生活不只是生存：教你学会生活的30种方式（一）

"The proper function of man is to live - not to exist." -- Jack London

“人应该生活，而不仅仅是生存。”——杰克·伦敦。

Too often we go through life on autopilot, going through the motions and having each day pass like the one before it.

很多时候我们的生活就好像是开着自动挡，像是在敷衍了事，每天的生活都和前一天一模一样。

That's fine, and comfortable, until you have gone through another year without having done anything, without having really lived life.

这样的日子过得不错、很舒坦，直到你发现这一年又什么也没做，没有真正地享受生活。

That's fine, until you have reached old age and look back on life with regrets. That's fine, until you see your kids go off to college and realize that you missed their childhoods.

这样的日子过得不错，直到你变老，回首往事，满是遗憾。这样的日子过得挺好，直到你看着孩子们都去上大学了，你才意识到自己错过了孩子们的童年。

It's not fine. If you want to truly live life, to really experience it, to enjoy it to the fullest, instead of barely scraping by and only living a life of existence, then you need to find ways to break free from the mold and drink from life.

这样的日子其实过得并不好。如果你想真正地生活，真正地体验生活，最大程度地享受生活，而不是勉强度日只为了生存，那么你应该想办法打破常规。

What follows is just a list of ideas, obvious ones mostly that you could have thought of yourself, but that I hope are useful reminders. We all need reminders sometimes. If you find this useful, print it out, and start using it. Today.

下面是我的一些想法，很明显大部分内容可能你自己就能想得到，但是我希望可以真的提醒你。我们都有需要提醒的时候。如果你觉得有用，可以打印出来，并开始做。今天就动手吧。

1. Love.

爱。

Perhaps the most important. Fall in love, if you aren't already. If you have, fall in love with your partner all over again. Abandon caution and let your heart be broken. Or love family members, friends, anyone -- it doesn't have to be romantic love. Love all of humanity, one person at a time.

也许这是最重要的。如果还没有爱的人的话，那就去爱一个人。如果你已经有了爱人，那么再和你的伴侣坠入一次爱河吧。别太谨慎小心，就算心碎也没关系。或者去爱家人、朋友，去爱任何人，不一定非得是浪漫的爱情。爱所有的人，一次只爱一个。

2. Get outside.

出去走走。

Don't let yourself be shut indoors. Go out when it's raining. Walk on the beach. Hike through the woods. Swim in a freezing lake. Bask in the sun. Play sports, or walk barefoot through grass. Pay close attention to nature.

不要老让自己呆着屋子里。下雨天时出去走走，在海滩上散散步，徒步穿过森林，在冰冷的湖中游泳，晒晒太，进行体育活动，或赤脚在草地上走走。和大自然紧密接触。

3. Savor food.

品尝食物。

Don't just eat your food, but really enjoy it. Feel the texture, the bursts of flavors. Savor every bite. If you limit your intake of sweets, it will make the small treats you give yourself (berries or dark chocolate are my favorites) even more enjoyable. And when you do have them, really, really savor them. Slowly.

不要只是吃东西，而要去真正地品尝食物。感受食物的口感和味道。仔细品尝每一口。如果你平时限制自己吃甜食，那么每一口（我最喜欢浆果或黑巧克力）品尝起来会更加可口。当你吃的时候，一定要好好地慢慢地品尝。

4. Create a morning ritual.

形成早晨的习惯。

Wake early and greet the day. Watch the sun rise. Out loud, tell yourself that you will not waste this day, which is a gift. You will be compassionate to your fellow human beings, and live every moment to its fullest. Stretch or meditate or exercise as part of your ritual. Enjoy some coffee.

早点儿起床，迎接新一天的到来。看着太阳升起,大声告诉自己你不会浪费这一天，因为这是份礼物。你会对自己的同胞充满同情慈悲之心，也会充分利用生活中的每时每刻。把伸展身体、冥想或锻炼身体作为每天日常活动的一部分，记得享受美味的咖啡。

5. Take chances.

冒险。

We often live our lives too cautiously, worried about what might go wrong. Be bold, risk it all. Quit your job and go to business for yourself (plan it out first!), or go up to that girl you've liked for a long time and ask her out. What do you have to lose?

