第3章 Life Is like a Cafeteria
A friend's grandfather came to America from Eastern Europe.After staying at Ellis Island,he went into a cafeteria in lower Manhattan to get something to eat.He sat down at an empty table and waited for someone to take his order.Of course nobody did.Finally,a woman with a tray full of food sat down opposite him and informed him how a cafeteria worked.
"Start out at the end,"she said."Just go along the line and pick out what you want.At the other end they'll tell you how much you have to pay."
"I soon learned that's how everything works in America,"the grandfather told a friend."Life's a cafeteria here.You can get anything you want as long as you are willing to pay.You can even get success,but you'll never get it if you wait for someone to bring it to you.You have to get up and get it yourself."
We can't change the inevitable.The only thing we can do is to dominate our attitudes.Once you reach that point in life,contentment and happiness cannot be too far away.And that will give you success.
人生就像自助餐厅
一位朋友的祖父从东欧来到美国。在埃利斯岛逗留后,他走进曼哈顿岛一家自助餐厅想吃点什么。他在一张空桌边坐下,等人来让自己点菜。当然不会有人来。最后,有一个端着盛满食物托盘的女人在他对面坐下来,告诉他自助餐厅是怎么经营的。
“从这头开始,”她说,“请顺着这排走,挑选你想吃的。到了另一头,他们会告诉你要付多少钱。”
“我马上明白美国的一切都是怎样运作的,”祖父告诉一个朋友,“在这里,人生就像自助餐厅,只要愿意付出,你就能得到自己想要的任何东西,你甚至能得到成功。但是如果等待别人带给你,你绝不会得到,你要起来自己去拿。”
我们无法改变命运,我们唯一能做的就是支配自己的态度。一旦你达到人生的那种境界,幸福和满足就不会太远,而且它会带给你成功。