An unpleasant smell came into my nose as the bowl of fried stinky tofu (臭豆腐) was placed on the dinner table. I pushed the dish away quickly.

“Come on! Just give it a try!” my grandmother said.

Holding my breath, I unwillingly took a bite (咬了一口). To my surprise, the tofu under the fried skin was warm, soft, and mouth-watering. After that, whenever I visited my grandmother’s house, I would rush to the kitchen for the stinky tofu with excitement. It became my favorite dish.

Along with the stinky tofu, I would meet my Uncle Chan on every visit. I never understood my uncle’s condition of Down syndrome (唐氏综合征). And I couldn’t understand his behavior, either. He often walked around the house, talking to himself. Whenever he appeared, I would run away in fear.

However, one day, my views about my uncle suddenly changed. I was just getting out of my bed when I heard soft steps coming up to the door. It was my uncle. My muscles froze (僵住). He slowly sat next to me and touched my face gently. I saw a beautiful smile on his face. I could not help but smile back. My fear was gone gradually, and my muscles relaxed. For the first time, I could see softness and warmth in his eyes.

My uncle is a lot like the stinky tofu. The outside and inside of the stinky tofu are two completely different worlds. Stinky tofu smells unpleasant outside but feels warm and soft inside. Like stinky tofu, my uncle’s Down syndrome made me scared at first. But I learned that deep inside, he has a loving and kind nature.

Nowadays, some people look down upon disabled people and they think the disabled can’t live a normal life. As I was unable to see through the outer surface of the tofu, these people are unable to see through the surface of prejudice (偏见).

Everyone has dreams and goals for the future. But why do you still end up with nothing? What separates successful people from the dreamers is their persistent (锲而不舍的) action. You will often find some of your lessons in school very hard. Try and keep trying, and you’ll be sure to successfully deal with any difficulty you meet with.

This is the formula (公式) for success:

Dream > Believe > Achieve

Most people have what they want (Dream) and think they can realize their dreams (Believe). But they do nothing. When they get tired waiting and lose a lot, they get bored.

I personally believe that if you really want to achieve your dreams and goals in life, you have to add one thing to your success formula:

Dream > Believe > Act > Achieve

For me, act is the most important thing for success, and that’s to Take Persistent Action (Act). “I’ll try” creates wonders. Let’s remember that there will be difficulties in our life. We must face them bravely and solve them. Most successful people made their dreams come true because of their persistent action.

Please remember: Action is the bridge that connects our dreams and goals to reality.

It was nearly dark. The sun was dropping down the mountains far away. Little Tom came back home, with tears in his eyes.

“What’s the matter, Tom? How’s your trip?” his mother asked with a big smile. “ I failed. The mountain was so high and full of big or small stones on the way. I still went ahead. But I was tired and it was so late that I had to come back,” Tom cried. “ It doesn’t matter. You are only 14 years old after all. You will have another chance,” his mother said. “But, standing at the top of the mountain is my dream!” Tom said. His father came over and asked, “ Did you see the green trees on your way to the mountain?” “Sure, and there were a lot of beautiful flowers by the side of the road,” Tom replied. “Did you hear the birds singing?” his father asked. “There were many kinds of birds singing in the trees, and the sound was very sweet,” Tom said. “Did you feel the beauty of nature?” his father asked. “Yes, the blue sky, the white clouds, the green trees and the colorful flowers made a nice picture,” Tom answered. “That’s enough!” his father smiled and said, “Please remember, my son. For often, achieving what you expect is not the most important thing. Although you didn’t reach the top of the mountain, you have got a lot on the way.”

It is true that not every goal will be achieved, not every job will end up with a success, and not every dream will come true. The most beautiful scenery is on the way.