I was cycling and noticed a person, about a quarter of a kilometer in front of me. I could tell he was cycling a little slower than me and ______ to catch up with him. I had about a kilometer to go on the road before turning off.

So I ______ cycling faster and faster and every ______ I was gaining on him just a little bit. After just a few minutes I was only about 100 yards behind him, so I really picked up the pace and ______ myself. You would have thought I was cycling in the last section of London Olympic triathlon.

______ , I caught up with him and passed him by. On the inside I felt so ______ . I beat him, of course, but he didn’t even know we were ______ .

After I passed him, I ______ that I had been so focused on competing against him that I had ______ my turn. I had gone nearly six blocks past it and had to turn around and go all the way back.

Isn’t that what happens in life when we ______ competing with co-workers, neighbors and friends? We spend our time and ______ chasing after them and we miss out on our own ______ to our future.

The ______ of unhealthy competition is that it’s a never-ending ______ , and there will always be somebody ahead of you.

Therefore, just take what life has given you. There’s no ______ in life. Run your own race and wish others well!

At that time, I was a housewife raising three small children. My life_______around taking care of my children and finding ways to stretch a dime into a dollar to pay the bills, but money was always_______.

I really loved being with my kids and I was willing to make whatever sacrifice for my kids , but I wanted to go to_______ and get my archaeology degree. For several years, I had always said I was going to learn it_______no one believed I actually would. So I eventually decided to give up my_______.

One day my brother came to visit and talked about our future. While chatting, I mentioned my_______dream. Looking into my eyes with great expectation, he said, "Why not?"

Over the next few weeks, I just kept_______our conversation in my head. Yes, I could make a long list of reasons why I couldn't become an archaeologist. Strangely, however , these reasons seemed more like_______.

I started questioning why I was so willing to_______a challenge. Finally, I realized that if I didn't at least try to__________my goals, I was going to regret my__________for the rest of my life.

So I started taking university classes. I got a part-time job on weekends so that my husband could watch the kids while I was working. I even took a few late -night classes so that my children would not require day care and would never come back to a（n）__________house.

Seven years later, I__________a graduate degree and became an archaeologist.__________, I found that as I reached towards my goals through__________and difficulties, I became happier and more confident. In this way , my brother changed my life. Perhaps, you can also change your life by asking yourself "Why not?"

A few days ago, I observed a teenager doing yard work that his dad had told him to do. Instead of doing the task _________, he wandered around there for hours, complaining to himself and doing a bad job.

The person he _________ the most was he. His dad was trying to teach him _________ and how to do a good job. As a result of his _________ attitude, he spent the whole afternoon finishing a task that should have taken one or two hours. And the yard still wasn’t _________ enough when he got through.

He _________ his day because of his attitude. And his dad was _________ with him, and the boys bad mood ended up _________ the whole family that day.

A sweet lady was working in a fast-food _________. The minute I walked in, she welcomed me __________. She smiled as she took my order, and then as we __________ for the food，she talked with me. As I walked off with my tray (托盘), she said with a big __________, “I hope you have a blessed day!” I think the food tasted better because of her __________. There was a delay, during which I sat there hearing her singing as she __________ her tasks behind the counter.

She wasn’t making a large salary, and she didn’t have a powerful __________, either. In addition, she stood on her feet for a long shift each day, often dealing with __________ customers. But she chose to be joyful.

I want to __________ from her. I want to do my best, even when there’s no __________ or glory. Other people are watching me even though I might not __________ it at the time. I want to bring joy to all those around me. A(n) __________ can make a great difference.