Five balls of life

     Imagine life as a game in which you are juggling¹ some five balls in the air. You name them work, family, health, friends and spirit and you’re keeping all of these in the air. You will soon understand that work is a rubber ball. If you drop it, it will bounce back.

    But the other four balls family, health, friends and spirit are made of glass. If you drop one of these, they will be irrevocably scuffed², marked, nicked, damaged or even shattered. They will never be the same. You must understand that and strive for balance in your life. How?

    Don’t undermine your worth by comparing yourself with others. It is because we are different that each of us is special.

    Don’t set your goals by what other people deem important. Only you know what is best for you.

    Don’t take for granted the things closest to your heart. Cling to them as they would be your life, for without them, life is meaningless.

    Don’t let your life slip through your fingers by living in the past or for the future. By living your life one day at a time, you live ALL the days of your life.

    Don’t give up when you still have something to give. Nothing is really over until the moment you stop trying.

    Don’t be afraid to admit that you are less than perfect. It is this fragile thread that binds³ us to each together.

    Don’t be afraid to encounter risks. It is by taking chances that we learn how to be brave.

    Don’t shut love out of your life by saying it’s impossible to find. The quickest way to receive love is to give it; the fastest way to lose love is to hold it too tightly; and the best way to keep love is to give it wings.

    Don’t run through life so fast that you forget not only where you’ve been, but also where you are going.

    Don’t forget, a person’s greatest emotional need is to feel appreciated.

    Don’t be afraid to learn. Knowledge is weightless, a treasure you can always carry easily.

    Don’t use time or words carelessly. Neither can be retrieved⁴.

    Life is not a race, but a journey to be savored⁵ each step of the way.

    Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery and Today is a gift: that’s why we call it‘The Present’

1 juggling   

n. 欺骗, 杂耍(=jugglery) adj. 欺骗的, 欺诈的 动词juggle的现在分词

参考例句：

• He was charged with some dishonest juggling with the accounts. 他被指控用欺骗手段窜改账目。
• The accountant went to prison for juggling his firm's accounts. 会计因涂改公司的帐目而入狱。

2 scuffed   

v.使磨损( scuff的过去式和过去分词 )；拖着脚走

参考例句：

• I scuffed the heel of my shoe on the stonework. 我的鞋跟儿给铺好的石头磨坏了。
• Polly dropped her head and scuffed her feet. 波莉低下头拖着脚走开了。 来自辞典例句

3 binds   

v.约束( bind的第三人称单数 )；装订；捆绑；（用长布条）缠绕

参考例句：

• Frost binds the soil. 霜使土壤凝结。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Stones and cement binds strongly. 石头和水泥凝固得很牢。 来自《简明英汉词典》

4 retrieved   

v.取回( retrieve的过去式和过去分词 )；恢复；寻回；检索（储存的信息）

参考例句：

• Yesterday I retrieved the bag I left in the train. 昨天我取回了遗留在火车上的包。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• He reached over and retrieved his jacket from the back seat. 他伸手从后座上取回了自己的夹克。 来自辞典例句

5 savored   

v.意味，带有…的性质( savor的过去式和过去分词 )；给…加调味品；使有风味；品尝

参考例句：

• We savored the barbed hits in his reply. 我们很欣赏他在回答中使用的带刺的俏皮话。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We savored, (the pleasures of) mountain life to the full. 我们充分体会了山居生活的乐趣。 来自辞典例句