奇文YourKeytoaBetterLife加注.doc

奇文Your Key to a Better Life加注 Do you want a better life? According to the author of the following article, the solution is easy. Simply change the way you look at yourself - and you will change the way you live. Improving your self-image is your key to living a better life. Your Key to a Better Life by Maxwell Maltz The most important psychological discovery of this century (20世纪) is the discovery of the self-image.(自我意象) Whether we realize it or not, each of us carries about with us a mental blueprint or picture of ourselves. It may be vague and ill-defined to our conscious gaze.(在我们有意识的凝视下,它也许是模糊不清的) In fact, it may not be consciously recognizable at all. But it is there, complete down to the last detail. This self-image is our own conception of the sort of person I am. It has been built up from our own beliefs about ourselves. But most of these beliefs about ourselves have unconsciously been formed from our past experiences, our successes and failures, our humiliations, our triumphs, and the way other people have reacted to us, especially in early childhood. From all these we mentally construct a self, (or a picture of a self). Once an idea or a belief about ourselves goes into this picture it becomes true, as far as we personally are concerned. We do not question its validity, but proceed to act upon （= act according to）it just as if it were true. This self-image becomes a golden key to living a better life because of two important discoveries: 1. All your actions, feelings, behavior — even your abilities — are always consistent with this self-image. In short, you will act like the sort of person you conceive yourself to be. Not only this, but you literally cannot act otherwise(in a different way), in spite of all your conscious efforts or will power(意志力). The man who conceives himself to be a failure type person will find some way to fail, in spite of all his good intentions, or his will power, even if opportunity is literally dumped in his lap(哪怕机会