I love thought-provoking quotes – seemingly simple, yet interestingly profound phrases that have the power to get our minds thinking straight. That’s what this short post is about. Below I have listed eight of my favorite thought-provoking quotes, along with my interpretation and outlook on each one. I hope you enjoy thinking about them as much as I do。
我喜欢发人深省的名言——短悍精简的言辞能使人茅塞顿开。这篇文章要讲的就是我最喜欢的八句引人深思的名言以及我的体会，希望你们会喜欢。
1. Dealing with Problems
处理问题
“We can not solve our problems with the same level of thinking that created them。”―Albert Einstein
“解决问题比提出问题要简单得多。” —— 阿尔伯特·爱因斯坦
Realize that not all movement is progress. When stress and tension and chaos surround you, pause for a moment and relax. The best time to take a deep breath is when you don’t have time for it。
不是所有动向都是进步。当遇到压力、紧张和混乱时，应先停下来放松。越是焦头烂额，越该深呼吸。
Select a specific challenge, deal with it, and then move calmly and confidently to the next. When you’re being pulled in multiple directions at once, take time to remember what you value most. Focus on what’s most important to you and you’ll naturally direct your greatest energy to the right source。
集中搞定某个挑战，然后再镇定自若地处理下一个。选择太多、眼花缭乱时，不妨认定最重要的那个。专注于最重要的事情才能将精力发挥到极致。
Life is filled with either problems or possibilities. What you see is what you choose to see. On the surface life can seem tumultuous and perplexing, yet deep inside, where it truly matters, life is what you make of it. Choose to see beyond the problems to the possibilities that await your attention。
万事不是问题就是机遇，就看你心态如何。咋一看似乎处处都是坎坷与不安，但仔细一想，一切不都掌握在自己手中吗？试着透过问题看到背后的机遇吧。
2. Happiness and Personal Growth
幸福和个人成长
“You cannot protect yourself from sadness without protecting yourself from happiness。”―Jonathan Safran Foer“稳不住幸福，亦躲不过悲伤。” —— 乔纳森·萨弗兰·福尔
Live every day of your life in full. Experience the highs and the lows, the positives and the negatives, and all the moods present between the various extremes. Don’t focus on simply being happy. Focus on living a well-rounded, seasoned life. Focus on achieving completeness. Yes, happiness is part of this completeness, but so is sadness, difficulty, frustration, and failure. And overcoming these latter points supports your personal growth far more than constant happiness。
尽情过好生命中的每一天，经历大起大落、喜乐悲哀，让情绪自然流露。不要一味追求幸福，而应过完满多样的生活。快乐只是“完满”的一部分，除此之外还有悲伤、困顿、沮丧和失败；战胜后面那些远比一直快乐让你成长得快。
The feelings of happiness and fulfillment are nice when they happen, and they are needed, but they don’t strengthen you. Instead of asking, “Is this making me happy?” ask, “Is this contributing to my completeness?” If you’re struggling and making progress, the answer is “yes。”
幸福与圆满只在发生时、被需要时显得美好，但却不一定能磨砺你。与其问“这让我开心吗”，不如问“这对我的‘圆满’有帮助吗”。如果你正饱受磨难、有所进步，那答案就是正面的。
3. Inner Peace
内心平和
“We don’t realize that, somewhere within us all, there does exist a supreme self who is eternally at peace。”―Elizabeth Gilbert“
或许我们自己都不曾察觉，我们内心一直有个恒定平和的自我。” —— 伊丽莎白·吉尔伯特
Inner peace does not depend on external conditions; it’s what remains when you’ve surrendered your ego and your worries. Peace can happen within you at any place and at any time. It’s always there, patiently waiting for you to turn your attention toward it。
内心平和与外界无关，只要你放下自我和忧虑即可。平和可以随时随地降临，它一直守候在那里，耐心等你回归。
Peace of mind arrives the moment you come to peace with what’s on your mind. It happens when you let go of the need to be anywhere but where you are, physically and emotionally. This acceptance of the way things are creates the foundation for inner harmony. The need for something to be different in this moment is nothing more than a worry, and worries simply lead you in circles. Acceptance will bring you back to your peaceful, productive center。
只要与自己和睦相处，对目前的一切感到身心满足，平和的心绪就会降临。坦然包容一切，让内心充满祥和。若心有欲望，只能徒增烦恼，继而恶性循环。包容使人平静，使人积极。
Remember, the same part of you that longs for peace is the part of you that experiences peace. It is not complicated to achieve and is as close as your next thought。
渴望平和即体验平和，只要你想，它就在下一秒。
4. Appreciating What You Have
珍惜拥有
“Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not; remember that what you now have was once among the things you only hoped for。”―Epicurus
“不要因渴望得不到的而错过已经拥有的；要知道，现在已经拥有的，也曾是你渴望的。” —— 伊壁鸠鲁
