When you make a mistake, big or small, cherish it like it’s the most precious thing in the world. Because in some ways, it is.

Most of usfeel bad when we make mistakes, beat ourselves up about it, feel like failures, get mad at ourselves.

And that’s only natural: most of us have been taught from a young age that mistakes are bad, that we should try to avoid mistakes. We’ve been scolded when we make mistakes—at home, school and work. Maybe not always, but probably enough times to make feeling bad about mistakes an unconscious reaction.

Yet without mistakes, we could not learn or grow. If you think about it that way, mistakes should be cherished and celebrated for being one of the most amazing things in the world: they make learning possible; they make growth and improvement possible.

By trial anderror—trying things, making mistakes, and learning from those mistakes—we have figured out how to make electric light, to paint the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel, to fly.

Mistakes make walking possible for the smallesttoddler, make speech possible, make works of genius possible.

Think abouthow we learn: we don’t just consume information about something and instantly know it or know how to do it. You don’t just read about painting, or writing, or computer programming, or baking, or playing the piano, and know how to do them right away. Instead, you get information about something, from reading or from another person or from observing, then you make mistakes and repeat, making mistakes, learning from those mistakes, until you’ve pretty much learned how to do something. That’s how we learn as babies and toddlers, and how we learn as adults. Mistakes are how we learn to do something new—because if you succeed at something, it’s probably something you already knew how to do. You haven’t really grown much from that success—at most it’s the last step on your journey, not the whole journey. Most of the journey was made up of mistakes, if it’s a good journey.

So if you value learning, if you value growing and improving, then you should value mistakes. They are amazing things that make a world of brilliance possible.

A

After The Super Girl was shown on TV, it was loved by millions of people, especially the young people. It becomes a hot topic among people. Here are some of their opinions

China is a developing country and women now show their abilities as freely as men do. The modern world is a stage for them to show who they are and what they want.

                                  — Nancy , 14

                                                  The Super Girls

One of the girls looks like Jolin Tsai (蔡依林) . In Singapore, a show of this kind is called Superstar. I think the competition like this is a good chance for the young girls with the dreams of stage. As for The Super Girl, I hope I can see one international super star coming out from this year's competition .

                                  —Linda , 16

I am worried about these super girls. They are educated in different ways. At their ages, they should be spending more time at school , not on the stage. What are they learning? And for what?

                                  —John , 15

B

Our environment isn’t as green and beautiful as it should be. There are steel monsters blocking out the sun, blowing out dangerous smoke, and letting out poisonous chemicals into rivers, cars producing harmful waste gas, people throwing out waste in a wrong way and all other kinds of sources that ruin the planet. Facing current environmental problems, people need to do their best to save the Earth.

You can see many big garbage dustbins in the streets. They’re not there for a show, but for you to drop your waste. We should realize that what a little we do does count. So next time you get that urge to throw gum or a chocolate package out of the car window, or “ accidentally” drop as you walk down the street, ask yourself how much waste you’ve been contributing to the environment with that bad habit going on for years.

At home, the first thing we can do to protect the environment is avoid letting water run continuously and make sure that taps(水龙头) are not leaky(泄露的)，which would help greatly in scrimping. Another is to use energy-saving lights, and turn them off before you leave the rooms. It’s not only energy-saving, but also cuts down electricity costs.

Recycling is a method to make items reusable. Many things you want to throw out can be made into new products through the reproducing process. Use your imagination to come up with ways on things that you can use again.

Pass the message of simple ways to save the environment on to kids. Starting with kids is a good way of teaching the message early in their lives, in the hope that they can carry it forward as they grow older.

With environmental protection awareness in mind, we can do what we can, for the results are to have a big effect on the planet. As long as we do our part, the world is one small step closer to being saved.

Wisdom is not only that you have knowledge, but also that you can apply your knowledge in sensible ways. Whenever you’re struggling with a life situation, having the wisdom to navigate（航行）the rough waters can be emotionally life-saving. But how to find wisdom when you need it? Try the following ways to find knowledge and wisdom that will enrich your life.

  Contact your parents.Although you might not currently have the type of relationship where you willingly seek guidance from your parents, it’s never too late to start. Your relationship with your parents will be promoted and you'll experience one of the most rewarding emotional connections possible in life. Seek out your parents for some important information such as big life decisions.

