我们拥有美丽的梦想 The Dreamer

佚名/Anonymous

When I was nine years old living in a small town in North Carolina, I found all ad for selling greeting cards in the back of a children's magazine. I thought to myself I can do this. I begged my mother to let me send for the kit. Two weeks later when the kit arrived, I ripped off the brown paper wrapper, grabbed the cards and dashed from the house. Three hours later, I returned home with no card and a pocket full of money proclaiming, "Mama, all the people couldn't wait to buy my cards!" A salesperson was born.

When I was twelve years old, my father took me to see Zig Zigler. I remembered sitting in that dark auditorium listening to Mr. Zigler raise everyone's spirits up to the ceiling. I left there feeling like I could do anything. When we got to the car, I turned to my father and said. "Dad, I want to make people feel like that." My father asked me what I meant. "I want to be a motivational speaker just like Mr. Zigler," I replied. A dream was born.

Recently, I began pursuing my dream of motivating others. After a 4-year relationship with a major fortune 100 company beginning as a sales trainer and ending as a regional sales manager, I left the company at the height of my career. Many people were astounded that I would leave after earning a six-figure income. And they asked why I would risk everything for a dream.

I made my decision to start my own company and leave my secure position after attending a regional sales meeting. The vice-president of our company delivered a speech that changed my life. He asked us," If a genie would grant you three wishes what would they be?" After giving us a moment to write down the three wishes, he then asked us," Why do you need a genie?" I would never forget the empowerment I felt at that moment.

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 my plans, 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 house 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 I still wanted to move forward rather than end up with a mouth full 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 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."

9岁时，我住在北卡罗来纳州的一个小镇上。在一本儿童杂志的封底，我看到一则招聘贺卡推销员的广告。我认为自己能胜任。征得母亲的同意后，我让人把全套货物送来。两周后，货到了，我把棕色包装纸撕开，抓起卡片，就冲了出去。三个小时后，卡片卖光了，我的口袋里装满了钱，我跑回家高喊着：“妈妈，人们都争先恐后地买我的贺卡！”一个推销员就这样诞生了。

12岁时，父亲带我拜访齐格·齐格勒先生。记得那时我们坐在昏暗的礼堂里听齐格勒先生演说，他的话激励了所有人，大家的情绪都很高昂。离开时，我觉得自己无所不能了。上车后，我对父亲说：“爸爸，我也想让人们有这样的感觉。”父亲问我是什么意思。“我想成为齐格勒先生那样的动员演说者。”我答道。一个梦想就这样诞生了。

最近，我开始鼓动他人，激励他们实现自己的梦想。在这之前的四年里，我在一个拥有100家公司的财团工作。从一个销售培训员做到地区销售经理，在事业达到巅峰时，我离开了公司。很多人不理解，我为什么会放弃六位数的高薪，去冒险实现自己的梦想。

我是在参加了一次地区销售会议后，决定离开安全港湾，自己开创公司的。在那次会议上，公司副总裁做的一次演说改变了我的命运。他问我们：“如果一个神仙能满足你三个愿望，你希望得到什么？”他让我们把自己的愿望写下来，然后问：“你们为什么需要神仙呢？”那一刻，这句话让我震撼不已，永生难忘。

我意识到自己拥有成功所具备的一切条件：毕业文凭、成功的销售经验、无数的演讲经历、在一个拥有100家公司的财团做过销售培训和管理工作。要成为一名动员演说者，我已经准备好了，无需神仙的帮助。

当我含泪把计划告诉老板时，这位我所敬重的领导说出了令我出乎意料的话：“勇往直前吧！你一定会成功。”

我刚下定决心，便遇到了考验。我辞职一周后，丈夫也失业了。我们刚买了一栋新房子，需要双方用工资来支付每月的抵押贷款，可现在连一分钱的收入都没有。此时我想重返公司，我知道他们仍会接纳我，也知道一旦回去就很难再出来了，于是我下定决心继续前行，绝不做一个满口“如果”，却不付诸行动的人。一个动员演说者诞生了。

我紧追自己的梦想。即使是在最艰苦的时候也不曾放弃，奇迹最终出现了。丈夫在较短的时间内找到了一份满意的工作，我们连一个月的抵押贷款都没拖欠。我也开始有新客户预约演说了。我发现了梦想的无穷力量。我喜欢先前的工作、同事和离开的那家公司，但我实现梦想的时机已经成熟。为了庆贺成功，我请当地的一位艺术家把新办公室改造成了一座花园，在一面墙的顶端印了这样一句话：“机会总是垂青有准备的人。”

proclaim[prəˈkleim]v.宣布；公告；宣言

The trees begin to proclaim the change.

树在宣告着一种变化的开始。

astound[əsˈtaund]v.惊骇；使……大吃一惊

The figures in that report astounded everyone.

那份报告中的数字让每个人大吃一惊。

abandon[əˈbændən]v.放弃；遗弃；沉溺

The next-best solution is to abandon the project altogether.

仅次于最佳的解决方法是放弃全部计划。

stencil[ˈstensl]v.用模版印刷

Do you know how to stencil?

你会用模版印图吗？

勇往直前吧！你一定会成功。

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我紧追自己的梦想。即使是在最艰苦的时候也不曾放弃，奇迹最终出现了。

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我发现了梦想的无穷力量。

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机会总是垂青有准备的人。

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Two weeks later when the kit arrived, I ripped off the brown paper wrapper, grabbed the cards and dashed from the house.

rip off：扯掉；撕掉；猛地脱掉

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The vice-president of our company delivered a speech that changed my life.

deliver a speech：作报告；发表（讲话、演说等）

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