To be kind-hearted
One evening, it was raining and the wind was blowing hard. An old couple came to an inn and prepared to put up for the night (投宿)there. A young man received them with open arms(热情地), but said “I’m sorry! Our guest rooms here are all full and the inns nearby are all full, too, for there will be an important meeting to be held here tomorrow.”
Hearing the young man’s words, the old couple felt very disappointed, and turned around to leave.
Just as they were leaving, the young man came up to them and stopped them: “Madam and sir, if you don’t mind, you can sleep in my bedroom for a night…….”
The next evening, the old couple took out lots of money to give it to the young man, but he refused to take it. 
“No！You needn’t pay me any money, for I only lend my room to you.” said the young man with a smile on his face.
“You’re great, young man! It’s very kind of you. Maybe one day, I’ll build a hotel for you!” said the old man gratefully.
With these words, the old couple left.
Gazing at their receding figures, the young man only laughed and went on working.
Several years later, the young man suddenly received a letter from the old couple, inviting him to go to Manhattan(曼哈顿) .
The young man met the old couple in front of a luxury hotel(豪华饭店).
“Do you still remember what I said to you several years ago? Look! This is the hotel that I built for you!” said the old man.
Soon, the young man became the manager of the hotel. 
(T)True or (F) False
1. The young man accepted it happily when the old couple gave the money to him.
2. The young man had thought the old man was only joking about building a hotel for him, but the old man kept his word.

Keys: 1. F.  2. T.

When Henry ford decided to produce his famous v-8 motor, he chose to build an engine with the entire eight cylinders cast in one block, and instructed his engineers to produce a design in one for the engine. The design was placed on paper, but the engineers agreed, to a man, that it was simply impossible to cast an eight-cylinder engine-block in one piece.

Ford said, “Produce it anyway.”

“But,” they replied, “It’s impossible!”

“Go ahead.” Ford commanded, “And stay on the job until you succeed, no matter how much time is required.”

The engineers went ahead. There was nothing else for them to do, if they were to remain on the ford staff. Six months passed and nothing happened. Another six months passed, and still nothing happened. The engineers tried every conceivable plan to carry out the orders, but the thing seemed out of the question:“impossible!”

At the end of the year ford checked with his engineers, and again they informed him they had found no way to carry out his orders.

“go right head,” said ford, “I want it, and I’ll have it.”

They went ahead, and then, as if by a stroke of magic, the secret was discovered.

The ford determination had won once more!

This story may not be described with minute accuracy, but the sum and substance of it is correct. Deduce from it, you who wish to think and grow rich, the secret of the ford millions, if you can. You’ll not have to look very far.

Henry ford was successful, because he understood and applied the principles of success. One of these is desire: knowing out the lines in which the secret of his stupendous achievement have been described. If you can do this, if you can lay your finger on the particular group of principles which made Henry ford rich, you can equal his achievements in almost any calling for which you are suited.

英语励志小故事