It begins about 40 years ago,

這是個美好的故事：

when my mom and my dad came to Canada.

故事開始於四十年前，

My mom left Nairobi, Kenya.

我的父母來到加拿大。

My dad left a small village outside of Amritsar, India.

我母親離開了肯亞奈洛比，

And they got here in the late 1960s.

我父親離開了印度 Amritsar 城外的一個小村莊。

They settled in a shady suburb about an hour east of Toronto,

他們在1960年代來到這裡。

and they settled into a new life.

他們在多倫多以東不遠的一個僻靜郊區住了下來，

They saw their first dentist,

他們展開了新生活。

they ate their first hamburger,

他們第一次看牙醫，

and they had their first kids.

第一次吃到漢堡，

My sister and I

第一次有了自己的兒女。

grew up here,

我和我妹妹

and we had quiet, happy childhoods.

在這裡長大，

We had close family,

我們的童年恬靜、美滿。

good friends, a quiet street.

我們的家庭融洽，

We grew up taking for granted

有許多好友，街區很安靜。

a lot of the things that my parents couldn't take for granted

在我們成長的過程中

when they grew up --

忽略了許多我們父母年輕時

things like power always on

無法忽視的事情－

in our houses,

比如，我們家的電

things like schools across the street

從來沒斷過，

and hospitals down the road

學校就在街對面，

and popsicles in the backyard.

街道的一端就是醫院，

We grew up, and we grew older.

在家後院就能買到冰棒。

I went to high school.

我們慢慢長大，

I graduated.

我上了高中，

I moved out of the house, I got a job,

畢了業，

I found a girl, I settled down --

離開了家，找到一份工作，

and I realize it sounds like a bad sitcom or a Cat Stevens' song --

遇見一個女孩，成家立業－

(Laughter)

我形容的好像是一部拙劣的肥皂劇或 Cat Stevens 的歌。

but life was pretty good.

（笑聲）

Life was pretty good.

但生活依然美滿。

2006 was a great year.

非常美滿。

Under clear blue skies in July in the wine region of Ontario,

2006年是個非比尋常的一年。

I got married,

在安大略葡萄酒產區的晴空之下，

surrounded by 150 family and friends.

我結婚了，

2007 was a great year.

150多位親友到場慶賀。

I graduated from school,

2007年也不平凡。

and I went on a road trip with two of my closest friends.

我從大學畢業了，

Here's a picture of me and my friend, Chris,

我和兩位最親密的朋友結伴旅行。

on the coast of the Pacific Ocean.

這是我和朋友 Chris，

We actually saw seals out of our car window,

我們站在太平洋海岸邊上。

and we pulled over to take a quick picture of them

我們透過車窗見到海豹，

and then blocked them with our giant heads.

於是停下車和牠們合影，

(Laughter)

結果，我們的大頭卻把牠們擋住了。

So you can't actually see them,

（笑聲）

but it was breathtaking,

所以你們看不到牠們，

believe me.

那真是令人屏息的一刻

(Laughter)

真的啦

2008 and 2009 were a little tougher.

（笑聲）

I know that they were tougher for a lot of people,

2008、2009 年，生活開始感到不適切了。

not just me.

我知道，並不是只有我的生活不如意，

First of all, the news was so heavy.

有些人的境遇更糟。

It's still heavy now, and it was heavy before that,

首先，新聞報導讓人憂心忡忡。

but when you flipped open a newspaper, when you turned on the TV,

現在的情況也是如此，

it was about ice caps melting,

每當你翻開報紙，打開電視，

wars going on around the world,

你會看到冰冠正在消融、

earthquakes, hurricanes

全球戰事不斷、

and an economy that was wobbling on the brink of collapse,

地震、颶風、

and then eventually did collapse,

某國的經濟正處於崩潰邊緣，

and so many of us losing our homes,

後來就真的垮了，

or our jobs,

許多人失去房子，

or our retirements,

丟掉了工作，

or our livelihoods.

無法安然退休，

2008, 2009 were heavy years for me for another reason, too.

失去生計

I was going through a lot of personal problems at the time.

2008、2009年我過得不順利還有另一個原因，

My marriage wasn't going well,

當時，我遇到不少個人問題。

and we just were growing further and further apart.