Don’t pray for the big things and forget to give thanks for the ordinary, simple, and yet not-so-small gifts in your life. It may seem strange to feel thankful for those events in your life which appear to be ordinary, yet it’s precisely by being thankful that you can transform the ordinary into the extraordinary. You may not see the value in spending time and effort acknowledging all the little, seemingly insignificant things in your life, yet without the little things there would be no big things。
不要一味祈求大愿望而忽视生活中已经拥有的那些平凡琐碎的恩赐。对平凡的事心怀感恩？似乎很奇怪吧？可一旦你心怀感恩，再平凡的事也会变得不平凡。或许你还没看到这些微不足道的琐事的价值，但倘若没有这些小事，又怎能成就大业呢？
Don’t let what was once a miracle become common to you. Don’t get so accustomed to life’s goodness that you overlook it. Let your enthusiasm rise from the doldrums by being thankful for what you have. Seize every opportunity to be appreciative. Make genuine gratitude a constant companion to who you are, in all that you do。
别让曾经的辉煌沾上尘埃，别对生活中的一切理所当然、忽视看轻。感谢已经拥有的一切，赶走低迷、重聚热情吧！不要错过任何一次感恩的机会，诚心感谢自己与一切。
5. Replacing Excuses with Action
用行动代替借口
“The only thing standing between you and your goal is the BS story you keep telling yourself as to why you can’t achieve it。”―Unknown
“实现不了目标的唯一阻碍就是，你一直不敢相信自己有能力实现它。” —— 无名氏
Instead of making a lot of excuses, make a little progress. Instead of looking back with regret, step forward with enthusiasm. Choose to view your life based on the best of what is possible. Choose to define yourself based on the person you know you are capable of becoming. If you believe it, you can do it。
与其找一堆借口，不如一点点进步；与其怀旧悔恨，不如积极向前。想象能够争取到的最好的生活，想象能够努力成为的最好的自己。只要相信，你就能做到！
All the negativity from the past can be erased in the moment with a single positive action. Go ahead and make it happen. The best way to disconnect from a troubled past is to trust and connect with possibilities of the present moment. When you embrace the power of now, the future belongs to you。
所有过去的消极想法都能在当下的积极行动中烟消云散，所以，赶紧行动吧！忘记不堪过去的最好办法就是相信并把握当下的机遇。一旦把握住当下，未来也将属于你！
6. Knowledge and Education
知识和教育
“When you know better you do better。”―Maya Angelou
“越知识渊博，越得心应手。” —— 玛雅·安格洛
Your education is the most powerful weapon you possess. It has the power to change the world. Keep it thriving. Do not confuse your schooling with your education. The classes at school end; your education is a continuous lifelong process。
教育是最强大的武器，它能改变世界，所以一定要不断接受教育。但是，这里的教育并不等同于学校教育，学校教育终有结束的一天，但广义的教育却是永无止境的。
Keep your mind open to new ideas. Challenge your beliefs when you’re given a chance. The greatest advancements in your education will be based on your willingness to absorb fresh information without resistance and without losing your temper or your poise。
敞开心胸，广纳新知。抓住机遇，磨砺信念。知识的增长要求你不失风度地敞开心胸不断吸收新信息。
7. The Importance of Asking Questions
提问的重要性
“The scientist is not a person who gives the right answers, she’s the one who asks the right questions。”―Claude Lévi-Strauss
“科学家不是给出正确答案的人，而是能恰当提问的人。” —— 克洛德·列维·斯特劳斯
There is profound power in asking questions. In fact, the most successful people are rarely the ones who have all the answers, they’re the ones who ask the right questions. Don’t be afraid to ask. Ask when you don’t understand. Ask for what you want. Ask how to make things happen. It’s the reason children are always asking so many questions, because they know they’ll never get anywhere if they don’t ask. The squeaky wheel gets the grease。
提问具有深远影响。其实，最成功的人不是无所不知的人，而是能恰当提问的人。别害怕提问，不懂就问，欲所求就发问，去探究个中原因。小孩总是不停发问，是因为他们知道，只有提问才能得到答案。会哭的孩子有糖吃。
Bottom line: Growth is more about asking than telling. The way forward is yours for the taking – the way forward is yours for the asking。
归根结底，有惑而发方可成长。前方的路是你自己的，所以也只能靠你自己发问解惑。
8. Endings and Beginnings
结束即开始
“In every end, there is also a beginning。” ―Libba Bray
“每一次结束同时也是一次开始。” —— 利巴·布雷
Everything in life has to come to an end sometime. It’s important to acknowledge and accept the end of an era – to walk away sensibly when something has reached its conclusion。
天下没有不散的筵席。因此，当帷幕落下时，我们应该理智接受事实，赶紧离开。
Closing the door, turning the page, moving on, etc. It doesn’t matter what you call it; what matters is that you leave the past where it belongs so you can enjoy the life that’s still available to be lived. This ending is not THE END, it’s just your life beginning again in a new way. It’s a point in your story where one chapter fades into the next. Take a look at the first page of this new chapter; it’s a beautiful one。
关门、翻过篇章、继续前行——随你怎么比喻，重要的是你必须了断过去、继续前行。此刻的结束还不是真正意义上的“结束”，只是生活又有了新开始罢了。它只是你人生故事中的一个章节，翻开新篇章，你又会迎来美好的新生活。
文章来源：网络
