愛、生活、人生系列

Gifts Giving from Santa Claus 聖誕老人送禮物「聖誕老人」此一神秘人物，帶給小孩子們禮物的概念，衍生自4世紀生活在土耳其的主教聖尼古拉。北美洲，荷蘭和英國，把這一傳統，融入聖誕節日的慶祝，荷蘭語的聖尼古拉，傳進英語，成為「Santa Claus」。在英裔美國人的傳統中，聖誕老人總是快活的在聖誕前夜，乘著馴鹿拉的雪橇到來，他從煙囪爬進屋內，留下給孩子們的禮物，並吃掉孩子們為他留下的食物。聖誕季期間，在美國和英國的很多超市裏，都有小孩可以向其要禮物的「聖誕老人」出現。現今，在許多國家裡，聖誕節前夕，孩子們會準備好空的容器，或在壁爐上懸掛聖誕襪，以便聖誕老人可以裝進一些小禮物，如玩具或糖果等。聖誕節（Christmas）的日期是每年12月25日。天主教教徒會在12月24日的平安夜（Christmas Eve），舉行子夜彌撒，慶祝耶穌的誕生。基督教徒會舉辦聖誕感恩禮拜，慶祝這個重要的節日。聖誕節（Christmas），又稱耶誕節，起源與基督教有關，主要是基督教紀念，和慶祝耶穌的誕生。耶穌誕生的故事充滿異象，是因上帝為體恤人們，拯救苦難，而差遣耶穌來到世上。為了紀念與表達對耶穌的敬愛，便開始慶祝聖誕節。聖誕老人(Santa Claus)的傳說，可以追溯到千年前。當時有位樂善好施的紅衣主教叫聖尼古拉，他經常行善，幫助許多貧困家庭。有一次，聖尼古拉遇到了一位即將遭到變賣的貧困女子，他藉由在夜晚時間，爬上他們的屋頂，將帶來的金幣，往煙囪丟進去，這些金幣剛好掉進掛在壁爐旁的襪子裡，從此之後，就逐漸衍生出聖誕老人從煙囪爬進房子，將禮物放在聖誕襪的由來。吃聖誕大餐，是聖誕節的重頭戲，這天是家人親友團聚歡度時光、分享美食的重大日子，象徵著愛和溫馨的聖誕大餐，每年不變。和家人、朋友和情侶間交換禮物，有著分享喜悅的含義，透過精心挑選禮物，傳達更多的關愛和關心。聖誕卡片的故事，可以追溯到19世紀初的英格蘭。當時英國藝術家約翰·赫斯基斯(John Horsley)，設計了一張描繪著歡慶的場景，並附有祝福詞句的聖誕卡片，這被視為聖誕卡片的開端。後來，聖誕卡片的設計變得多元，也成為互相關懷、表達祝福的習俗。送禮是人與人用來表達心意的一種方式，而禮物是主要關鍵，不需要太貴，也不用很頂級。俗話說：「千里送鵝毛，禮輕情意重。」我們收到禮物時，要抱持著感恩的心，生在福中很幸福！「禮物運動」是從史賓賽．強森博士著作《禮物》得到的靈感，書中年輕人用盡方法，四處探尋，渴望找到老人所說能讓他快樂的「禮物」。直到有一天，年輕人決定暫時放下這一切，不再汲汲營營地盲目追尋，他才赫然發現，那份禮物，原來一直就在他的身邊，就在當下。我們每一天，都可以得到禮物，也可以當個送禮物的人。一句問候、一句讚美、一句關心的話語，都可以是禮物，在簡單的語言之間，送禮物的動作已經完成了。面對挫折、挑戰與困境，也只需要換個心境，抱持著「一切都是好極了」的心態，以積極的思路，去解決問題，逆境也是一份禮物。只要我們的眼睛，都看見美好的、能給生命帶來光明快樂的東西。每一天，我們都會從「聖誕老人」手中，得到最美好的禮物。Santa Claus is a legendary figure originating in Western Christian culture who is said to bring gifts during the late evening and overnight hours on Christmas Eve. Santa Claus is generally depicted as a portly, jolly, white-bearded man, often with spectacles, wearing a red coat with white fur collar, and a red hat trimmed with white fur, carrying a bag full of gifts for children. He is popularly associated with a deep, hearty laugh. Santa Claus strives to find a way to bring joy into the lives of all children all over the world, and eventually invents toys for them. Santa Claus is really the cultural icon who is all about peace, joy, giving, and caring for people. Children sometimes write letters to Santa Claus, with a wish list of presents that they wish to receive. Right now, writing letters to Santa Claus has the educational benefits of promoting literacy, computer literacy, and e-mail literacy. A letter to Santa is often a child’s first experience of correspondence. Santa Claus is an iconic figure in popular culture that has been celebrated for generations. He is best known for delivering gifts to children on Christmas Eve, often coming down chimneys and leaving presents in stockings hung by the fireplace. He is associated with joy, generosity and kindness and symbolizes the spirit of giving. Santa Claus is also seen as a symbol of hope, which makes him more important during times of difficulty or distress. He appears in Christmas stories as an example of how to remain positive and generous despite adversity. Santa Claus reminds us that it is possible to make miracles happen if we come together and put our faith in the spirit of goodwill and kindness. In today’s modern world, Santa Claus has become a symbol of Christmas cheer and family fun, bringing joy to children and adults alike. Every year, children still write to Santa Claus sharing their Christmas wishes and dreams. These letters are filled with joy and optimism, and they serve as a reminder of the magic that Santa Claus brings to Christmas. Santa Claus, now, is an iconic and beloved figure that has become an important part of Christmas traditions around the world. His image has been embraced with his superb spirit to evoke feelings of peace, hope, joy and generosity in people of all ages and backgrounds.Powered by Firstory Hosting

