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15 a turtle brought me enlightenment

时间:2009-12-15 03:04来源:互联网 提供网友:错爱   字体: [ ]
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a turtle brought me enlightenment

Life is good, really good. Sometimes I feel like the good karma train picked me up, and simply refuses to let me off. I have an amazing wife, a teenage son that makes me glow with pride, good health, a wonderful family and the best friends a guy could ask for. I have a lot to be grateful for. For many years now, “thank you” has become my meditation1 as I start each day.

But the truth is, life was not always this good. It wasn’t all that long ago, when the resume’ of my life looked radically3 different. At one time, my life was filled with nearly everything people try to avoid. Experiencing everything from unhappy relationships to financial struggles, poor health, depression, and an endless stream of negative habits was a part of my daily life. It seemed that no matter how hard I tried, happiness was constantly eluding4 me and disappointment became my shadow. It also seemed as if I was paving the way for a future that sadly resembled my father’s…until he took his own life at the age of 54. This was a defining moment for me. Once the shock of losing my father began to fade, clarity and a new sense of purpose became the dominant5 force in my life. I remember feeling as if I had “met myself” for the very first time while also becoming conscious of my life’s true purpose. It was in that moment that I had made a major decision. Not only would I change my own life, but I would also make a difference in the lives of others.

Enlightenment and epiphanies can show up in some pretty strange ways. The Buddha6 found it under a Boddhi tree, Nelson Mandela in prison and spiritual guru Ram7 Dass through psychedelic drugs. Little did I know, mine would arrive in the form of a hard-shelled reptile8 simply trying to cross the road -- a turtle.

But this wasn’t just any turtle, this was the world’s most optimistic one. He was tenaciously9 determined10 to cross twenty feet of tar2 as cars zoomed11 by at 55 mph. But today was his lucky day. My wife’s quick reflexes not only ensured that “turtle soup” would not be for dinner that night, but her act of kindness would eventually become the foundation for everything I teach today. As unusual as this sounds, the simple act of pulling our car over, removing this little turtle from harms way, and placing him back into the wild, caused something extraordinary to happen inside of me. As I stood there holding this tiny creature in my hands, a wave of pure joy came over me. It was that warm, teary-eyed sensation that we feel during life’s greatest moments; like falling in love or the birth of a child. I honestly felt as if my heart was completely opening up as everything stood still around me. In no way would I have described it as “enlightenment”, but there was no doubt about it—helping this little turtle just felt so damn good! But why? After all, it’s just a turtle, right?

And then it hit me. I finally realized what was happening. At that point, a flood of inspiring thoughts surged through me. I walked back to the car, opened my journal and wrote eight words that would later prove to be life changing for me: “kindness creates happiness” and “live a life of kindness”. It was the answer I had been looking for. The secret to inner peace and lasting12 happiness was kindness. Not “random acts of” or simply being nice, but rather as...a way of life. I had already known the benefits of kindness through studying many eastern philosophies, but I had never actually considered it as a lifestyle.

But, this day was just beginning…

Just thirty minutes after my mini-epiphany, my wife and I arrived at our original destination—a country garden show. After walking around for just a few minutes, a gentle faced 60-something looking man waved me over to the front porch of his farmhouse13, for no apparent reason. The entire setting was like a scene out of an old movie -- weathered rocking chairs -- the smell of cookies baking -- and a coon cat that looked as old as the farmhouse itself. “Let her look around, come and sit with me” he said.

I had no idea what to expect, but as I sunk into the large wicker chair beside him, I couldn’t help feeling that he was going to say something profound. After all, if a turtle can change my life, why not a wise old farmer? After a brief hello and a polite introduction, we simply sat in silence and let the sunlight warm our faces. After what seemed like an eternity14, he finally spoke15. “You know” he said, “I’ve often thought that the meaning of life is making things a little bit easier for those around us , what do you think?”. I was speechless. It felt like I had just been hit on the head again with life’s big karma stick. He went on to tell me his version of “the secrets to life” and how “true happiness can only be found by loving and serving others”. Finally he finished with, “oh, and don’t forget…you really gotta’ love the one you’re with...yourself ”.

Life was obviously trying to tell me something. In the days and weeks that followed, the world looked completely different to me. The more I studied and tested my “kindness creates happiness” theory, the more I was blown away by its life-changing power. I realized that most of my disappointments in life were simply because I had been unkind to others and especially to myself.

After spending much of my life thinking “what’s in it for me”, my new inner mantra became; “Am I being kind?”. This one simple question changed my life. So, whenever I feel the need to disagree with my wife, lash16 out at a rude employee in the mall or even before I shove ten cookies into my mouth, I go within and ask; “am I being kind?”. These four little words have become my source to inner peace. It has created many positive changes in me such as recycling and acting17 more “green” and consciously respecting all of life. I even stopped setting the mousetraps in the garage. (My wife is going to kill me when she reads that last one). Another big change in my life was the irresistible18 urge to perform “spontaneous acts of kindness”. Things like buying coffee for strangers and giving money to the homeless just seemed natural. Each kind act felt like a blissful surge of energy through my chest. But what became even more exhilarating were the intense feelings of warmth towards everyone around me -- especially difficult people. Whether there was someone who acted rude in traffic or an inconsiderate person in line at the grocery store, I no longer felt anxious or offended -- I simply wished for their happiness. That’s when I realized what it truly meant to be living kindness.