我们通常都活得过于谨慎，担忧着怕自己哪里会出错。勇敢一点，冒冒险。辞去工作，为自己打工（但先要计划好！）或约会心仪已久的女孩。你还有什么可失去的呢？

6. Follow excitement.

追随你的兴奋点。

Try to find the things in life that excite you, and then go after them. Make life one exciting adventure after another (with perhaps some quiet times in between).

寻找生活中能让你兴奋的事情，然后就去做吧。让生活变成一件接一件的冒险。（不过中间应该留一些安静的时光。）

7.Find your passion.

找到自己的激情。

Similar to the above tip, this one asks you to find your calling. Make your living by doing the thing you love to do. First, think about what you really love to do. There may be many things. Find out how you can make a living doing it. It may be difficult, but you only live once.

和上面的建议相似，这条建议是让你去寻找自己的使命。做自己喜欢的事情来维持生计。首先，想清楚自己真正喜欢做什么。可能有很多种。找出一种你既喜欢又能谋生的工作。这可能很难，但是毕竟你只活一次。

8.Get out of your cubicle.

走出你的格子间。

Do you sit all day in front of computer, shuffling papers and taking phone calls and chatting on the Internet? Don't waste your days like this. Break free from the cubicle environment, and do your work on a laptop, in a coffee shop, or on a boat, or in a log cabin. This may require a change of jobs, or becoming a freelancer. It's worth it.

你是不是整天都坐在电脑前，不断处理琐碎的文件、打电话、在网上聊天？不要把你的时光都这样浪费掉。从格子间出来，在咖啡店里、船上或一个小木屋里用笔记本工作。这样的话你可能需要更换工作或成为自由职业者。但是这样做是值得的。

9.Turn off the TV.

关掉电视。

How many hours will we waste away in front of the boob tube? How many hours do we have to live? Do the math, then unplug the TV. Only plug it back in when you have a DVD of a movie you love. Otherwise, keep it off and find other stuff to do. Don't know what to do? Read further.

你有多少时间是浪费在电视机前？我们活着又有多长时间？计算一下，然后关上电视。只在你有一张想看的DVD时再把电视打开，其他的时间还是找点儿别的事情去做。不知道做什么？那就继续读下去吧。

10. Pull away from Internet.

断开网络。

You're reading something on the Internet right now. And it is just more wasting away of your precious time. You cannot get these minutes back. Unplug the Internet, then get out of your office or house. Right now! And go and do something.

你现在正在网上冲浪。但是上网其实浪费了你的宝贵时光。你不可能让时光倒流。断掉网络，从办公室或屋子里走出去。现在就做吧！出去做点儿别的事情。

11. Travel.

旅行。

Sure, you want to travel some day. When you have vacation time, or when you're older. Well, what are you waiting for? Find a way to take a trip, if not this month, then sometime soon. You may need to sell your car or stop your cable bill and stop eating out to do it, but make it happen. You are too young to not see the world. If need be, find a way to make a living by freelancing, then work while you travel. Only work an hour or two a day. Don't check email but once a week. Then use the rest of the time to see the world.

当然，有一天你会去旅行的，等你有假期时，或等你年纪再大一点儿。好吧，你到底在等什么？想办法去旅行吧，如果这个月不行，那就过段日子吧。你可能需要卖掉你的车或停掉有线电视或不能再外出就餐了，不管怎么样，让旅行成真吧。趁着年轻去看看世界。如果需要的话，可以找份自由职业者的工作，边旅行边工作。一天工作一到两个小时，一周查一次电子邮件。剩下的时间用来看世界。

12. Rediscover what's important.

重新发现重要的事情。

Take an hour and make a list of everything that's important to you. Add to it everything that you want to do in life. Now cut that list down to 4-5 things. Just the most important things in your life. This is your core list. This is what matters. Focus your life on these things. Make time for them.

花一个小时，把对你来说重要的事情都列出来。把你想做的事情都列上去。然后把里面的内容缩减到4到5项。只找出你生活中最重要的事情，这是你的核心清单。这是对你来说重要的内容。关注这些事情吧，为这些事情留些时间。

13. Exercise.

锻炼身体。

Get off the couch and go for a walk. Eventually try running. Or do some push ups and crunches. Or swim or bike or row. Or go for a hike. Whatever you do, get active, and you'll love it. And life will be more alive.

