One day, I drove into a service station to get some gas. It was a beautiful day and I was feeling1. As I paid for the gas, the attendant said, “How do you feel?” that seemed like a2question, but I felt fine and told him so. “You don't look 3.” he replied and continued to tell me my skin appeared 4.

    By the time I left, I was a little 5. About a block away, I 6 to the side of the road to look at my face 7the mirror. Was everything all right? Had I picked up 8rare disease? By the time I got home, I was beginning to feel a slight 9somewhere in my body.

    The next time I went into that gas station, I 10 what had happened: The place had recently been painted a bright, bilious yellow, and the light reflecting off the walls made everyone inside 11as though they were sick! That was the truth. 12, I let that short conversation change my attitude for an entire day. His 13 observation affected the way I felt and acted.

    This experience made me think a lot. It is the same with life, in which attitude 14. The way we look at life determines how we feel and how we 15. If we expect something to turn out16, it probably will. But 17 also works in reverse. If we expect good things to happen, they 18do. An optimistic attitude, I believe, is not a luxury but a(an)19. So after that, I chose to highlight the 20throughout the rest of my life.

A Good Man

    It's a late Saturday afternoon in early March, and I am sweating in search of the only gift my son wants from Los Angeles: a 1 to the homes of the stars such as Brad Pitt and Jet Li.

    A cheerful taxi driver says, “No problem. Map sellers are everywhere!” When the taxi stops, a fellow 2 with a thin folded sheet and says: “Ten dollars.”

    Ten dollars! With absolute 3I inform him, “That's too much.” The map man leaves. I begin walking, certain I'll find a (an)4 star map soon.

    I am 5. There's hardly anybody on the street. There don't seem to be many real stores, just cars and bars. No maps. No stars. Blocks pass. The sun begins to sink. At the edge of West Hollywood6fellow wanders ahead, selling star maps to some teenage girls.

    Ten dollars7. Forget it. My son will 8.

    That night, I call my wife. “Did you get one of those maps to the stars? He's been talking about 9else.”

    This10is hard to ignore. It's late. At all-night markets: no maps. I head back to the hotel. Morning is coming. There will be one last11. After I check out, I take a taxi. But at nine in the morning, map sellers are 12 to be found.

    “You know,” says the driver, “The guys with the maps just aren't up yet!” He's right.

    “Forget it. Let's go to the airport.”

    “Well,” says the driver, “I could 13 you one if you like.”

    Sure. Trust this guy? I might as well throw cash onto the freeway. But exiting the taxi, I14 my last chance. I hand him $13 and my business card. Three weeks pass. I've15 on the star map. My son has stopped mentioning it.

    Then one afternoon, sticking out from under piles of flyers, there it is: a big white envelope. There is a small note. I can hardly read it16 I make out a few phrases一“forgive17 “taxi's been down” and, finally, “here's map for your son.” There's no return address. It's signed, “kind regards, M.”

    I hold the note in my hand18 what my son said to me when I got back from Los Angeles.

    “Did you meet any 19 Dad?” he asked.

Now I know what to tell him.

    “Yes, I did. I met a guy named M.”

    If you never 20 anybody, you'll never find the good guys.

     My husband and I insisted that our children were old enough to clean their rooms and make their beds. But they thought 1. My complaints, even self-justified shouting, were always landing on 2 ears.  Very often a whole hour's scolding would end with their 3 into tears, I felt very frustrated (沮丧的).I realized I needed to 4 my method of "mothering".

     One day when they were at school, I spent some time 5 their rooms. On their desks, in plain 6, I left the cards: " Bill (the other card was 7 to Sarah), your room was messy this morning and I'm sure you like it clean. Love, the Room Fairy." 8 arriving back, the children were 9 excited to receive the little note from the Room Fairy. The next day, their rooms were fairly tidy. Sure enough, there was another note from the Room Fairy 10 for them, thanking them for their nice "gift" of a clean room and 11 asking them to play a certain violin 12. Each day, thank--you notes would be written differently to keep the ideas 13.

     Sometimes the Room Fairy would propose a little 14: "If you can finish your homework and 15 your lessons before dinner, I'd like to watch a particular television program with you tonight." Sometimes some colored markers or other little items would be left in 16 of well done jobs the day17.

     18 I can't remember how long "the Room Fairy" continued leaving her love notes. When they were age appropriate, we used various versions of Post-Its(贴条). The bathroom mirror became the 19 centre of our home. Appointments, notices about visiting relatives, lesson schedules, and changes in plans could be posted.

