Forty-three years ago, I was a twelve-year-old boy in Marinette．An old lady was a 1 on my Paper route．On a Saturday afternoon, a friend and I were mindlessly throwing 2 onto the roof of the old lady's house from the bushes．The 3 of our play was to observe how the rocks changed to missiles(飞弹)as they 4 to the roof's edge and shot out into the yard like comets(彗星)．
I found a perfectly smooth rock and 5 it for a(n)ride．The stone was too smooth, however, so it 6 from my hand as I let it go and headed straight for a window．We were so 7 of getting caught that we took off 8 than any of our missiles that flew off her roof．
However ,a few days later, when I was sure that I hadn't been 9 , I started to feel guilty for her misfortune．She still 10 me with a smile each day when I gave her the paper．'
I made up my mind that I would 11 my Paper delivery money．Three weeks later, I had 7 dollars and put the money in an envelope with a note 12 that I was sorry for breaking her window and hoped that the money would cover the cost for 13 it．
I waited until it was 14 , sneaked up to the lady's house, and put the envelope by the door．The next day, I handed the lady her paper and returned the warm 15 which I was receiving from her．She 16 me for the paper and gave me a bag, saying, “ Here, I have some cookies for you．” I thanked her and 17 to eat the cookies as I continued my route．
After several cookies, I felt a(n) 18 and pulled it out of the bag．When I 9 it, 1 was shocked．Inside was the seven dollars and a short note, saying, “I'm 10 of you．”
When 1 was twelve years old, my father took me to see Zig Zigler．I remember sitting in that dark hall listening to Mr．Zigler 1 everyone’s spirits up to the ceiling．I 2 there feeling like l could do anything．When we got to the car, I turned to my father and said，“Dad，I want to 3 people feel like that．” My father asked me 4 I meant．“I want to be a motivational speaker just like Mr．Zigler．” I replied．A 5 was born．
Recently, I began seeking my dream of motivating others． 6 a four-year relationship with Fortune 100 company 7 as a sales-trainer and ending as a regional sales manager, I left the company at the height of my 8 ．Many people were 9 that I would leave after earning a six-figure income．And they asked 10 I would risk everything for a dream．I made my 11 to start my own company and leave my secure position after 12 a regional sales meeting．The vice-president of our company delivered a 13 that changed my life He asked us, “If a god would offer you three wishes, what would they be?” After giving us a 14 to write down the three wishes, he then asked us, “Why do you need a 15 ?” I would never forget the power I felt at that moment．I realize that 16 I had accomplished in the past had prepared me for this moment．I was ready and didn’t need a god’s help to be a motivational speaker．A motivational speaker was 17 ．
Having made that decision, I was immediately 18 ．One week after I gave notice, my husband was laid off from his job，and now we had no 19 ．But I held fast to my dream．The wonder really began to happen．In a short time my husband found a better job．And I was able to book several 20 engagements(业务)with new customers．I discovered the incredible power of dreams．
My parents operated a small restaurant in Seattle．It was open twenty-four hours a day, six day a week．And my first real job, when I was six years old, was 1 the diners’ shoes．My father had done it when he was young, so he taught me 2 to do it efficiently, telling me to 3 to Re-shine the shoes if the customer wasn’t 4 ．
Working in the restaurant was a cause of great 5 because 1 was also working for the good of the family．But my father 6 that I had to meet certain standards to be part of the team．I 7 to be punctual(守时的), hard-working, and polite to the 8 ．
I was 9 paid for the work I did at the restaurant．One day I made the mistake of advising Dad that he 10 give me ＄10 a week．He said, “OK．How about you paying me for three meals a day you have here?And 11 the times you bring in your friends for free soft drinks?”He 12 I owed him about ＄40 a week．
I remember returning to Seattle after being 13 in the US Army for about two years．I had just been promoted to Captain at that time．And full of pride, 1 walked into my parents’ restaurant, but the 14 thing Dad said was,“How about your 15 up tonight?”I couldn’t 16 my ears!I am an officer in the Army!But it didn’t 17 As far as Dad was concerned, I was just 18 member of the team．I reached for the mop(拖把)．Working for Dad has taught me the devotion to a 19 is above a11．It has nothing to do with 20 that team is involved in a family restaurant or the US Army．
As a child, there was nothing I liked better than Sunday afternoon at my grandfather's farm． 1 by miles of winding, stone walls, the house provided 2 hours of fun for a city kid．
I can still remember one 3 when 1 was eight years old．I'd wanted 4 anything to be allowed to climb the walls surrounding the property．The walls were old; some stones were 5 , others loose．Still, my desire to scramble across those walls 6 so strong that finally, one spring weekend, I took all my 7 and entered the living room, where the 8 had gathered after Sunday dinner．
“I, I wanna climb the stone walls．"I said hesitantly． 9 a chorus went up from the women in the room．"Heavens．no!"they cried．"You'll hurt yourself"I wasn't too 10 ; the response was just as I'd expected．But 11 I could leave the room．I was 12 by my grandfather's loud voice．"Now 13 just a minute．"1 heard him say．"Let the boy climb the stone walls． 14 , he has to learn to do things for himself．"
For the next two hours I climbed those old walls and had the time of my 15 Later I told my grandfather about my 16 ．I'll never forget what he said．"Fred ,"he said, smiling, "you made this day a (an) 17 day just by being yourself．Always remember, there's only one person in this whole world like you, and I like you exactly as you are．"
Many years have passed since then, and today I 18 the television program Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, seen by millions of children．There have been 19 over the years, but one thing 20 the same： my suggestion to children at the end of almost every visit．"There's only one person in this whole world like you," the kids can hear me say, "and people can like you exactly as you are．"
When 1 was growing up, I had an old neighbor Dr．Gibbs, a good doctor．When Dr．Gibbs wasn't 1 lives, he was planting trees．His house covered an area of ten acres, and his life's 2 was to make it a forest．
The good doctor had some interesting theories 3 plant care and growth．He never watered his new trees．which went against conventional 4 Once I asked why．He said that watering plants 5 them so that their later generation would grow weaker and weaker．So you had to make things 6 for them and weeded out the 7 trees early on．He talked about how watering trees made for shallow roots, and how trees that weren' watered had to grow deep roots in 8 L of moisture(水分)．I thought he meant that deep roots were to be 9 ．
so he 10 watered his trees．He planted an oak(橡树)and,instead of 11 it every morning．he beat it with a rolled-up newspaper．I asked him why he did that, and he said it was to get the tree's 12 ．
Dr．Gibbs 13 a couple of years after I left home．Every now and again, 1 walked by his house and looked at the trees that he had planted when he was alive．They're extremely tall and big 14 they have deep roots now．However, the trees in my garden 15 in a cold wind although I had watered them for several years．
It seems that suffering 16 these trees in ways comfort and ease never could．I stood there deep in 17 ．
Every night before I go to bed．I check on my two sons．Mostly I pray that their lives will be 18 ．But I think that it's time to 19 my prayer because·now I know my children are going to 20 hardship．