Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling some five balls in the air. You name them—work, family, health, friends, and spirit, and you're keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back.
But the other four balls: family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffled, marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same.
You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?
Don't undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.
Don't set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you. Don't take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as you would to your life, for without them, life is meaningless.
Don't let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.
Don't give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.
Don't be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each together.
Don't be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.
Don't shut love out of your life by saying it's impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give it. The fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly. The best way to keep love is to give it wings.
Don't forget that a person's greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.
Don't run through life so fast that you forget not only where you've been, but also where you are going.
Don't be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.
Don't use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved.
Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored each step of the way. Yesterday is History, Tomorrow is a Mystery, and Today is a gift: That's why we call it—The Present.
【助读词汇】
-juggle v. 玩戏法
-irrevocably adv. 不能取消地，不能撤回地
-scuffle v. (鞋底等)磨损
-nick v. 刻痕于，弄缺，擦伤
-fragile adj. 易碎的，虚弱的
【参考译文】
设想生活就是一场游戏，在里面你得一直把五个球扔向空中。你把它们叫做——工作、家庭、健康、朋友和心理，而且你必须不让任何一个掉下来。很快你就会发现工作是个橡皮球，它能弹回来。
但是其他四个球：家庭、健康、朋友和心理全是玻璃做的。如果你掉了其中一个，它会无法挽回地磨损、刮痕、开裂、摔破，甚至粉身碎骨。不再和过去一样。
你必须明白这个道理，并且在生活中力求平衡。怎么样做？
不要和别人攀比从而低估你自己的价值。因为我们都不一样，我们都是特别的。
不要把别人珍视的设为你的目标。只有你自己知道什么最适合你。不要以为你能拥有自己最心爱的东西是理所当然的。紧紧抱住它们，就好像你拥抱生命一样，因为没有了它们，生命就失去了意义。
不要沉湎于过去，或幻想未来，让时间从你指缝中溜走。过好了每一天，你就过好了一生。
不要放弃，直到你一无所有。一切尚未结束，除非你停止努力。
不要害怕承认你并不完美。这是把我们联系在一起的一丝薄线。
不要害怕冒险。只有不断冒险我们才能变得勇敢。
不要嘴里念着爱难求而把爱拒之门外。想获得爱的捷径就是付出爱。想失去爱的最快方法就是紧紧拴住它。留住爱的最好方法就是给予它翅膀。
不要忘记一个人最大的心理需求就是被欣赏。
不要匆匆忙忙地过日子，那样你不仅会记不起你到达过的地方，而且会忘记你的目的地。
不要害怕学习。知识没有重量，你可以轻轻松松随时携带在身上。
不要乱用时间或话语。两者皆是复水难收。
生命不是一场赛跑，而是一次旅行，路上每一步都应当细细品味。昨天已成历史，明天还是个迷团，今天却是份礼物。这正是我们称它为present的原因（present有“当今”和“礼物”的意思——译者注）。
【人生启迪】
很多人都在追求成功的过程中不断地牺牲着生命中宝贵的东西，他们以为成功那天什么都有了。其实他们错了，事实上，他们只有把握好这些东西，成功才会来临。