細數當下小幸福:三個方法重拾對生活的熱情範例

You’ve probably heard the old saying “The grass is always greener on the other side of the fence.”

你肯定聽過這樣一句諺語：“籬笆外的草總是分外綠”，別人的似乎總比我們好。

Perhaps you feel like it’s true. You look at other people’s lives, and you envy them. They seem to be doing so much better than you. They’ve got a great job. Lots of money. A happy home life. They seem to have it all. And you can’t help wishing that you did, too.

也許你覺得這句話是對的，你會羨慕嫉妒別人的生活，覺得他們什麼都比你做得好：體面的工作、豐厚的收入、幸福的家庭，他們好像什麼都有了。所以你忍不住希望：要是自己也能擁有這些就好了。

But none of us ever really know what it’s like to live someone else’s life. No-one’s life is perfect – whatever it looks like from the outside.

但我們從來無從知曉，如果讓我們去過別人的生活會是什麼樣子。也許從外面看來很美好，但沒有人的生活是完美無缺的。

Plus, it’s a safe bet that some of your friends are looking at your life and thinking very similar things. Whatever state your life is in, you’ve got a lot of good things. You just need to recognize them again.

而且我完全可以肯定，有一些你的朋友也和你一樣，看着你的生活想着類似的事情。其實不管你現在的生活狀態如何，你都已經擁有了很多美好的事情，你只需要重新認識自己的生活。

I. Enjoy What You Have

享受你所擁有的一切

One of the best ways to love your current life is to write a list of things you’re grateful for. It doesn’t matter if they seem small or insignificant: little everyday moments of happiness count. You might think of:

熱愛自己現在的生活，最好的方式之一就是寫下生命中讓你心懷感激的事情。就算是很瑣碎很沒有意義也沒有關係：正是這些日常生活中快樂的小時刻讓我們的生活變得有意義。你可能會想到：

1. People who you’re grateful for – your family, friends, housemates, co-work.rs…

1. 你感謝的那些人：你的家人、朋友、室友、同事等等；

2. Treats which you enjoy – the smell of fresh coffee, the taste of dark chocolate, a long bath after a hard day…

2. 你喜歡的那些東西：新鮮現磨咖啡的香味，黑巧克力的味道，還有辛苦一天後好好洗個熱水澡；

3. Things which make your day easier – the dishwasher, online grocery shopping, fast internet access at work…

3. 會讓生活變得輕鬆的事物：洗碗機、網上購物、工作時的快捷網絡；

4. Anything special which you’ve grown accustomed to – your wedding ring, your smartphone, a favorite coat…

4. 已經讓你變得習慣的特別物件：結婚戒指、智能手機、最喜歡的外套；

5. Happy moments – chatting with a friend, something which made you laugh, playing with your kids…

5. 那些歡樂時光：和朋友的閒聊、讓你開懷大笑的事情、和孩子們一起玩耍......

II. Focus on the Good Points

專注生活中好的方面

When we’re thinking about future goals and ambitions, it’s easy to end up in quite a negative mood about the present. Perhaps you start thinking through all the things you want to change in your life: losing weight, getting fit, quitting smoking, switching jobs…

當我們想到未來的目標和理想時，我們很容易對當下陷入一種消極的情緒中。也許你開始想到生活中你想改變的所有事情：減肥、健身、戒菸、換工作等等。

As well as thinking of what you might want to change, look at the areas of your life which are currently good. Maybe:

在想到你想要改變的這些事情的同時，也看看現在的生活中已經很好的部分，也許是：

1. You get on well with your colleagues at work, and you’ve got a good relationship with your boss

1. 你跟同事相處得非常融洽，跟老闆的關係也很好；

2. You’ve got some real strengths – like being able to establish a quick connection with clients, and being organised

2. 你已經培養了一些真正的優勢：比方說能很快的與客戶建立聯繫，而且比較有條理；

3. Your house is set up pretty much how you want it – there might not be loads of space, but it feels like home

3. 家裏的構造正是你一直想要的：可能空間不大，但非常有家的溫馨；

…and so on. How could you make more of these good things? Perhaps you could spend more time on your hobbies, or concentrate on your particular strengths at work.

還有很多。這些好的方面應該如何利用呢？也許你可以在自己的愛好上花更多的時間，或在工作上專注於自己的特長。

III. Live in the Moment

活在當下

It’s appropriate to plan for the future, and to learn from the past – but it’s not a good idea to constantly have your mind on how “things will be better next year when…” or on “life was so much better last year because…”

爲未來計劃和從過去學習，這都是很正確的做法，但如果你的心裏總是在糾結 “明年等......的時候事情可能會好起來” 或是“去年的生活輕鬆多了因爲......” ，那就不太對了。

Being able to live in the moment means appreciating what’s around you. It’s about having your attention on now, instead of reminiscing about what’s already gone, or worrying about what’s yet to come. Living in the moment means:

活在當下，意思是要欣賞現在生活中周圍的一切。把你的注意力放在現在，而不是追憶已成過去的往事，或是憂心還未到來的明天。活在當下意味着：

1. Enjoying your days off, without constantly thinking about Monday morning.

1. 休息日就好好休息，別總是想着馬上要來的週一；

2. Taking time to stop and watch a beautiful sunset, or to enjoy the smell of fresh-mown grass.

2. 花點時間停下來看看美麗的夕陽，或者聞聞剛剛修剪過的草坪的青草香；

3. Eating your meals more mindfully – instead of grabbing a sandwich on the run.

3. 更用心的享受每一餐食物，而不是抓一個三明治匆匆了事。

By keeping your attention on the present moment, the here-and-now, you can get much more enjoyment from the life you already have.

讓你的注意力專注在當下的時光，此刻此處。你會從已經擁有的生活中感受到更多的樂趣。