Set Yourself On Fire，Light Your Success！
Anonymous
点燃自己，点亮成功
心灵寄语
一个人不可能生来就是注定成功或是失败的，成功的机会是靠自己争取的，等待机会的人永远无法品尝成功的果实。不要等待他人点亮你的人生，只有行动起来，点燃自己，才能点亮成功！
Fred was a hugely successful Canadian NHL player and coaches with a string of many hundreds of wins and numerous awards and accolades1to his name。Pretty good going，but it’s
not his sports record that I admire。What I love Fred for is something that he once said，
“Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion2.You must first set yourself on fire。”
Reading that sents lightning bolts through my spine，as there have been many times in my life when I’ve been sitting back，subconsciously3waiting for the world to bring me the success I thought I wanted。To be completely honest with you，even now I sometimes find myself expecting someone else to“set fire”to me，waiting for spontaneous combustion rather setting myself on fire and finding my own success。
I have to catch myself when I slip into4that way of thinking before it sets in，because Fred’s absolutely right。
People all too often wait for success to happen to them。“If only it would fall into place……”，“Surely someone will discover who I am and what I can do soon……”or“Just a little while longer and it’ll all come good……”are examples of the things we say while we’re waiting for success to come along。
Of course，the big thing I’ve come to learn is that it doesn’t work that way。Finding success-real success-isn’t a passive thing。It’s not something that happens to you like watching a movie or getting your hair cut。Finding success is something that happens in you。
Here are 4things for you to think about：
1.What does success look like to you？
What comprises success？How much of it is material？How much of it is emotional？How much of it is spiritual？Get specific about what success does and doesn’t mean to you。
2.Imagine yourself towards the end of your life
Picture yourself towards the end of your life as happy and content as you can be。What is it about that future you that tells you as clear as day that they’re happy and content？Picture yourself walking up to them and asking them what it is that allowed them to reach that point。What single piece of advice can they give you？
3.How focused are you on working on your success？
What are you willing to do to get the kind of success you want？What are you waiting for the world to deliver to you so that you can have that success？
4.Are you driving your success？
How would it be if you were driving that success rather than waiting for it？What changes do you notice in how you do things and how you feel about things？
I’m not suggesting for one minute that you can’t ask others，the world，the universe or whatever higher power you happen to believe in for help。I’m not even suggesting that you become wholly focused on working towards your success。That’s missing the point。
The point is that we humans tend to be focused on working towards happiness and success and assume that until it comes along we have to spend time being unhappy，suffering or struggling。
You don’t have to struggle……
