愛、生活、人生系列

個人的偏好Personal Preferences每個人都有食、衣、住、行、育、樂等需求，但每個人的喜好都不同，自己喜歡的，都可稱為個人的偏好。在我們的日常生活中，我們經常在做自己喜歡的事，這就是個人的偏好。問題是，我們有沒有真正問過自己：「我最喜歡的是什麼呢？」因此，探索並了解自己的喜好，不僅是自我發現的旅程，更是自己生活品質的提升。我們的內在世界，可以比喻為一幅豐富多彩的畫布，每一筆、每一色，都代表著我們不同的興趣和喜好，而自我探索的過程，就像是選擇合適的色彩一樣。我們要自由地表達自己真正的喜好和興趣，才能稱得上是自己個人的偏好。現在，讓我們嘗試問問自己，「什麼時候，我感到最快樂？」或「在什麼情境下，我感到最有動力？」反思可以幫助我們重新連接過去的經歷，讓我們從中發現自己的興趣和熱情。無論是透過日記、拍照，或使用手機，我們都可以記錄自己個人的偏好。另外，當我們開始進行自我探索時，我們可以選擇既簡單又具體的事情。例如，每週花一小時，來學習瑜伽，或者，每天散步半小時等等。這些看似微小的事情，其實已經悄悄地在豐富著我們的生活和內心世界了。當我們達成這些小目標時，就跟自己說，「我做到了~，我好棒」。這些成就感，會一直支持著我們繼續前行的。認識自己，是一個持續且長達一生的過程。它需要時間、耐心及對自己的理解。我們要自我了解，才能知道自己的偏好。我們要透過自我察覺，更深入地了解自己的優點、缺點、價值觀、興趣和行為模式，才能更好地認識自己，知道如何好好地過生活。了解自己的偏好，可以調節自己的情緒，留意自己的身體，知道自己的想法，及聽進他人的意見。最後，有了個人的偏好，我們要勇敢地採取行動，不然，我們如何與別人分享？別人怎麼知道我們的偏好呢？當我們很清楚自己的偏好後，我們要付諸行動，讓我們的偏好，成為自己的個人品牌。我們做得越多，累積越多嘗試，就會越有自信，更有勇氣地說出自己的偏好。勇氣是一種良性循環，它會在我們不斷行動的過程中累積，帶領我們前往自己的渴望。事實上，要實踐個人的偏好，常常都會遇到新的挑戰和困難的。無論如何，我們都要學會在面對恐懼的同時，依然選擇採取行動。也許，我們要實現我們的偏好，會花費太多時間和人力，但是，我們就是要提醒自己，唯有踏出舒適圈，去嘗試和採取行動，才有辦法實踐我們的偏好。對我們的偏好來說，真正的學習，在於把想法付諸行動，並在過程中，累積點點滴滴，不斷地反思與反饋，從中改進。實際的行動，才能具體化我們的偏好，不是「我還沒準備好」，而是「現在」就要採取行動！很多時候，我們都會受到外界的左右，用別人的評論、觀點或期望，來衡量自己的價值，按照別人標準來過日子。這時，我們的偏好，就是在提醒我們，要放膽創造「自己的人生」，因為，只有我們最了解自己，最知道自己想要什麼，又渴望怎樣的理想人生。人生的駕駛，應該是我們本人，所謂的「已經準備好了」並不存在，我們要把自己的偏好，轉化成一個又一個可落實的目標，有動作、計畫和步驟，用實踐和體驗，來將我們的偏好，變成每日的生活，一生的最愛。Powered by Firstory Hosting

Beyond Imagination 超乎想像Imagine a world where machines can think, learn and create beyond our level of intelligence. A world where our personal AI assistant understands our emotions, where self-driving cars navigate flawlessly through bustling city streets, and where AI-generated art and music captivate (著迷) our senses. Well, in the world of AI, it is, exactly, a realm where boundaries are blur, and imagination becomes reality. The astonishing progress of artificial intelligence has already reshaped numerous industries and transformed our daily lives. To put it another way, what lies ahead goes far beyond our current comprehension, both in opportunities and challenges.While we are fascinated by the possibilities that future holds, AI has already made remarkable progress. Today, AI systems have demonstrated their power in a wide range of applications. Originating in the 1950s, early AI pioneers laid the groundwork (根基) for machines mimicking human intelligence through rule-based programming. Over time, AI diversified into different subfields. Now, AI has found wide-ranging applications in virtual assistants of homes, hospitals, restaurants, personalized recommendations, healthcare, finance, transportation, and manufacturing. Its integration has led to enhanced efficiency and accuracy across various domains.As we look to the future of artificial intelligence, we are faced with possibilities beyond our current understanding. Right now, we have seen AI systems surpassing human intelligence, possessing an extraordinary capacity for problem-solving, scientific discoveries, and creative endeavors. Though that is a distant dream, AI could potentially unlock groundbreaking (開創性的) solutions to complex global challenges, revolutionize industries, and reshape the course of humanity. In other words, the future holds the promise of autonomous AI systems capable of learning and making decisions without human intervention. These systems would continuously adapt to their environments, enhancing efficiency, and reducing the margin of error. From self-driving cars and smart homes to intelligent robots, these autonomous AI systems would revolutionize our day-to-day lives.For example, emotional AI will enable personalized experiences, empathetic virtual assistants, and mental health support. It opens up a world where AI can understand our emotions, offer companionship, and provide meaningful connections. Moreover, AI-generated art, music, and literature are already