John F. Kennedy, echoing Theodore Roosevelt, stated the idea more eloquently when he said: "The credit belongs to the mall who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, and spends himself in a worthy cause: who at best, if he wins, knows the thrills of high achievement, and, if he fails, at least fails daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat."
Living your life on your terms means stepping out on a regular basis. You have a song in your heart. Will you step out from the crowd and sing that song? Will you risk appearing the fool to live your dreams?
It may seem frightening and lonely to step out front. It is, but only for a short time. The comfort of conformity soon pales in comparison to the power, passion and excitement that comes with any bold, new, purposeful action.
You' ll soon find others who' ve stepped out front with you.
They' re people like you who' ve grown weary of living a mediocre existence. They like you will have heeded the whisper of God within, which quietly says, "It' s your life. Make it great."
Step out front this week. It doesn' t have to be a big step.
Maybe you' ve been thinking about starting your own home-based business. Perhaps you have an idea for your own newsletter. Maybe there' s a class you' ve been wanting to take. Whatever it is, take your first step this week.
Step out and have a great week!
It' s your life! Create it the way you want it.
想拥有成功的生活，必须迈出第一步。 记得我十几岁时，也就是刚跨出高中校门的时候，就学到了这宝贵的一课。15年里，我迈出第一步的习惯造就了我今天的生活状态。
当时的情景是这样的，在位于加利福尼亚州的圣地亚哥海军新兵训练中心，我和其他15个新兵在烈日的照射下整整齐齐地站成一排。
严厉的教官高声喊道：“我需要一个志愿者，请向前迈出一步。”在训练营要学会的第一件事，就是永远不要为任何事情做志愿者。当然，我并没有好好领悟这件事，便向前迈出了一步。
教官走过来，到几乎和我鼻子对着鼻子时才停了下来，他用一种低低的恶魔似的声音说道：“波洛克，唯有真正的领袖才会迈步上前的，知道吗？”
约翰·F. 肯尼迪在评价西奥多·罗斯福的一生时，更加生动地证实了这种思想。他说：“荣誉属于那些身处现实竞技场中的豪杰，那些经受尘土、汗水及血迹洗礼的脸颊。他们了解伟大的激情及虔诚，并投身于有价值的事业。如果遇到了最好的情形，他赢了，他便会体验到伟大成就所带来的喜悦刺激；相反，如果输了，至少他也敢于付出，所以他的地位永远不会与那些不懂成败的冷酷和怯懦的灵魂为伍。”
按照自己的方式享受生活，意味着习惯迈出第一步。你的心灵中有一首属于自己的歌。你是否愿意迈出一步，离开人群，唱响心灵之歌呢？你是否敢于与世界格格不入，追求自己的梦想呢？
表面看来，迈出一步是很危险而又寂寞的事情，事实也的确如此，然而这只需要短短的一瞬间就可以完成。不适的痛苦不久就会消逝，与之对应的是任何勇敢、新颖和有目标的行动所带来的力量、激情和兴奋。
你不久就会发现和你一样迈出一步的同行者。
他们是和你一样的人，厌烦了普普通通的人生。他们和你一样倾听着上帝的低语：“这是你的生活，让你的生活变得精彩。”
这周就开始迈出一步吧，它并不需要什么惊天动地的举动。
或许你正在考虑开拓你的家庭副业，或许你对时事通讯产生了一个新的想法，或许你想参加某个课程培训。无论你的想法是什么，这周就迈出第一步吧！
迈出第一步，享受美好的一周吧！
这是你的生活，按照自己的方式去营造它吧！
早开始是成功的保证。
habitually [h'bitjuli] adv. 习惯地；日常地
He drinks habitually in the evening.
他习惯在晚上喝酒。
recruit [ri'kru:t] n. 招聘；新兵；新成员
"Yes, Sir." the new recruit replied.
“是的，先生。”一个新雇员说。
eloquently ['elkwntli] adj. 有口才的；有说服力的；意味深长的
The speaker made an eloquent appeal for human rights.
该发言人就人权问题发出了强有力的呼吁。
conformity [kn'f:miti] n. 一致；适合；相似
Your proposal is not in conformity with our arrangements.
你方的建议与我们商定的不一致。
荣誉属于那些身处现实竞技场中的豪杰，那些经受尘土、汗水及血迹洗礼的脸颊。
按照自己的方式享受生活，意味着习惯迈出第一步。
你不久就会发现和你一样迈出一步的同行者。
The credit belongs to the mall who is actually in the arena.
belong to：属于
You' ll soon find others who' ve stepped out front with you.
step out：走出去；暂时外出
做事当机立断的重要性
The Importance of Deciding Promptly
乔治·洛里默 / George Lorimer
While we' re on this subject of favors I want to impress on you the importance of deciding promptly. Decision is a sharp knife that cuts clear and straight and lays bare the fat and the lean; indecision, a dull one that hacks and tears and leaves ragged edges behind it. Say yes or no—seldom perhaps.
When a fellow asks for a job in your department there may be reasons why you hate to give him a clear-cut refusal, but tell him frankly that you see no possibility of placing him, and while he may not like the taste of the medicine, he swallows it and it's down and forgotten. But you say to him that you' re very sorry your department is full just now, but that you think a place will come along later and that he shall have the first call on it, and he goes away with his teeth in a job. You' ve simply postponed your trouble for a few weeks or months. And trouble postponed always has to be met with accrued interest.
Of course, I don' t mean that you want to go rampaging along, trampling on people' s feelings and goring every one who sticks up a head in your path. But there' s no use shilly-shallying and doddering with people who ask questions and favors they have no right to ask. Don' t hurt any one if you can help it, but if you must, a clean, quick wound heals soonest.
When you can, it' s better to refuse a request by letter. In a letter you need say only what you choose; in a talk you may have to say more than you want to say.
With the best system in the world you' ll find it impossible, however, to keep a good many people who have no real business with you from seeing you and wasting your time. Of course, the man whose errand could be attended to by the office-boy is always the one who calls loudest for the boss, but with a little tact you can weed out most of these fellows, and it's better to see ten bores than to miss one buyer.
You' ve got to open a good many oysters to find a pearl.
现在，让我们来谈一谈做事要当机立断的重要性。当机立断如同一把锋利的刀，它可以帮你斩断乱麻，让你看清事物的本质；而优柔寡断则如同一把未开刃的钝刀，一刀下去，不仅不会斩断乱麻，反而会留下更多麻烦。做事情要么说“是”，要么说 “不”，千万不要优柔寡断。
如果有人希望从你的公司里谋得一个职位，而你出于某些考虑不能直截了当地拒绝。那么你可以坦白地对他说，公司里恐怕没有适合他的职位——他当然不想咽下这口苦水，但也只能主动放弃，并渐渐忘记这件事情。相反，如果你对此优柔寡断，连连抱歉，并告诉他公司现在已经饱和，却又向其承诺如果以后有机会，一定会首先给他打电话，那么他就会始终怀揣希望。你仅仅是将麻烦拖后了数周或数月，但麻烦会像待付的利息，终究会找上门。
当然，我的意思不是让你成为一个独断专行的领导者，完全无视手下人的感受，让所有人在你所指引的道路上举步维艰。对那些原本没有任何能力，却希望从你这里得到帮助的人，你无须优柔寡断。你要竭尽所能地帮助任何人，然而在无可奈何时，当机立断留下的伤口愈合得最快。
只要条件允许，你最好能够以书信的形式拒绝他人。信中只是说出你的选择即可，口述的麻烦远远超出你的想象。