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.

    When I was 12, I really liked snowmobiles. My brother Cody and I 1 together all the time. One 2 day, my cousin, Brittany, was here, and we decided to ride our really old, yet fun snowmobile. My mom was 3 about it at first but thought that we were4careful. So we went out just as usual and my brother carefully checked everything we 5before we rode. We got on: my brother in front,6 then my cousin Brittany and I in the 7 We were riding around in the back of the woods on the edge (边缘) of the field. Our faces were 8and became red,9we didn't care .We were having tons of 10! We had gone around the woods three times when we were coming to the edge that 11 the gravel road (碎石路). There was a driveway there and then a field across the road.

    I 12 my cousin shouting, “Faster! Faster! Cody! Go faster!” As she was shouting. I was 13 the gravel road in front of us. It was coming closer and closer but we still moved with a 14 speed. Just then. I knew something was 15 I looked up at my brother and could feel he was 16 starting to worry. We went through the driveway and I watched as we sped across the road. Then, BOOM! We hit the ditch (沟) and flew through the17for a short second and then hit the ground like a18 that had just fallen from the sky. At this point, there was nothing we could do. The snowmobile tipped and we all 19. We all felt frightened.20 we didn't have any serious problems.

    While Andrew was getting ready for work one Friday morning, he announced to his wife that he had finally decided to ask his boss for a salary raise. All day Andrew felt nervous1Mr. Larchmont refused to2 his request? Andrew had 3 so hard in the last 18 months4 he should get a wage increase.

    The thought of walking into Larchmont's office left Andrew weak at the knees. Late in the afternoon he finally gathered the 5to approach his superior. To his 6 and surprise, the ever-frugal（一贯节省的）Harvey Larchmont agreed to give Andrew a7!

    Andrew arrived home that evening, to find their dining table 8 with their best china, and candles lit. His wife, Tina, had prepared a delicate meal 9 his favorite dishes. Immediately he 10 someone from the office had broken the message to her!

    Next to his plate Andrew found a beautiful lettered 11 It was from his wife, which12“Congratulations, my love! I knew you'd get the raise! I prepared this dinner to show 13how much I love you. I'm so proud of your accomplishments!” He read it and stopped to 14 how sensitive and caring Tina was.

    After dinner, Andrew was on his way to the kitchen 15he observed a second card had slipped out of Tina's pocket. He picked it up. It said: “Don't worry about not getting the raise! You do 16 one! I prepared this dinner to show you how much I love you 17 you didn't get the increase.”

Tears 18in Andrew's eyes. Total acceptance! Tina's support for him was not 19 upon his success at work.

    The fear of rejection is often softened and we can undergo almost any setback or rejection when we know someone loves us20 our success or failure.

    I always wondered how people would react if I tried to approach a total stranger for help in a busy place like a street corner or a mall. I have always 1 a stranger who tried to catch my 2 in a busy place.

    Yesterday I was in a busy shopping mall buying a large piece of luggage because I just had the 3 to do it after many days of planning. After the 4, I picked up my phone from my pocket to call my driver waiting in the parking lot but my phone was 5.

    Then I requested the shop assistant who had 6 sold me the merchandise (which was not cheap), if she could ring my driver for me. She 7 that it was the shop policy that they cannot use 8 while working in the shop.

    After I got out of the shop onto the busy street, I 9 a young mother with her two kids to make the same 10. As soon as I said “Excuse me, madam!” she grabbed her kids and ran. I 11 a kidnapper（绑匪）.

    I stood there wondering how many times I had 12 to strangers like the young 13. I stood there in the 14 street with people rushing by, looking at their faces to see if there was a sign of 15 on their face.

    I saw a man pretty shabbily dressed compared to me who 16 to notice me. I just stopped him and made my request. He 17 called my driver and waited till my car came to make sure I was picked up, turned around 18 I could thank him adequately and was gone.

    I was 19 by kindness and hope I will do20 to strangers who try to catch my attention from now on.

    After she left the town, Jane stopped the car at the landing near the entrance of the bay (海湾).She stepped into the 1 and rowed out silently. The tide was rushing to the entrance and 2 to the wild open sea. She had to row across the bay to reach 3 side. The waves struck against the side of the boat, 4 and uneven; it became 5 difficult to row. If she 6 for a moment, the tide would push the boat back towards the 7.

    She wasn't even halfway 8 she was already tired and her hands 9 from pulling on the rough wooden oars (船桨). "I'm never going to 10 it", she thought. She rested the oars on her knees and 11 her head helplessly, then looked up as she 12 the boat shift (晃动) against the tide.

    The east wind , which had swung (旋转) around from the south-west, 13 her help and pushed the boat towards the mountains. It was going to be 14. Her hands weren't so painful. Her chest didn't feel as if it was about to burst 15.

    The lights of the town became 16, one of the oars banged against the side of the boat and she 17 it with a start. Had she been asleep, or just 18? She looked over her shoulder.  She was almost on the beach. The girl gave one last 19 on the oars to ground the boat, and then lay back against the seat. She listened to the waves 20 and knew she had come home. Far across the moonlit bay the lights were no more than a sparkling chain.

Kelli Boehle says her son Nik was an amazing and caring person. Nik was diagnosed(诊断) with cancer in 2008 when he was 17. He passed away in 2012. But Nik's kindness and generosity have lived on long after his death.

After he was diagnosed and started treatment, Nik was granted (给予) a wish experience from the Make-A-Wish Foundation. "For just this period of time, we didn't think about cancer, "Kelli Boehle said. "All we thought about was enjoying our time together."

In 2009, Nik met another young man Nate, who was also going through cancer treatment. He'd been diagnosed a month after turning 18, and Nik learned he was too old to qualify for a wish. The night before Nik passed away, he asked his mother to help ensure that young adults fighting cancer could have their wishes come true too. 

"It was like a seed he planted that just wouldn't stop coming into my mind, " she said. In 2012, Kelli Boehle started Nik's Wish. The nonprofit grants wishes to young adults between the ages of 18 and 24 who are battling cancer. Nate was the organization's first wish recipient. "It's meant to bring them joy and know that they're loved and that we're fighting for them, too, "Kelli Boehle said. 

Recently, 19-year-old Jordan Morrow received her wish to attend a Taylor Swift concert as part of a trip to Los Angeles. For Morrow, who has spent the last year battling brain cancer, going to the concert has done more than lift her spirits. "I think it's something to get me through whatever comes my way, "she said. "And I'm thankful for Nik's Wish for that. "

In the 11 years since Nik passed away, the organization has granted more than 300 wishes across more than 30 states. In the beginning, Kelli Boehle says she wasn't sure she could be a wish maker and work closely with the young adults. But now, it's her favorite thing to do.