Years ago, acritical event occurred in my life that would change it forever. I met Kurt Kampmeir of Success Motivation Incorporation for breakfast. While we were1 , Kurt asked me, " John, what is your 2for personal growth?"

     Never at a loss for words, I tried to find things in my life that might3 for growth. I told him about the many activities in which I was4 . And I went into a 5about how hard I worked and the gains I was making. I must have talked for ten minutes. Kurt  6patiently, but then he 7 smiled and said, “You don't have a personal plan for growth, do you?”

    “No, I8.

   “You know,” Kurt said simply, “growth is not a(n)9 process.”

     And that's when it10me. I wasn't doing anything11 to make myself better. And at that moment, I made the 12 : I will develop and follow a personal growth plan for my 13.

    That night, I talked to my wife about my 14 with Kurt and what I had learned. I15her the workbook and tapes Kurt was selling. We16 that Kurt wasn't just trying to make a sale. He was offering a 17 for us to change our lives and achieve our dreams.

     Several important things happened that day. First, we decided to18 the resources. But more importantly, we made a commitment to19 together as a couple. From that day on, we learned together, traveled together, and sacrificed together. It was a  20 decision. While too many couples grow apart, we were growing together.

    At the age of 60, my father was hit by a car when he walked to a nearby supermarket to buy vegetables. After 1 for two months in hospital, he finally woke up. His waking up 2all our family. 3, he didn't know any of us. Doctors said his brain was hurt so 4 that he had lost all his memory. And his mental age(心理年龄) was only five. We were sorry to hear about the bad news.

    Since I was his only child, it was my 5 to look after him. He forgot6 everything, but he did remember he liked sweets. I used the sweets as a way of 7 bad behaviors. I would gave him one sweet 8he didn't sit on the ground, a second for stopping painting on the wall, and another for not trying to put clothes on the dog.

Dad became the 9 child in town. He climbed up the tree to catch a bird and couldn't get down after it 10 away. He broke my window with a ball and 11 our telephone in water like washing clothes. When I told him he was doing 12 things, he would answer smilingly, "I like that!" My son, then aged five, and two eight-year-old daughters, welcomed their 13 playmate. He would happily make them real cigarettes, 14 his sweets with them, and carry them high in the apple tree to15 apples.

    It is eight years since the 16. Dad has accepted the fact that he is the 17 of his three playmates but not a brother. He has also accepted that they grow taller but his 18 stays the same. Though it is still 19 to take care of him, he brings us a lot of fun. In some way I think it is a(n) 20 thing to look after dad like looking after a child. How many people can have the chance to care for a child-like parent?

    A little boy invited his mother to attend his school's first teacher-parent meeting. To the little boy's 1, she said she would go. This would be the 2 time that his classmates and teacher3 his mother and he felt 4of her appearance. Although she was a beautiful woman, there was a severe scar（疤痕）that5 nearly the entire right side of her face. The boy never wanted to 6why or how she got the scar.

    At the meeting, the people were 7 by the kindness and natural beauty of his mother 8the scar, but the little boy was still embarrassed（尴尬）and9himself from everyone. He, however,  10 a conversation between his mother and his teacher.

    The teacher asked11 ,"How did you get the scar on your face?"

    The mother replied,"12my son was a baby, he was in a room that caught fire. Everyone was13 afraid to go in because the fire was 14, so I went in. As I was running toward his bed, I saw a piece of wood coming down and I placed myself over him trying to protect him. I was knocked15 but fortunately, a fireman came in and saved both of us." She16 the burned side of her face. "This scar will be17 , but to this day, I have never 18what I did."

    At this point, the little boy came out running toward his mother with tears in his eyes. He held her in his arms and felt a great19of the sacrifice（牺牲）that his mother had made for him. He held her hand20for the rest of the day.

    A little girl created the perfect Mother's Day gift. It was a drawing of a 1 on white paper with the words "For mom: love, love, love" decorated in hearts. She folded (折叠) her letter, 2 then she lost it.

