可能改變你一生的11個問題：你會怎樣回答？

Keep this list handy. Ask yourself these questions every day--without fail. And then, based on your answers, take action.

把這份清單放在手邊。每天問問自己下面的問題—— 一定要回答。然後，基於自己的回答，採取行動。

1. Who would cry the most at my funeral?

在我的葬禮上誰會哭得最兇？

Those are people who love you unconditionally. Start returning the feeling.

有些人無條件地愛你。開始回報這些感情吧。

2. Do I spend enough time with the people who would cry the most at my funeral?

我有沒有和那些會在我葬禮上哭得最兇的人度過足夠多的時間？

Probably not. Even though those are the people who see the good in you, and make you feel good about yourself.

也許沒有。即使他們是那些看到你優點的人，讓你感覺良好的人。

3. Who would I want to cry the most at my funeral?

我會在誰的葬禮上哭得最兇？

Chances are those are the people you neglect the most. You care about them but you're taking them for granted.

很有可能是那些最被你忽視的人。你關心他們，但是你總是把他們對你的感情當做理所當然。

Stop taking them for granted.

開始珍惜他們吧。

4. Am I proud to tell people where I work?

我會自豪地告訴別人我在哪裏工作嗎？

If not, it's time to start looking elsewhere. Titles come and go. Money comes and goes. Pride is forever.

如果不是，該開始找工作了。職位來了又走，金錢也來來去去。只有自豪感是永恆的。

5. Is my company a business I would want my children to run?

我會不會想讓孩子來經營公司的業務？

There may be aspects of your business you wouldn't wish on your worst enemy, much less your kids: insufferable customers, unbearable employees, difficult working conditions, uncertain long-term prospects.

你的業務中有一些方面你都不希望自己最大的敵人去面對，更不用提自己的孩子了：令人無法忍受的顧客、令人難以忍受的僱員、艱難的工作條件、不確定的長期前景等。

If you would say to your child, "No, I wouldn't want you to have to deal with that..." why do allow yourself to continue to deal with that?

如果你會對孩子說，“不， 我不想讓你們去處理那些.......”爲什麼還讓自己繼續處理呢？

Naturally you want your kids to be happy. You also deserve to be happy. List the problems, then fix the problems.

當然，你希望你的孩子幸福。但你也要開心。列出問題，然後解決問題。

If you want a better future for your kids, show them the way by making a better future for yourself.

如果你想讓孩子有個更好的未來，那你可以讓他們看看你是如何讓自己的未來更加美好的。

6. Does today feel different than yesterday?

今天的感覺是不是和昨天一樣？

It should, if only in a very small way. Otherwise you're sitting still.

應該只有一小部分相同， 否則你就是停滯不前。

7. Do I say "no" more than I say "yes"?

我說“不”是不是比說“是”要頻繁？

"No" ensures today will be exactly the same as yesterday. Or maybe worse.

說“不”會讓今天和昨天一樣，也許更糟。

8. Do I spend money instead of time?

我是不是更喜歡用金錢代替時間？

Maybe you buy your kids "stuff" because you feel guilty for being away so much, or missing events, or being distracted most of the time. Maybe you buy your significant other "stuff" when you feel guilty about not paying enough attention or showing, by word and action, that you care.

也許你給孩子買“禮物”是因爲你感到內疚，你覺得自己總不在他們身邊或錯過了他們的活動，或和他們在一起的時間大部分都在走神。也許你覺得沒有足夠重視生命中的另一半，或沒有通過言語和行爲表達出來對他們的足夠重視，因爲心存愧意而給對方買東西。

Or maybe you spend money on productivity tools instead of putting in the time to change inefficient work habits. Or maybe you buy expensive fitness equipment and trendy workout gear instead of just sucking it up and working out more.

也許你花錢買提高效率的工具，而不是花時間改變低效的工作習慣；也許你寧願買昂貴的健身設備和時尚的運動裝備，而不願認真去鍛鍊身體。

Money never produces the same results as time. Expensive clothes can't get you in shape; productivity apps can't make you more efficient; a new tablet can't transform your business life.

金錢永遠換不來時間的效果。昂貴的衣服不能讓你有好的體型；提高生產力效率的工具不會讓你變得高效；新的平板電腦不會改變你的商務生活。

Money can change some things, temporarily. Time can change anything, forever.

金錢可以改變一些事情，可那只是暫時改變。而時間卻可以改變任何事情，永久改變。

And don't forget: Your kids will soon forget the video game you bought them but they'll never forget the afternoon you spent together.

另外不要忘記：你的孩子會很快忘記你買給他們的電子遊戲，但他們不會忘記你和他們一起度過的美好時光。

9. Do I think of myself as a noun?

我用名詞來描述自己嗎？

"I'm an inventor." "I'm a speaker." "I'm a writer."

“我是名發明家”。“我是名演講家。”“我是名作家。”

You're in a box.

你的思維受到了限制。

Start defining yourself as a noun and you start to feel like you've arrived (even when you haven't). Slowly your focus shifts to "being" rather than doing, to maintaining a sense of self rather than striving to continually improve specific skills.

開始用名詞描述自己，你會覺得自己已經到達了那個水平。 慢慢地你的注意力會轉移到“是”上而不是做， 維持自我感覺而不是努力繼續提高職位技能。

And you slowly close yourself off to other activities, other ventures, and other possibilities.

你會慢慢地不去參加其他活動，不去冒險，不去考慮其他可能性。

Don't define yourself by what you do. Never let yourself be a noun. Be a person who does lots of verbs--and is always open to more.

不要通過職業來定義自己。不要把自己描述成名詞。做一個可以用很多動詞描述的人——總是準備接納更多。

10. Do I make people feel good about themselves?

我是不是讓人感覺良好？

Unexpected praise, like the gift given "just because," makes a huge impact.

意料之外的讚美，就像是“只是因爲...”而送出去的禮物，會產生巨大的影響。

Every day, people around you do good things. Praise at least one of them, sincerely and specifically. They'll feel great. You'll feel great.

每天，你身邊的人都在做一些好事。至少表揚他們中的一位，表揚時要真誠而具體。他們會感覺很棒，而你也會感覺不錯。

11. Do I scare myself?

我有沒有嚇到過自己？

If not, you should.

如果沒有，你該試試。

Don't scare yourself with fear of the future, or the economy, or injury or death, but with things you decide to do that push, stretch, challenge, and leave you excited and thrilled and relieved in an "Oh my gosh I can't believe I did that!" way.

不要用對未來或經濟、受傷或死亡的恐懼來嚇自己，而是用你決定做的事情，你面臨的挑戰來督促自己，讓自己興奮、激動，並用“天哪！不敢相信我竟然做到了！”這樣的方式來放鬆自己。

We all have fears. What matters is what we do when we're hesitant or nervous or afraid. When we turn away, we die a little inside; when we face a fear and do what we really want to do, we feel truly alive.

我們都心存恐懼。重要的是當我們猶豫、緊張、害怕時我們做了什麼。當我們扭頭走開時，我們的內心在一點點死去；當我們面臨恐懼做我們真正想做的事情時， 我們會覺得自己真正地活着。

Are you living... or really living? You only get one chance. Make sure you live.

你是活着......還是在真正地活着？你只有一次機會。確保自己是在活着。