that he went right through a red light and knocked into the passenger side of my car. It was even 3because my niece was asleep on the back seat and her father, my brother, was in the front passenger seat. He was not4, to say the least.

    The police arrived and began taking statements. I 5that my speed had been up to about 55kmph. “So you were going about 50kmph…” he said.

    “No, I said I was doing about 55kmph,” I said.

    “Right, so you were doing about 50kmph…” again he6.

    In a slightly 7tone because I felt I wasn't being heard, I said: “No! I was doing about 55kmph!”

    “OK, if that's 8you want it,” this time the officer simply replied.

    I didn't9 it at the time, but I was shooting myself in the foot. My insurance company paid me for the damages to my car. 10, I totally missed the boat on the other driver's insurance company.

    The city speed limit is 50km. I11 getting 50 percent less than I would have from the other guy's insurance company because I had12 I was doing 55km.

    It suddenly 13me that the traffic policeman had been trying to help me out. He hadn't14 about the 5kmph; he had known15about the insurance that I had not.

    I thought about what had16over and over again. I might have carried on insisting that I told the17, but I could at least have said “Thank you” to him 18 acting so rudely. After all, he had been trying to help me out.

    Sometimes the 19 thing to do is to let other people talk while you simply shut up and listen. Never forget— to20, you have to be able to listen.

    For me personally, I could write for days about many different situations where adversity (逆境)1my life. Now let me tell you one experience where I almost let adversity2.

    We had a glass studio, which was located 50 feet from our home. A couple of years ago we experienced an 3winter; we had a lot of snow and ice. The4of the ice and snow5the roof on our studio, taking with it one of our sources of income.6it did fall down, we got on the roof and tried to 7the snow and ice, but when you have 5 feet of ice and temperatures of minus 20 Celsius, it was pretty8to do.

    We had a partner come in to help us try to9the roof by supporting. In the end, there was 10that could be done. The roof came down. We had moved a lot of our goods and tools from the studio11 we lost a lot also: glass, kilns, work benches, to name only a few of the items. It was a 12experience.

    Here we were in the middle of winter with our studio collapsed. We couldn't work as we had almost 13all the material in a building we were not using. We could have done one of two things: we could simply say that we can no longer 14 our glass business. Let me tell you that this was certainly a thought that15our mind. Or we could find a way to get our studio back up and running.

    We picked the16option. We had a large barn that we were not using. So we renovated (翻新) the barn17our working area and today we have a nicer studio than we 18 had. If the adversity we were19had not happened, we probably would20be working in the old studio—a studio that was less efficient.

    I believe that life's toughest lessons are best learned through personal experience. Throughout my childhood, my grandmother 1 me with unconditional love but always stressed, "You're not 2 than anyone else, but you're just as good as anyone. Treat others with 3, and you would earn respect 4.

    However, I never really 5 it until I was seventeen and got a summer job as a janitor. As I 6 floors and toilets, I watched people walk right by me and ignore my 7. This made me feel angry and wonder why they treated me so poorly.

    When I 8 to my grandmother, she offered me some words of 9 and reminded me never to forget the feeling of being "10" and to do the best job, because it was still my work, 11 which I should take pride. She added that it would make me a better man someday.

    Make me a better man someday? She must be 12, I thought to myself. But I needed the job to 13 college and there were few other jobs available, 14 I bit my tongue and kept on working as best as I could for the 15 of the summer.

    Today, when asked what job helped prepare me to gain the 16 of a key university, I tell people it was my summer job cleaning restrooms that 17 me as a man and, down the road, as an educator.

    As you can see, 18 can only be understood by walking in a lot of different shoes. So I suggest students 19 of their comfort zones and get deeply involved in different work and community experience. It's essential for people to find 20 in every person, no matter who they are or what they do for a living.

    One day when I was 15 years old, I had some friends over to hang out. While we were making food in the 1, my brother came in. He 2 his beef next to my thick one and said, "Courtney, your beef is bigger than mine. You don't need to eat; you're already fat enough." Then he walked out, laughing.

    3 comments on my physical appearance were nothing new. Something inside me 4 to his idea that my legs were unacceptable, and that became the last day that I ever willingly wore 5 until I was 30 years old. For the next 15 years, I spent summer after summer roasting in long pants.

    But then I 6 Ragen Chastain, and she changed everything. I couldn't believe that this woman who, like myself, almost 7 300 pounds was so 8 and happy in her own skin. I listened 9 she shared her own journey to recovery and self-love. She talked about how amazing our bodies are, just by 10 of the things they do every day-like 11, pumping blood to every ceil, blinking and walking..

    Walking! I was suddenly aware of how foolish I'd been for so long. There're people who are born 12 legs, or who lack properly working legs, or who 13 their legs, and I'd been 14 my perfectly strong, healthy, beautiful legs in 15 because I had allowed someone to 16 me that they weren't good enough. The next day, I bought three pairs of shorts and a sundress and spent the entire summer letting my legs see the sun and feel the 17.

    The next time anyone comments on your body in a 18 way, look them straight in the eye, smile and say, "If what you see 19 you so much, feel free to practice the ancient art of looking somewhere else." That's Ragen's original, but I don't think she'll mind 20 you use it.

    A young and successful executive was traveling down a street, going a bit too fast in his new car. He was1for kids rushing out from between parked cars and slowed down when he thought he saw something.

    2his car passed, a brick3the car's side door. He pressed hard the4and drove the car back to the5 from where the brick had been thrown.

    He jumped out of the car,6a kid and pushed him up7a parked car, shouting, "What was that all about and who are you? Just what the hell are you doing?"8more and more angry, he went on "That's a new car and that brick you threw is going to9a lot of money. Why did you do it?" "Please, mister, please, I'm sorry. I didn't know what else to do!" 10the youngster. "It's my brother," he said." He fell out of his wheelchair and I can't11him up". Sobbing, the boy asked the executive, "Would you please help me get him back into his wheelchair? He's hurt and he's too heavy for me."

    12beyond words, the driver tried to13the rapidly swelling lump(块)in his throat. He14the young man back into the wheelchair and took out his15and wiped the scrapes(擦伤)and cuts,16to see that everything was going to be okay.

    "Thank you, sir. And God bless you," the17child said to him. The man then watched the little boy18his brother to the sidewalk toward their home.

    It was along slow walk back to his car. He never did19the side door. He kept the dent(凹痕)to remind him not to go through life so fast that someone has to throw a brick at you to get your20.

    Today I went on an outing with my best friend. However, I1her in a very large mall for some four hours. I went2searching all over from one end to the other. Finally, I had to3to my pride and ask for help. I spoke with the kindest4! He promised me that everything would be5, and walked with me one more time all around the mall but6again. I thought it was so strange and wondered how a(n)7woman could lose her best friend in the mall.

    I drove home in8and thought of what a great trouble I had made. Nobody around could9me for such a mistake. I thought about how special my best friend is to me and those who know her.

    When I arrived home, I was10to find my best friend was just there: my Mother! My mother was fine. She11said, "I looked all over for you and for an hour of12, without any luck. Therefore, I13to take the bus home myself, I did not have my cell phone. Why are you crying? " Needless to say, I was so overjoyed to see my mother was in one14.

    Nothing in this world happens without a(n)15. What happened that day lets me realize how much my mother16to me. At the same time, the 17of the security guard, a complete stranger, also18me deeply. This19is a great reminder for me to show kindness to people I see daily. Never20the presence and friendship of them for granted, Value what we have today.