佚名/Anonymous
When I was younger, I thought that to love one's self was vanity and not a virtuous trait.
As I have grown older, that belief has passed away, as have so many others. There is a vast deviation between being vain and loving one's self.
We are all in this world together striving for more or less the same things. To contribute and have our lives count for something. To love and be loved, to laugh and... yes, to cry.
We seek shelter, nourishment, a mate, warmth, clothing, family, friends; we seek approval, love and self-esteem. We are all imperfect. Often during our search we forget to simply enjoy what life is. We become so caught up in what could have been, what should be, what might be, that many of our todays are lost. Let yesterday rest, live for today, hope and dream for your tomorrows.
If there is some part of you that lessens your self-image, some part of you that prevents you from loving yourself, change it, for only you can. Life is filled with things we have no control over, but ourselves, we can control. You are the clay, you are the sculptor and you have the ability to create a masterpiece. The shape and form are there. You have only to refine the work.
Is the task an easy one? No. There will be sips and flaws and you will be required to work and rework just as a sculptor must rework the clay before the piece is completed. Should the sculptor throw out the piece condemning it as worthless because of a blemish or nick? Of course not, where then would all the world's treasured art be? I doubt we would have any. How many masterpieces do you think have been created in one fell-swoop, a first effort completely successful without error, without change? Is it possible we fail to see that mankind is the most marvelous of all works of art? A living, continuous, developing work of art.
How often have you heard the question "what is the human race coming to"? The answer, in my mind at least, is whatever we make it, for we are the weavers of tomorrow. You are a treasure, beyond price, one of a kind, irreplaceable. Not perfect but well on your way to being a masterpiece, Do not let your yesterdays hinder tomorrow's achievements.
Again, I say to you that these words are merely feelings and thoughts, one person's outlook and subject to change with tomorrows setting sun, as I too continue to sculpt the lump of clay given to me at birth, called self.
小時候，我總覺得自愛是一種虛榮，不是優點。
長大後，像很多人一樣，我逐漸摒棄了這種觀念。虛榮和自愛之間有著天壤之別。
我們都在人世間努力奮鬥，所追尋的或多或少有幾分相似：奉獻，讓我們的人生有價值，愛與被愛，歡笑甚至……哭泣。
我們尋求庇護所、食物、伴侶、溫暖、衣服、家庭、朋友；追求讚賞、愛情和自尊。我們都不完美。通常，在追求過程中，我們忘記了生活中細微的快樂。過分沉溺在過去，專注在未來，和其他一切可能，結果我們的今天反而遺失了。讓昨天長眠吧，活在今天，來期待和夢想明天。
如果某些部分有損你的形象，妨礙你去愛自己，隻要你能夠，就改變它吧！生活中有太多控製不了的事，但是我們對自己，卻可以控製。你是黏土，同時也是雕刻家，你有能力創造一幅傑作。模型和樣板已經形成，你要做的隻是精雕細琢。
這個任務輕鬆嗎？不，它有瑕疵和缺陷，你需要堅持不懈地努力，像一個雕刻家那樣在作品完成之前，反複雕琢。雕塑家難道會因為某件作品有一點瑕疵或裂痕，就認為該作品毫無價值，而將之拋棄嗎？當然不會，那樣的話，世間還有藝術珍品嗎？我想一件都沒有。你想想，會有多少傑作在創造的過程中是毫無缺陷、沒有經過任何改動、一蹴而就的呢？我們怎能看不見所有藝術品中最最珍品的人類呢？他才是最有生命力、生生不息的傑作。
多少次，你聽到一個這樣的問題：人類將何去何從？至少在我看來，這個答案要看我們的創造，因為是我們在編織未來。你就是無價之寶，萬事萬物中無可替代。盡管身為傑作，我們並不完美，但別讓昨天阻礙你明天的成就。
再重申一次，這些言語隻是我個人的感受和想法，人的思想會隨著明天的日落而改變，盡管我也在繼續雕琢這塊與生俱來的泥塑，它就叫做自我。
trait[treit]n.特征；特點；特性；品質
One of his less attractive traits is criticizing his wife in public.
他有個不大討人喜歡的特點，就是愛當眾責備妻子。
deviation[?di:vi?ei??n]n.偏差；偏離；背離
A deviation from a vertical or horizontal line, plane, position, or direction.
傾角來自垂直或水平線、麵、位置或方向的偏差。
lessen[?lesn]v.減少；變小；減輕
What can we do to lessen her vexation?
我們做些什麽才能減輕她的煩惱呢？
blemish[?blemi?]n.汙點；缺點
The slightest blemish can reduce the market value.
隻要有一點最小的損害都會降低市場價值。
讓昨天長眠吧，活在今天，來期待和夢想明天。
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生活中有太多控製不了的事，但是我們對自己，卻可以控製。
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盡管身為傑作，我們並不完美，但別讓昨天阻礙你明天的成就。
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We are all in this world together striving for more or less the same things.
strive for：奮鬥；爭取
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To contribute and have our lives count for something.
count for：有價值；有重要性