佚名/Anonymous
When I was nine years old living in a small town in North Carolina, I found all ad for selling greeting cards in the back of a children's magazine. I thought to myself I can do this. I begged my mother to let me send for the kit. Two weeks later when the kit arrived, I ripped off the brown paper wrapper, grabbed the cards and dashed from the house. Three hours later, I returned home with no card and a pocket full of money proclaiming, "Mama, all the people couldn't wait to buy my cards!" A salesperson was born.
When I was twelve years old, my father took me to see Zig Zigler. I remembered sitting in that dark auditorium listening to Mr. Zigler raise everyone's spirits up to the ceiling. I left there feeling like I could do anything. When we got to the car, I turned to my father and said. "Dad, I want to make people feel like that." My father asked me what I meant. "I want to be a motivational speaker just like Mr. Zigler," I replied. A dream was born.
Recently, I began pursuing my dream of motivating others. After a 4-year relationship with a major fortune 100 company beginning as a sales trainer and ending as a regional sales manager, I left the company at the height of my career. Many people were astounded that I would leave after earning a six-figure income. And they asked why I would risk everything for a dream.
I made my decision to start my own company and leave my secure position after attending a regional sales meeting. The vice-president of our company delivered a speech that changed my life. He asked us," If a genie would grant you three wishes what would they be?" After giving us a moment to write down the three wishes, he then asked us," Why do you need a genie?" I would never forget the empowerment I felt at that moment.
I realized that everything I had accomplished—the graduate degree, the successful sales career, speaking engagements, training and managing for a fortune 100 company had prepared me for this moment. I was ready and did not need a genie's help to become a motivational speaker.
When I tearfully told my boss my plans, this incredible leader whom I respect so much replied, "Precede with reckless abandon and you will be successful."
Having made that decision, I was immediately tested. One week after I gave notice, my husband was laid off from his job. We had recently bought a new house and needed both incomes to make the monthly mortgage payment and now we were done to no income. It was tempting to turn back to my former company, knowing they wanted me to stay but I was certain that if I went back, I would never leave. I decided I still wanted to move forward rather than end up with a mouth full of "if onlys" later on. A motivational speaker was born.
When I held fast to my dream, even during the tough times, the miracles really began to happen. In a short period my husband found a better job. We didn't miss a mortgage payment. And I was able to book several speaking engagements with new clients. I discovered the incredible power of dreams. I loved my old job, my peers and the company I left, but it was time to get on with my dream. To celebrate my success I had a local artist paint my new office as a garden. At the top of one wall she stenciled, "The world always makes way for the dreamer."
9歲時，我住在北卡羅來納州的一個小鎮上。在一本兒童雜誌的封底，我看到一則招聘賀卡推銷員的廣告。我認為自己能勝任。征得母親的同意後，我讓人把全套貨物送來。兩周後，貨到了，我把棕色包裝紙撕開，抓起卡片，就衝了出去。三個小時後，卡片賣光了，我的口袋裏裝滿了錢，我跑回家高喊著：“媽媽，人們都爭先恐後地買我的賀卡！”一個推銷員就這樣誕生了。
12歲時，父親帶我拜訪齊格·齊格勒先生。記得那時我們坐在昏暗的禮堂裏聽齊格勒先生演說，他的話激勵了所有人，大家的情緒都很高昂。離開時，我覺得自己無所不能了。上車後，我對父親說：“爸爸，我也想讓人們有這樣的感覺。”父親問我是什麽意思。“我想成為齊格勒先生那樣的動員演說者。”我答道。一個夢想就這樣誕生了。
最近，我開始鼓動他人，激勵他們實現自己的夢想。在這之前的四年裏，我在一個擁有100家公司的財團工作。從一個銷售培訓員做到地區銷售經理，在事業達到巔峰時，我離開了公司。很多人不理解，我為什麽會放棄六位數的高薪，去冒險實現自己的夢想。
我是在參加了一次地區銷售會議後，決定離開安全港灣，自己開創公司的。在那次會議上，公司副總裁做的一次演說改變了我的命運。他問我們：“如果一個神仙能滿足你三個願望，你希望得到什麽？”他讓我們把自己的願望寫下來，然後問：“你們為什麽需要神仙呢？”那一刻，這句話讓我震撼不已，永生難忘。
我意識到自己擁有成功所具備的一切條件：畢業文憑、成功的銷售經驗、無數的演講經曆、在一個擁有100家公司的財團做過銷售培訓和管理工作。要成為一名動員演說者，我已經準備好了，無需神仙的幫助。
當我含淚把計劃告訴老板時，這位我所敬重的領導說出了令我出乎意料的話：“勇往直前吧！你一定會成功。”
我剛下定決心，便遇到了考驗。我辭職一周後，丈夫也失業了。我們剛買了一棟新房子，需要雙方用工資來支付每月的抵押貸款，可現在連一分錢的收入都沒有。此時我想重返公司，我知道他們仍會接納我，也知道一旦回去就很難再出來了，於是我下定決心繼續前行，絕不做一個滿口“如果”，卻不付諸行動的人。一個動員演說者誕生了。
我緊追自己的夢想。即使是在最艱苦的時候也不曾放棄，奇跡最終出現了。丈夫在較短的時間內找到了一份滿意的工作，我們連一個月的抵押貸款都沒拖欠。我也開始有新客戶預約演說了。我發現了夢想的無窮力量。我喜歡先前的工作、同事和離開的那家公司，但我實現夢想的時機已經成熟。為了慶賀成功，我請當地的一位藝術家把新辦公室改造成了一座花園，在一麵牆的頂端印了這樣一句話：“機會總是垂青有準備的人。”
proclaim[pr??kleim]v.宣布；公告；宣言
The trees begin to proclaim the change.
樹在宣告著一種變化的開始。
astound[?s?taund]v.驚駭；使……大吃一驚
The figures in that report astounded everyone.
那份報告中的數字讓每個人大吃一驚。
abandon[??b?nd?n]v.放棄；遺棄；沉溺
The next-best solution is to abandon the project altogether.
僅次於最佳的解決方法是放棄全部計劃。
stencil[?stensl]v.用模版印刷
Do you know how to stencil?
你會用模版印圖嗎？
勇往直前吧！你一定會成功。
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我緊追自己的夢想。即使是在最艱苦的時候也不曾放棄，奇跡最終出現了。
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我發現了夢想的無窮力量。
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機會總是垂青有準備的人。
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Two weeks later when the kit arrived, I ripped off the brown paper wrapper, grabbed the cards and dashed from the house.
rip off：扯掉；撕掉；猛地脫掉
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The vice-president of our company delivered a speech that changed my life.
deliver a speech：作報告；發表（講話、演說等）
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