我的婚姻出現了危機，

One day my wife came home from work

我和妻子越來越疏遠。

and summoned the courage, through a lot of tears,

一天，我妻子下班回家，

to have a very honest conversation.

她鼓起勇氣，淚流滿面，

And she said, "I don't love you anymore,"

和我展開誠實的對話

and it was one of the most painful things I'd ever heard

她說：「我已經不愛你了。」

and certainly the most heartbreaking thing I'd ever heard,

那是我經歷過的最痛苦的事，

until only a month later,

也是我所聽到過最讓人心碎的話。

when I heard something even more heartbreaking.

之後，僅僅過了一個月，

My friend Chris, who I just showed you a picture of,

我又得到另一個更讓我痛心的消息，

had been battling mental illness for some time.

我的好友 Chris，就是剛才照片上的那位，

And for those of you

他患了精神疾病，苦苦掙扎了一段時間。

whose lives have been touched by mental illness,

在場如果有人

you know how challenging it can be.

曾經患過精神方面的疾病，

I spoke to him on the phone at 10:30 p.m.

你就能體會其中的痛苦。

on a Sunday night.

我在星期天晚上十點半

We talked about the TV show we watched that evening.

跟他講過電話，

And Monday morning, I found out that he disappeared.

聊了一下那天晚上看的電視節目，

Very sadly, he took his own life.

就在第二天早上，我發現他失蹤了。

And it was a really heavy time.

很不幸地，他結束自己的生命。

And as these dark clouds were circling me,

那段時間非常難熬。

and I was finding it really, really difficult

我頭頂黑雲密佈，

to think of anything good,

我就算使勁全力

I said to myself that I really needed a way

也無以振作。

to focus on the positive somehow.

我告訴自己，我真的需要

So I came home from work one night,

讓自己把注意力轉移到積極面上。

and I logged onto the computer,

於是，有一天晚上，我下班回到家，

and I started up a tiny website

打開電腦，

called 1000awesomethings.com.

我成立了一個小網站 ---

I was trying to remind myself

1000awesomethings.com (1000 件超棒玩意)。

of the simple, universal, little pleasures that we all love,

我想提醒自己，

but we just don't talk about enough --

生活中有許多人人都愛的，簡單而隨處可見的小快樂，

things like waiters and waitresses

我們只是很少談起這些快樂－

who bring you free refills without asking,

譬如，那些主動為你免費續杯的

being the first table to get called up

餐館服務員，

to the dinner buffet at a wedding,

在一個婚禮上，你坐的那一桌

wearing warm underwear from just out of the dryer,

可以首先去選餐，

or when cashiers open up a new check-out lane at the grocery store

穿上剛從烘乾機裡拿出來仍然熱乎乎的內衣，

and you get to be first in line --

或在超市，正巧碰上收銀員多開了條新的結帳通道，

even if you were last at the other line, swoop right in there.

你現在排第一了--

(Laughter)

本來你排在最後一個，現在立刻衝過去。

And slowly over time,

（笑聲）

I started putting myself in a better mood.

於是，慢慢地，

I mean, 50,000 blogs

我的心情開始好轉。

are started a day,

你看，每天新增的部落格

and so my blog was just one of those 50,000.

有五萬個。

And nobody read it except for my mom.

我的部落格就是這五萬中的一個。

Although I should say that my traffic did skyrocket

除了我母親，沒人讀它。

and go up by 100 percent

當然，我媽把部落格網址轉發給我爸以後

when she forwarded it to my dad.

我的流量

(Laughter)

翻了一倍。

And then I got excited

（笑聲）

when it started getting tens of hits,

當流量到了幾十次，

and then I started getting excited when it started getting dozens

我開始感到開心了。

and then hundreds and then thousands

當流量超過了五十次

and then millions.

又到了幾百次，接著到幾千次，

It started getting bigger and bigger and bigger.

一直到了幾百萬次。

And then I got a phone call,

數字一直持續成長。

and the voice at the other end of the line said,

最後，我接到一通電話，

"You've just won the Best Blog In the World award."

電話那頭的聲音告訴我：

I was like, that sounds totally fake.

「您剛剛獲得了全球最佳部落格大獎。」

(Laughter)

我當時覺得這聽起來實在太假了。

(Applause)

（笑聲）

Which African country do you want me to wire all my money to?

