威斯敏斯特教堂（西敏寺）墓碑上的話（WestMinster Abbey，When I was young and free…，修身齊家治國平天下）

（原文載於教堂墓地的一塊墓碑上，但主人不詳）

When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As i grew older and wiser, I discovered the world would not change,so I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country.

But it, too, seemed immovable.

As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it.

And now as I lie on my deathbed, I suddenly realize: If I had only changed my self first, then by example I would have changed my family.

From their inspiration and encouragement, I would then have been able to better my country and, who knows, I may have even changed the world.

大意如下：

 

當我年輕自由意氣風發的時候，夢想改變世界。後來長大變得聰明後才發現世界很難改變，於是我把目光拉近決定只是改變我的國家，然而依然很難。當我垂暮之年，絕望中嘗試只改變我的家庭，可是他們都不接受。

現在我行將就木，突然意識到：倘若當初我是只改變我自己，並作為榜樣影響我的家庭；進而在他們的激發和鼓勵下或許可以改變我的國家，甚至，最終改變世界。

 

這段話很適合躊躇滿志卻頻繁跳槽的求職者。由於在學生時代整體在教育人們要樹立遠大目標，因此畢業後幾乎整個處在從理想到現實的降落狀態。

另外當你感慨公司太大難以說服領導的時候，也應該牢記這句話。要說服部門領導，自身的業績和績效必須很好；而要改變公司，則應該先將自己的部門經營妥當；而要改變世界，則需要經營或運行一家成功的公司。

這倒不是說只有做好前半部分才能保證自己的觀點是對的，而是說只有做好前半部分，才有能力說服別人接受自己的觀點。

 

另：聽說此段文字在《心靈雞湯》中有深入探討。

 

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