Empathy 同理心台灣的花蓮縣，正經歷著令人難以承受的天災，連續幾天的濕、冷，再加上地震，為人們的身、心，帶來極度的不安穩，威脅到生命最基本的「安全」需求。當我們聽到有人大聲疾呼：發揮同理心、人溺己溺、人飢己飢等訴求時，我們似乎可以感受到正在寒凍中受苦的人，急需我們的關心與幫助。哲學家說：「在烏托邦裡，不存在同理心」，是的，同理心的原意是 to suffer with，不只是理解他人的感覺，而且還要與他人產生連結，經歷他人的傷痛，然後，才有能力給出關懷。在日常生活裡，同理心，簡單地說，就是跟他人一起感受(to feeling with)，與他人產生連結，拉近人與人之間的距離。通常，要同理跟我們親近的人，是比要同理陌生人來的容易，也就是說，我們更容易同理相同性別、類似遭遇，或身處相同環境的人。這樣的相似性，讓我們較容易設身處地站在對方的角度看事情，從對方的角度，來體會對方的感受。人們常說，「設身處地」，就是要透過耐心的陪伴與傾聽，真正聽見、明白他人的處境，瞭解他人的傷痛。每個人都有同理別人的能力，但是，能否將同理心付諸行動、徹底執行，則取決於幾個面向：我們有多少資源（時間）、對方是誰，陌生人還是家人、朋友，及我們心裡認為的同理心的意義和價值。其實，只要有心，同理很簡單。首先，我們必須放慢步伐，試著與他人靠近，開啟連結；其次，透過陪伴與傾聽，設身處地的感受他人的狀態與情緒；最後，經由適當的語言，與非語言的方式，回饋給對方，讓他人體會到我們的意願與陪伴。同理心其實並不是一件容易的事，同理心是需要訓練的，它是一種能力。很多人在成長的過程中，並沒有受到這樣的訓練，導致他想要同理別人，也不知道該怎麼做，尤其是小孩子。小孩子一向都是自我中心的，他們都是希望別人配合他，而不可能去配合別人的。然而，我們要如何訓練同理心呢？同理心的本質是「換位思考」，也就是設身處地的為別人著想，把自己放進別人的情境裡，去思考別人可能遭受到的感受。如果我是他，我處在那樣的位置和處境，我會有什麼感覺呢？人性是共通的，我們會有什麼想法，別人也會，思想是相通的。同理，不是同情，人同此心，心同此理，我們同的是道理，而不是情感，所以同情跟同理，是須分開的。當我們站在對方的位置，去體會他，一起感受時，就是同理心的換位。然後，我們要把事情，放在第三者的視角，來發現他人的問題，內心的流程，與事件的結構。我們要用概括性、俯瞰式的角度來瞭解，才能引出對方不但聽得懂，又能找到解套的對談。In a world of such violence, hatred and brutality as the present one, we are all aware of what is going on in the world: the competition, the ambitions and frustrations, the extraordinary brutality, hatred and violence arising from the conflicts between political parties, and among certain countries. There is an extraordinary amount of cruelty in a world where a small group of people takes charge of millions of others, and directs their lives through tyranny, such as Mainland China, South Korea, Russia and Iran, etc. There is not a matter that we can be lightly dismissed. We need to seek security, and perform certain functions to save the world. Empathy helps us see things from other persons’ perspectives, sympathize with their emotions, and build stronger relationships with others.Empathy is the ability to see things from others’ perspectives and feel their emotions. Putting ourselves in other persons’ shoes would lead us to act with compassion and improve the situations. Empathy isn’t just about hardships. When our children are excited about something, we feel their joy. When our friends are laughing at jokes, we experience their amusement. Empathy allows us to deepen our relationships as we connect with our friends’ and loved ones’ thoughts and feelings, and they connect with ours, too. Empathy can also extend to people we don’t know as well. If we see someone sitting alone at a party, for example, we might empathize with his/her loneliness and chat with him/her. If we see images of other people suffering on the other side of the world, we might be moved to donate resources to alleviate their suffering. On the other hand, when we see a crowd roaring with joy on TV, we, too, have our high spirits. Their delight becomes our delight.Nevertheless, unlike empathy, sympathy doesn’t involve sharing what someone else feels. When we’re sympathetic, we care about the person’s problem or misfortune and feel sorry for his/her suffering, but we don’t fully feel his/her pain. Sympathy is more of a feeling of pity for the person, while empathy is more a feeling of compassion for them. In this sense, empathy has an important role to play in our life. First, it can strengthen our bonds with the people we interact with. As we try to understand others, we also make them feel heard and understood. They’re then more likely to take the time to empathize with us as well. Because empathy leads to better relationships, it can be a key component to building a more satisfying life.Furthermore, empathy can motivate us to take actions that improve the lives of others. These actions might include anything from donating to a charity to encouraging a friend to seek help for alcohol abuse, and to simply comforting someone with a hug. In social situations, empathy can help us decide on the wisest course of action. Once we have a better understanding of someone else’s perspectives, it’s easier to move on to proposing the compromises. On the other hand, if we have low empathy, we might have a lack of patience when dealing with people who are in distress. In this sense, we never seem to have the time to listen to