I play Angry Birds. I don't know too many people with a smart phone who don't. Good or bad, the game is highly addictive, and sometimes I feel guilty about the time spent playing. Other times, however, I realize that it's time I would have spent zoning out on bad TV or sleeping on a plane. Here are some of the lessons I've taken away from playing the nation's most popular gaming app — and they're pretty good, if you ask me.

我喜欢玩《愤怒的小鸟》,我所认识的有智能手机的朋友中,没有几个不玩的。不管如何,这个游戏让人十分上瘾,有时我还因为这个游戏上面所花的时间感到愧疚。然而,与此同时,我发觉(即使不玩)我还是会看肥皂剧或是在飞机上睡觉来打发时间的。以下是我从体验这款全民为之疯狂的游戏应用的感受。总之是,感觉良好。

1. If you don't succeed, try again. And again. And maybe one more time.
Because the game is like crack-cocaine in how it compels you to keep doing it, I'll admit to trying a level 100+ times in a row. I can't think of too many other things that I've shown the same commitment to, but for those things that I have kept at until the end, I've seen wonderful rewards. If only we could approach our businesses, families, and desires to change the world with the same stubbornness. (I bet things would get better very soon.)

1. 如果没有成功,就不断尝试。或许下次就成功了。
这个游戏就像强效可卡因那样,让你不断地尝试。我承认曾经连续尝试玩一百多次了。我对其它的东西都没有这么用心过。但是对于那些我坚持下来的地方,我都得到了丰厚的回报。如果我们用同样的坚持来对待我们的事业,家人和改变世界的理想,那么我肯定一切都会好起来。

2. It may simply be your approach.
Not sure what you're doing wrong with an unbeatable level in Angry Birds? It may be that you're attacking it from (literally) the wrong angle. With life, as well, it may work to try something completely off the wall for your next approach or give it a "throw it and see if it sticks" effort. Even if it's not the winning play, you may gain some insight into just how you should go about it next time. ("Let's not try THAT again" is also a useful — even if painful — revelation.)

2. 如果没有成功,可能只是方法的问题。
如果你不知道在《愤怒的小鸟》中不可攻破的这一关中到底为什么失败,很有可能是你的攻击角度不对。生活也是一样,或许在下次尝试一些完全打破常规的方法,或是“丢丢看,碰运气”。即使输了,下次或许你就能获得一些方向性的经验。(“别这么做”也是一条痛苦但是实用的启示。)

 

3. Move on to new things, but revisit ways to sharpen your existing skills.
I love trying new experiences, but I haven't abandoned those pursuits that I've kept with me since childhood. Just like in the game, you are allowed to move to new levels once you've passed the previous; it's very rewarding, however, to go back and master older levels to attain those coveted three gold stars. Whether it's piano playing or snowboarding, I highly recommend taking a trip back to old talents to see how you can polish them up.

3. 接受新事物,但是要时常复习现有的技巧,精益求精。
我喜欢尝试新的体验。但是我并没有丢弃从小就立下的梦想。就像在《愤怒的小鸟》游戏里那样,闯过了一关,就可以进入下一关。但是,再回去征服原来那关,获得梦寐以求的3颗金星,也是很大的收获。不管是弹钢琴还是滑雪,我强烈推荐再来一遍,把已经掌握的技巧再推向高峰。

4. You don't have to do it alone.
It's amazing how all it usually takes for me to pass a difficult level is to leave my iPad 2 on the living room couch for my husband or 8-year-old to find. I can come back a day later guaranteed that the code will be cracked. It's not that they are smarter (they also leave levels for me to assist with); more likely they have that unique perspective and fresh approach that I was lacking on that particular day. Handing life's troubles off for a time to someone less frazzled works; don't be afraid to call in reinforcements.

4. 你并不是孤身一人。
我常常发现这样神奇的事:只要把我的iPad 2放到客厅的沙发上,我就能过最难过的那关。这都是因为我的丈夫或是8岁的孩子。我晚上回到家一定会发现密码已经被破译了。并不是因为他们比我聪明(他们也需要我来帮忙过他们自己的关卡);可能是因为他们能从独特的角度,运用我刚好那天所不知道的新方法来过关的。有时,放下生活中遇到的问题,留给一个局外人,反而能解决。遇到困难不要害怕搬救兵。

5. Someone will always be better than you.
I've learned not to obsess about getting a high score in my house or the on-line Angry Birds community. Life works in the same way for me; there will always be a better blogger, piano player, drummer, and marketer. But I can take peace in focusing on my score in the game and the real world by tuning out what others are doing. (You really can't be happy measuring yourself against others all the time.)

5. 天外有天,人外有人。
我已经学会接受不要在家里或是《愤怒的小鸟》社区里太过于追求高分。在生活中也是同样;总会有比你更好的博客作家,更出色的钢琴家,或更精明的生意人。但是无论是游戏世界还是真实世界,不去理会别人的业绩,而是专心干好自己的事,能让我找到一丝的平静。(时刻与别人比较,你是不会快乐的。)

Angry Birds is just a game, but it is crazy good fun. It also resembles so many things that I deal with on a daily basis as a mom of five and a small business owner.

《愤怒的小鸟》只是一个游戏,却是一个非常好玩的游戏。作为5个孩子的妈和一个小小的生意人,这个游戏确实和我每天处理的事情非常类似。