In a university commencement address several years ago， Brian Dyson， CEO of Coca Cola Enterprises， spoke of the relation of work to ones other commitments：

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 youre 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 scuffed， marked， nicked， damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How？

Dont undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.

Dont set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.

Dont take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as they would be your life， for without them， life is meaningless.

Dont 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.

Dont give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.

Dont be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds us to each together.

Dont be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

Dont shut love out of your life by saying its 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； and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

Dont run through life so fast that you forget not only where youve been， but also where you are going.

Dont forget， a persons greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.

Dont be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless， a treasure you can always carry easily.

Dont 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： thats why we call it ‘The Present.

譯文

生命中的五個球

幾年前，在一所大學(xué)的開幕典禮中，可口可樂的首席執(zhí)行官布賴恩·戴森講到工作與其他義務(wù)的關(guān)系：

想象生命是一場不停丟擲五個球于空中的游戲。這五個球分別為工作、家庭、健康、朋友和心靈，而且你很努力地擲著這五個球，不讓它們落地。很快地你會了解工作是一個橡皮球。如果你不幸失手落下它，它還是會彈回來。

但是家庭、健康、朋友和心靈這四個球是用玻璃做成的。一旦你失手落下，它們可能會少了一角，留下無法挽回的記號、刻痕、損壞甚至碎落一地。它們將永遠(yuǎn)不會跟以前一樣。你必須了解這個道理，并且為平衡你的生命而努力。但要怎么才做得到呢？

別拿自己和他人比較，這只會降低了你原有的價值。因?yàn)槲覀兌际仟?dú)一無二的，因?yàn)槲覀兠恳粋€人都很特別。

別人認(rèn)為重要的事不一定是你的目標(biāo)。只有你才知道什么最適合你。

不要將貼近你的心的人、事物視為理所當(dāng)然的存在。你必須將他們視為你的生命一般好好地抓牢他們。沒有他們，生命將失去意義。

別讓你的生命總在依戀過去或是寄望未來中逝去。如果你活在每個當(dāng)下，你就活出了生命中的每一天。

當(dāng)你還能給予的時候別輕言放棄。只要你不放棄，就有無限延伸的可能。

別害怕承認(rèn)你并非完美。正因如此，我們才得以藉由這脆弱的細(xì)絲緊密地串綁在一起。

別害怕遇到危險。正因如此，我們才得以藉由這些機(jī)會學(xué)習(xí)勇敢。

別以愛太難找到作為借口而緊閉你的心扉。最迅速找到愛的方法就是給予你的愛；最快速失去愛的方法就是緊緊地守著你的愛不放；維持愛的最好方式就是給愛一雙翅膀。

莫要匆忙地度過你的一生，那匆忙讓你忘了曾經(jīng)到過哪里，也讓你忘了你要去哪里。

莫忘記，人類情感上最大的需要是感恩。

莫害怕學(xué)習(xí)。知識沒有重量，它是可以隨意攜帶的珍寶。

莫漫不經(jīng)心地蹉跎光陰或口無遮攔。時間與言詞兩者都是一放便收不回來。

生命不是一場賽跑， 而是一步一個腳印的旅程。

昨天已是歷史，明天還是未知，而今天則是一個上天的禮物：那就是我們?yōu)槭裁捶Q它為“現(xiàn)在”（Present） 的原因。

（作者：李留云，泰州市第三高級中學(xué)）