other people’s perspectives or reflect on their emotional states.Moreover, being empathetic requires us to make ourselves vulnerable. This demands us to reflect on our own emotional states as well as to practice being open with others. When we communicate intense emotions, including shame, jealousy, and grief with others, other people will be more willing to open up to us in return. People are more likely to feel empathy toward people who are similar to them. We don’t necessarily have to agree with every perspective we come across. However, taking the time to simply listen with an open mind can help us see the humanity in people with different backgrounds or views. As we engage with people of different backgrounds, we’ll likely find that many of our earlier notions of them were inaccurate. It’s okay to admit to being wrong. It’s also true that building empathy is a way to expand our social circle and boost our happiness. Empathy really has a ripple effect. As we take the time to truly listen to others, we’re making it easier for them to trust, comfort, and empathize with us and even more people.Powered by Firstory Hosting

Self-presentation and Self-achievement 自我表現與自我成就We all want others to see us as confident, competent, and likeable. In fact, we make dozens of decisions every day to get people to see us as we want to be seen. Success requires interacting with other people. We can’t control the other side of those interactions. But we can think about how the other persons might see us and make choices about what we want to convey.Self-presentation is any behavior or action made with the intention to influence or change how other people see us. Anytime, we’re trying to get people to think of us a certain way. It’s an act of self-presentation. Generally speaking, we work to present ourselves as favorably as possible. We want to make sure that we show up in a way that not only makes us look good, but also makes us feel good about ourselves. To some extent, every aspect of our lives depends on successful self-presentation. For example, we do want our families to feel that we are worthy of attention and love. We present ourselves as studious and responsible to our teachers at school. We want to be fun and interesting at a party, and to be confident at networking events.In order to achieve the results that we want, it often requires that we behave a certain way. That is, we do certain behaviors that are desirable in certain situations. In this sense, matching our behavior to the circumstances enhances us to connect to others, and attune to the needs and feelings of others. According, we might feel surprised when people don’t present themselves in a way that is consistent with the demands of their roles. For instance, in the classroom, if we are the presenters who are responsible for explaining the main ideas of the handout to students, we cannot only read the passages without any further interpretations. Perhaps, we are shy and get nervous in front of people, or we just don’t fully prepare to speak up. Nevertheless, that is not the enough reason. As a result, we can see that teachers and students are very disappointed with us. In this situation, we hardly accomplish our duties completely.Because we spend so much time with other people in society, and our success largely depends on what they think of us, successful self-presentation is one of the most important factors when we interact with others. Some people are particularly concerned about creating a good impression before others. Therefore, we have to provide evidences that we are the best persons in every aspect. At its heart, self-presentation requires a high-level self-awareness and empathy. In order to make sure that we’re showing up as our best in every circumstance, we have to be aware of our own motivations as well as what would make the biggest differences to others.Again, take presenters