pushing the boundaries of human imagination. The fusion of human creativity and AI’s computational power has the potential to inspire new artistic expressions and push the frontiers of innovation. Besides, it’s not a distant dream anymore to wake up to an AI assistant that knows our preferences, schedules, and anticipates our needs. Personalized AI assistants will become even more intuitive, capable of managing tasks, providing recommendations, and streamlining our daily routines. One of the industries that will most benefit from AI advancement is healthcare. AI-powered diagnostic tools can analyze medical images, detect patterns, and assist in the early detection of diseases. Additionally, the future of transportation is bound to be transformed by AI. Self-driving cars will navigate roads with increased safety and efficiency, reducing accidents and traffic congestion. AI will also revolutionize public transportation systems, optimizing routes and schedules, and enabling intelligent traffic management for smoother commutes. AI can also assist teachers with administrative tasks, automated grading, and data-driven insights to optimize educational outcomes. Thus, some jobs will be automated, new roles and opportunities will emerge, emphasizing human creativity, problem-solving, and emotional intelligence. The workforce of the future will require adaptability to thrive in collaboration with AI systems. Intelligent robots will collaborate with human workers, performing repetitive tasks and improving quality control. The future possibilities of AI are awe-inspiring, from superintelligence and autonomous systems to emotional AI and groundbreaking creativity. It can and will transform different lifestyles for good.Nevertheless, different from AI, our human beings are good at thinking because we believe that thinking makes a difference. We have ideas, consciousness and stories every day. Even “we don’t know” is actually a kind of thinking. When we think deeply enough about things, we discover the truths “beyond the known.” We possess our imagination and perceive the “unknowingness” of what is happening. The main point is that we should open up our minds to accept and enjoy it. AI is like the tool that goes beyond the limitations of spoken or written language. It is the power of non-verbal communication. And there’s no doubt that it will continue to make life more pleasurable and easier for humans. However, it’s also very clear that the human brain is a magnificent thing that is capable of enjoying the simple pleasures of being alive without AI. Life is not always consistent. There are times when it’s easy to make life go well for ourselves, while other times, it can feel really difficult. Oftentimes, it’s our thoughts shape the way we feel, not AI. Our thoughts interpret the things that happen in our lives and, as a result, they have a strong influence over our happiness. That is, it doesn’t matter what happens to us; what matters is how we interpret those things. In other words, our positive thinking and imagination surpass AI systems in all respects. Those who are able to understand the deep thoughts in the brains do create their happiness. And once we can control our thoughts, we are capable of overcoming anything, including AI systems. Therefore, let’s try our best to make good use of our imagination and positive thinking to live our lives beautifully with the help of AI systems.Powered by Firstory Hosting