离开沙发去散散步。试着跑起来。或做一些俯卧撑和仰卧起坐，或游泳、骑车、划船。还可以去远足。无论你做什么，活动起来，你会喜欢上运动的。你的生活也会更加地富有生机。

14. Be positive.

保持积极的态度。

Learn to recognize the negative thoughts you have. These are the self-doubts, the criticisms of others, the complaints, the reasons you can't do something. Then stop yourself when you have these thoughts, and replace them with positive thoughts. Solutions. You can do this!

学会认识到自己内心中的负面思想。像自我怀疑、对他人挑剔、抱怨、不想做事情的理由，这些都是。当你发现自己有这样的想法时要阻止自己，用积极的思想代替。你能行的！

15. Open your heart.

敞开你的心扉。

Is your heart a closed bundle of scar tissue? Learn to open it, have it ready to receive love, to give love unconditionally. If you have a problem with this, talk to someone about it. And practice makes perfect.

你的心中是不是满是伤痕？学着去放开，去准备接受爱、无条件地给予爱。如果你没法这样做，和别人聊一聊。熟能生巧。

16. Face your fears.

直面自己的恐惧。

What are you most afraid of? What is holding you back? Whatever it is, recognize it, and face it. Do what you are most afraid of. Afraid of heights? Go to the tallest building, and look down over the edge. Only by facing our fears can we be free of them.

你最害怕什么？什么阻止你前行？无论这是什么，找出并面对它。做你最害怕的事情。恐高？去最高的楼顶，在楼边上俯视。只有面对恐惧才能战胜它。

17. Slow down.

放慢节奏。

Life moves along at such a rapid pace these days. It's not healthy, and it's not conducive to living. Practice doing everything slowly -- everything, from eating to walking to driving to working to reading. Enjoy what you do. Learn to move at a snail's pace.

现在我们的生活节奏实在太快了。既不健康，对生活也无益处。试着放慢速度去做事儿——每件事，无论是吃饭，还是走路，还是开车上班，抑或阅读。享受你做的事情。学习把节奏放慢到像蜗牛爬那样。

18. Volunteer.

做志愿者。

Help at homeless soup kitchens. Learn compassion, and learn to help ease the suffering of others. Help the sick, those with disabilities, those who are dying.

去为无家可归的人士准备食物的流动厨房帮忙。学会同情，学着去帮助减轻他人的痛苦。帮助病人、残疾人和生命垂死的人。

19. Play with children.

和孩子玩。

Children, more than anyone else, know how to live. They experience everything in the moment, fully. When they get hurt, they really cry. When they play, they really have fun. Learn from them, instead of thinking you know so much more than them. Play with them, and learn to be joyful like them.

孩子比任何的人都懂得如何去生活。他们全身心地经历当前的事情。当他们受到伤害时，他们会真正地痛哭。当他们玩耍时，他们享受到乐趣。向他们学习，而不是觉得自己比他们知道的多。和他们玩耍，学着像他们那样开开心心。

20. Talk to old people.

和老年人交谈。

There is no one wiser, more experienced, more learned, than those who have lived through life. They can tell you amazing stories. Give you advice on making a marriage last or staying out of debt. Tell you about their regrets, so you can learn from them and avoid the same mistakes. They are the wisdom of our society -- take advantage of their existence while they're still around.

没有人比经历过生活大风大浪的老年人更聪明、更有经验、更有学识。他们可以给你讲神奇的故事，他们可以给你提供建议，让你的婚姻更加长久，或让你远离债务。他们告诉你他们的遗憾，你可以学习从而避免犯同样的错误。他们是社会的智者——趁他们还在我们身边的时候，多去向他们学习吧。

21. Learn new skills.

学习新的技巧。

Constantly improve yourself instead of standing still -- not because you're so imperfect now, but because it is gratifying and satisfying. You should accept yourself as you are, and learn to love who you are, but still try to improve -- if only because the process of improvement is life itself.

不要停滞不前，要不断地去提高自己，不是因为你现在不完美，而是因为这样做会让你开心和满意。你应该接受你自己，学着去爱自己，但是也要尝试去提高自己的水平，这只是因为生活本身就是一个不断改善的过程。

22. Take mini-retirements.

享受“小”退休时光。

Don't leave the joy of retirement until you are too old to enjoy it. Do it now, while you're young. It makes working that much more worth it. Find ways to take a year off every few years. Save up, sell your home, your possessions, and travel. Live simply, but live without having to work. Enjoy life, then go back to work and save up enough money to do it again in a couple of years.

