Western society promotes being busy at all times and at all costs. As a result, it seems that we are always rushing. We live by the calendar and we are run by the clock. We learn early on in life that you had better be on time for things or bad stuff will happen. Be late to turn in your papers and your grade gets lowered. Be late to pay your bills and you get stuck with a penalty. Be late to finish your work and you may be out of a job.
西方社會時刻都在不遺余力地倡導快節奏。最終導致了我們總是行色匆忙。我們不是按照日歷活著，就是被鬧鐘支配著。小時候我們就懂得了於任何事情都要守時，否則將陷入泥淖。遲於交卷會的低分，逾期付款會受到處罰，未按時完成工作還會丟掉飯碗。
As a result many people conclude that time is their enemy. It must be battled and beaten. But there is no permanence in any victory over time — the clock gets reset tomorrow and the calendar at the first of the month, or at the very latest at the first of the year.
結果，多數人就得出了結論：時間是他們的敵人，必須與之戰鬥和抗衡的敵人。但在這時間之戰中，沒有永恒的勝利---鬧鐘會在第二天重置，日歷會在下個月，或者最遲來年翻新。
Consider the popular phrase, “Life is too short to __________.” Here are some beauties you hear all the time:
斟酌下面的名句，“人生苦短，_____________”。妳隨時都會聽到諸如此類的美言：
Life is too short to hold on to regret.
Life is too short to work at a job you hate.
Life is too short to play small.
Life is too short to {insert your favorite here}.
人生苦短，切莫後悔。
人生苦短，切莫做妳討厭的工作。
人生苦短，切莫虛行。
人生苦短，{自己填上喜歡的下半句吧}。
Aphorisms like these certainly imply that time is your enemy. However, time is not the reason why you ought to give up regret, revamp your career, or up your game. Even the shortness of life is not the reason. There is an assumption going on here that entirely misses where the real problem lies.
此般格言暗示時間就是妳的敵人。但是，它並不是讓妳杜絕後悔，重振事業或停止玩樂的措辭。即使人生短暫，時間也不能成為那樣的措辭。有壹個錯誤假設，才導致了真正的問題所在。
A short life and limited time would be a blessing in these circumstances. After all, the less time one spends in some undesired state, the better. A short amount of regret? Sounds great. A short time at a crummy job? Excellent. A short time of cowering in the corner? What could be better?
在某些情況下短暫的人生和有限的時間是種恩慈。畢竟，壹個人在不鐘情的事物上花費的時間越少，就越好。偶爾後悔壹下?聽起來不錯。找份工作打點醬油?太棒了。躲在角落裏瑟縮壹刻?還有什麽比這更好?
So let me give you a different way to look at things:
所以允我讓妳們從另外壹個角度去看事情：
“Life is too long to __________.”
“人生漫長，____________。”
When you approach your problems and challenges from this standpoint, time is not onlynot your enemy, it is your best friend. It is because of the abundance of time and life that you are motivated to seek change and transformation. After all, since you are going to be here for some time, don’t you want to make the best of it?
當妳站在這個角度去處理問題，克服挑戰時，時間非但不是妳的敵人，還是妳的朋友。因為充足的時間和人生能夠激勵妳去努力做出改變。畢竟，當妳已經決定要幹壹段時間，難道就不想好好地利用它繼續幹下去嗎?
When you have a habit or circumstance that needs fixing, imagine what your life would be like if you delayed taking action to fix it. See yourself a year from now with thisproblem still hanging around. What impact has it had on you? How has it hurt your relationships? What is it doing to you at work? What cost have you paid to your health?