下雨天、慵懶天上禮拜(6月2日到6月5日)，每天連續下雨，很不方便！出門的人們，不得已，要穿上雨衣，拿起雨傘。開車的人們，也因為車輛變多而煩躁。下雨的時候，路上溼答答的，走起路來，感覺很潮溼，地板也滑滑的，腳會很癢、不舒服。鞋子、襪子都黏黏的，不清爽！下雨天是發霉的天氣，人也要跟著長霉了，感覺心情沉沉的，提不起勁，賴床時間變長，容易心煩，情緒低落，一整天都灰濛濛，胡思亂想，總繞著下雨的麻煩，夾雜著無聊、無趣與無奈。我們的大腦，在下雨天時，總會關注麻煩的事情，討厭的一面。有很多人，平時都壓抑、忍耐著自己內心的情緒，深怕自己控制不住、情緒潰堤。但是，到了下雨天，往往按耐不住，整個崩潰，一股腦兒，全部吐出內心各種不快的感受。下雨天，就是不開心，不爽！下雨天，就是討厭加心煩，就是很慵懶，不愛出門，什麼事都不想做。下雨天，外面暗暗的，天空陰陰的，花木低垂著，遠方的山，更是朦朧的，看不下去了···，這時候，真的好想晴天。然而，雖然我們無法阻止大雨的到來，有時，雨量過大，甚至帶來許多災害，對人們的生命財產，造成威脅。像是之前的八八水災，造成嚴重的死傷，令人慘不忍睹，很多家庭，天人永隔···。但是，是否我們可以在下雨天，試著去體會那種未必盡如己意，但也是不可避免的情境呢？試想看看，下雨天到底有什麼好處呢？「雨」也是老天爺賜給我們的恩惠，讓我們滋潤大地，提供自然生態的培養，使萬物生長，造就我們綠色的地球。下雨天，可以增加水庫的含量，提供民生用水。下豪大雨的時候，我們可以順便洗洗車，澆澆花，把灰塵都沖洗掉。下雨時，出門的人比平時少，讓外面平常忙碌又慌亂的街道，得到片刻的寧靜。下雨時，我們家裡拍打窗戶的雨聲，應該特別大聲、好聽。外出時，細膩的雨絲，滑過我們的臉龐，就像無聲的琴音一般，那孤獨的雨點，打在我們身上，又彷彿是在我們的耳畔低語。神奇的是，好像雨水也可以洗滌我們似乎過不去的事，那一切就像飄飄的，散了，如過眼雲煙一樣！　 　同一件事，在不同的情況下，我們總會有不同的解讀，不同的感受，不同的立場，及不同的意見。如果我們能放慢腳步，細細觀察這下雨天的情景，相信我們一定會發現好多簡單的事，就像是滴水從樹葉上墜落，又如雨滴在水面上擴散一樣，那樣地純粹而真實。那麼，現在，我們是否還一直在追求華麗而複雜的事物，卻忽略身邊平凡、珍貴的瞬間呢？下雨天，是否提醒著我們，要去重新感受簡單的喜悅呢！生活，或許永遠無法如我們所願；不變的日子，或許是很無趣，也平淡，但是，是否我們可以在這平凡的生活中，找到雨過天晴的開心與愉悅呢？下雨過後的陽光，真的好美。如同一束希望的光芒，破開灰暗的天空，帶來溫暖。一線陽光，穿透烏雲，肯定會照耀大地，那是陽光灑在我們身上的暖意。我們每個人，在一生中，都會經歷風風雨雨的，而生活，就存在於每一個轉折與風雨之後。一場雨後的彩虹，即是光明和希望了，我們何不開開心心地，將心靈的視野，從煩囂中解放出來，享受此刻當下的靜好和安寧呢？！於是，我決定了，我要和我自己的內心和解，往後，在每一個下雨天中，我都願意領悟，那微小但卻美好的片刻。Powered by Firstory Hosting

Companions同學、同伴與同好我們稱呼同班上課的夥伴為同學；一起工作的夥伴為同事；有共同興趣的夥伴為同好；假期結夥出遊的朋友為同伴；常常混在一起吃喝玩樂的哥兒們為同黨；來自同一個國家的人叫做同胞；來自同一個家鄉的人叫做同鄉；理念一致的人叫做同志；在一起衝鋒陷陣的軍中弟兄叫做同袍；就算遊手好閒不務正業的夥伴，也可稱為同道。這些有共同點的朋友，我們相信能有更深的連結。換句話說，與有共同愛好的朋友們相處，我們是很容易找到共同的話題，分享熱情，一同體驗美好的事物，同時也能互相學習和成長的。有共同愛好的朋友，較容易建立信任和親近感，共同參與愛好的活動，可帶來樂趣和興奮。例如音樂會、運動比賽、電影首映等，與有共同愛好的朋友一起參加，能更開心地欣賞和分享知識。再者，擁有共同愛好的朋友，可以彼此支持和鼓勵，特別是遇到困難或挑戰時，更能互相扶持和幫忙。舉例來說，有共同愛好運動的朋友，就可以一起鍛鍊身體。有共同愛好閱讀的朋友，能互相推薦書籍，討論書中內容與閱讀心得。有共同喜愛旅遊的朋友，更可以一起規劃旅行，探索不同的地方，並在旅途中，體驗彼此的經歷和感受。總而言之，共同愛好的朋友，可以為我們的生活，帶來更多的色彩和樂趣，並建立永久的友誼。俗話說，「物以類聚，人以群分」，朋友如能彼此擁有相似的興趣、價值觀，甚至溝通方式，都是我們特別親近，合得來的朋友。共同興趣可以是各種各樣的，包括：興趣愛好: 例如閱讀、聽音樂、運動、烹飪、攝影、繪畫、編織等。休閒娛樂: 例如看電影、玩遊戲、旅行、戶外活動等。志願與服務: 例如參與慈善活動、環保行動、社區服務等。知識與學習: 例如學習語言、研究歷史、探索科學等。文化與藝術: 例如欣賞繪畫、雕塑、音樂劇、舞蹈等。生活方式: 例如烹飪、園藝、裝飾居家、收集物品等。具體來說，我們可以根據興趣愛好、休閒娛樂、志願與服務等不同面向，來定義共同興趣。例如，如果兩個朋友都喜歡閱讀，那麼閱讀就是他們的共同興趣。如果他們都喜歡戶外活動，例如健行或露營，那麼戶外活動，就是他們的共同興趣。如果他們都熱愛環保，那麼環保就是他們的共同興趣了。只要有兩個以上的人，對同一件事或事物有興趣，他們就是同好，就有共同的興趣。兩個對文學有熱愛的人，可以因為對文學的熱愛而相遇，進而在交流中，發現彼此的相似點，逐漸成為知己，建立其深厚的友誼的。在人生的旅程中，遇到志同道合的同好，真是非常幸福。我們對某件事物的熱愛，無論時間如何流轉，是不會過期的，而同好，也會陪著我們，不斷努力，不斷探索。我們志同道合的朋友，就是我們的知己。當我們遇到同好時，我們就像找到失散已久的伙伴，其強烈的共鳴，會油然而生。我們會和同好，分享著喜悅，分擔困難，一起為心中的目標而努力。相信在人生的道路上，會與志趣相投的人邂逅，是件美好的事。無論在工作、學習、或是日常生活中，我們能夠找到志趣相投的人，真的很不容易，他們會在我們感到迷茫或失落時，提醒我們最初的夢想，鼓勵我們不可輕言放棄。在人生的每一個階段，我們都需要有同好陪伴，尤其是在那些艱難的時刻。志同道合的朋友，總會尊重我們的選擇，在我們需要時，提供幫助。他們讓我們的人生旅程，更加充實、有意義。Have you ever discovered that people who share the same interests are easily to become good friends? Friendships with shared interests are very important to our well-being. Why? Because they can enhance our life experiences, support us through the ups and downs, and make us feel a sense of belonging. With friends of the same interests, we, thus, find the common ground through shared passions. We can, later, become lifelong friends. This is the power of shared interests. Friendships can be strengthened by sharing common interests. In other words, friendship ties are developed when a person discovers and develops more common experiences with others. Additionally, sharing interests and establishing friends can also provide numerous advantages to our lives. Friends with the same interests not only give us an increased sense of belonging and social connections, but also offer emotional and practical helps during our stressful times. Sharing interests with friends, indeed, significantly improve our lives, and, eventually, increase our happiness and well-being.Life can be stressful and filled with challenges that always test our peace of mind. A true companion with the same interest can calm our worries and soothe our fears, making our life’s burdens lighter. As we grow older, we truly realize that life is not about having a multitude of friends or being known by everyone, but is about having people in our lives who add depth, joy, and security to our existence. As we reflect on the journey of life and the people we meet along the way, we really should cherish those who are the true companions with the same shared interests as ours. They are the ones who matter us most, and provide us the real lasting connections.Powered by Firstory Hosting

