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 about my plans， then 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 home 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 to move forward rather than end up with a mouthful 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 time 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.”
我九岁的时候住在北卡罗来纳州的一个小镇上，一次在一本儿童杂志的封底发现了一则招聘贺卡推销员的广告。我对自己说，我能干这事。我恳求妈妈允许我去叫人送来全套货物。
两个星期后，货送来了，我一把撕下贺卡上棕色的包装纸，冲出了家门，三个小时后，我的卡片已一张不剩，我装着满满一口袋钱回到了家，大叫：“妈妈，所有的人都迫不及待地想买我的卡片！”一个推销员诞生了。
12岁的时候，父亲带我去见齐格·齐格勒先生，我还记得当时坐在昏暗的礼堂里听着齐格勒先生的演说，他把每个人都说得热情高涨、跃跃欲试，离开的时候我觉得自己可以做任何事情。我们上了车，我转向父亲对他说道：“爸爸，我也想让人们这样。”爸爸问我的话是什么意思。“我想当一个像齐格勒先生一样的动机演说者。”我同答道。一个梦想诞生了。
最近，我开始鼓舞他人，努力实现自己的梦想。在此之前的四年里，我在一个拥有100家公司的财团就职，从一个销售培训者做到地区销售经理，在我事业达到巅峰时我离开了这家公司。许多人都十分惊讶，在收入达到六位数时我却选择了离开。他们问我为什么要为了梦想而去冒险。
我是在参加了一次地区销售会议后，才拿定主意离开自己的安全港湾，去开自己的公司的。在那次会议上，我们公司的副总裁做了一次演说，改变了我的命运。他问我们：“如果一个神仙会满足你的三个愿望，那么你将会希望得到什么？”他让我们写下自己的愿望，然后问我们：“为什么你们会需要神仙呢？”在那一刻，我永远也忘不了这句话给我的震撼。
我意识到，我有了毕业证书、成功的销售经验、做过无数演讲，为一家拥有100个公司的大财团做过销售培训和管理工作——所有这一切都使我为这一刻做好了准备。我准备好了去成为一名动机演说者，不需要神仙的帮助。
当我眼泪汪汪地告诉老板我的计划时，这位我十分尊重的领导，令人难以置信地答道：
“勇往直前吧！你一定能够成功。”
我决意刚定，就遭受了考验，我辞职的一个星期后，丈夫也失业了。我们刚刚买了一座新房子，需要双方的工资来付清每个月的抵押贷款，但现在我们却一分收入也没有了。这时我想同公司去，知道他们仍想要我，可是我知道一旦回去就再也出不来了，我决定继续前进，决不做一个满口“如果”、只说不做的人。一个动机演说者诞生了。
我紧紧追随着我的梦想。甚至在最艰苦的时期也不放弃，然后奇迹果真开始出现了。短短的时间内，我丈夫找到了一份更好的工作，我们没有拖欠任何一个月的抵押贷款，我也开始有新客户预约演说。我发现了梦想不可思议的力量。我热爱我过去的工作、我的同事和我离开的那家公司，但是，我实现梦想的时机已经成熟了。为了庆祝我的成功，我请当地一位艺术家将我的新办公室漆成了一座花园，在一面墙的顶端，她刷上了这样一句话：“这个世界永远属于追梦人。”
就为了今天
Just for today
Just for today I will try to live through this day only and not tackle my whole life problem at once. I can do something for twelve hours that would appall me if I had to keep it up for a lifetime.
Just for today I will be happy. This assumes to be true what Abraham Lincoln said， that “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
Just for today I will adjust myself to what is， and not try to adjust everything to my own desires. I will take my “luck” as it comes.
Just for today I will try to strengthen my mind. I will study. I will learn something useful. I will not be a mental loafer. I will read something that requires effort， thought and concentration.
Just for today I will exercise my soul in three ways. I will do somebody a good turn and not get found out： If anybody knows of it， it will not count. I will do at least two things I don’t want to do—just for exercise. I will not show anyone that my feelings are hurt： they may be hurt， but today I will not show it.
Just for today I will be agreeable. I will look as well as I can， dress becomingly， talk low， act courteously， criticize not one bit， and try not to improve or regulate anybody but myself.
Just for today I will have a program， I may not follow it exactly， but I will have it. I will save myself from two pests： hurry and indecision.
Just for today I will have a quiet half hour all by myself and relax. During this half hour， sometime， I will try to get a better perspective of my life.
Just for today I will be unafraid. Especially I will not be afraid to enjoy what is beautiful， and to believe that as I give to the world， so the world will give to me.
就为了今天，我将尽力只度过今天而不立刻去解决终身的问题。对一件令我沮丧而又必须坚持一辈子的事，我只能坚持十二个小时。
就为了今天，我会很快乐。亚伯拉罕·林肯说过，“大多数人都是可以决定想怎么高兴就怎么高兴。”这已经被认为是真理。
就为了今天，我会做自我调整适应事物本来的面目，而不是想方设法使每一件事满足自己的欲望。当机会来临的时候我会抓住它。
就为了今天，我会尽力心强志坚。我会学习，学一些有用的东西。我不会做一个精神上的流浪汉。我会读一些需要努力、思考和注意力集中的东西。
就为了今天，我会用三种方法来磨炼我的灵魂。我会做对某人有利的事但不能被发现，若有人发现了就不算数。我将会做至少两件我不愿做的事情——只为了磨练。我不会让任何人感到我的感情受到了伤害：它们可能受到了伤害，但今天我不想表现出来。
就为了今天，我会过得很惬意。看起来我达到了最佳状态，穿着得体、讲话谦虚、行为礼貌、一点不吹毛求疵，尽量改进和调节自己而不是别人。
就为了今天，我会制定一个计划，我也许不会严格地遵守它，但我一定要有计划。我会避免两种错误：仓促行事和优柔寡断。
就为了今天，我将会独自静静地呆上半小时放松。在这半小时里，某个时刻，我会日后对我的生活有个更好的看法。
就为了今天，我将不再害怕。尤其我不会再害怕享受美丽的事物，并且相信我给予世界的，世界也会给予我。
何为重要？
What Will Matter？
Ready or not， some day it will all come to an end. There will be no more sunrises， no days， no hours or minutes. All the things you collected， whether treasured or forgotten， will pass to someone else.
Your wealth， fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance. It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges， resentments， frustrations， and jealousies will finally disappear.
So， too， your hopes， ambitions， plans， and to-do lists will all expire. The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won"t matter where you came from， or on what side of the tracks you lived.
It won"t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant. Your gender， skin color， ethnicity will be irrelevant.
So what will matter？ How will the value of your days be measured？
What will matter is not what you bought， but what you built； not what you got， but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success， but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned， but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity， compassion， courage and sacrifice that enriched， empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence， but your character.