Looking back at my younger years, I am sometimes amazed at how life has turned out. Nothing is exactly what I had originally planned for. The only thing that stays the same is who I am, my values, and my interests. If I could go back in time and hang out with my younger self for a day, here’s what I would tell her.

回首年輕的時候，有時我會驚訝于生活的變遷。一切都不是我最初計劃的樣子，唯一不變的是我自己、我的價值觀和我的興趣。如果我能回到過去和年輕時的自己漫步一整天，下面就是我要對自己說的。

1. Everything happens for a reason.

一切事情都有原因。

Without mistakes and failure, you would never have learned. Without pain, you would never have grown. Once you understand this，you will know that everything comes in to serve a purpose. So don’t stress or think that life is unfair, because everything happens for a reason. And only time will tell what it will teach us.

要是沒有錯誤和失敗，你就不會學到東西;要是沒有痛苦，你就不會長大。一旦你明白了這些，你就知道了一切事情都是為了某種目的而發生。所以不要緊張或者認為生活不公平，因為一切事情都有原因，只有時間能訴說教會了我們什么。

2. Focus on one thing at a time. You can have it all but not all at once.

一次只關注一件事。你將會擁有一切，但不能一次就全部實現。

It is not surprising that many of us are doing too many things at once. We need to make ends meet. But if you are working three jobs at a time, it is not likely that you will succeed at any of them. You have to keep your eyes on the big picture. You have to ask yourself what exactly do you want to achieve for the next 10 years? Focus on one thing at a time. Achieve your goals one by one.

我們中有很多人會同時做超多事情，這并不奇怪，我們需要養家糊口。但如果你同時做3份工作，每份工作你都不可能做好。你要著眼于大局，問問自己未來10年究竟想要達到什么目標。一次只做一件事，讓目標一個接一個實現。

3. You can plan ahead, but your plan will definitely change when the time comes.

你可以提前計劃，但計劃沒有變化快。

You can plan ahead because sometimes planning ahead can give you a clearer direction of where you want to go. However, plans will almost always change, so be prepared!

你可以提前做好計劃，因為有時提前做計劃能讓你更加明確自己前進的方向。然而計劃總是會變，所以你要有心理準備!

4. Trust your instincts.

相信自己的直覺。

Don’t worry too much about a decision you have to make. Just do what feels right. You know what you want. You might consult other people. But deep down, you know what you want. Do what makes you happy. Because at the end of the day, even if you follow logic, you will want to quit and follow your heart.

做決定時不要過于擔心，就做你認為對的事，你知道自己想要什么。你可能要咨詢他人，但內心深處你知道自己想要什么。做讓你開心的事，因為到最后，即使你的決定符合邏輯也會想放棄，然后追隨你的心。

5. It’s okay to be unsure about your purpose in life.

生活目標不明確也沒關系。

You might be graduating or have hit a turning point with your career. You might feel a bit lost and unsure of where to go. It’s okay. Go out there and try as many different things as you can. Don’t ever feel like you’re wasting your time. Enjoy the journey. Don’t rush. Every little path will lead you somewhere. And looking back, you will be able to connect the dots. It will all make sense.

你可能正面臨畢業或事業遇到轉折點，你可能會感覺有點迷失、找不到方向，沒關系，走出去盡可能多嘗試不同的事情。不要覺著自己是在浪費時間。享受過程，不要著急，每條路都會把你帶向遠方。回首時你就能把點點滴滴聯系在一起，發現一切都有意義。

6. Don’t try too hard with people.

與人交往不能強求。

Don’t worry if you feel like it’s hard to make new friends. Just be yourself and be as open as you can. It might take a while until you find new best friends and a mate for life, but when you do, you will know it. It’s not hard work. So, just do your thing and be yourself.

如果你感覺很難交到新朋友也不必擔心，只要做好你自己、盡可能真誠就可以。可能需要一段時間你才能找到新的最好的朋友和終生伴侶，但當你找到了你就知道，這一點也不難。所以你要做好自己的事、做好你自己。

7. Take of leap of faith in yourself.

提高自信。

You’ve got nothing to lose but everything to gain. If you fail, you’ll become smarter; If you succeed, you’ll gain even more self-confidence and the emotional and financial rewards. See life as a progressive journey. And you’ll most certainly achieve anything you set your mind to.

你沒什么可失去的，但你可以贏得一切。如果你失敗了，你會變得更精明;如果你成功了，你會獲得更多自信以及精神和金錢上的回報。把生活看成一個發展的過程，才最有可能做成你一心想做的事。