Giving Thanks and Expressing GratitudeEach holiday season comes with high expectations for a cozy and festive time of year. However, for many, the Thanksgiving season might be tinged (著色) with sadness, anxiety, or depression. Research suggests that giving thanks and expressing our gratitude can actually lift the good and right spirits. The word gratitude is derived from the Latin word gratia, which means grace, graciousness, or gratefulness. In some ways, gratitude encompasses all of these meanings. Gratitude is a thankful appreciation for what an individual receives. With gratitude, people acknowledge the goodness in their lives. In the process, people usually recognize that being grateful helps them connect to something larger than themselves as individuals. In positive psychology research, gratitude is strongly and consistently associated with greater happiness. Gratitude helps people feel more positive emotions, relish (喜愛) good experiences, improve their health, deal with adversity, and build strong relationships. Furthermore, gratitude is strongly related to wellbeing (康樂). The positive effects of experiencing and expressing gratitude are endless. Gratitude has been found to be beneficially linked with social wellbeing, emotional wellbeing, and psychological wellbeing, too. Gratitude appears to have a constant effect. People who are thanked are presumably more apt (易於) to extend help to others in the future. Indeed, the expression of gratitude is beneficial for both individuals and society.People feel and show gratitude in multiple ways. They can apply it to the past (retrieving positive memories and being thankful for childhood or past blessings), the present (feeling good fortune all the time), and the future (maintaining a hopeful and optimistic attitude). Two psychologists, Dr. Robert A. Emmons of the University of California, Davis, and Dr. Michael E. McCullough of the University of Miami, have done much of the research on gratitude. In one study, they asked all participants to write a few sentences each week, focusing on particular topics. One group wrote about things they were grateful for that had occurred during the week. The second group wrote about daily irritations (惱怒) or things that they displeased, and the third group wrote about events that had affected them (with no emphasis on them being positive or negative). After 10 weeks, those who wrote about gratitude were more optimistic and felt better about their lives. Surprisingly, they also exercised more and had fewer visits to doctors than those who focused on irritations. Other studies have looked at how being grateful can improve relationships. For example, a study is that couples who took time to express gratitude for their partner not only showed more positive toward the other person, but also felt more comfortable expressing concerns about their relationship. Managers who say “thank you” to employees would let employees get motivated to work harder. While it’s easy to feel a rush of joy after winning the lottery or receiving a big promotion at work, gratitude extends to the smaller blessings in life as well that they might be often overlooked or taken for granted. Even the smallest moments, such as a brief chat with a friend, a kind gesture from a stranger, a cool breeze on a hot day, or a peaceful stroll (散步) in nature, are things that we can be thankful for. Nevertheless, whatever our circumstances in life, oftentimes, we may find that consistently showing gratitude