On Creating Change

胡兰

导读：想得到你从未拥有过的东西，就要做你从未做过的事。人生的每一条路都不可能有百分百的确定性，总有你无法掌控的因素。既然如此，何不积极地选择自己梦想的那条呢？

“To get something you never had， you have to do something you never did.”—Unknown

Theres a reason we often take the path most traveled： Seeing all the footprints on the well-trodden road creates the illusion of certainty， especially when many are your own.When its familiar， it feels safe. You know whats at the end； youve been there before. You know how to get there， so you dont need to pay too much attention to your steps or the details along the way. You can just kind of put yourself on auto-pilot and go.

But theres something kind of ironic about living on auto-pilot.We generally do the things weve always done because they require less mental effort； you know whats around you， so you dont need to worry as much. But actually， we still find things to stress about. Even if we follow the path that feels comfortable， we generally end up thinking about the possibility of things we cant control. There are always things we cant control. Nothing is ever certain.

If you have to embrace the discomfort of knowing the future is uncertain， why not choose the discomfort that might push you one inch closer to the possibilities you dream about？Why not actively choose your changes， instead of waiting for them to choose you？

Today as you go about your day， if you find yourself doing what youve always done， ask yourself： What would make me feel excited about today？ Then do it. That sense of fear and possibility—its the feeling of being alive.

Vocabulary

well-trodden adj. （小路等）常被践踏的；经常有人出入的

auto-pilot n. 自动舵，自动驾驶

embrace v. 拥抱，领会

（Do you have courage to choose the path you dream about？）胡 兰 改编endprint