For years, I played around with writing. I wrote when I felt like it. Then one day, a friend asked what my dream was. When I said it was to be a writer, he said these words that changed my life, “You don’t have to want to be a writer. You are a writer; you just need to write.” So I started calling myself a writer. Everywhere I went, I introduced myself as “Jeff Goins, Writer,” and even put it in email signatures and on my Facebook page. And you know what? I started acting like it. Eventually, I even began to believe it. It turns out that sometimes you do have to fake it before you make it.

The lesson here is simple: If you wait for someone to give you permission to start pursuing your dream, you’ll be waiting for a long time. You have to begin before you think you’re ready.

After I decided to pursue my dream, I still had to find the time to do it. Working a full-time job and having a wife and other things to do, I didn’t have unlimited free time. I had to find time to write. For me, that meant getting up early. Like, 5:00 a. m. early. Every morning, I would wake up, get my coffee, and write for two hours. At first, this was difficult;I had to force myself out of bed and downstairs before the sun rose. But eventually, it became habitual. I did it without even thinking about it. And soon, what started as a discipline became a daily joy.

By doing this, I learned the excuse I had given myself — “I don’t have enough time” — wasn’t true. I did have enough time; it was just hiding in “inconvenient” places.

These days, most people I meet are talking about their dreams. For example, they want to bravely pursue a successful career. However, they’re doing it all wrong. They think they need to take a huge leap out into the unknown when, in fact, the opposite is true. So if you have a dream, just take action. And don’t say you don’t have time for it.

Is smile just a facial expression? Of course not! It is not only used to express pleasure, affection, and friendliness, but also the commonest way to show our good will perfectly without saying anything. A Chinese saying runs: "Never hit a person who is smiling at you." It is a time-proven fact that smile is a language all its own — a universal language — understood by the people of every nation in the world. We may not speak the same tongue as our foreign neighbors, but we smile in the same tongue. We need no interpreter for thus expressing love, happiness, or good will.

One day while shopping in a small town in southern California, it was my misfortune to be approached by a clerk whose personality conflicted with mine. He seemed quite unfriendly and not at all concerned about my intended purchase. I bought nothing, and marched angrily out of the store. On the outside stood a young man in his early twenties. His expressive brown eyes met and held mine, and in the next instant a beautiful, brilliant smile covered his face. The magic power of that smile made all bitterness within me melt, and I found the muscles in my own face happily responding. "Beautiful day, isn't it?" I remarked, in passing. Then, obeying an impulse (冲动), I turned back. "I really owe you a debt of gratitude," I said softly. His smile deepened, but he made no attempt to answer. A Mexican woman and two men were standing nearby. The woman stepped forward and eyed me inquiringly. "Carlos, he no speak English," she volunteered. "You want I should tell him something?" At that moment I felt changed. Carlos' smile had made a big person of me. My friendliness and good will toward all mankind stood ten feet tall. "Yes," my reply was enthusiastic and sincere, "Tell him I said, 'Thank you!'" "Thank you?" The woman seemed slightly confused.

I gave her arm a friendly pat as I turned to leave. "Just tell him that." I insisted. "He'll understand. I am sure!"

Oh, what a smile can do! Although I have never seen that young man again, I shall never forget the lesson he taught me that morning. From that day on, I became smile-conscious, and I practice the art diligently, anywhere and everywhere, with everybody.

Jacqueline Nyetipei Kiplimo’s dream of being a world-class runner began when she was a child in Kenya. She soon realized she had the talent and the willpower to compete. She also knew she would have to train full-time, which meant not being able to work to help support her family. But she was confident that she could bring home prize money.

Jacqueline traveled to China to compete in the Zhenkai marathon knowing she had a good shot at winning the race, but more importantly, the $ 10,000 prize that went with it. She was leading the women’s division when a male runner arrived at the water station at the 20-kilometer mark. The man was running at a good pace but had trouble drinking water because a birth disability had left him without hands, and he struggled to drink from the slippery plastic bottles. But any assistance from fans or race officials would result in his disqualification (取消资格). Jacqueline noticed the man and immediately knew that he needed help. She grabbed a water bottle and helped him get the water his body needed to complete the race. Then she ran at his pace with the bottle and helped him drink while they ran along.

Runner after runner passed Jacqueline. Her hopes of winning were getting lost in the crowd of runners ahead of her. With only 4 kilometers left in the race, and it was certain that her new friend would now finish. Jacqueline picked up her pace. Her long step kicked in, and she wove through her competitors to finish second.

That day, Jacqueline missed out on first place, but she finished with something more important: her good nature. When asked about the bigger cash prize, she said that money isn’t everything. She returned home with the smaller prize of second place, but to her seven younger brothers and sisters, she brought home something much more valuable: the right example.