One of the most wonderful and exciting facts about your life is that you already know a lot of the things you need to know to become the person you want to be. You have your "heant's desire" deep inside of you. There's something that you were put on this earth uniquely to accomplish. There's something that you, and only you, can do. And when you find your heart's desire, you'll have the key to unlocking your potential in every other part of your life. You'll have the key to happiness, satisfaction, fulfillment and the joy that's your natural birthright.

　　Take Some Time to Determine Your Ideal Lifestyle

　　Take some time to determine the kind of person you'd like to be, and the kind of person you'd have to become in order to live the kind of life that you'd like to live. Remember, you can't accomplish it on the outside until you become it on the inside.

　　To unlock your inner potential, you must set very clear, challenging and,yet, realistic goals and then make plans to accomplish them. You need to work,step-by-step, every day, in the direction of your dominant aspirations. You need to develop an unshakable level of self-confidence that makes you virtually unstoppable.

　　Momentum Is the Key to Long-Term Success

　　The momentum theory of success simply says that while it may take lO units of energy to get you moving in a particular direction, it takes only one unit of energy to keep you moving once you're in motion. You have the principle of momentum working in your favor.

　　How do you use the momentum principle in your life? Well,it's simple.

　　Let's say that your goal is to become financially independent. To do this,you have to pay off all of your existing debts and build up a cash reserve of three to six months of living expenses. When you reach that point, your entire personality will change. You'll be more clearheaded, you'll be more positive,you'll be more determined, you'll be more optimistic, you'll be a finer and better human being when you absolutely know that you're not dependent upon anyone for your living expenses. You'll be able to choose the job you want to do and go to the places you want to go. You won't have to tolerate any situation that you do not enjoy or that you feel isn't the best use of your personal potential.

　　If you simultaneously work on strengthening your self-discipline and using it to achieve the goal of financial independence, you'll become a better, stronger and more powerful human being. You'll cast off the bonds of helplessness and begin to feel that there's nothing in the world that you can't do or be or have.

　　When you set clear goals or objectives for yourself, when you dream big dreams and then determine to become the kind of person who's capable of achieving the kind of goals that you want to achieve, you convince yourself, at a deep, subconscious level, that you're absolutely unstoppable. You realize at last that nothing in the world can hold you back except your own thinking,and you don't even let your own thinking limit your potential.

　　What Beliefs Might You Have that Are Holding You Back?

　　Each one of us has feelings of inferiority that are manifested in the conclusion that we are not good enough. We think that we are not as good as other people, and we feel that we are not good enough to acquire and enjoy the things that we want in life. Very often, we feel that we don't deserve good things. Even if we do work hard and achieve some worthwhile objectives. we believe that we are not really entitled to our successes, and we often engage in behaviors that sabotage our successes.

　　The fact is that you deserve every good thing that you are capable of acquiring as the result of the application of your talents. The only real limitation on what you can be and have is your absence of desire. If you want something badly enough, nothing in the world can stop you from getting it. if you are willing to persist long enough and hard enough. Over and over. we find that our beliefs, more than anything else, act as the brakes on our capacities. We have high hopes and dreams and aspirations, but we let doubts creep in and undermine our competence and effectiveness.

　　The most harmful beliefs that you can have are what we call "self-limiting beliefs." These are beliefs about yourself, most of which are not true;but they hold you back nonetheless. Sometimes you, or others, will say that you cannot achieve certain goals because you did not get enough education. Somertimes you will say that it is because of your gender or race or age or the state of the economy.

　　The starting point to change your beliefs is to get up the courage to question them seriously. Question your basic premises. Check your assumptions. Ask yourself, "What assumptions am I making about myself or my situation that might not be true?"

　　It's a fact that we fall in love with our excuses and our assumptions. We fall in love with our reasons for not moving ahead. Even if someone comes along and challenges those reasons, even if someone tells you that you have the capacity to accomplish marvelous things, you will argue with him. If someone tells you that you can do far better than you're doing right now, you will come up with reasons to dispute this person's greater belief in your potential.

　　Believing in Yourself

　　Your beliefs about reality are based on a thousand influences, many of which began even before you were aware of what was going on. You have beliefs that are deep and beliefs that are shallow. Deep beliefs, with regard to your religion or your political party or your family, or especially yourself, are very hand to change. Shallow beliefs are easily changed. And many of your beliefs are in fact very shallow. They have no substance to them whatsoever. If you challenge them hard enough. you'll find that they are made of tissue paper.They'll simply blow away.