  Consider relevant past experiences.As wisdom is connected with experiences, think about how you’ve dealt with a similar situation. Maybe your girlfriend just broke off your engagement. Think about something related to that type of situation that you’ve been through in the past.

Talk with friends you respect.They may offer some insight from their own experiences that could be of great help to you now. Therefore, learn from their stories and experiences.

  Use technology.Although this might sound a bit strange, advances in technology have enabled us to seek and find all kinds of knowledge and information. ITunes University offers hundreds of courses that provide knowledge and wisdom.

  Let yourself become inspired.Whenever you take in new and fascinating information, you never know what will happen. If you’re looking for inspiration, check out the websites to explore some information that is new and inspiring.

  You’ll enrich your life in ways you haven’t even considered when you find wisdom using these strategies.

Why doesn’t the unemployment rate ever reach zero? Economists, who generally believe that supply tends to meet demand, have long thought about this question. Even in good times, i.e. not now, there are people who can’t find work. And even in bad times, i.e. now, there are job openings. With over 14 million people out of work and looking for a job, you would think every available job would be filled. But that’s not the case. Not now and not ever.

      On Monday, the Nobel Prize committee awarded the prize for economics to the three scholars who have done the most to explain this phenomenon. Two of the winners are Americans, Peter Diamond of MIT and Dale Mortensen of Northwestern. The third winner is Christopher Pissarides, who teaches at the London School of Economics and was born on Cyprus.

      Like most of economists, what they have found about why the jobless and ready-employers don’t find each other seems obvious. You have to find out there is job opening you are interested in. Employers need to get resumes. It takes a while for both employers and employees to make the decision that this is what they want. And these guys came up with a framework to study the problem of why people stay unemployed longer than they should and what can be done about it.

      So what would today’s Nobel Prize winners do to solve the current problem of the unemployed? And does the awarding of the prize contribute to the politicians’ lowering joblessness?

      Speaking from his north London home, Pissarides told The Associated Press the announcement came as “a complete surprise” though his work had already helped shape thinking on both sides of the Atlantic.

      For example, the New Deal for Young People, a British government policy aimed at getting 18-24-year-olds back on the job market after long periods of unemployment, “It is very much based on our work,” he said.

      “One of the key things we found is that it is important to make sure that people do not stay unemployed too long so they don’t lose their feel for the labor force,” Pissarides told reporters in London. “The ways of dealing with this need not be expensive training – it could be as simple as providing work experience.”

Who do you think was the most important woman of the past 100 years?

Jane Addams (1860 - 1935)

   Addams helped the poor and worked for peace. She created shelters, education opportunities and services for people in need. In 1931, Addams became the first American woman to win the Nobel Peace Prize.

Rachel Carson (1907 - 1964)

   Rachel Carson was born in the rural river town of Springdale, Pennsylvania in America. The popular 1962 book“Silent Spring”by Rachel Carson made people realize the dangers and the harmful effects of pollution on humans and on the world’s lakes and oceans.

Angela Merkel (1954 -  )

   In 2005, Germans chose Angela Merkel as their first woman head of the country. She had been a scientist in the past. As Germany’s leader, she has had an effect on the whole world.

Sandra Day O’Connor (1930 -  )

   When Sandra Day O’Connor finished her class at Stanford Law School, in 1952, she could not find work because she was a woman. However, she became the first woman to join the U.S. Supreme Court in 1981 after years of hard work.

Margaret Thatcher (1925 -2013)

   In 1979, Margaret Thatcher became Britain’s first woman Prime Minister. She served until 1990, which made her the first British leader to serve three terms in a row. Because of her high standards and strong will, people called her Britain’s Iron Lady.

Marie Curie (1867-1924)

   Polish-born scientist Marie Curie discovered that some types of metal give off energy called radiation (辐射). Her research led to new medical treatments and arms. She received the Nobel Prize in Physics in 1903 and in Chemistry in 1911.

Happiness increases when we experience more positive emotions throughout the day. Fredrickson, a leader in the field of psychology, identifies 10 positive emotions, including joy, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, love and so on. How often we experience these positive emotions compared to negative emotions in a day affects not only our mood, but also our physical health. She has discovered that those who have a 3:1 ratio(比率) of positive to negative emotions on a daily basis are happier and healthier.