The truth is that things happen much easier and more readily if we don’t struggle，suffer or assume unhappiness-—the assumption that you need to struggle or fight for your success is a false one。Real success comes much easier and becomes more consistent when you operate straight from that place of success instead of assuming it’s out there in the world somewhere。
Go after what’s important to you and get going on all those shiny things you’d love to have，do and be in life，but recognise how much more pleasureable it’s going to be when you’re feeling happy and successful rather than unhappy and unsuccessful。
Fred got it right。Don’t wait for spontaneous combustion or for someone to set light to you。Dive into your own happiness and success，engage with those things and operate from a place where they’re real and present。
Don’t wait，set yourself on fire。
佚名
弗莱德曾经是加拿大国家冰球联盟队里一位非常成功的运动员，作为一名教练，他的球队赢得过几百次比赛，同时他自己也获得过无数奖励和赞誉。弗莱德的成绩斐然，但是，令我钦佩的不是他的体育记录。我喜欢弗雷德是因为他曾经说过的一句话：
“成功不是自燃的结果。要想成功，就必须先点燃自己。”
读到这句话，我被深深地震撼了，因为在我的生活中，有许多次都坐以待毙，下意识地等待着这个世界给我带来自己想要的成功。说实话，甚至是现在，我也有时候发现自己在期待别人给自己“点把火”，激励我走向自己想得到的成功，宁愿等待自燃，而不愿点燃自己，去追寻我自己的成功。
一旦我有这样的念头时，就赶快提醒自己不要再继续，因为弗莱德说的话完全正确。
通常情况下，人们太依赖于等待成功降临在自己的身上。“一切顺其自然就好……”，“一定会有人发现我的存在，我的潜力……”或者“再等等，一切就都会好了……”，这些典型的话语，正是我们在等待成功降临时所念叨的。
当然，我得到的最重要的启示是，要想成功，那样是行不通的。追寻成功——真正的成功——不应该是被动的。它不像看场电影，或是理个发那么简单。追寻成功取决于你自己的行动。
以下有四个你需要思考的问题：
1.你认为成功是什么？
成功包括什么？其中有多少是物质的追求？有多少是情感的追求？有多少是精神的追求？了解清楚成功对自己来说是什么，不是什么。
2.想象自己走向人生的终点
为自己描绘一幅生命终点之图，让自己尽可能幸福而满足。关于幸福和满足的定义，未来的你清清楚楚告诉你了吗？想象一下你正走向未来的自己，向他询问是什么让他达到那个目的。他能给你一条什么样的建议呢？
3.在努力争取成功的过程中你是否专心致志？
为了获得自己想要的成功，你愿意付出什么样的代价？为了获取成功，你在等待世界送给你什么呢？
4.你在操控自己的成功吗？
如果你自己控制着成功，而不是等待着成功，结果会怎样呢？在自己做事情和领悟事情的过程中，注意到自己发生了什么改变吗？
我并不是建议你不要向别人、世界、宇宙、或能力高于自己的一切请求帮助，我一点也没有那个意思。我甚至也不是建议你完全投入到争取获得成功的努力中去。那样模糊了焦点。
我要强调的是，人们往往会专注于争取幸福和成功的工作中，总以为在成功之前我们只能伤心地、痛苦地、挣扎地度过时光。
其实，你何必非得挣扎……
实际上，如果我们不去挣扎地、痛苦地、或是在假设自己的不幸中度过时光，那么，成功会显得更容易，显得更水到渠成——那种假设你必须在挣扎和拼搏后才能获得成功的说法是没有道理的。如果你直接从成功的地方入手，而不去设想成功远在世界的某个角落，那么真正的成功就会更容易获得，更长久地保持。
追寻你认为重要的，着手于自己喜爱的那些闪光的事情，努力去做该做的事，好好生活，但是，要认识到幸福和成功的感受比痛苦和失败要好很多。
弗莱德说的没错。不要等待自燃，或是等待别人为你点亮你的人生。投入到自己人生的幸福和成功中吧，专注自己的事，从实际和现在着手。
别等待，点燃自己吧。
V
词汇空间
ocabulary
1.accolade n。 赞美，推崇
2.combustion n。 燃烧
3.subconsciously adv。 下意识地，潜在意识地
4.slip into 渐渐进入，渐渐养成
文化链接
Culture Background
国家冰球联盟（NHL）
NHL（National Hockey League）是目前世界上最高水平的冰球联赛。联盟于1917年在魁北克蒙特娄成立，成立之初有五支队伍，在一系列的扩展之后，现在共有30支球队，24支位于美国，6支位于加拿大。传统上，因为联盟的加拿大血统，大多数的球员都为加拿大籍。在NHL积极向美国扩展以及它相较于其他联盟的高标准和东欧铁幕垮台后的现成高水准球员的输出，欧洲球员和美国球员人数有着明显增加的趋势。即便如此，2005-2006球季球员名单中有一半的球员仍是在加拿大出生的。
妙语拾珠
1.“Success is not the result of spontaneous combustion。You must first set yourself on fire。”
“成功不是自燃的结果。要想成功，就必须先点燃自己。”
2.Go after what’s important to you and get going on all those shiny things you’d love to have，do and be in life，but recognise how much more pleasureable it’s going to be when you’re feeling happy and successful rather than unhappy and unsuccessful。
追寻你认为重要的，着手于自己喜爱的那些闪光的事情，努力去做该做的事，好好生活，但是，要认识到幸福和成功的感受比痛苦和失败要好很多。
3.Don’t wait for spontaneous combustion or for someone to set light to you。Dive into your own happiness and success，engage with those things and operate from a place where they’re real and present。
不要等待自燃，或是等待别人为你点亮你的人生。投入到自己人生的幸福和成功中吧，专注自己的事，从实际和现在着手。
