Never crush your dreams 梦想保卫战

Everyone has a massive amount of potential, whether it be an invention, a painting, a song, a journey, a book, an idea, you name it, but very few actually get to flourish and reach for that potential. 

每个人都有巨大的潜力，无论是一项发明、一幅绘画、一首歌、一次旅行、一本书、一个想法，但很少有人能真正获得这种潜力并把它发扬光大。

When you’re a young child, you hold the belief that anything is possible, no dream is too big...so what happens between childhood and adulthood that crushes so many dreams? Why do so many settle? Is it the school system? Is it“realistic”expectations? Financial fear? Practicality? A lack of belief? 

当你还是个孩子的时候，你坚信任何事情都是可能的，再大的梦想也能实现……那么，为什么人成年之后，很多梦想会破碎？为什么这么多人会安定下来？是学校制度吗？是“现实”的期望吗？对财务状况的恐惧？务实？缺乏信仰？

The reason people don’t attempt their magnum opus is because of doubt. Doubt is the ultimate crippler of ambition. In order to believe in yourself, you must have evidence to support this belief. It’s like a table. Your belief is the table-top and the legs are experiences and evidence that support the belief. Doubt is like a woodpecker, that chips away at the legs of the table. When enough doubt creeps into your mind, the table comes crashing down and you no longer believe in yourself. 

人们不尝试创作自己杰作的原因是怀疑。怀疑是雄心壮志的摧毁者。为了树立信心，你必须找到证据来支持这个信念。就像一张桌子，你的信仰是桌面，桌腿是经验和证据，它们负责支撑这个信仰。怀疑就像一只啄木鸟，把桌子腿啄开。当足够多的怀疑潜入你的脑海，桌子就要塌下来，你就不再相信自己了。

The key is to reverse this process. Move toward beliefs that empower you, then find role models, experiences, stories and evidence to support the new empowering belief. 

关键是要扭转这个过程。朝着赋予你力量的信念前进，然后找到榜样、经验、故事和证据来支撑这个信念。

Most importantly, do not listen to the doubters. Doubters are cynical people who have never attempted what you’re setting out to do. Buddha said,“we are what we think, all that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”

最重要的是，不要听怀疑者的话。怀疑者是愤世嫉俗的人，他们从来没有尝试过你要做的事情。佛陀说：“我们的所思所想，就是我们的现实。我们所拥有的一切都是由我们的思想而产生的。具备了思想，我们就能创造世界。”

Achieving your goal starts with the mental belief that it can be done. Attitude is far more important than IQ. 

实现你的目标，首先要有这样一种精神信念：它是可以实现的。态度远比智商重要。

【重点词汇&表达】

1.a massive amount of

  大量的；

2.you name it

  凡是你能说出的；

3.flourish ['flʌrɪʃ]

 繁荣，茂盛；茁壮成长；

4.no dream is too big

 梦想从不遥远；

5.adulthood ['ædʌlthʊd]

 成年；成人期；

6.practicality [,præktɪ'kælɪtɪ]

 实用性；实际，实例；

7.magnum opus ['mæɡnəm'əupəs]

 代表作；巨著；杰作；

8.crippler 

 破坏者；

9.table-top

 桌面；

10.woodpecker ['wʊdpekə]

 啄木鸟；

11.chip away

 凿下碎片；毁掉；

12.creep into your mind

 潜入你的脑海；

13.crash down

 崩塌；倒下；崩溃；

14.empower [ɪm'paʊə]

  授权，允许；使能够；

15.role model

  行为榜样；角色模特；

16.doubter ['daʊtɚ]

  抱怀疑态度的人；怀疑论者；

17.cynical ['sɪnɪk(ə)l]

 愤世嫉俗的；冷嘲的；

18.set out to do sth.

 着手做某事；开始做…；

19.Buddha ['budə]

  佛陀；佛像；

20.far more important than

  比……重要得多；

21.IQ

  智力商数（intelligence quotient）；