When we seem to have finally obtained things we've worked hard for, most of us tend to think that we can relax and enjoy life. ________ , life has some rude awakenings for us.

This was the ________ for Stevie. He worked hard and years later, he was able to buy a really nice home on a cliff ________ the ocean. It seemed that all his work ________ and that he had finally realized his dream.

Well, as life would have it, along came the events over which he had no control. Above all, the cliff started to erode(风化)badly from the ________ winds and rains over the years. What was once a one-hundred-foot backyard was rapidly shrinking week by week, and to make matters even worse, he became badly ill to the point ________ he had to take lots of time off from work.

Then, the most tragic things happened. The backyard totally disappeared and what was ________ was the back of the house sitting dangerously on the edge of the cliff. What was even more destructive was that he had no house insurance ________ the family could not get any from insurance companies who knew of the ________. No insurance, and so sick that he couldn't work - now what? A person who thought he had finally realized the dreams and now only to find almost everything had disappeared through no ________ of his own.

The good news was that he wasn't done-friends, neighbors and even those who didn't know him responded to fund-raisers to help them start over.

Life has a way of ________ and kicking us from behind and even kicking again when we are really down. But life also gives us a way ________ if we don't give up. There is kindness and comfort ________ an opportunity to start again if we have a ________ to move forward. Keep focused on new life and move beyond all those things that may ________ us to the present.

“Can’t stop loving you ...” My 3-year-old son was singing. But I was not in the ________ to sing along. My manager had just told me that, in spite of my excellent performance, he couldn’t give me more ________ in the future. The message ________ me hard. But it brought about a sudden________ that, in the end, taught me the power of embracing opportunities, no matter where they came from.

My manager’s decision planted a seed of ________. But I reminded myself that I had already proved I could be an ________ scientist on a part-time schedule. During my 7 years as a university researcher, my career had ________.

When I left my university post for the biotech company, ________ by the desire for my work to reach patients, I expected that I would be capable of growing professionally and ________ my career there. But now I was being told that I should be ________ as a trouble-shooter (困难解决者), rather than the project leader I desired to be.

A friend suggested that I reach senior managers about ________ in other departments. With little________, I approached the three senior managers. Only the third ________ listened to my story, and told me that I was ________ to join him in building a vaccine (疫苗) research unit. I hesitated and replied that I knew ________ about vaccines. He said, “You are smart and willing to work hard. You’ll make it.”

The ________ was exactly what I had been seeking for, but I was still shaken by my manager’s lack of confidence in me. A few sleepless nights later, I decided that taking a chance on the ________ was better.

I soon discovered a new ________. My career path within the company opened up. And I took on more responsibilities and led fantastic projects — all because of the ________ change on me. It taught me that when I step out of my ________, I find my most creative, productive self.

I was walking my dog one evening when the last light of the setting sun_______the clouds purple and pink. I looked up at the sky and smiled. After a minute my dog started_______the rope. I knew it was more than ready to go back for a bowl of dog food. I wasn’t quite_______to leave, however, so I comforted it. I was waiting for my_______the Little Blinkers to appear.

It wasn’t long either before I saw them switching their lights on and_______. They were fireflies, of course, also known as lightning bugs. Over all the years that I have lived here, they have never failed to appear at this time during the summer. They have never failed to_______me. They have never failed to make the world a little brighter. It has always been such a_______to know that they can shine their own light and make a starry sky above. They make me want to share my own_______as well, even if it isn’t very bright and even if it does tend to_______now and then.

Robert Fulghum wrote, “I know some people who__________a lot of light. Because they have absorbed a lot of light themselves. They shine. ” I don’t know how much light I have__________these years, but I do know that I won’t keep it__________under a basket. I will shine it. I will share it. I will use it to__________as much goodness, love, joy, and wisdom into this world as I possibly can.

May you always shine your light as__________as you can. Remember that you are not asked to brighten the whole world up. Sometimes, what you need to do is just to make your little__________of it a bit brighter.