When I left a company and started my own business, I thought I had it all figured out. When I made the decision to change my________and get fit, I thought I was on the right track. And when I purchased a second business, I assumed I was doing the right thing.________never occurred to me. I was all about making things happen.

During the next three years, I was________with work. But the busier I got, the less I________to accomplish. I even felt emotionally and physically________. When I visited the doctor, I was diagnosed(诊断)with Graves' disease, a disorder with________like physical anxiety, tiredness, etc. Dr. Joy advised me to do some________on Graves' disease and slow down a little.

Following the doctor's advice, I surfed the Internet and learned Graves' disease is often caused and________by stress. "How is your stress level?" I asked myself. The following day, the________resurfaced (重新露面)when I came across an old friend. After exchanging________, Cindy said, "You've taken on a lot. You'd better slow down and relax yourself."

I smiled. "I have to________that some of those projects I'm juggling(兼顾)are starting to get________."

"So, stop juggling and put something________. It's OK to tell people 'no'." With these words, she went away.

I wrote down everything I was juggling. My calendar was so filled with duties that I________had time to relax. I examined the________. It was clear that I didn't want to do it all. So I________to have white space on my schedule. I________using an orange highlighter(高光笔) to block out time for myself to________and focus on what's important.

I've learned to be________to myself. Every day I spend some alone time doing something interesting to________myself, which plays a big part in my well-being.

Growing Roots

When I was growing up,I had an old neighbour named Dr Gibbs.He didn’t look like any doctor I’d ____ known.When Dr Gibbs wasn’t ____ lives,he was planting trees.

The good doctor had some ____ theories on planting trees.He believed in “No pains,no gains.” He never ____ his new trees,which was ____ many people.Once I asked why.He ____ that watering plants spoiled them,and that if you water them,each following tree generation will ____ weaker and weaker.So you have to make things ____ for them.He talked about how watering trees could ____ shallow roots,and how trees that weren’t watered had to grow deep roots in ____ of water.I came to understand that he meant deep roots were to be ____.I planted a couple of trees and I took good care of them.Two years of ____ has resulted in trees that expect to be waited on hand and foot.Whenever a cold wind blows,they ____ and tremble their branches.Funny things about those trees of Dr Gibbs’.The lack of water seemed to ____ them in ways comfort and ease never could.

I used to ____ for my sons that their lives will be easy.But ____ I’ve been thinking that it’s time to ____ my prayer.I know my children are going to meet ____,and I’m praying they will be strong.The prayer for comfort is seldom met.What we need to do is to pray for deep roots,____ when the winds blow,we won’t be ____ away.

In the post-war era, re-gifting and returning gifts to shops were commonly occurring.My mother and Aunt Florence ran a_________. For them finding desirable stock (储备物) for the store was an adventure. But the greatest_________of all was getting the wanted items without taking too many_________ones ‘paired’ with them. This pairing resulted in a highly saleable item being paired with something that had to be heavily discounted just to move it off the shelves_________at a loss.

One item I particularly remember was an ugly ornament (饰物) framed in a horseshoe.My mother was shocked by its_________ . My aunt patiently explained she had to buy it to_________some attractive crockery sets (瓷器套装) in high demand. She had paid ten pounds for it and hoped to get five pounds for it. After briefly_________ it at ten pounds, she put it on our bargain table, expecting the crockery sets would sell quickly and cover the_________ on it.Several days later she managed to sell the ornament for three pounds to a value d customer who _________to give it to a neighbour, who loved horses.

The following Saturday, our family was invited to a 21st birthday party, and my father was     __________with buying a suitable gift from the jeweler in town. However, he delayed his __________because he had his car repaired. As a result, he __________a wrapped present from our own store’s stock. Little did he know that it was the __________ .

At the party, as the presents were__________, my mother held my shoulder tightly when she saw the ornament. The__________of our family, the gift’s original purchaser, and the recipient’s (接受者) family were a mix of shock and__________. My father, realizing his mistake,__________that he thought it was a collector’s item due to the ten pound price tag.

The next day, realizing my mother discovered the ornament which had been sold had been returned by Sheila, the recipient’s mother, who __________a ten pound refund , Aunt Florence burst into laughter, though the relationship between the__________owners of the ornament sourced.