All thanks to an unexpected turtle crossing the street, that one day.


点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 meditation yjXyr     
n.熟虑,(尤指宗教的)默想,沉思,(pl.)冥想录
参考例句:
  • This peaceful garden lends itself to meditation.这个恬静的花园适于冥想。
  • I'm sorry to interrupt your meditation.很抱歉,我打断了你的沉思。
2 tar 1qOwD     
n.柏油,焦油;vt.涂或浇柏油/焦油于
参考例句:
  • The roof was covered with tar.屋顶涂抹了一层沥青。
  • We use tar to make roads.我们用沥青铺路。
3 radically ITQxu     
ad.根本地,本质地
参考例句:
  • I think we may have to rethink our policies fairly radically. 我认为我们可能要对我们的政策进行根本的反思。
  • The health service must be radically reformed. 公共医疗卫生服务必须进行彻底改革。
4 eluding 157b23fced3268b9668f3a73dc5fde30     
v.(尤指机敏地)避开( elude的现在分词 );逃避;躲避;使达不到
参考例句:
  • He saw no way of eluding Featherstone's stupid demand. 费瑟斯通的愚蠢要求使他走投无路。 来自辞典例句
  • The fox succeeded in eluding the hunters. 这狐狸成功地避过了猎手。 来自辞典例句
5 dominant usAxG     
adj.支配的,统治的;占优势的;显性的;n.主因,要素,主要的人(或物);显性基因
参考例句:
  • The British were formerly dominant in India.英国人从前统治印度。
  • She was a dominant figure in the French film industry.她在法国电影界是个举足轻重的人物。
6 Buddha 9x1z0O     
n.佛;佛像;佛陀
参考例句:
  • Several women knelt down before the statue of Buddha and prayed.几个妇女跪在佛像前祈祷。
  • He has kept the figure of Buddha for luck.为了图吉利他一直保存着这尊佛像。
7 ram dTVxg     
(random access memory)随机存取存储器
参考例句:
  • 512k RAM is recommended and 640k RAM is preferred.推荐配置为512K内存,640K内存则更佳。
8 reptile xBiz7     
n.爬行动物;两栖动物
参考例句:
  • The frog is not a true reptile.青蛙并非真正的爬行动物。
  • So you should not be surprised to see someone keep a reptile as a pet.所以,你不必惊奇有人养了一只爬行动物作为宠物。
9 tenaciously lg3zdW     
坚持地
参考例句:
  • Though seriously ill, he still clings tenaciously to life. 他虽病得很重,但仍顽强地活下去。 来自辞典例句
  • It was apparently more tenaciously held to surface than fraction three. 它比级分三更顽强地保持在表面上。 来自辞典例句
10 determined duszmP     
adj.坚定的;有决心的
参考例句:
  • I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
  • He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。
11 zoomed 7d2196a2c3b9cad9d8899e8add247521     
v.(飞机、汽车等)急速移动( zoom的过去式 );(价格、费用等)急升,猛涨
参考例句:
  • Traffic zoomed past us. 车辆从我们身边疾驰而过。
  • Cars zoomed helter-skelter, honking belligerently. 大街上来往车辆穿梭不停,喇叭声刺耳。 来自《简明英汉词典》
12 lasting IpCz02     
adj.永久的,永恒的;vbl.持续,维持
参考例句:
  • The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
  • We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。
13 farmhouse kt1zIk     
n.农场住宅(尤指主要住房)
参考例句:
  • We fell for the farmhouse as soon as we saw it.我们对那所农舍一见倾心。
  • We put up for the night at a farmhouse.我们在一间农舍投宿了一夜。
14 eternity Aiwz7     
n.不朽,来世;永恒,无穷
参考例句:
  • The dull play seemed to last an eternity.这场乏味的剧似乎演个没完没了。
  • Finally,Ying Tai and Shan Bo could be together for all of eternity.英台和山伯终能双宿双飞,永世相随。
15 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
16 lash a2oxR     
v.系牢;鞭打;猛烈抨击;n.鞭打;眼睫毛
参考例句:
  • He received a lash of her hand on his cheek.他突然被她打了一记耳光。
  • With a lash of its tail the tiger leaped at her.老虎把尾巴一甩朝她扑过来。
17 acting czRzoc     
n.演戏,行为,假装;adj.代理的,临时的,演出用的
参考例句:
  • Ignore her,she's just acting.别理她,她只是假装的。
  • During the seventies,her acting career was in eclipse.在七十年代,她的表演生涯黯然失色。
18 irresistible n4CxX     
adj.非常诱人的,无法拒绝的,无法抗拒的
参考例句:
  • The wheel of history rolls forward with an irresistible force.历史车轮滚滚向前,势不可挡。
  • She saw an irresistible skirt in the store window.她看见商店的橱窗里有一条叫人着迷的裙子。
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TAG标签:   每天一点英文  enlightenment
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