　　You can always tell what your true values and beliefs are by looking at your actions. It isntt what you say or wish or hope or intend that demonstrates what you really believe. It's only what you do. It's only the behaviors that you engage in. It's only the actions that you choose to undertake. Your values and beliefs are always expressed in your actions and behaviors.

　　Once you've ciearly decided on the person you would like to become. you are on the path toward developing new beliefs. You then discipline yourself each day to behave exactly as you would if you were already that person.

　　That simple technique. the "act as if" technique, is extraordinarily powerful.The more you act like the person you want to be, the more consistent your attitude will be with that person's. Your attitude will have the back-flow effect of affecting your expectations. Positive expectations will have the back-flow effect of building beliefs that are consistent with them. And your beliefs will exert an influence on your values.

　　People succeed not because they have remarkable characteristics or qualities.The most successful people are quite ordinary, just like you and me. Most of us start off poor and confused. We spend many years getting some sort of direction in our lives. But the turning point comes when we begin to believe that we have within us that divine spark that can lead us onward and upward to the accomplishment of anything that we really want in life.

　　測試題

　　1.The key to happiness. satisfaction,fulfillment and joy is______________.

　　A) having self-confidence B) finding your own desire

　　C) enjoying every day in life D) being devoted to your work

　　2.An unshakable level of self-confidence enables you to___________________.

　　A) make gradual progress

　　B) unlock your inner potential

　　C) set challenging but realistic goals

　　D) make plans to accomplish your goals

　　3.To be financially independent, one should________________.

　　A) use and invest money wisely B) find a job right after graduation

　　C) move away from parents' home D) pay off debts and have savings

　　4.Once you set clear objectives for yourself, the only thing that can prevent you from going forward is________________.

　　A) your own thinking B) your shortcomings

　　C) your own financial situation D) the pressure from your family

　　5.When we feel that we don't deserve good things, we are being influenced by the feelings of_________.

　　A) guilt B) modesty C) inferiority D) pessimism

　　6.One's self-limiting beliefs would make him_____________________.

　　A) overestimate his own abilities

　　B) tend to find fault with others

　　C) find excuses for his failure to achieve goals

　　D) attribute his failure to his state of economy

　　7.If you want to change your self-limiting beliefs, you should start with________________.

　　A) challenging those beliefs B) enriching your experiences

　　C) evaluating your situation D) setting up a practical schedule

　　8.Beliefs about one's religion and family, which are hard to change, are regarded as________________.

　　9.By looking at your actions and behaviors, people get to understand your______________.

　　10.The"act as if" technique can not only shape your attitude, but also affect your_______________.

　　答案詳解

　　1.[B][定位]根據題干中的happiness，satisfaction，fulfillment and joy查找到首段最后兩句。

　　解析：首段最后兩句重復了you'll have the key to...這個結構，表明末句也與倒數第2句開頭的when you find your heart's desire構成條件-結果的關系，選項B就是when引出的從句表述的內容，故為本題答案。

　　2.[B][定位]根據題干中的unshakable，self-confidence等查找到第1個小標題Take Some Time to Determine Your Ideal Lifestyle部分的第2段最后一句。

　　解析：原文該段開頭To...表明unlock your potential是一個目的，而首句的you must...和其他句子的You need to...都是達成這個目的的方式，本題題干的主語部分是該段末句提到的內容，也與unlock your potential構成方式-目的關系，由此可見，本題應選B。

　　3.[D][定位]根據題干中的financially independent查找到第2個小標題Momentum Is the Key to Long-Term Suecess部分的第3段開頭兩句。

　　解析：原文該段第2句開頭的To do this表明該句接下來的內容說明了做到“經濟獨立”的方法，選項D是對此內容的近義替代，故為本題答案。

　　4.[A][定位]根據題干中的objectives, only thing，prevent...going等查找到第2個小標題Momentum Is the Key to Long-Term Success部分的末段末句。

　　解析：要解答本題，主要是要注意題干中的prevent you from going forwards與原文該段末句中的hold you back同義，定位后即可確定本題應選A。

　　5.[C][定位]根據題干中的deserve good things，feelings等查找到第3個小標題What Beliefs Might You Have that Are Holding You Back?部分的首段第1句和第3句。