（掌聲）

(Laughter)

你想要我把所有存款轉到哪個非洲國家的帳戶啊?

But it turns out, I jumped on a plane,

（笑聲）

and I ended up walking a red carpet

然而，我卻跳上飛機，

between Sarah Silverman and Jimmy Fallon and Martha Stewart.

走上紅地毯，

And I went onstage to accept a Webby award for Best Blog.

在 Sarah Silverman、Jimmy Fallon、和 Martha Stewart 站在一起，

And the surprise

我走上頒獎台，接受了威比獎(Webby Awards)的最佳部落格獎項。

and just the amazement of that

那份驚喜

was only overshadowed by my return to Toronto,

那種喜悅

when, in my inbox,

直到我回到多倫多

10 literary agents were waiting for me

查看郵件時才有所收斂，

to talk about putting this into a book.

十位文稿代理商發了 email 給我，

Flash-forward to the next year

等著跟我討論把部落格文章整理成書的事情。

and "The Book of Awesome" has now been

一轉眼到了下一年，

number one on the bestseller list for 20 straight weeks.

《絕妙之書》

(Applause)

至今已連續二十週登上最暢銷書了。

But look, I said I wanted to do three things with you today.

（掌聲）

I said I wanted to tell you the Awesome story,

但是，今天我想告訴大家三件事。

I wanted to share with you the three As of Awesome,

我想給你們講個絕妙的故事，

and I wanted to leave you with a closing thought.

和你們分享三個A開頭的快樂秘訣，

So let's talk about those three As.

然後給大家來個總結。

Over the last few years,

先來談談這三個 A 吧。

I haven't had that much time to really think.

過去的幾年裡，

But lately I have had the opportunity to take a step back

我沒花太多時間確實地去思考。

and ask myself: "What is it over the last few years

而最近，我有機會坐下來

that helped me grow my website,

問我自己：在過去幾年裡

but also grow myself?"

究竟是什麼幫助我的網站成長，

And I've summarized those things, for me personally,

並讓自己更成熟?

as three As.

我總結了其中的原因，對我個人而言，

They are Attitude, Awareness

那就是這三個A。

and Authenticity.

它們是態度 (attitude)、知覺 (awareness)、

I'd love to just talk about each one briefly.

和本真 (authenticity)。

So Attitude:

我想簡短逐一介紹一下。

Look, we're all going to get lumps,

態度 (attitude)：

and we're all going to get bumps.

我們每個人總有不順遂的時候，

None of us can predict the future, but we do know one thing about it

也都跌倒過，

and that's that it ain't gonna go according to plan.

沒有人能預測未來，但是有一件事是肯定的，

We will all have high highs

那就是「天有不測風雲」。

and big days and proud moments

我們都快樂過、

of smiles on graduation stages,

得意過、驕傲過、

father-daughter dances at weddings

在畢業典禮上燦然一笑，

and healthy babies screeching in the delivery room,

在婚禮一刻父女共舞，

but between those high highs,

健康的嬰孩在產房裡大聲啼哭，

we may also have some lumps and some bumps too.

然而，在這些快樂的時刻之間，

It's sad, and it's not pleasant to talk about,

難免穿插著一些令人不快的插曲。

but your husband might leave you,

這些事情令人悲傷，令人不願啟齒，

your girlfriend could cheat,

但，你的丈夫可能會離你而去，

your headaches might be more serious than you thought,

你的女友可能會背叛你，

or your dog could get hit by a car on the street.

你的頭痛可能比你想像的還嚴重，

It's not a happy thought,

你的狗可能在大街上會被車撞死。

but your kids could get mixed up in gangs

這些想法很掃興，

or bad scenes.

你的孩子可能會混黑道，

Your mom could get cancer,

或者做壞事。

your dad could get mean.

你的母親可能會罹患癌症，

And there are times in life

你的父親可能很暴力；

when you will be tossed in the well, too,

在你的生活中總有那麼幾次，

with twists in your stomach and with holes in your heart,

你會覺得自己陷入絕境，

and when that bad news washes over you,

萬念俱灰，心如刀割

and when that pain sponges and soaks in,

當遭遇噩耗時，

I just really hope you feel

那痛苦蔓延全身，

like you've always got two choices.

