“Not until we are lost do we begin to understand ourselves.” ~Henry David Thoreau
迷失自我，才能發現自我。——亨利·大衛·梭羅(美國作家及自然主義者)
Everything about my future was ambiguously assumed. I would get into debt by going to college, then I would be forced to get a job to pay off that debt, while still getting into more and more debt by buying a house and a car. It seemed like a never-ending cycle that had no place for the possibility of a dream.
我們未來的一切似乎都模糊地設定好了，利用貸款上大學，然后為了還債被迫去找一份工作，還要為了買房買車背負更多的債務……這仿佛是一個無休止的循環，讓我們的夢想沒有實現的機會。
I want more—but not necessarily in the material sense of personal wealth and success. I want more out of life. I want a passion, a conceptual dream that wouldn’t let me sleep out of pure excitement. I want to spring out of bed in the morning, rain or shine, and have that zest for life that seemed so intrinsic in early childhood.
我們想要的更多——并不是對于個人財富和成功等物質性需求，我們對于生活，想要更多。我想要熱忱、有概念的夢想，讓我不會空懷純粹的興奮入睡。我希望能在早晨一躍起床，無論是陽光普照還是刮風下雨，也能對生活充滿熱情，就像我們的童年時固有的一樣。
We all have a dream. It might be explicitly defined or just a vague idea, but most of us are so stuck in the muck of insecurity and self-doubt that we just dismiss it as unrealistic or too difficult to pursue.
我們都有夢想，無論它是明確的目標還是模糊的主意，但我們大多數人都受困于不安全和自我懷疑的泥濘里，我們把夢想看做是不現實的、難以追求的，最后放棄了。
We become so comfortable with the life that has been planned out for us by our parents, teachers, traditions, and societal norms that we feel that it’s stupid and unsafe to risk losing it for the small hope of achieving something that is more fulfilling.
我們變得滿足于父母、老師、傳統及社會規條為我們營造的安逸生活。為了那一點點能夠為生活變得更充實的希望去冒險，我們會認為這是愚蠢和危險的。
“The policy of being too cautious is the greatest risk of all.” ~Jawaharlal Nehru
過于謹慎才是最大的危險——賈瓦哈拉爾·尼赫魯(印度開國總理)
Taking a risk is still a risk. We can, and will, fail. Possibly many, many, many times. But that is what makes it exciting for me. That uncertainty can be viewed negatively, or it can empower us.
冒險始終還是有風險。我們，也有可能失敗，還有可能是失敗很多很多次。但這會讓我們更加興奮。不確定因素看起來有不利，但同時也能激勵我們。
Failing is what makes us grow, it makes us stronger and more resilient to the aspects of life we have no control over. The fear of failure, although, is what makes us stagnant and sad. So even though I couldn’t see the future as clearly as before, I took the plunge in hopes that in the depths of fear and failure, I would come out feeling more alive than ever before.
失敗能讓我們成長，讓我們更強大，讓我們更能適應生活中難以控制的各個方面。對于失敗的恐懼，讓我們停滯不前，悲傷不已。盡管不能清晰地看見未來，在恐懼和失敗的深淵里，我們也要保持希望，那么我們將活得更有生命力。
If you feel lost, just take a deep breath and realize that being lost can be turning point of finding out who you truly are, and what you truly want to do.
如果你迷失了自我，請深呼吸，迷失或許能成為你人生的轉折點，讓你發現真正的自己，并讓你知道自己想真正成為怎樣的人。
英語單詞:
intrinsic adj. 本質的，固有的
muck n. 淤泥;垃圾
dismiss vt. 解散;解雇
resilient adj. 彈回的，有彈力的
stagnant adj. 停滯的;不景氣的