My family moved into our home nine years ago. We spent a lot of time and energy in the yard to get it looking like the way it does today. In front of the house, the rocks appear to be just thrown up onto the dirt as if someone were in a hurry to finish. We called this area our “rock garden”. Denise and I would also plant some flowers between the rocks, just to bring some color to the area.

Last summer I found, in the rock garden, a tiny little plant that I could not immediately identify. I knew I didn’t plant it and Denise said she didn’t either. We decided to let it continue growing until we could figure out what it was.

Weeks passed and as I made my way back to the strange plant, it appeared to be a sunflower. It looked thin and tall with only one head on it. I decided to baby it along and weed(除杂草)around it. As I pulled rocks from the area to get to the weeds, I noticed something unusual. The sunflower had not started where I saw it begin. It actually had begun under a big rock and grown under and around it to reach the sun.

That’s when I realized that if a tiny little sunflower didn’t allow a big rock to stand in its way of developing, we too have the ability to do the same thing. Once we believe in ourselves like that little sunflower, we can attain the same nourishment(养分)for growth as well.

Stand tall like the sunflower and be proud of who and what we are, then the environment will begin to support us. We will find a way to go under or around any “rocks” in order to achieve our goals.

What's the easiest way to stay warm in the super cold？【小题1】. At least that's what Santa Claus told me.

Over Christmas, Dennis and I went to Finland. We brought back some tips for keeping warm in a cold temperature.

Three layers（层）work wonders.

Start with the base layer, which sits right on your skin: choose something absorbent（有吸收力的）.【小题2】.

A sweater is a good choice. The most important layer is the outer clothes, which should be waterproof（防水的）and windproof.

【小题3】.

You lose heat from every millimeter of uncovered skin, which was the biggest lesson I learned on the trip. My whole body was well covered. But I missed one spot: my face. So it often felt like the wind was going to blow my nose off.

Exercise and don't just stand still.

When it's cold, exercising may be the last thing you feel like doing, but be smart.【小题4】. When we first got to Finland, we were freezing. But after a couple of minutes jumping around, we felt less cold.

Have a heater.

You may want to turn it on all the way up, but it's best to keep it between 18 and 20 degrees.【小题5】. Remember not to create a huge difference between inside and outside.

We live in a culture that encourages us to be strong and independent, but is it possible that we have gone too far?

Over-independence is the belief that you are the only person you can depend on. 【小题1】 For example, you have depended on someone in the past and been let down, so, as a result, you have a “if you want something done, you have to do it yourself” mind.

【小题2】 One day, I had just come back from a funeral(葬礼) when a friend called me to see how I was. Being so used to being very over-independent at that point, I said he didn't need to worry. Hours later, he turned up at my door simply saying, “I thought you might want a hug.” He was right. 【小题3】

What I ignored was that the great pressure I put on myself to do everything alone was blocking me from forming real and close connections, because in order to ask for help, you need to trust others and let them in.

【小题4】 But living a life where you don't give anyone a chance to be there for you is extremely lonely, and not the solution. Humans are sociable creatures. With our communities getting smaller and smaller, and our dependence on others becoming greater, it can be really easy to feel alone. 【小题5】 When you feel like no one cares, text someone who you love. The more you give them a roadmap on how to help you, the more they can. So feel free to ask someone for support, and it is so worth it.