God: This is GOD. I heard your prayers. So I thought I will chat.
上帝:我是上帝,我聽到你的禱告,所以我想跟你聊聊.
Me: I do pray. Just makes me feel good. I am actually busy now. Am in the midst of something.
我:我確實有禱告,但只是為了讓我自己感覺舒服,我現在非常忙,正在處理某些事情當中.
God: What are you busy at? Ants are busy too …
上帝:你在忙什麼?螞蟻也是很忙…
Me: Don’t know. But I can’t find free time. Life has become hectic. It’s rush hour all the time.
我:也不知道在忙什麼,可是我無法找到空檔,生活變得忙亂,整天都是尖峰時間.
God: Sure. Activity gets you busy. But productivity gets you results. Activity consumes time. Productivity frees it.
上帝:確實,活動使你很忙,但創造給你成果,活動消耗時間,創造騰出時間.
Me: I understand. But I still can’t figure out. By the way, I was not expecting YOU to buzz me on instant messaging chat.
我:我了解,但我仍然想不透,另外,我沒想到你會在即時訊息聊天室上煩我.
God: Well I wanted to resolve your fight for time, by giving you some clarity. In this net era, I wanted to reach you through the medium you are comfortable with.
上帝:因為我想透過幫你理出一些頭緒,來解決你對時間的困擾,在這個網路時代,我想透過你熟悉的媒體管道與你溝通.
Me: Tell me, why has life become complicated now?
我:告訴我,為什麼現在生活變得如此複雜?
God: Stop analyzing life. Just live it. Analysis is what makes it complicated.
上帝:好好過你的日子,不要分析它,分析使得生活變得複雜.
Me: Why are we then constantly unhappy?
我:為什麼我們一直不快樂?
God: Your today is the tomorrow that you worried about yesterday. You are worrying because you are analyzing. Worrying has become your habit. That’s why you are not happy.
上帝:昨天的你所擔心的明天就是你的今天,因為分析所以你擔心,擔心成為你的習慣,這就是為什麼你們會不快樂的原因.
Me: But how can we not worry when there is so much uncertainty?
我:但是我們怎麼可能不擔心呢!未來充滿了那麼多的不確定.
God: Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional.
上帝:不確定是無法避免的,但擔心郤是可以選擇的.
Me: But then, there is so much pain due to uncertainty.
我:可是有許許多多的傷害都是不確定帶來的.
God: Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional.
上帝:傷害是無法避免的,但受苦郤是可以選擇的.
Me: If suffering is optional, why do good people always suffer?
我:如果受苦可以選擇,為什麼好人總是受苦?
God: Diamond cannot be polished without friction. Gold cannot be purified without fire. Good people go through trials, but don’t suffer. With that experience their life becomes better not bitter.
上帝:鑽石必須經過琢磨才能發光,黃金必須經過火煉才能精粹,好人必須經過試鍊(不是受苦)的經驗才能使他們的生命更好(不是更苦).
Me: You mean to say such experience is useful?
我:你真的認為這些經驗有用?
God: Yes. In every term, Experience is a hard teacher. She gives the test first and the lessons afterwards.
上帝:沒錯,字字屬實,經驗是一位嚴厲的老師,她總是在考試之後才教導.
Me: But still, why should we! go through such tests? Why can’t we be free from problems?
我:但是為什麼我們就得接受考試?為什麼我們不能免於這些問題?
God : Problems are Purposeful Roadblocks Offering Beneficial Lessons to Enhance Mental Strength. Inner strength comes from struggle and endurance, not when you are free from problems.
上帝:問題是具有目的的路障,提供我們加強意志力的有益課程,我們內在的力量來自奮鬥與忍耐,而不是因為沒有任何問題.
Me: Frankly in the midst of so many problems, we don’t know where we are.
我:老實說,當我們面對這麼多的問題時,我們根本不知何去何從.
God: If you look outside you will not know where you are heading. Look inside. Looking outside, you dream. Looking inside, you awaken. Eyes provide sight. Heart provides insight.
上帝:如果你往外看,你就會失去方向,你應當往內看.往外看,你會做夢,往內看,你就會覺醒!眼睛提供你視力,心靈郤能提供你覺察力.作者: 厚成 時間: 2010-5-23 23:42
Me: Sometimes not succeeding fast seems to hurt more than moving in the right direction. What should I do?
有時不能迅速成功似乎比走在正確的方向上更痛苦,我該怎麼辦?
God: Success is a measure as decided by others. Satisfaction is a measure as decided by you. Knowing the road ahead is more satisfying than knowing you rode ahead. You work with the compass. Let others work with the clock.
上帝:成功的標準由別人決定,滿足的標準由自己決定,知道你前方的路比知道你領先重要,你靠的是羅盤,別人靠的是時鐘.
Me: In tough times, how do you stay motivated?
我:在艱難的時刻,你如何保持積極?
God: Always look at how far you have come rather than how far you have to go. Always count your blessing, not what you are missing.
上帝:永遠只看你已走了多遠,而不是還有多遠才能到達,永遠計算你擁有多少福氣,而不是計算你錯過了多少.
Me: What surprises you about people?
我:人們有什麼事讓你驚訝?
God: When they suffer they ask, "why me?" When they prosper, they never ask "Why me". Everyone wishes to have truth on their side, but few want to be on the side of the truth.
上帝:當他們受苦受難時,他們會問:「為什麼是我?」,當他們春風得意時,他們從不問:「為什麼是我?」,每個人都希望真理站在他們那一邊,但只有少數人是站在真理那一邊.
Me: Sometimes I ask, who am I, why am I here. I can’t get the answer.
我:有時我會問:「我是誰?存在的意義是什麼?」,可是我找不到答案.
God: Seek not to find who you are, but to determine who you want to be. Stop looking for a purpose as to why you are here. Create it. Life is not a process of discovery but a process of creation.
上帝:不要問「你是誰?」,而是應該決定你要成為誰?,不要尋找你存在的意義,而是要創造它,生命不是發現之旅,而是創造之旅.
Me: How can I get the best out of life?
我:我如何活得好?
God: Face your past without regret. Handle your present with confidence. Prepare for the future without fear.
上帝:沒有遺憾地面對你的過去,充滿信心地處理你的現在,沒有恐懼地準備你的未來.
Me: One last question. Sometimes I feel my prayers are not answered.
我:最後一個問題,有時我覺得我的禱告沒有被回覆.
God: There are no unanswered prayers. At times the answer is NO.
上帝:所有的禱告都有回覆,只是有時答案是NO.
Me: Thank you for this wonderful chat. I am so happy to start the day with a new sense of inspiration.
我:謝謝你跟我聊了這麼多,我很高興能以嶄新的思維重新過活.
God: Well, Keep the faith and drop the fear. Don’t believe your doubts and doubt your beliefs. Life is a mystery to solve, not a problem to resolve. Trust me. Life is wonderful if you know how to live. Best wishes for a good day.
上帝:保持信心,拋開恐懼,不要相信你的疑慮,但是要挑戰你的信念,生命是等待解開的謎團,而是等待解決的問題,相信我,如果你知道如何過活,生命將是美好的,祝福你.