can be surprisingly difficult. Many of us get caught up in a negativity bias, where we linger on bad news and unpleasant experiences, but, yet allow moments of positivity to fade into the background. Fortunately, gratitude is like a muscle that we can build. With the right exercises and practice, we can find, at least, something small to appreciate in even the bleakest (陰冷的) day. In doing so, a little gratitude can do wonders for our mood. When we practice gratitude, we shift our thoughts away from negative emotions and uncomfortable sensations. Instead, we begin to focus on good things. For example, we sense that how fortunate we are to have close friends who are willing to company us and drive us home. Moreover, because gratitude can boost our mood, it’s no surprise that it can also improve our overall physical and mental health. That is, approaching life with a more positive mindset can do more than just improve our health. It can also let us have better sleep, higher self-esteem, increased patience and acts of kindness toward friends and family members.Gratitude is, in effect, a way for people to appreciate what they have, instead of thinking what they can’t feel satisfied. In other words, gratitude helps people to refocus on what they own instead of what they lack. Here are some ways we can do to cultivate gratitude on a regular basis:Write a thank-you notes or emails. It can express our enjoyment and appreciation of people who help us a lot.Thank someone mentally. It may help us to think about someone who has done something nice to us.Keep a gratitude journal. We can write down the things and thoughts about gratitude immediately every day.Count our blessings. We can count three to five good things every day to remind us of our blessings.Pray. People who are religious can use prayer to cultivate gratitude. For ordinary people, prayer is also a process of learning to trust Almighty God.Meditate. Mindfulness meditation involves focusing on the present moment without judgment. We can often practice meditation to let us have a peaceful mind.Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life. It turns a meal into a feast, a house into a home, a stranger into a friend. Gratitude makes sense of our past, brings peace for today, and creates a vision for tomorrow. We perceive that a positive attitude is not just thinking happy thoughts. It takes effort and determination to remain positive, especially in today’s world. In truth, a positive attitude is formed by the choices we make daily, and how we react to situations and others around us. When we brush off disappointment or rude comments, we maintain a positive attitude. Our attitude is also influenced by how well we ignore negative self-talk and accept our current circumstances. It is important to express thankfulness when something good happens. Being thankful is not inherently bad. On the contrary, it is part of showing appreciation to others or for our good fortune. We are really thankful when we get a new job or meet a new friend. However, where thankfulness is an emotion, gratitude is an attitude of appreciation under any circumstance. Gratitude involves being thankful, even when nothing exciting happens. That is to say, we do not need something good to happen to have gratitude, and when bad things happen, our gratitude does not falter (動搖). Gratitude is about being content physically and mentally with the state of our lives. In other words, we may not always be happy, but we can still practice gratitude. Gratitude deepens our inner connections. Thankfulness is external. When we practice gratitude, we rely on our inner voice to stay positive and remain appreciative in all circumstances. So, let’s take action to have gratitude always.Powered by Firstory Hosting