英语美文朗读 第305期 Walk your own path

If there is any advice I would universally give to every person, regardless of who they are, it is this: walk your own path. Walk your own damn path.

如果要我给每个人一个建议，无论是对谁，我都会说：走你自己的路。

Don't walk someone else's path. Don't walk the path your parents predestined for you just because you feel emotionally indebted to them. Don't walk a path that appears to be yours, but is actually society's fabricated ideal of who you 'should' be. Don't walk a path just because you fell into it and it's "good enough." Don't walk a path that you feel a sense of enslaved duty towards because it's what you "need to be" doing according to dominant sociocultural standards.

不要走别人的路。不要因为你觉得对父母有亏欠，就走他们预先给你设定好的路。不要走那条看似是你“应该”走的路，实际上，它是社会给你施加的期望，它只会让你成为你“应该”成为的人。不要因为你刚好走上了一条路，而且它“挺好的”，就一直走下去。不要因为你感觉被某种注定的使命而奴役，就走上某条路，它是这个社会的主流文化和价值观的缩影，它仅仅是在定义你“应该”做什么。

Walk your own path. That means CHOOSING your own path in a very conscious way. We all possess an inner wolf that thirsts for freedom, truth, and authenticity. If we seek to live a meaningful life, if we want to fulfill our destiny, it's our job to listen to that inner wolf and embrace our sacred wild nature. Walking your own path, on some level, always requires a conscious choice in which you say "YES, this feels true to me and what my soul really craves for." Even if you accidentally stumble onto that path, walking an authentic path always requires some level of self-reflection.

走你自己的路。这意味着你要理智地选择自己的路。在我们每一个人的身体里，都住着一条狼，它渴望自由，渴望真理，渴望率真。如果我们想追求有意义的生活，如果我们想完成自己的使命，我们就要倾听内心这匹狼的声音，它是我们神圣而狂野的天性。在一定程度上，走你自己的路，就意味着你要做出理性的决定，做这个决定时，你告诉自己：“没错！直觉告诉我，这是对的，这就是我心之所向！”在这条路上，你可能会摔倒，但既然你选择走一条率真的路，那就意味着你需要有所反思。

At some point in your life journey, you will need to embrace being a lone wolf. You'll have to go at it alone. You'll have to go against the grain, break free from the herd, ask the difficult questions, and face the confronting truths which may alienate you from others. You will need to be discerning, see through the bullshit, shrug off the haters, and keep moving forward, even if you are tired of fighting. Being a lone wolf means being a warrior. It means standing up for what you believe in and courageously walking into the wild unknown.

在你人生旅途中，你总会遇到需要当一匹孤狼、独自面对一切的时候。你必须自己去狩猎。你必须打破常规。你必须从狼群中独立出来。你必须提出有深度的问题，直面那些看似矛盾的事实，尽管这可能使你被孤立。你必须拥有敏锐的眼光，看清眼前的苟且，对敌人不屑一顾，保持前进。也许你已经搏斗到身心俱疲，但你要明白，当一匹孤狼，意味着你是一名勇士。这意味着你要捍卫你的信仰，勇敢地迈向充满未知的荒野。

It's all worth it. I can assure you of that and I can keep asserting it until I turn black and blue, but ultimately you must discover this for yourself. If you're drawn towards embracing your inner wolf and courageously walking your own path, here are some helpful pointers:

这一切都是值得的。我可以向你保证，我会一直捍卫这个承诺，就算我战斗到遍体鳞伤也在所不惜。然而，你终究要自己去探索和体会这个道理。如果你决心要拥抱你内心这匹狼、勇敢地走自己的路，这里有几条有益的建议。

1. Understand and accept that there will be some backlash

Whether from your friends, family members, or society at large, you will inevitably encounter naysayers. At some point, you will be met with cynics, killjoys, and sourpusses who seek to bring you down to their level. The reason why they fight against you is that in their minds you invalidate their way of existence. By courageously forging your own path you are causing them to reflect on their own lives and decisions. If on some level, they've realized that they've followed the crowd and made no unique decisions of their own, they will feel a sense of resentment which they'll project onto you. Although it's not nice to be on the receiving end of this, understand that the issue lies with them, not you. Everyone walking a path with a heart will experience social unease at some point – you're certainly not alone in facing this problem. Just keep moving forward and remind yourself that it's no one's place to dictate what your life should be like except you.

