I was studying chemistry at college because my family thought it was the key to success. One day, my professor took me aside and asked a very simple question, “Why are you in my class when it’s obvious that you have little or no _______ in chemistry?”

I came up with an explanation by _______ pressure from my dad, but he knew it was just a /an ________ excuse. He gave me the following advice.

“Success can only be measured by oneself, and each of us is _______. Your success will not be the same as mine, as your neighbor’s or your parents’. There is no secret formula(公式), no examination you have to _______, and no guarantee, but there is a secret ingredient—_______. To be successful in life in the broadest sense, you must pursue your passion. _______ it is fixing cars or exploring the world, you must be passionate about your _______ and set a path to achieve it. Only then will you find true _______.”

Since I was just nineteen years old, that was pretty profound advice to ________, but I knew instinctively (本能地) that he was ________. I made a conscious self-examination of my short life to ________ where my passion was hiding. It was so ________ that even my kid sister could have told me my true passion was music. It was in my genes. I could play the piano by ear, but had ________ considered music as a hobby.

Could I be a successful musician? Or a songwriter? Or a music critic? There was only one way to find out, so I took my professor’s ________ and switched to the university’s music school. I studied harmony and composition, learned how to play a clarinet(单簧管) and ________ the symphony orchestra. I felt as though I was on top of the world, and that ________ has never left me.

I’m now fifty-four years old, and a very happy and ________ man. As I look at the walls of my small office, I still get a thrill at seeing the records I ________, the photos of the famous musicians I was lucky enough to play with, and the praises from many of the finest instrumentalists in the world who I am honored to call my friends.

Life was a long journey, and not a/an ________ one, but I followed my passion and succeeded.

I read this story shared by Michelle, who recently passed away:

"One morning when I was little, my father took me to the fishing dock. But_________fishing, we just sat on one _________   watching the other children fishing with their parents. An hour went by and we left without ever   _________ a single fishing line into the water.

On the_________ home, I told my father I would never _________ him for being so mean to me. He asked smilingly,"Did you see the smiles on those children's faces?''I don't really _________! I just want to fish like them!' I responded angrily, but he _________my words and kept driving.

Such experiences repeated throughout my childhood and my father never _________why. But actually he didn't need to. Years later, when I found myself volunteering at a local homeless_________, I suddenly realized that those ____________ spent sitting on that dock was the very point ____________ I learned how to love."

Michelle's last story makes me think...

Honestly, too often we overlook ____________ and rarely stop. Because we never learn that every passing face represents a story. Everyone has ____________ something that has forced them to ____________, adapt and grow. Everyone's smile has been earned. Their issues are____________as significant and worthwhile as ____________we're going through.

Pausing occasionally to____________people around us will open our mind. ____________in their happiness will open our heart. If choosing to spend time pausing instead of bypassing quickly—to truly ____________and listen, we can learn so much… about ourselves, about each other, and even about real ____________.

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

The person he hurt the most was himself. 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 _______ wasn't clean enough when he got through.

He_______his day because of his attitude. And his dad was _______with him, and the boy's 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, 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________ I might not realize it at the time. I want to bring joy to all those around me. A(n)________can make a great difference.