The Art of Blooming Late

Mozart struggled during his teens and early twenties. Though already a productive composer, he had to work as an organist (风琴手)to make ends meet.

Underpaid by his frustratingly average work, he felt a 【小题1】 (burn) desire to devote more time and energy to his art. So after a period of doubt and deliberation, that’s exactly what he did. He quit his job, set up shop in Vienna and settled down to 【小题2】 turned out to be the most creative period of his life.

If you aspire to do more personally fulfilling work — say, 【小题3】 (found) a start-up or turn a hobby into a full-fledged (完全成熟的) career — drafting a plan of action can be slightly discouraging. Even so, a few newly-released books suggest that it’s entirely possible to develop the clarity of purpose to create your own version of Mozart’s Don Giovanni.

In Aristotle’s Way, the classicist Edith Hall describes the ancient philosopher’s belief 【小题4】 becoming conscious of our skills, talents and aptitudes and then using our resources to make the most of them is the foundation of living a good life. If you’re not working toward reaching your unique potential — as Mozart did — it’s normal to feel dissatisfied. If that’s the case, says Aristotle, it’s your duty to make things right.

What, then, is holding you back? Rich Karlgaard, author of Late Bloomers, argues that our culture’s obsession with early achievement discourages us from pursuing our passions. 【小题5】 having varied interests, studying widely and enjoying our time — essentials for self-discovery — we’re encouraged to pass the tests, become specialists right away and pursue safe, stable and profitable careers.

As a result, most of us end up choosing professional excellence over personal fulfillment and often we lose ourselves in the process. 【小题6】 your job requires high-demanding tasks, being a specialist isn’t a treasure. Having a wide range of skills and experiences is 【小题7】 (beneficial) because it allows you to be quick-minded and creative.

The authors of Dark Horse, Todd Rose and Ogi Ogas of Harvard’s School of Education, noticed the negative effects of early specialization in a study of people who came out of nowhere to achieve great success. “Despite feeling 【小题8】 (overwhelm),” the two write, “most dark horses reluctantly struggled along for years before finally coming to the realization that they were not living a fulfilling life.”

To prompt this kind of revolution in your own life, Rose and Ogas suggest creating a goal tailored to extremely specific activities 【小题9】 truly inspires you. As you move forward, there are a few things to keep in mind. First and foremost, it’s never too late to become yourself. There are also benefits of taking a long winding path to self-fulfillment. 【小题10】 (remember) that age typically brings wisdom, resilience, humility, self-knowledge and creativity. As research has shown, small daily changes can have a profound effect and slowly but surely lead you closer to the person you think you ought to be.

A psychologist once said, “If you’ve overcome every one of your fears, 【小题1】（congratulation）—you’re dead.” This【小题2】 (humor) saying points to a simple truth- no one can escape fear completely.

【小题3】, fear can be a good thing. In fact, sometimes we are afraid of things that aren’t dangerous, such as public speaking, failing a test，or【小题4】 (reject). These unhealthy fears can keep us from achieving our dreams. So how can we successfully face our fears?

Admit what you fear and then share it with someone you trust. Perhaps you worry that others would look down【小题5】you if they know what you fear, but you might be surprised at how many other people share the same fears.【小题6】 (learn) you are not the only one who fears something will give your self-confidence【小题7】push.

Ask yourself, “What is the worst-case scenario(最坏的情况）?” If you think about it, the worst might not be that bad after all.【小题8】(compare) with the fear of losing a competition or being turned down，the regret of having missed opportunities can be even【小题9】( hard) to bear. Even worse, you will never know what you might have accomplished.

Take small steps toward overcoming your fear. If you fear public speaking, start by giving a small talk to a few people. If your talk doesn’t go well, try again. Each small success will increase your confidence and persistence（坚持）, which is one of the keys to success.

You might never completely overcome your fear of certain things, but what is important is【小题10】you can bring yourself to do what you fear.

Silence means no sound. But in fact, there is no 【小题1】 thing as true silence for a living being, because silence 【小题2】(it) is an exposure of the mind and the heart.

Some people use silence as a disguise (伪装) of the 【小题3】 (empty) of the head. Some use it as 【小题4】means to describe their puzzlement and sadness. And some use it as a way of 【小题5】 (express) their anger.

What do silent people say? They say that “silence is gold”, but 【小题6】 is the nature of this “gold”? It can include【小题7】 (honest) and kindness; it can stand for separation from fame and fortune; and it can also act as an excuse 【小题8】 untruthfulness and cunning.

Is it true that permanent silence 【小题9】 (represent) by death?

Perhaps even death cannot represent true silence, for the carrier of the soul can turn into dust, so that the sincere and wise voices that are from the bottom of the heart will cause 【小题10】 (long­last) echoes in the seas of human hearts.