　　解析：原文該段第1句首先提到了the feelings of inferiority，該段其他句子都是“自卑感”的具體表現，其中第3句提到了題干中的don't deserve good things，這也是“自卑感”的表現之一，由此可見，本題應選“自卑感”，即選項C。

　　6.[C][定位]根據題干中的self-limiting beliefs與查找到第3個小標題What Beliefs Might You Have that Are Holding You Back?部分的第3段。

　　解析：該段提到自我限制的想法會使人們止步不前，因為人們會尋找各種理由來證實自己無法達成目標。C與原文表達的意思相同，A與原文意思相反，B文中未提及，D是利用文中的the state of the economy設置的干擾項。

　　7.[A]定位]根據題干中的change，self-limiting beliefs，start with等查找到第3個小標題What Beliefs Might You Have that Are Holding You Back?部分的第4段第1句。

　　解析：本題題干是對原文該句主語的同義改寫，該句表明要改變你的想法，首先要做的就是question them(質疑這些想法)，選項A與question them同義，故為本題答案。

　　8.[deep beliefs]

　　[定位]根據題干中的religion and family等查找到第4個小標題Believing in Yourself部分的首段第3句。

　　解析：空白處應為名詞成分。原文該句是對deep beliefs的說明，并舉例指出有關宗教、政黨、家庭方面的觀念統屬于deep beliefs，故此空應填deep beliefs。

　　9.[values and beliefs]

　　[定位]根據題干中actions and behaviors，understand等查找到第4個小標題Believing in Yourself部分的第2段。

　　解析：空白處應為名詞成分。原文該段首句和末句都是總結性語句，表明通過觀察言行，就可知道一個人的價值觀和信仰，因此values and beliefs為本題答案。

　　10.[expectations,beliefs and values]

　　[定位]根據題干中的“act as if”technique查找到第4個小標題Believing in Yourself部分的第4段。

　　解析：空白處應為名詞成分。該段表明，the“act as if”technique產生的影響是連鎖的，而該段最后三句里均有與affect同義的詞：affecting，effect，influence，表明這個technique對這3句中提到的expectations，beliefs和values都會產生影響。

　　參考譯文

　　發現你內心的渴望，發揮你的潛力

　　生活中最美妙和最令人激動的一件事是：你已經明白了許多成為你想要成為的人所必須知道的事理。你的心靈深處擁有你自己的渴望。那是你來到這個世界本該完成的事情。那是你，只有你才能做的事情。[l]：一旦你發現了你內心的渴望，你就找到了開啟你生活方方面面的潛力的鑰匙。你將擁有打開通向幸福、滿足、成功和與生俱來的喜悅之門的鑰匙。

　　花點時間確定你理想的生活方式

　　花點時間確定你打算成為一個什么樣的人，并確定為了過上你想要的生活你必須變成什么樣的人。記住，只有內心里想成為這樣的人你才能實現你的愿望。

　　[2]要開啟你內在的潛力，你必須首先設定明確的、具有挑戰性的、而符合實際的目標，然后制定完成這些目標的計劃。你需要每天循序漸進地為自己最高的愿望而奮斗。你需要培養一種堅不可摧的自信心，促使自己永不止步。

　　動力是通向長期成功的鑰匙

　　成功的動力理論認為，如果要使你朝著一個特定的方向運動的話，需要10個單位的能量，但是，一旦你處在運動中，要保持這種狀態，只需要一個單位的能量。這是動量原理在起作用。

　　在生活中，應該如何使用動力原理呢?這很簡單。

　　[3]比方說.你的目標是在經濟上取得獨立。要做到這一點，你必須償還現有的債務，并增加3-6個月生活費用的儲備金。當你到達這-步的時候，你整個人的個性將會改變。當你完全了解自己沒有在生活費用方面依賴任何人的時候，你會變成一個更加清醒、積極、堅定、樂觀、友善的人。你將能夠選擇你想要做的工作，到你想要去的地方。你將不會委曲求全地忍受你不喜歡的狀況或者待在你感覺不是你能發揮個人潛力的最佳之地。

　　如果你在加強自律的同時，將其用于實現自己經濟獨立的目標，你會成為一個更好、更堅強、更強有力的人。你將擺脫無助的枷鎖，并開始感覺到這個世界上進有什么你不能做到的事情、沒有你不能成為的人，也沒有你不能擁有的東西。

　　當你為自己設定明確的大小目標時，當你擁有遠大的夢想并決心成為一個有能力實現自己想要的目標的人時，你會在內心深處、下意識地讓你相信自己絕對是一個銳不可檔的人。[4]你最終能體會到在這個世界上除了你自己的思想沒有什么能夠阻止你，而你不會讓你自己的思想限制你的潛力。

　　你可能會有的什么想法會阻礙著你?

