时间：2022-10-07 09:42:44
Oear Seth，
You’re only three years old， and at this point in your life you can’t read， much less understand what I’m going to try to tell you in this letter. But I’ve been thinking a lot about the life that you have ahead of you， about my life so far as I reflect on what I’ve learned， and about my role as a dad in trying to prepare you for the trials that you will face in the coming years.
I hope to help you along your path by sharing some of the best of what I’ve learned. You are supposed to take any advice with a grain of salt. What works for me might not work for you.
Be Open to Life Anyway
Yes， you’ll find cruelty and suffering in your journey through life， but don’t let that close you to new things. Don’t retreat from life， don’t hide or wall yourself off. Be open to new things， new experience， new people.
You might get teased and bullied and hurt by people you meet， and then after meeting dozens of jerks， find a true friend. If you close yourself off to new people， and don’t open your heart to them， you’ll avoid pain， but also lose out on meeting some incredible people， who will be there during the toughest times of your life and create some of the best times of your life.
You will fail many times， but if you allow that to stop you from trying， you will miss out on the amazing feeling of success once you reach new heights with your accomplishments. Failure is a stepping stone to success.
Life Isn’t a Competition
You will meet many people who will try to outdo you in school， in college， at work. They’ll try to have nicer cars， bigger houses， nicer clothes， cooler gadgets. To them， life is a competition―they have to do better than their peers to be happy.
Here’s a secret： life isn’t a competition. It’s a journey. If you spend that journey always trying to impress others， to outdo others， you’re wasting your journey. Instead， learn to enjoy the journey. Make it a journey of happiness， of constant learning， of continual improvement， of love.
Don’t worry about having a nicer car or a bigger house or anything material， or even a better-paying job. None of that matters a whit， and none of it will make you happier. You’ll acquire these things and then only want more. Instead， learn to be satisfied with having enough， and then use the time you would have wasted trying to earn money to buy those things， and use that time doing things you love.
Find your passion， and pursue it doggedly. Don’t settle for a job that pays the bills. Life is too short to waste on a job you hate.
Love Should Be Your Rule
If there’s a single word you should live your life by， it should be this： love. It might sound corny， I know， but trust me， there’s no better rule in life.
Live your life by the rule of love. Love your spouse， your children， your parents， your friends， with all of your heart. Give them what they need， and show them not cruelty nor disapproval nor coldness nor disappointment， but only love. Open your soul to them.
Love not only your loved ones， but your neighbors， your co-workers， strangers， your brothers and sisters in humanity. Offer anyone you meet a smile， a kind word， a kind gesture， and a helping hand.
Love not only neighbors and strangers， but your enemy. The person who is cruelest to you， who has been unkind to you...love him. He is a tortured soul， and most in need of your love.
And most of all， love yourself. While others may criticize you， learn not to be so hard on yourself， not to think that you’re ugly or dumb or unworthy of love， but to think instead that you are a wonderful human being， worthy of happiness and love， and learn to love yourself for who you are.
Your Love， Dad
亲爱的塞斯：
你现在仅仅3岁，在你人生的这个时刻，你还不识字，更不用说让你去理解我接下来想在这封信里对你所说的话了。但是对于你即将面临的人生以及到目前为止我的生活，我已经想了很多，我反思我所学会的，思考一个父亲的职责，力图让你为未来岁月中即将面临的考验作好准备。
我希望通过分享一些我所学到的最好的道理来帮助你走好你的人生之路。任何建议都要权衡对待，因为适合我的可能并不适用于你。
是的，在你的生命历程中你会发现不公与苦难，但不要让这些使你拒绝接受新鲜事物。不要逃避生活，不要躲藏，抑或自我封闭。拥抱新鲜事物，尝试全新生活，结识新的人。
你可能会被你遇到的人取笑、欺负、伤害，而在遇见很多这种稀奇古怪的人后，你会找到一个真正的朋友。如果你不去结识新的人，不向他们敞开心扉，你会避免受伤，但是同时也会失去认识一些不凡之人的机会。他们会在你生命最困难的时刻陪伴着你，并为你创造人生当中一段最美好的时光。
你会失败很多次，但是如果你让失败打倒你，一蹶不振，你就会错过那种你的成就让你达到新的高度所带来的令人惊叹的成就感。失败是成功的垫脚石。
在中学、大学里，在工作中，你会遇到很多试图超过你的人。他们设法拥有更好的车，更大的房子，更漂亮的衣裳，更酷的小玩意。对他们而言，人生就是一场竞赛――他们不得不比同龄人做得更好来让自己快乐。
这里有一个秘诀：人生并不是一场竞赛，而是一段旅程。如果你在途中一直都试图给他人留下深刻的好印象，超过别人，那你就在浪费你的旅程。与之相反，学会享受它，让它成为快乐之旅、终身学习之旅、持久的进步之旅以及爱之旅。
不要为拥有一辆更好的车、一栋更大的房子或者任何物质的东西，甚至是一份薪水更高的工作而操心。这些根本无足轻重，也不会使你更快乐。在拥有了这些之后，你只会想要更多。与之相反，学会满足你已经拥有的，然后利用那些你原本会浪费在挣钱买这些物质的东西上的时间，去做你喜欢的事。
找到你的激情，并坚持不懈地追求它。不要满足于一个领薪水付账的工作。生命太短暂了，不可将之浪费在你所厌恶的工作上。
如果有一个词成为你的生活准则的话，那它应该是爱。我知道也许这话听起来是老生常谈，但是请相信我，生活中再没有比这更好的准则了。
用爱作为准则来过你的生活。全心全意地去爱你的妻子、你的孩子、你的父母和你的朋友。给予他们所需要的，不要虐待他们，不要反对他们，不要对他们态度冷淡，不要令他们失望，而只能表现出爱意。要对他们推心置腹。
不仅爱你深爱的人，也要爱你的邻居、你的同事、陌生人以及四海之内的兄弟姐妹。向任何所遇之人报以一个微笑，说上一句善语，做出一个友好的姿势，伸出援助之手。
不仅仅爱你的邻居和陌生人，也要爱你的敌人。对你最残酷的人，曾经对你不友善的人……也要爱他。他是一个备受折磨的灵魂，最需要你的爱。
最重要的是爱你自己。虽然别人可能会批评你，但你要学会不要对自己太苛刻，不要认为自己长相丑陋、不善言谈或者不值得去爱，而要想着自己是一个优秀的人，值得拥有幸福和真爱，并学着去爱真实的自己。
爱你的爸爸