英语美文：The Way to Success

Inevitably¹, we will meet a lot of crossings on the way of our lives. How to choose? The brewer²'s son, Jim Koch, endows（赋予） it novel thoughts. 

 

When Jim was a teenager, his father did everything he could to dissuade（劝阻） him from becoming a brewer, for his father's father and grandfather all spent their lives brewing³ beers.

 

So he studied hard and went to Harvard to study law and business simultaneously⁴. In his second year, he dropped out for he felt strongly that one cannot wait till 65 to do what he wants in life. He became an instructor⁵ of the wilderness-education program..

 

After over three years, he went back, finished Harvard and got a highly paid job at the Boston Consulting Group, where he stayed for five years. Still he was haunted by doubt, "Is this what I want to be doing when I am 50?"

 

He noticed that Americans pay good money for inferior beer. He thought why not to make good beer for Americans. Finally, he quitted his job and became a successful beer brewer.

 

As we all know, success is equal to talent plus effort (the former takes only 1 percent while the latter 99percent). However, in this story, success is endowed with new meanings. To try to find what you are interested in and activate⁶ it is that I learned from Jim. Everyone should introspect himself from time to time like Jim, especially after he was steadied in one position. "Feeling of impending⁷ crisis" is the essential equipment of a social man. One could not be suitable for a job in his whole life. For example, a man whose major is computer must keep learning as he works, for computer may change in one second. It is also true for other kinds of knowledge or techniques. Since one will become incompetent⁸ in his job, there are two ways which people usually choose: one is to try to improve himself to catch up with others still in this job; the other is to quit this job, and then find another one he is interested in. Both of them are meaningful only if the job is what one is interested in.

 

However, in our society, there are many people who work not for themselves, but for money, status, family and so on. If they find a job just like Jim, they will be inhibited⁹ in the thought of the high salary and the glorious prospect¹⁰ of the job without thinking of their interests. Then, what has caused it? Maybe Chinese education teaches us more on the aspect of getting a higher degree and earning more money than that of trying to find what we are interested in. Take me for example, I have chosen my major not according to my own interests, but in agreement with what kind of majors the society need. Although, as a diligent（勤勉的） girl, I know how to get a high mark in any subject, yet I feel at a loss towards my future.

 

I have heard a lecture made by an Internet manager who was successful in designing pictures on Internet. He didn't major in computer. He liked drawing. His wife was a skillful computer operator. Once he found the pictures on Internet, an idea sprouted¹¹ out: "Why couldn't I draw pictures on the computer?" His wife quite supported his idea, and helped him to learn computer knowledge. Finally, he succeeded. In the end of the lecture, he said: "If you have an interest, and endow it activated¹² meaning, you will be successful."

 

What is the meaning of "activated"? Only having interests is not enough. Jim became a brewer not like his father and grandfather, for he improved the quality of the beer, and was brave to promote sale of the new brand beer. That is, he didn't stay in the same place where his father stayed. He applied¹³ his wisdom into the undertaking¹⁴, and brought about his dreams. So "activated" means to put one's distinctive¹⁵ ideas in the enterprise of his interest, and use strength to prove its value. Therefore, we should not only find our interests, but also make them activated, then we will, someday, stand on the top of success.

 

Life is very long, so don't rush to make decisions. Find your interest, and activated it. Life will favor everybody.

 

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