　　[5]我們每一個人都有自卑感，這主要體現在我們給自己下的定論上：我們不夠優秀。我們認為自己沒有別人那么優秀，而且感到我們還沒有能力獲得并享受生活中我們想要的東西。[5]很多時候，我們認為自己不配享有美好的事物。即使我們努力工作并實現了一些有價值的目標，但我們仍然認為，我們并不真正有資格獲得我們所取得的成功，而且我們經常做一些有礙于自己取得成功的行為。

　　事實是，你應該享有所有你用自己的天賦獲取的好東西。唯一真正限制你能成為一個什么樣的人、能擁有什么樣的東西的因素是你缺乏欲望。如果你非常想要得到什么東西，如果你愿意堅持足夠長的時間并付出足夠多的努力，那么世界上沒有什么能夠阻止你得到它。一次又一次，我們發現是我們的想法，而不是其他別的東西，成為阻止我們能力發揮的剎車閘。我們懷著美好的希望和夢想，抱有遠大的志向，但我們卻讓懷疑潛入我們的內心破壞我們的能力和辦事效率。

　　[6]你可能心懷的最有害的信仰是我們所謂的“自我限制的想法”。這些是關于你自己的想法，而多數是不真實的，但是它們仍然阻止了你。有時你，或其他人會說，你無法實現某些目標，因為你沒有受過足夠的教育。[6]有時你會說，這是由你的性別、種族、年齡、或經濟的狀況所導致。

　　[7]改變你的信仰的起點是鼓起勇氣認真地審視你的這些想法。質疑你(得出結論)的基本前提，核實你所作的種種假想，問問你自己，“我在對自己作什么樣的假想或者我所處的狀況哪些可能不是真實的?”

　　事實是，我們偏愛我們自己所作的各種借口和假想。我們偏愛自己停滯不前的種種理由。即使有人來質疑你的那些理由，即使有人告訴你你有能力成功地完成某些事情，你仍然會與他爭論。如果有人告訴你，你能夠做得遠遠比現在更好，你將找到各種理由來挑戰這個對你的潛力有更大信心的人。

　　相信你自己

　　你對于現實的想法是基于上千種影響力，其中很多影響力早在你意識到當時在發生什么事情之前就開始了。你有些想法是深刻的，而有一些則是膚淺的。[8]深刻的信仰，比如與你相關的宗教、政黨、家庭，尤其是有關你自己的那些信仰是非常難以改變的。膚淺的想法卻很容易被改變。你的許多想法實際上是非常膚淺的，沒有什么實質內容。如果你認真質疑這些想法，你會發現，它們不過是棉紙制成的，你能不費吹灰之力就將它們驅散。

　　[9]你往往只要審視自己的行為就能夠了解自己真正的價值觀和想法是什么樣的。你所說、所愿、或期待、或打算并不能表現出你的真正想法。只有你的所作所為能表現你的真正想法，只有你所采取的行動才能表現出你的真實想法。[9]你的價值觀和想法總是在你的行動和表現中體現出來的。

　　一旦你清楚地決定你想要成為一個什么樣的人，你就踏上了培養新想法的道路。然后你每天嚴格地按照假設你成為了那樣一個人之后所應有的行為去磨練你自己。

　　[1O]這種簡單的技巧，也就是“依假設行事”的技巧。具有非凡的動力。你的行為表現得越像你想要成就的那樣一個人，那么你的態度就越接近他的態度。你的態度對于你的期望所產生的影響將起到一種支持的反作用。正面的期望將對建立與它們一致的信仰產生一種支持的反作用。而你的信仰將對你的價值觀產生影響。

　　人們取得成功，不是因為他們有著卓越的個性或品質。最成功的人都相當普通，普通得就像你和我一樣。我們大多數人在開始的時候都可憐而迷茫。我們花費很多年的時間尋找人生中的某個方向。但是只有當我們開始相信我們內心擁有一種神圣的火花的時候，轉折點才會到來，這種火花能夠帶領我們勇往直前，取得我們生命中真正想要的任何成就。