I’m a TV show host. One Sunday, I took my7-year-old daughter by the sea for lunch. On arriving at the beach, I saw JoJo, a wealthy man in the hotel business. We sat down to chat in an open air café.

Suddenly our conversation was interrupted（中断）by a stranger, who politely asked permission(容许) to speak to me. Often people want to tell me something about my controversial（有争议的）TV show, when I’m out on the streets.

He asked to speak to me privately, so we stood a bit away from my table. He said, “I’m James, 35 years old, father of a 7-year-old girl, who’s very sick. She needs treatment abroad. The doctors said that if she was treated in the UK, she would probably survive. But I’m poor, so can you please help me?”

Speechless, I stared in the man’s eyes full of tears and asked how I could help. After we talked for a while, I went to sit back at the table. JoJo asked me,“What’s wrong with you? Your face changed.” I told him. JoJo was very sorry for this family and said I had the means through the media to help him. Later we headed off to our destinations.

All weekend I thought about James, his daughter and his family. I even considered doing a special TV show to raise money for this sick child.

On Monday morning I was at the office after I finished presenting my show, when my secretary said a man needed to speak to me. It was JoJo. He walked into my office. Actually JoJo is so busy with his hotel business that I never imagined he had time to come and see me at the studios.

“Please, call the man with the sick child and tell him that I’ll pay all expenses for his sick daughter’s treatment,”JoJo said, with a check in his hand. “I’ve been married for 35 years. I wasn’t lucky enough to have a child. I want to help this child now.” I picked up the phone to call James.

Now James’ daughter is well and living a normal life. JoJo often visits her. I’m so happy that there are so many good people on this earth.

One key to getting along well with people is knowing when to say you’re sorry. But it’s hard to apologize.【小题1】 Sometimes we just don’t know how to do it. Here are some tips that may make it easier to say you’re sorry.

【小题2】 The first step in apologizing is to admit to yourself that you have offended someone. And then it’s important to let the person you hurt know that you didn’t mean to do harm. At the same time, you must show that you take your mistakes seriously. Recognize that your actions caused a problem for the other person.

Show your regret. The other person needs to see that you have suffered, too.【小题3】 For instance, “I felt bad the minute I told your secret. I am ashamed of myself.”

Repair the damage.【小题4】 If you damaged someone’s property, offer to fix it. If the damage isn’t so obvious, ask, “What can I do to make it up to you?” There may be nothing concrete(具体的）you can do, but the offer must be sincere. “I’ll try to keep my mouth shut in the future. Meanwhile, let me buy you a cup of coffee.” Another way to repair the damage is to send a note or a small gift.

Use good timing.【小题5】 For example, if you bump(碰撞）into someone, say you’re sorry right away. Don’t wait until the next day to apologize. However, if you have done something more serious, like insulting (侮辱）a friend, your apology should be more thoughtful. A quick apology might seem insincere. Take the time to sit down, look the person in the eye, and apologize honestly.

Remember, it’s not about who “won” or “lost”. It’s about keeping a strong friendship.

If you feel at present that you don’t have enough friends in your life, one reason may be that you have let yourself become too busy to make time for the relationships you already have. Starting and keeping friendship requires effort and commitment.

Many of us let our lives become so busy with work and other responsibilities that we don’t get around to scheduling time for pleasure and renewal（叙旧）with the friends, relatives and acquaintances we already have.

Making the effort to call your friends more regularly and to accept more of their invitations you receive from others can improve your social life in a hurry!

Are there any people you could call right now and be sure to receive a pleasant welcome? Are there people that you could count onto help you in time of difficulty? Can you have close talks with them? Do you have fun when you are together? Are you happy to have them in your life?

If you haven’t seen much of them lately, is it because you have become too busy? Have you grown apart? Was there an argument?

If the main reason you haven’t been getting together with the people you already know is that   you have got too busy，take a good look at how you spend your time. Compare it with your real values and priorities（优先考虑的事）in life. Is your busy lifestyle really bringing you the quality of life that you want?

If you have become too busy for friends, why has this happened? Are you seeking material toys in your life at the expense of relationships with other human beings? Have you allowed your time to be over spent because you never say “No” to anyone? Do you insist on doing things yourself that could be appointed to others? If so, why? Do you believe that everything depends on you?

Examine whether the way you are now spending your time accurately reflects your deepest values and priorities. Make sure that you schedule adequate time for the things that are truly most important to you.

If you really want to keep friends in your life, make a space in your schedule, and a space in your heart for them.