我真心希望

One, you can swirl and twirl

你能意識到你有兩種選擇：

and gloom and doom forever,

一是，你可以自暴自棄

or two, you can grieve

自怨自艾，永遠消沉下去，

and then face the future

或者第二，你可以傷心，

with newly sober eyes.

然後重新振作，

Having a great attitude is about choosing option number two,

面向未來。

and choosing, no matter how difficult it is,

保持正確的態度就要選擇第二項，

no matter what pain hits you,

不管這個選擇多麼困難，

choosing to move forward and move on

不管你心裡承受多少痛苦，

and take baby steps into the future.

你都要選擇向前看，繼續生活，

The second "A" is Awareness.

一小步一小步地向未來前進。

I love hanging out with three year-olds.

第二個 A 是知覺 (awareness)。

I love the way that they see the world,

我喜歡和三歲的孩子玩。

because they're seeing the world for the first time.

我很欣賞他們眼中的世界，

I love the way that they can stare at a bug crossing the sidewalk.

在他們眼中的是一片嶄新的世界。

I love the way that they'll stare slack-jawed

我喜歡他們看著一隻小蟲爬上人行道時專注的表情。

at their first baseball game

喜歡他們第一次看棒球比賽時

with wide eyes and a mitt on their hand,

如癡如醉盯著球場的神態，

soaking in the crack of the bat and the crunch of the peanuts

眼睛睜得大大的，手上還帶著個棒球手套，

and the smell of the hotdogs.

在棒球的擊打聲，花生的嘎嘎作響，

I love the way that they'll spend hours picking dandelions in the backyard

以及在熱狗的香味中自得其樂。

and putting them into a nice centerpiece

我喜歡看他們在後院裡摘蒲公英，一採就是幾個小時，

for Thanksgiving dinner.

然後把蒲公英做成感恩節晚餐桌上的

I love the way that they see the world,

中心裝飾。

because they're seeing the world

我欣賞他們眼中的世界，

for the first time.

因為在他們眼裡，

Having a sense of awareness

世界是全新的。

is just about embracing your inner three year-old.

擁有一種知覺意識，

Because you all used to be three years old.

就是擁抱內心中三歲的你。

That three-year-old boy is still part of you.

因為你們都曾經是三歲的孩子，

That three-year-old girl is still part of you.

那個三歲的小男孩仍然是你的一部份

They're in there.

那個三歲的小女孩仍然是妳的一部份

And being aware is just about remembering

他們在這裡。

that you saw everything you've seen

去感知就是去記住

for the first time once, too.

你眼中的世界

So there was a time when it was your first time ever

也曾是嶄新的。

hitting a string of green lights on the way home from work.

你也曾經第一次

There was the first time you walked by the open door of a bakery

下班後，走運碰到一路綠燈。

and smelt the bakery air,

你也曾經第一次經過敞開門的麵包店，

or the first time you pulled a 20-dollar bill out of your old jacket pocket

聞到四散撲鼻的香味，

and said, "Found money."

你也曾經從就外套口袋裡掏出一張20元紙幣，

The last "A" is Authenticity.

說：「有錢啦。」

And for this one, I want to tell you a quick story.

最後一個 A 是本真。

Let's go all the way back to 1932

對於本真，我有一個小故事要和大家說

when, on a peanut farm in Georgia,

故事要追溯到1932年，

a little baby boy named Roosevelt Grier was born.

在喬治亞州的一片花生田上，

Roosevelt Grier, or Rosey Grier, as people used to call him,

一個名叫 Roosevelt Grier 的男孩出生了。

grew up and grew into

Roosevelt Grier，人們叫他 Rosey Grier，

a 300-pound, six-foot-five linebacker in the NFL.

長大後成為了

He's number 76 in the picture.

高 196 公分、重 136 公斤的美式足球聯盟中後衛。

Here he is pictured with the "fearsome foursome."

這張照片上的76號就是他。

These were four guys on the L.A. Rams in the 1960s

他們四人就是著名的「戰慄四猛將」。

you did not want to go up against.

他們在1960年代效力於洛杉磯公羊隊，

They were tough football players doing what they love,

這支球隊令人聞風喪膽。

which was crushing skulls