第一，遭遇反对是在所难免的，你要明白并且接受这一点。

反对和阻挠，可能来自你的朋友、家人，或者整个社会。总之，你会遇到很多跟你唱反调的人。在某些时候，你会遇到愤世嫉俗的人、令你扫兴的人、负能量爆棚的人，他们会想方设法地拖累你，想让你变成他们的一员。他们为什么打击你？因为他们认为你威胁到了他们的存在。你像勇士一样去开拓自己的道路，这会让他们反思自己的人生和过往的选择。某一天，当他们意识到自己一直在随波逐流，一直在做平庸的选择，他们会恼羞成怒，并将这怒火投射到你身上。如果你被如此对待，这确实很不好受，但你要明白，这是他们的问题，你没有错。每个专注于走自己的路的人，都会遇到来自社会的阻碍。因此，你并不是个例。保持前进，不断提醒自己，世界上没有任何人能够定义你的人生，除了你自己。

2. Ask yourself, "What do I truly and deeply want?"

This is not a question you ask just once, this is a question you continuously ask on your path, thousands of times over. Keep bringing back your focus on what you desire on the deepest level – not what others want to project or dump onto you. What do you feel called to do? What do you wish to accomplish in your life? What wild paths are you afraid to take because they are so alien but that you feel secretly drawn towards? Our paths are not static: they are constantly shifting, evolving, and changing. By repeatedly asking yourself this question, you will be able to reinvent yourself over and over again. Instead of getting stuck in an old and stagnant way of living, you will be in tune with your soul.

第二，问自己：我真正想要的到底是什么？

这不是一个在你脑海里一闪而过的问题，而是一个你要不断去反思的问题，要想一千遍，一万遍。要保持专注，将注意力放在你内心深处的渴望上，不要在意在他人对你施加的影响。你真正的使命是什么？你想拥有何种成就？你有没有在因陌生而恐惧一些道路的同时却在冥冥之中被它们吸引？我们的路，不是一成不变的，它们一直在转换，进化，改变。不断地问自己“我真正想要的到底是什么” ，你就能一次又一次地革新自己。与其困在一条老路上，陷入滞后的生活方式，还不如跟着自己的灵魂走。

3. Love yourself and be your own best friend

Embracing the path of the wolf and taking responsibility for your life can be lonely. If you are your own worst enemy, your path will be a million times harder. But if you can focus some of that energy on learning to love and accept yourself exactly the way you are, your path will be a million times easier. Practicing self-compassion and learning how to love yourself are the most powerful tools and strengths you can possess. Ever.

第三，爱自己，做自己的挚友。

接纳你要走孤狼之路的事实，为自己的人生负责，这会让你感到孤单。如果你是自己的死敌，你的路途会更加艰难。然而，如果你能将与自己斗争的精力用于爱惜自己、悦纳自己，你的道路就会无比通畅。学会同情自己，学会爱自己，这是你最坚固的铠甲，没有之一。

4. Know thyself

Strive to learn a little bit more about yourself, your strengths, and your weaknesses each and every day. Self-discovery and self-understanding are tremendously important facets of walking your own path. As the wise master Lao Tzu once wrote, "He who knows others is wise. He who knows himself is enlightened." Only when you can come to deeply know yourself can you truly embrace who you are and walk your path with confidence.

第四，了解自己。

每一天都努力去更深入地了解自己，你的长处，你的不足。你要走自己的路，那么自我探索、自我认识就是非常重要的。正如智者老子所言，“知人者智，知己者慧。”你只有真正地了解自己，才能悦纳自己，才能自信地走自己的路。

5. Feel the fear, but act anyway

Walking the path of the wolf will inevitably confront you with some scary and intimidating situations. Even simply starting the path into those mysterious woods is terrifying. Following your heart and listening to your calling is not as sunshine-and-roses as many people make it out to be. Often it requires tremendous sacrifice and the ability to look fear straight in the face without turning away. Hold your goal in mind, reaffirm your worthiness and inner strength, and keep going. Don't let anything or anyone try to bring you down. And if you do fall down, keep picking yourself up, over and over again. Remember, you can do anything, just do it afraid. Have the courage to be vulnerable.

第五，去感受恐惧，但无论如何都要行动。

你走的孤狼的路，因此难免会遇到恐怖的、骇人的情境。踏上这条道路、走向神秘莫测的丛林，这本来已经够可怕了。跟随内心、倾听自己，这并不如许多人所描述的那样美好。这往往需要你付出巨大的牺牲，需要你能鼓起勇气去直面恐惧，而非逃避它。你要谨记你的目标，不断肯定自己的价值和长处，不断前进。不要让任何事、任何人将你打倒。如果不慎摔倒，那就站起来，一遍又一遍。记住，你可以做成任何事，就算带着畏惧，你也要去做！脆弱也是需要勇气的，你要拥有这样的勇气。

6. Let your wild nature guide you

You are both human and divine – accept this. Embrace the wild and non-rational part of you that serves as your inner compass. Listen to your gut feelings and let your animal self be filled with passion. You don't have to be tame or repressed any longer. Walking your own path and embracing the lone wolf side of you means that you finally have freedom. You have the freedom to feel the wind in your hair, the sun on your face, and the earth beneath your feet. Your life is your making. Your destiny is in your hands.

六，让你的天性指引你前进。

你是人，也是神。你要认识到这点。拥抱自己狂野的、冲动的一面，它是你心中的罗盘。跟着你的直觉走，你有动物的一面，让它充满激情。你再也不会被驯服，再也不会被压抑。走自己的路、拥抱心中的孤狼意味着你终于获得了自由。你可以自由地感受微风从发丝间掠过，感受阳光亲吻你的脸颊，感受脚下的每一寸土地。你的生活由你创造。你的命运由你决定。