Sadly, most people, even those who consider themselves positive people, are far below that ratio. The good news is that you can learn to increase your ratio of being positive, which leads to greater happiness, health and success.

Research shows that by increasing positive emotions, we become more creative, perform better at tasks, and have better relationships. The most exciting finding is that we now have proof that self-generated positive emotions can improve our physical health.

Nevertheless, we don’t want to get rid of all negative feelings. Negative emotions are proper and helpful sometimes. It’s appropriate to feel sad about the loss of a loved one. Anger often pushes us into action to improve a situation or correct a mistake. However, if you find yourself waiting impatiently when the driver in front of you doesn’t instantly notice the light turns green, or if you find yourself scolding your kids for laughing too loud while you are on the phone, you are having negative feelings in your daily life too often. Then you should step back and analyze those feelings, and turn them around.

Will it matter if you don't have your breakfast? A short time ago, a test was given in the United States. People of different ages, from 12 to 83, were asked to have a test. During the test, these people were given all kinds of breakfasts, and sometimes they got no breakfast at all. Scientists wanted to see how well their bodies worked when they had different kinds of breakfasts.

   The rules show that if a person eats a right breakfast, he or she will work better than if he or she has no breakfast. If a student has fruit, eggs, bread and milk before going to school, he or she will learn more quickly and listen more carefully in class.

   The result is opposite（相反）to what some people think. Having no breakfast will not help them lose weight. This is because they are so hungry at noon that eat too much for lunch. They will gain weight instead of losing it. You will lose weight if you reduce your other meals.

Did you know that Albert Einstein could not speak until he was four years old and did not read until he was seven? His parents and teachers worried about hismentalability.

Beethovenˈs music teacher said about him, “ As a composer (作曲家）he is hopeless. ” What if this young boy believed it?

When Thomas Edison was a young boy, his teachers said he was so stupid that he could never learn anything. He once said, “I remember I used to never be able to get along at school. I was always at the foot of my class...father thought I was stupid, and I almost decided that I was a stupid person. ” What if young Thomas believed what they said about him?

When the sculptor (雕刻家）AugusteRodin was young, he had difficulty learning to read and write. Today, we may say he had a learning disability. His father said of him, “I have an idiot (白痴）for a son.” His uncle agreed. “ Heˈs uneducable ,” he said. What if Rodin had doubted his ability?

Walt Disney was once fired by a newspaper editor because he was thought to have no “good ideas”.EnricoCaruso was told by one music teacher, “you canˈt sing. You have no voice at all.”And an editor told Louisa May Alcott that she was unable to write anything that would have popular appeal. What if these people had listened and become discouraged? Where would our world be without the music of Beethoven, the art of Rod­in or the ideas of Albert Einstein and Walt Disney? As Oscar Levant once said, Itˈs not what you are but what you don ˈt become that hurts. ”

You have great potential. When you believe in all you can be, rather than all you cannot become, you will find your place on earth.

The more you give to others, the more you reap yourself. When you share what you know, you will find that you grow according to the number of seeds that you sow. Such is the one secret to be happier in life.

Spread cheer and teach others to do the same. People will gather around you to hear your wisdom, and feel your love. They will come to receive your sharing of what is inside you, all around you, and the messages coming from above.

Life is all about giving back. It is not about heartache or lack. Count your blessings every day. Put them in a stack（干草堆） that grows higher and higher, till it sets your spirit on fire with joy.

Life is good when you stand up for what you believe. When you enrich the world with your truth, then you will receive all that is good and wonderful. All that is grand will come to you, too. All it takes is living from your heart to understand how the cycle of giving and receiving works. Ah yes! You will discover endless perks!

For many people today, especially women who are socialized to give and give of themselves, and told they are selfish if they want to do something for themselves, the cycle of giving and receiving gets blocked. When a person gives and does not receive, then the energy flow gets cut off.

Every person must receive, as well as give. Nature intended for that balance in creating that particular flow. Now why would that giving and receiving be a natural law? Because all people need to open themselves to receiving. In receiving you tell yourself you are worthy and deserving of what life has to offer.