Since today is my 30th birthday I thought it fitting to share 30 things I understand now that were complete mysteries to me just a few short years ago. These are simple lessons about life in general that I picked up while traveling, living in different cities, working for different companies (and myself), and meeting remarkable and unusual people everywhere in between.

今天是我30岁生日，正好可以告诉大家我近几年刚刚明白的30个道理。这些简单的人生经验之谈，都是我从旅行中，从不同城市、不同公司（包括自己公司）的生活和工作经历中，从与世界各地优秀人物的交往中拾取的。

1. There comes a point in life when you get tired of chasing everyone and trying to fix everything, but it's not giving up. It's realizing you don't need certain people and things and the drama they bring. 当你在生活中厌倦了追赶众人、凡事追求完美的时候，不要放弃理想，而是认识到有些人、有些事以及相应的场面是你不需要的。

2. If a person wants to be a part of your life he will make an obvious effort to do so. Don't bother reserving a space in your heart for people who do not make an effort to stay. 假如某人想成为你生命中的一部分，他应当为此付出努力。犯不着在心灵里为那些无意停留的人预备一个空间。

3. If you want to fly, you have to give up the things that weigh you down—which is not always as obvious and easy as it sounds. 想要飞翔，就得摆脱那些令你下坠的东西——这些东西有时不是那么显而易见的。

4. Doing something and getting it wrong is at least ten times more productive than doing nothing. 哪怕失败的行动也十倍胜过什么都不做。

5. Every success has a trail of failures behind it, and every failure is leading towards success. You don't fail by falling down. You fail by never getting back up. Sometimes you just have to forget how you feel, remember what you deserve, and keep pushing forward. 每一个成功的背后都有失败的踪迹，而每一次失败都通向成功。摔倒不是失败，再也不爬起来才是失败。有时候你只要忘记自己的感受而牢记自己的目标，并一直向前推进。

6. When you get to know people with different ethnic backgrounds, from different cities and countries, who live at various socioeconomic levels, you begin to realize that everyone basically wants the same things. They want validation, love, happiness, fulfillment and hopes for a better future. The way they pursue these desires is where things branch off, but the fundamentals are the same. You can relate to almost everyone everywhere if you look past the superficial facades that divide us. 结识来自不同种族背景、不同城市和国家，处于社会不同阶层的人后，你会了解到每个人都有同样的基本需求，那就是得到认可、获得爱情和幸福、得以自我实现和对美好明天的希冀。他们追逐梦想的途径各不相同，但本质上是一致的。透过看似不同的肤浅表象你可以理解世界上每一个人。

7. The more things you own, the more your things own you. Less truly gives you more freedom. Read "The Joy of Less". 你拥有的越多，受到的束缚就越大。“简单”真的能给你更多的自由。请读一下《The Joy of Less》这本书。

8. While you're busy looking for the perfect person, you'll probably miss the imperfect person who could make you perfectly happy. This is as true for friendships as it is for intimate relationships. Finding a companion or a friend isn't about trying to transform yourself into the perfect image of what you think they want. It's about being exactly who you are and then finding someone who appreciates that. 在你忙于寻找完美佳人时，很可能会错过那个能给你最完美幸福的不完美的人。无论是情人关系还是朋友关系，这都是真理。寻找伴侣或朋友，不是让自己去迎合什么人对完美的想象，而是展现真实的自我并找到那个能欣赏它的人。

9. Relationships must be chosen wisely. It's better to be alone than to be in bad company. There's no need to rush. If something is meant to be, it will happen—in the right time, with the right person, and for the best reason. 要明智地选择自己的人际关系。与其交个坏朋友倒不如独处。不必仓促行事，该发生的总会发生——因了最巧的机缘，在合适的时间出现了合适的人。

10. Making a thousand friends is not a miracle. A miracle is making one friend who will stand by your side when thousands are against you. 交一千个朋友不算奇迹，奇迹是当千万人跟你作对时，有一个人站在你一边。

11. Someone will always be better looking. Someone will always be smarter. Someone will always be more charismatic. But they will never be you – with your exact ideas, knowledge and skills. 总会有人比你更漂亮、更聪明、更有魅力，但他们都不可能成为你——拥有你独特的思想、知识和技能。

12. Making progress involves risk. Period. You can't make it to second base with your foot on first. 取得进步总要冒些风险。没说的，你不可能站在一垒接住二垒的球。

13. Every morning you are faced with two choices: You can aimlessly stumble through the day not knowing what's going to happen and simply react to events at a moment's notice, or you can go through the day directing your own life and making your own decisions and destiny. Read "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People". 每天早晨你都面临两种选择：漫无目的无所事事平平庸庸蹉跎一日？还是独立自主把握人生与命运度过一天？读一下《高效能人士的七个习惯》。

14. Everyone makes mistakes. If you can't forgive others, don't expect others to forgive you. To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover the prisoner was you. 每个人都会犯错误，如果你不原谅别人，就别指望别人会原谅你。宽恕是释放囚徒，这个囚徒原来正是你自己。

15. It's okay to fall apart for a little while. You don't always have to pretend to be strong, and there is no need to constantly prove that everything is going well. You shouldn't be concerned with what other people are thinking either —cry if you need to—it's healthy to shed your tears. The sooner you do, the sooner you will be able to smile again. 偶尔崩溃一下也没关系。不必总是冒充强大，不必总是冒充诸事顺遂。你用不着介意人人都想做的事——想哭就哭吧，泪水流出来有利于健康。早一点流泪，就能早一点再次微笑。