     We all benefited from and 20the idea of sharing reminders and daily details of life through notes. I believe the true advantage of the Room Fairy notes survives in our frequent and enjoyable communication.

    One day, a well-known speaker was invited to give a lecture to an audience of 200. He started his lecture by 1 a $ 20 bill. He looked around the room, and asked, "Who would like this $20 bill? "

    2 started going up.

    He said, "I am going to 3 this $20 to one of you, but first, let me do this." He crumpled up (揉皱) the 20-dollar bill. He then asked, "Who 4 wants it?" Still the hands were 5 in the air.

    "Well", he replied,"6 I do this?" And he dropped it on the 7and started to step on it with his shoes. He picked it up. Now it was crumpled and 8.

    "Now, who wants it?" Still the hands went into the air.

    "My friends, we have all learned a very 9 lesson. No matter what I did to the 10, you still want it because it doesn't decrease in 11. It is still worth $20, with 12 we can buy what we need.

    Many times in our lives, we are 13 and trampled underfoot by the decision we 14 and the circumstances that come our way. We feel 15 we were worthless. But no matter what has happened or what may happen to us, you will never 16 your value. Dirty or clean, you are still priceless to those who do love you. The worth of our lives is determined not by 17 we do or who we know, but by who we are. You are 18. Don't ever forget it."

    If you 19 this lesson in mind, it will help you to 20 again when you fall. Each time it makes you grow much stronger.

    Each of us fails from time to time. If we are wise, we accept these failures as a 1 part of the learning process. But all too often as parents and teachers we 2 this same right to our children. When I see a child 3 from this kind of pressure, I think of Donnie.

    Donnie was my youngest third-grader. His 4 of failure kept him from classroom games that other children enjoyed. He 5 answered questions — he was afraid he might be wrong. I tried my best to build his 6. But nothing changed until midterm, when Mary Anne, a student teacher, was assigned to our classroom. She was young and pretty, and she loved children. My pupils, Donnie included, all 7 her very much.

    One morning, we were working on math problems at the chalkboard. Donnie had 8 the problems with pains-taking tidiness. Pleased with his progress, I 9 the children with Mary Anne and went for art materials. When I returned, Donnie was in 10. He'd missed the third problem.

    My student teacher looked at me in despair.  Suddenly her face 11. From the desk we shared, she got a container filled with pencils.

    "Look, Donnie," she said, kneeling beside him and gently 12 the tear-stained (弄脏的) face from his arms. "I've got something to 13 you." She removed the pencils, one at a time, and placed them on his desk.

    "See these 14, Donnie," she continued. "They belong to Mrs. Lindstrom and me. See how the erasers are 15? That's because we make mistakes too. But we erase the mistakes and try again. That's what you 16 learn to do, too."

    She kissed him and stood up. "Here," she said, "I'll leave one of these pencils on 17 desk so you'll remember that everybody makes mistakes, 18 teachers." Donnie looked up with love in his eyes and a smile.

    The 19 became Donnie's prized possession. That, together with Mary Anne's frequent encouragement, gradually 20 him that it's all right to make mistakes — as long as you erase them and try again.

The Beauty of Creative Friendships

I recently walked through an incredible exhibition in Venice. It 1 about 75 art works that a Dutch-American artist created during the time he spent in Italy in 1959 and 1969. The pieces on show included his ink-on-paper drawings, some gestural drawings, landscapes and sculptures.

Born in 1904, de Kooning spent the majority of his artistic career as a (n) 2 but in 1969, while visiting Rome, he 3 an old friend, the sculptor Herzl Emanuel, who invited him to his studio and 4 him to try working with 5 .

At age 65, de Kooning 6 his first sculptural works, 13 small clay items. It was the 7 of a new artistic era for him and, over the next 15 years, sculpture became a (n) 8 and inseparable part of his career.

Later, after I left the exhibition, I was 9 by how beautiful it was that de Kooning began making sculpture because of the initial 10 and encouragement of his 11 . It got me thinking about the often unacknowledged role that some friendships play in the creative process of 12 across all types.

We often think about those friendships that journey deeply with us in our private lives, 13 us through emotional ups and downs. But friendships that develop our professional selves are also 14 .In offering courage, insight and clarity on the work that we produce, these friendships 15 the overall quality of our lives.