The world is forever full of smart people who have made great achievements in many fields. But for one reason or another they are unwilling to take a chance on something _________ that turns out to be big.

Despite all his _________ success and great wisdom, in 1906 George Bernard Shaw made one of the biggest_________ an author can make in the play-writing business. After the highly successful _________of his 1894 comedy, “Arms and the Man,” a couple of Viennese writers approached Shaw for the purpose of _________ the rights to turn his play into an operetta (轻歌剧). Leopold Jacobson and Rudolf Bernauer would _________ its words based on Shaw’s work. Relatively _________Viennese composer Oscar Straus would write the music.

Shaw considered the _________ to be a shame of his masterpiece, which _________ him from seeing the possibilities the new business presented. He allowed them the adaptation rights but proudly ____________ a royalty (版权使用费) they offered. “The Chocolate Soldier”, as the operetta was named in English, quickly ____________Oscar Straus as one of the most distinguished composers of operetta’s so-called Silver Age. The operetta was produced ____________in London and on Broadway and its tickets were sold out quickly so that its ____________ made a fortune in royalties except Mr. Shaw.

The cost of opportunities missed out of ____________ can be immeasurable indeed. Be careful who you say ____________ to. You may miss the next Oscar Straus.

Why do we need inspiration? The answer is purely psychological. According to a magazine on ___, by the time a child reaches the age of 18, the concept of “No, you can’t!” has been strengthened 187,000 times, ___the concept of “Yes, you can!” has been strengthened ___about 25—30 times.

With this in mind, it is no ___that so many people grow up to be failures or less than successful. Today’s society ___us this way. We simply do not believe we can win. Personally, I was ___. While I grew up, my parents, teachers and classmates gave me tons of inspiration and ___to pursue my creative abilities in both music and art. My wife taught in public school for over three decades, ___my skills and knowledge to develop. Although we are by no ___financially independent, by working at home and being ____to our three children, I feel extremely successful in my quality of life.

I have always believed “true living” is ____each day to work at what you love to do more than ____else in the world. But, most people become programmed — work hard and make a living whether they ____doing the work or not — perhaps at the ____of life.

In order to be truly ____financially, emotionally and spiritually, you’ve got to be filled with ____for what you are doing. Talent is a gift, but it must first be ____, then developed. Once this passion grows into a highly trained skill, you will become an extremely knowledgeable and a highly ____specialist.

To identify your talent, you must first search for your major ____. When you find something you truly love doing, study and training seem ____.