不要把退休的乐趣留到你老的时候，那时你已经无法享受了。现在，趁着年轻，小小退休下吧。这会让你的工作更有价值。想办法每隔几年就休息一年。存点儿钱，把房子、财产卖掉，然后去旅游。可以生活得简单一些，但不要工作。这样享受生活，然后回到工作中攒上足够的钱，几年后就再退休一次。

23. Stop playing video games.

不要再玩电子游戏。

They might be fun, but they can take up way too much time. If you spend a lot of time playing online games, or computer solitaire, or Wii or Gameboy or whatever, consider going a week without it. Then find something else to do, outside.

电子游戏可能挺好玩，但是会占用你很多时间。如果你每天花大量的时间玩电子游戏、电脑纸牌游戏，或Wii、Gameboy或其他电子游戏，那么可以考虑停玩一周。找点儿别的事情去做，最好是室外活动哦。

24. Watch sunsets, daily.

每天观看日落。

One of the most beautiful times of day. Make it a daily ritual to find a good spot to watch the sunset, perhaps having a light dinner while you do so.

日落是一天最美的时刻之一。找一个好地方，每天都去观看日落，还可以在欣赏落日是安排一个烛光晚餐。

25. Break out from ruts.

打破常规。

Do you do things the same way every day? Change it up. Try something new. Take a different route to work. Start your day out differently. Approach work from a new angle. Look at things from new perspectives.

你是不是每天都做同样的事情？改变一下。尝试新的事情。上班时走不同的路线。用不同的方式开始新的一天，用新的方法去做工作，从新的角度去看事情。

26. Stop watching the news.

停止看资讯。

It's depressing and useless. If you're a news junky, this may be difficult. I haven't watch TV news or read a newspaper regularly in about two years. It hasn't hurt me a bit. Anything important, my mom tells me about.

看资讯会让人沮丧，而且没什么用。如果你喜欢看资讯，这条可能很难做到。我有两年的时间没有定期看电视资讯或看报纸了。不过这样也没什么损失。有重要的事情，我母亲会告诉我的。

27. Laugh till you cry.

开心笑到流眼泪。

Laughing is one of the best ways to live. Tell jokes and laugh your head off. Watch an awesome comedy. Learn to laugh at anything. Roll on the ground laughing. You'll love it.

笑是生活的最佳方式之一。讲笑话直到笑到肚子疼。看一部好看的喜剧。学着笑对一切，笑到打滚。你会爱上这种感觉的。

28. Cry.

哭。

Men, especially, tend to hold in our tears, but crying is an amazing release. Cry at sad movies. Cry at a funeral. Cry when you are hurt, or when somebody you love is hurt. It releases these emotions and allows us to cleanse ourselves.

男性尤其会忍住不哭，但是哭是一种非常好的释放方式。看悲伤的电影时哭，在葬礼上哭，当你受到伤害时哭，或当你爱的人受到伤害时哭。哭会释放到情感，让我们净化自己。

29. Try something new, every week.

每周都尝试一些新的事物。

Ask yourself: "What new thing shall I try this week?" Then be sure to do it. You don't have to learn a new language in one week, but seek new experiences. Give it a try. You might decide you want to keep it in your life.

问问自己：“这周能尝试一下什么新的事情？”然后务必要做成这件事。你不必每周学习一种新的语言，但是可以寻求新的体验。试一下吧。你也许会决定保持这种生活方式。

30. Be in the moment.

活在当下。

Instead of thinking about things you need to do, or things that have happened to you, or worrying or planning or regretting, think about what you are doing, right now. What is around you? What smells and sounds and sights and feelings are you experiencing? Learn to do this as much as possible through meditation, but also through bringing your focus back to the present as much as you can in everything you do.

不要去想你要做的事情，或去想已发生在你身上的事情，或担心、或计划或遗憾，而是要想想你正在做的事情。你周围是什么？你闻到了什么气味？听到了什么声音？看到了什么？感觉到了什么？学着尽可能多想想这些事，可以通过冥想学习，也可以集中注意力关注当前在做的事情。