1    Are you enjoying your job, and can you say that you are having fun running your business? I hope that you are, but from my observation of owners in this industry, I would have to surmise that the vast majority would not describe their work days as being fun. That’s why I’m giving you eight ways you may be able to go from drudgery to pleasure and excitement in your business.

1. Make Lots of Money

2    There is no substitution for this very important aspect of your business. Let’s face it. Many happy and successful businessmen make lots of money. Chances are if you are rolling in cash and your balance sheet looks good, you’re having a good time.

2. “If You Have Your Health and Your Family, You Have Everything”

3    This quote came from my 95-year-old father-in-law, a man of great wisdom. If you have plenty of money but not these two things, you don’t have much.

4    The lesson here is to appreciate what you have and be grateful for it. Chances are, you are not starving and have a roof over your head. Multitudes in this world don’t have those two basic things, so don’t complain; enjoy life’s little gifts.

3. “Make Every Day a Masterpiece”

5    This quote from legendary basketball coach John Wooden will keep you happy if you adhere to it. Don’t squander a single day and use each day to make your life and business spectacular. At the end of each day, take an inventory of how you spent your day and make sure that it was a masterpiece. Successful people get things done because they take action and work hard.

4. Relish the Challenges

6    This is one of the most important ways to have fun in business: enjoy the journey. When I was a one-man operation and had no jobs on the books, I would say to myself, “Fantastic, I now have time to go out and drum up new business!” I was actually excited and not down in the dumps. I went to work and used the time to talk to referral sources and before I knew it, business was better.

7    You have choices in this life, and only you can decide if you are going to enjoy the challenges or fear them.

5. Read Biographies and Motivational Books

8    Learning from others is essential to building your business and enjoying life. You can’t figure out everything on your own, so why not let others teach and educate you? Successful, happy people are students for life and know the value of learning from others.

6. Network and Make Friends

9    Many of my best friends are people I have met while getting business for my company. Networking will bring in many jobs for your company, but it is also a source of lifelong friendships. I love this part of the business. Learn how to be a good listener and have fun while you grow your business.

7. Train Your Employees in the School of Life

10    Michael Gerber, author of The E-Myth Revisited and other great business books has said that, as employers, it is our job to train our employees in the school of life. What a great concept that is! We are their leaders and, as such, we ought to show them the importance of honesty, integrity, positive thinking and always putting the customer and company first.

11    In my company last year, I taught my employees the importance of positive thinking using the book The Answer by John Assaraf and Murray Smith as my teaching material. It was a pleasure to show them the importance and power of thinking positively.

8. Set Goals, Plan, Implement and Do Your Best

12    If you are doing your best, that is all you can do, so don’t worry. You can’t do better than your best. If you aren’t doing your best, though, then you do have reason to worry. Write your goals down! If you don’t write things down, they will be forever swimming in your head and driving you nuts.

13    Have five-year, yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily goals set up, and you will be amazed at how your business will improve and your life will be more enjoyable. It’s really a lot of fun to set goals and then watch them be accomplished. When you fulfill a task, it actually releases endorphins in your brain and you get a natural high. People can become addicted to completing tasks and the natural high that comes with it. Now that’s an addiction that we all ought to have!

14    Accept the challenge that your business is going to be a vehicle for fun and excitement. I hope that your attitude is one that incorporates these eight ideas and if you do, I believe that you will be one of the happiest people around. Enjoy!

1）Are you enjoying your job, and can you say that you are having fun running your business? 

你享受自己的工作、能说自己是在快乐地经营自己事业吗？

本句中，have fun后面要跟动词的分词形式。又如：

I have fun seeing them live happily. 

看到他们生活幸福我很开心。

2）There is no substitution for this very important aspect of your business. 

这是你工作的一个非常重要的方面，没有什么可以取代。

本句的意思是：Nothing can take the place of this very important aspect of your business。There is no substitution for sth.是个值得模仿和使用的句型。

3）Let’s face it. 

咱们实话实说吧！

本句的意思就是：Let us be honest。

4）Chances are if you are rolling in cash and your balance sheet looks good, you’re having a good time.

 如果你财源滚滚，资产负债表看上去也不赖，你就很可能会很高兴。

本句中的Chances are等于It is very likely；roll in cash是个比喻的说法，“财源滚滚”意思就是“钱很多”；balance sheet即a written statement showing the amount of money and property that a company has and listing what has been received and paid out，意为“资产负债表，资金平衡表”。

5）Learning from others is essential to building your business and enjoying life. 

向别人学习对自己创业和享受人生是非常必要的。

本句中的动词形态值得注意：doing A is essential to doing B。又如：Finding the right tool is essential to getting the job done. 找到合适的工具是把这个工作做成的关键所在。比较：it is essential to do sth. 意为“做某事是非常必要的”，如：It is essential for students to learn at least one foreign language well. 学生至少学好一门外语是必要的。

6）… as employers, it is our job to train our employees in the school of life. 

作为雇主，在生活这个学堂里培养雇员是我们的工作。

本句的真正主语是不定式to train our employees in the school of life，为了保持句子结构的平衡，所以用it作形式主语。下面的一句：“It was a pleasure to show them the importance and power of thinking positively.”也是同样的结构。

7）We are their leaders and, as such, we ought to… 

我们是他们的领导者，既如此，我们就应该…… 

本句中的as such意思是“as being what is indicated; in that capacity”, 即“以这种身份；作为所指的这种人”。又如：

A  leader, as such, deserves respect. 

这样的一位领导人是值得尊重的。

* Read the following paragraphs until you have learned them by heart.

If you are doing your best, that is all you can do, so don’t worry. You can’t do better than your best. If you aren’t doing your best, though, then you do have reason to worry. Write your goals down! If you don’t write things down, they will be forever swimming in your head and driving you nuts.

Have five-year, yearly, quarterly, monthly, weekly and daily goals set up, and you will be amazed at how your business will improve and your life will be more enjoyable. It’s really a lot of fun to set goals and then watch them be accomplished. When you fulfill a task, it actually releases endorphins in your brain and you get a natural high. People can become addicted to completing tasks and the natural high that comes with it. Now that’s an addiction that’s we all ought to have!

Accept the challenge that your business is going to be a vehicle for fun and excitement. I hope that your attitude is one that incorporates these eight ideas and if you do, I believe that you will be one of the happiest people around. Enjoy!