When I was in my thirties, I had a good job in the marketing division of a Fortune 500 company. However, after working for this first-class company for fourteen years, I got to thinking about what it would be like to design a job around what I enjoyed most while using my strongest skills. I hoped to spend the next stage of my career doing what I loved most and spend more time with the people I loved most — my wife and sons.
Then at 37, I had a window of opportunity to chase my dream — to run a home-based business. Without hesitation, I pulled the plug and started my advertising and speechwriting business in June 1991. My wife was a stay-at-home mom, so I would sacrifice (牺牲) our only income and insurance (保险) for nothing more than a dream. Yet, after conducting lots of research, reading books on how to start this type of business, calling the authors for additional details, and freelancing (从事自由职业) for ad agencies and design firms to ensure I could write on any subject, this goal slowly went from impossible to possible.
Looking back, I think it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. While working with different clients (客户) and sharpening my writing skills on various subjects, I watched my sons grow up for ten years, played hundreds of unscheduled backyard baseball games, and enjoyed countless father-son chats while walking around the block.
Henry David Thoreau once said, “The price of anything is the amount of life you exchange for it.” Now, based on my own experiences, I understand how plausible this statement is. Life provides windows of opportunity — but they close quickly. For me, to remain in my former company during this “window” came at a price too high. Never will I be willing to exchange more of my family life for my professional life.
【小题1】Why did the author decide to start a home-based business?| A．To make more money. | B．To spend more time with his family. |
| C．To share the housework with his wife. | D．To prove himself a successful businessman. |
| A．He took a writing course. | B．He attended a business school. |
| C．He sought advice from his family. | D．He talked with some book authors. |
| A．Funny. | B．Reasonable. | C．Surprising. | D．Unbelievable. |
| A．Work can bring a better life | B．Every job is worthy of respect |
| C．Every decision comes with a price | D．Opportunities and risks go hand in hand |