in the classroom as an example. To carry out the best self-presentation, first of all, we need to know well for our roles to have the oral presentation. We read over the handout in detail, and distribute the content of the handout to group members. Secondly, we discuss how to teach and point out key elements of the handout with group members. We, then, get feedback and suggestions from other group members. Thirdly, we ask all the members to brainstorm together for creating the review sheet according to the handout. We, next, share our viewpoints with one another. At last, we should rehearse all the oral presentations in English in order that we can present the best teaching materials in class. Anyway, self-presentation is defined as the way we try to show off in front of others, but it’s just as much about how we would see ourselves, too. Consciously working to make sure that others could see the very best of us is a wonderful way to develop into the persons we want to be.Furthermore, self-achievement is also very important for students in the classroom. When students focus better on their own progress, they, thereby, develop a stronger sense of achievement. Achievement, in positive psychology, is about more than getting top marks in class. When students can see their own progress in learning, and mastering a subject or skill, they will feel a sense of achievement. Self-achievement for students requires clearly defined objectives, goals and expectations. Once, students, themselves, have a strong understanding of the goals to complete, they, just then, acknowledge and build self-achievement. Studies have shown that feeling a sense of accomplishment is an important element in developing positive wellbeing for students. Research also points out that people with a strong sense of purpose, persistence and accomplishment perform better at school and work. For some students, submitting assignments on time, or showing up to every class might be important markers of progress and their achievement of a goal. We do appreciate them to have their self-achievement. Self-achievement really helps students to have confidence in their school lives. Therefore, the importance of self-presentation and self-achievement cannot be overemphasized. All in all, self-presentation brings self-achievement, and self-achievement approaches toward success. Thus, we, including teachers and students, have to recognize our earnest efforts to accomplish things in our lives, and be proud of what we are doing with our whole hearts.Powered by Firstory Hosting

Great Things Don’t Come EasyLife is not always easy. We have to work hard to get what we want. There will be times when we will feel down, and think that there is no hope for our future. And, life is not all about the ups, there are downs, too. It’s during these difficult times to remind us that the only way to get what we want in life is through hard work and dedication. It takes perseverance, self-discipline, and hard work to achieve success. The best way to learn is to have a belief in ourselves. Some of the most successful people in the world had to overcome many obstacles on their ways to success. They never gave up, they never backed down, and they always believed in themselves. Belief is one of the main principles we should live by to lead a worthwhile life. We should never give up on our dreams, stay persistent in life and business, and always believe that good things don’t come easy.Anyway, failure is not the end of the world. It is an opportunity for growth, learning, and improvement. Some people may view failure as a negative thing, but it can also be seen as a positive thing. Failure can lead to new ideas and opportunities that we never would have thought of before. We need to take baby steps slowly toward success. The time we wish for something might be out of our reach. Albert Einstein had been working on