善待机会

The air we breathe is so freely available (adj. 可以得到的) that we take it for granted. Yet without it we could not survive more than a few minutes. For the most part, the same air is available to everyone, and everyone needs it. Some people use the air to sustain (v. 维持，持续) them while they sit around and feel sorry for themselves. Others breathe in the air and use the energy it provides to make a magnificent (adj. 壮丽的) life for themselves. 
　　Opportunity is the same way. It is everywhere. Opportunity is so freely available that we take it for granted. Yet opportunity alone is not enough to create success. Opportunity must be seized and acted upon in order to have value. So many people are so anxious to "get in on the ground floor(n. 有利的地位，投机的初期)" of opportunity, as if the opportunity will do all the work. That's impossible. 
　　Just as you need air to breathe, you need opportunity to succeed. It takes more than just breathing in the fresh air of opportunity, however. You must make use of that opportunity. That's not up to the opportunity. That's up to you. It doesn't matter what "floor" the opportunity is on. What matters is what you do with it. 
　　我们呼吸的空气如此易得，以至于我们视它为理所当然，但没有了空气我们却坚持不了几分 钟。从很大程度上来说，每个人呼吸到的空气都是一样的，并且每个人都离不开空气。有些人靠呼吸空气来维持生命，但他们只会坐在那里自怨自艾。另外一些人吸 进空气，利用空气提供的能量为自己开创壮丽的人生。 
　　机遇也是如此。它无处不在。机遇如此易得，以至于我们视它为理所应当。然而仅凭机遇却不足以创造成功。必须抓住机遇并采取行动才能实现其价值。有许多人一得到有利的机会，就急着要成功，好像有了机遇就万事大吉。这是不可能的。 
　　正如你需要空气来呼吸，你也需要机遇来获得成功。但是只吸进机遇的新鲜空气远远不够。你必须好好利用机遇。这并不取决于机遇本身，而是由你自己决定。你在什么时候得到机遇并不重要。重要的是你怎样把握机遇。