I’ve been writing now for 34 years. It all started when I was just 18 years old.

As a boy growing up, I probably read hundreds of books. I read mysteries, science fiction, thrillers, and just about any other type of book I could find. I had a thirst for knowledge that never seemed to disappear, no matter how many books I read over the years. Then suddenly, I found that I too had ideas of my own that I wanted to write and share. I wanted to share things that were full of goodness, love, joy, and happiness. I tried to ignore my desire at first, but as any writer will tell you, once ideas awaken inside of you, they don’t leave you alone until you write them down. I didn’t have a computer, or even a typewriter, but I grabbed a pen and a notebook and wrote down everything that was burning inside of me.

When I was finally done, I didn’t know how to share my work with the world. There was no internet back then, no smartphones, and no social media. However, I sought out (找到) the editor of my local newspaper and asked if he would like to print what I’d written. He was a good man, full of both wisdom and kindness. He not only printed my first story but agreed to publish anything else I was willing to write.

After that, of course, nothing could stop me. I continued to write new articles each week, which were published in different local papers and later on the internet. Years later, I even self-published two collections of my stories in book form.

Through my writing, I slowly became a better person. Writing allowed me to discover the goodness and light that exist in us all. I also found that we are all writers, whether we put pen to paper or not.

With every choice we make, with every thought we think, and with every action we take, we are writing our own life story.

Robert and Henry were going home for lunch from school when, on turning a corner, Robert cried out, “A fight! Let’s go and see!”

“No.” said Henry, “let’s go home quietly and not meddle with(参与) this fight. We have nothing to do with it, and may get into trouble. ”

“You are a coward, and afraid to go,” said Robert, and off he ran. Henry went straight home, and in the afternoon went back to school, as usual. But Robert had told all the boys that Henry was a coward, and they laughed at him a great deal.

However, Henry knew that true courage was far more than that. He knew that he should be afraid of nothing but doing wrong.

A few days later, Robert was swimming with some schoolmates and got out of his depth. He struggled and cried for help, but nobody answered. The boys who had called Henry a coward got out of the water as fast as they could and did not even try to help him.

Robert was going down fast when Henry threw off his clothes and jumped into the water. He reached Robert just in time. With great effort, and with much danger to himself, he brought Robert to the riverbank and saved his life.

Robert and his schoolmates were ashamed of having called Henry a coward. They realized that he had more courage than all of them.

Never be afraid to do good, but always fear to do bad.