    For most people, that would be the 3 of this story, but this story has a different result: James Carrell 4 the letter. He had just 5 his mother, wishing her a happy Mother's Day. After he got off the phone, Carrell saw the 6 on the ground outside of a hardware (五金器具) store in Manvel in Texas, United States. "I 7 it was a note" said Carrell. "I 8 it and saw the flower and hearts. It 9 moved me." Carrell thought the letter would 10 someone's day and maybe he could find the 11, so he posted it in the Talk of Alvin Facebook group. The message 12 a lot of people, especially one man.

    "I was sitting at my friend's house and saw a man 13," said Carrell.

    His Facebook comments (评论) included a message from Roberto Alvarado. He wrote, "I can't 14 you found my baby's letter." Carrell reached out to Alvarado to 15 the letter. It took a few days, but the men finally 16 on Thursday night, one day after Alvarado's daughter Natalie celebrated her seventh birthday.

    "17 the letter made it home," said Alvarado. "We are 18 for what James Carrell did."

    We often forget the power of 19 things, but for this family from Alvin, Carrell's small act left a(n) 20 impression (影响).

    No one is born a winner. People make themselves into winners by their own 1.

    I learned this lesson from a(n) 2 many years ago. I took the head 3job at a school in Baxley, Georgia. It was a small school with a weak football program.

    It was a tradition for the school's old team to play against the 4 team at the end of spring practice. The old team had no coach, and they didn't even practice to 5the game. Being the coach of the new team, I was excited because I knew we were going to win, but to my disappointment we were defeated. I couldn't 6 I had got into such a situation. Thinking hard about it, I came to 7 that my team might not be the number one team in Georgia, but they were 8me. I had to change my 9about their ability and potential.

    I started doing anything I could to help them build a little 10. Most important, I began to treat them like 11. That summer, when the other teams enjoyed their 12, we met every day and 13passing and kicking the football.

    Six months after suffering our 14on the spring practice field, we won our first game and our second, and continued to 15. Finally, we faced the number one team in the state. I felt that it would be a 16for us even if we lost the game. But that wasn't what happened. My boys beat the best team in Georgia, giving me one of the greatest 17of my life！

    From the experience I learnt a lot about how the attitude of the leader can 18 the members of a team. Instead of seeing my boys as losers, I pushed and19them. I helped them to see themselves 20, and they built themselves into winners.

    Winners are made, but born.

    "Meow, meow, meow," is what I heard as I walked through the alley(小巷；胡同). I approached the noise and noticed a tail sticking out from under a piece of wood. Under the wood was a 1 black and white cat. I picked him up and 2 he must be freezing to death. I 3 home with the cat held in my jacket.

    My new best friend, who soon became known as Little Bit, received his name because he was almost 4 when I held him in my hands. He stood about five inches tall. Little Bit's small size had a great advantage - he 5 perfectly in the pocket of my jacket, which made 6 him everywhere very easy. Any time I was home, he wouldn't leave my 7. He was always eager to play with me. When I fell asleep at night, he would always 8 up around my head to ensure that I was warm.

    Unfortunately, I grew up. My teenage life 9 my relationship with Little Bit. I lived at such a fast pace that I stopped 10 time for him. My free time was spent with my friends instead. I would come in the house on my phone and not 11 him at all. His meows became an annoyance to me, but it wasn't his 12 that he wanted his best friend back.

    Time had caused a 13 to Little Bit. His body began 14 down and by the time I realized something was wrong with him, he had already lost his balance. He lay there and looked at me, and 15 this day I still remember the 16 look in his bright green eyes. I took him to the vet (兽医), but there was nothing he could do. The last time I 17 him he wasn't the same tiny cat I had found ten years before. Little Bit filled my arms and he was put to sleep that day.

    Little Bit's 18 made me realize how much he meant to me. He was always there for me when I needed him. I 19 our last years together and I feel sorry for not always being there for him. I will always 20 the special memories we made.