1    M is for Mistake. Make mistakes; make lots of new mistakes. It’s the best way for you to learn. Don’t be afraid — everyone makes mistakes. Let your mistakes get you down. Take some time to grieve over, not gloss over, what you learned from your mistake. Then get back up, and strive to never repeat the same mistake.

2   N is for No. Know how to say no. Say no to overindulgence, say no to risky behavior, say no to your bad habits, and say no to the toxic people you meet. Know when and how to say no and mean it.

3   O is for Opportunity. Opportunity sometimes knocks very quietly. If you listen, you will hear when opportunity knocks at your door. Pay attention to everything you see and hear. Take risks, seize opportunities, and create your own good fortune.

4   P is for Patience. Like Rome, your career won’t be built in a day. Everyone starts somewhere, and everything takes time. Although it may be difficult to understand now, you really will enjoy and appreciate what you have much more if you have to work for it and toward it. Patience really is a virtue. Be patient. The best is yet to come.

5   Q is for Quality. Put a stamp of quality on everything you do. Seek quality relationships, buy quality clothes, eat quality food, get a quality job, be a quality person, turn in quality work, and think quality thoughts. Remember, it’s not quantity you want; it’s quality. Live a quality life.

6   R is for Reputation. Your permanent record, for the rest of your life, begins now. Think about what kind of person you want to be known as in your personal and professional life. A gossip? A backbiter? Someone who will step on others to get where he or she wants to be? Think of your reputation as your little shadow, because it will follow you wherever you go. Take care to cultivate a reputation that you can live with for the rest of your life.

7   S is for Success. Success isn’t measured by the title you have, the money you make, or the value of your possessions. Success is what you make of your life . If you compare yourself to others, you will always fall short. Compare yourself to your goals and desires; you have everything you need to succeed.

8    T is for Thankful. Be thankful; appreciate the opportunity to work, and do your best, regardless of the position. No job is beneath you. Any job that’s legal is honorable and probably pays you more in a month than people in many parts of the world make in a year. Be thankful for your health, your family, and all the goodness you see every day.

9    U is for Understanding People. Understand that people matter; all people. Always remember the people who helped you. Always try to help others. Treat everyone with respect, regardless of status or position. As you mature, you will come to realize that it’s not who you know but who you are.

10    V is for Values. Identify your values; know what’s important to you in life, and never compromise the things you value most. Take a stand for what you believe. If you stand for nothing, you’ll fall for everything.

11    W is for Willing. Be willing to stay late, come in early, skip going out for lunch, or do whatever it takes to get the job done well and on time. Most important, be willing to start at the bottom and work your way up; everyone has to start somewhere.

12    X is for “X” traordinary. Some things happen for no reason at all, with no warning and no explanation. You can think you’ve got the world in the palm of your hand, but when something unexpected happens, you learn you do not. Never become so smug that you think you’re infallible. You are not. Live your life and go for your dreams, but never take your health, your family, your country, your job, or anything for granted.

13    Y is for You. You are enough. Don’t focus on those who have more than you; help out those who have less. Don’t feel bad for what you don’t get to do; be glad for what you get. Don’t live your life regretfully; envision a bright future ahead.

14    Z is for Zoom. Get ready, get set… zoom! Enjoy the ride of your life. There’s a wide-open road ahead of you now; follow the road to your dreams. 

(749 words )

Put a stamp of quality on everything you do.

做任何事情都要有质量。

本句中的 a stamp of… 意思是“具有…的特征”。

又如：

The story has the stamp of authenticity. 

这故事具有真实性。

His speech had the stamp of authority. 

他的讲话具有权威性。