a theory for the relationship between space and time for years, but had made little progress. He was again stumped, so he decided to get some fresh air, and hopped on his bike for an excursion through the quaint streets of Bern, Switzerland. When he gazed at the clock tower, he had a sudden moment of clarity. Time can beat at different rates through the universe. It all depended on how fast we moved. There is a belief that we are fortunate to have these sudden realizations and attribute our breakthroughs to them, but are they really so sudden? The answer is not. In fact, it is not so much a sudden moment of insight, but rather takes a long time from experiences. Slow leads to progress, success, and breakthroughs. With patience, discipline, and hard work, eventually, we’ll stumble upon a breakthrough. All good things take time.Besides, getting distracted isn’t a bad thing, as we saw from Albert Einstein. Sometimes, we enjoy, take breaks, and let things happen organically because, very often, it is in these unsuspecting activities that our minds truly open up. It doesn’t matter if we do a little or a lot on a daily basis. The only measurement is that we are getting closer to our dreams every day. We might take a break and let the subconscious take over for a while. Then, slow and steady wins the race. “I walk slowly, but I never walk backward,” Abraham Lincoln. Ultimately, no matter how small or slow it feels, little efforts add up far quicker than we’d realize.The road to success starts within a heart that wants to be the best at something–a heart, mind, and soul that does not want to be ordinary, but extraordinary. Winners never look for the easy way out. They simply look at the impossible, and say to themselves to set their hearts upon lofty dreams, and chase after them with their whole hearts. The truth is that the road to success is narrow, and many will miss it because the road to failure is broad and easy. Any ordinary person can stay ordinary, but those who work hard, doing a daily routine, become extraordinary people. If we want to reflect a spirit of excellence in everything we do, hard work should become the second nature to us. Hard work is one element which helps us achieve our greatest dreams. A farmer goes out and works hard to plant his crop. He waters it, weeds it, and even fertilizes his field. His hard work will pay off at harvest time. If the farmer did not water, weed, and fertilize his crop, it would yield very little. Similarly, if the athlete will not plant a crop of hard work, he, too, will yield nothing for his effort. All of these take time. The farmers, as well as the athletes, earn great rewards from their continual efforts. Again, great things don’t come easy. Time and hard work will prove them, and we believe in ourselves fully.Powered by Firstory Hosting

上台表演這件事「好棒喔～下星期五就要表演了，我終於要把這件事完成了。」「上台表演會有一點壓力，對吧？」「不只一點，還蠻多的呢！」「妳會不喜歡嗎？」「不會啊！我很期待。」小朋友的對話，讓我們學跳舞的成人，真的想了很多。每一次去跳舞，我們成人都得花上大半的時間練舞；每一次，我們都是一直練習、一直練習，但是，我們從來就不敢站上舞台，真正表演。上台表演這件事，需要有上台的慾望、表演的渴望、持之以恆的耐性與毅力，還要有責任心。其實，跳舞是必須承受一點小小的壓力的，我們是要被訓練，站在舞台上，獲得台下觀眾的熱烈掌聲的。但是，身為成人的我們，哪有勇氣上台啊！勇氣是對自己的要求與負責，勇氣也是對自己學習的信心。但是，是否愛跳舞的業餘成人們，沒有勇氣，沒有信心呢？其實，上台表演的意義，是呈現自己學習的成果，並藉此與他人分享。上台表演，真的不必像上戰場一樣，那麼嚴肅，那麼可怕。相反地，多一點上台表演的機會，會累積「戰力」，我們不僅可以磨練技巧，訓練膽量，克服緊張，更能與人合作、互動，培養默契，在排練和演出的過程中，學習表現自己與成全別人。也就是說，上台表演，不只是個人的活動，也是學生與老師、學員與朋友之間相處的機會。有過上台經驗的人都知道，在台前台後所獲得的友誼、建立的態度、增進的技術、和通過的考驗，是對自己的學習與生活，受益無窮的。另一方面，上台表演，也是學習成果的檢視。舞台上，表現好的一面，是我們事前點滴努力的成果；而表現未能盡善盡美的地方，則是我們要繼續努力的目標。我們如能把握每一次認識自己、結交朋友的機會，便能為自己創造更多進步的空間。學習是一條漫長的道路，而上台表演，是鼓勵自己不斷努力、克服困難、共融共好的過程，且亦可留下無以磨滅的深刻回憶。每次看到那些穿著漂亮衣服，上台跳舞的舞者，我們都好羨慕。她們微笑地面對觀眾，抬頭挺胸，笑容可掬，好不甜美，就算有舞步不對，觀眾也不會因為她們的失誤而取笑啊！所以，只要站在台上，我們就是舞台上的主人，就是要給今天在場的每位貴賓，一個舒服的演出饗宴。我們一定要有自信的微笑與舉止，走路不疾不徐，敬禮，並微笑地注視台下的觀眾，謝謝他們願意空出時間，前來鼓掌。因此，在我們努力練習，到了上台表演完後的那一刻時，請放自己一馬，抬頭挺胸，用自信的眼神，和誠摯地微笑，告訴觀眾：「這段時間，我們很努力準備了，感謝大家來看我們的成果發表，謝謝大家的掌聲。」相信，上台表演這件事，是我們對站在舞台上的負責，也是我們對在場的觀眾，表達我們深深地、滿滿的誠意的演出。Powered by Firstory Hosting