Intentions matter

When my daughter was very young, she broke my favorite cup. She was moving it aside, and it slipped from her hand and broke on the floor. I loved that cup and was really disappointed, but____I didn’t punish her. It was an accident. She didn’t____to drop it. Intentions matter. Or do they?

I can’t help but feel that our modern world does not____intentions. We are all so ready to find fault with another person and so concerned with our own responses that we don’t consider the____of others.

There are____opportunities to be upset these days in the celebrity news cycle, in politics and in our own interpersonal interactions. Every single day, someone is torn apart on social media for something they have said or done.

A friend of mine says, “It’s not how the message is intended; it’s how it’s received.” He means that we need to be____when choosing our words because they can easily be____by the person we are addressing.

We all at times express ourselves poorly, make errors of judgment or have a moment of____where we say the wrong thing. All of us have offended someone at some point in our lives.

The internet is full of people seeking to make things worse.____there are also many decent people who____get things wrong or simply do not know better.

I get that there is much to be angry about. The world is full of injustice. The actions and words of other people can cause harm;____, the actions and words of other people matter.

But intention has to matter too, for us to make sense of the world, and for us to effect change.____intentions can help us to feel better about our fellow humans. When we appreciate intent, it can help to lessen the impact of their message.

On a more practical level, understanding intention can help us respond to people with____instead of anger. People who wish to do the right thing are often willing to listen. When we scream at people in anger, we____communication and make them less open to change. Remember, humans are____as divided as social media suggests.

Did the person throw the cup, or did it slip from their hands? Now, more than ever, I think the answer matters.

Whatever misfortune you face, just hold up your head and face it with a smile! I got to know this from a musical soul.

The other day I was feeling quite______, having just been laid off from my job. With so many______to pay, I was wondering what was going to happen to my family.

I got off the bus when I heard piano music and______rising above the noise of the traffic. I walked a bit slower, trying to find out where it was coming from. Through the______I saw a young lady sitting at a piano with a box next to her.

She was singing songs about love and her sweet voice______me a bit. Then I stood there watching her playing, thinking that it must take______to perform on her own in front of hundreds of people she didn’t know.

By now I was telling myself that I could at least tell her how good she sounded. I walked______and put some money in her box and she expressed her thanks with a smile on her face.

I asked her______, “Why are you playing the piano in the middle of this crowded place?”

She explained to me that she sees so many______people in the world that she is trying to relieve the pain by______motivational music.

Instead of continuing my way home, I said to her, “I have been going through a______time lately, but you’ve made me______again.”

“I’m happy that I could be______to you,” she replied. “Why are you so sad?”

I told her my story and said, “I’m not so______about what to do….”

“You see, here’s the______,” she responded. “When you were walking, your head was down.” She looked me in the eyes and went on, “Don’t look defeated, because______comes in different ways and if your head is down you might never see it. You should______more… lift your head up.”

I was really______by what she said! I did hold my head up and soon got through the difficult time.

So______in trouble, just face it bravely and you are sure to overcome your difficulty sooner or later.

Through the cold winter wasteland a man walked hard, leaning into the harsh wind which tried to force him back. He was covered from head to toe in layers of ___clothing, layers of protection against the____weather. On he ___, searching, searching. This must be the way.

In the distance he saw what looked like ___rising out of the ground. It rose a few feet and then was quickly ___away by the biting wind. He changed his ___and turned towards the steam. As he got closer, he thought he could make out ___. Their melody(旋律) was unfamiliar to him -musical, ___and warm - it ___him closer.

There before him was a remarkable sight. In the middle of the frozen wasteland was a large ____. Several people seemed to be ___easily in it without any effort. As they saw him ___, a man called out to him.

“Come in here. It is lovely and warm. You can just ___back and relax,” said the man.

“I can’t. There are no ___.” The man replied.

“Just jump in. It really is lovely. There’s plenty of ___for another.” Another of the floaters joined in the ___.

“But what if I want to get out? The sides are too ___to reach up to.” “Believe me, you won’t want to get out. Come on.” But he decided not to jump in. And that was a(an) ___decision.

There’re many things and people in life like this pool. They ___you life can be easy. But in fact, they are ___that you can’t come back from.

Life is hard. Stay wise. And fight.