Life Guiding Stories for a Lifetime - Growth Reader for Middle School Students

Author: He Huaiying, Editor-in-Chief
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-09-01
Features: From tomorrow, be a happy person, feed horses, chop firewood, and travel the world; from tomorrow, about food and vegetables, I have a house facing the sea, with spring warmth and blooming flowers. From tomorrow, communicate with every family member, tell them my happiness, that the lightning of happiness told me, I will tell everyone. Give every river and mountain a warm name, stranger, I also bless you, may you have a bright future, may you and your loved ones finally be together, may you find happiness in this world, I only wish to face the sea, with spring warmth and blooming flowers. — Hai Zi, "Facing the Sea, Blooming in Spring"
In the "New Testament·Matthew" there is a story—a king, before setting out on a journey, gave three servants one piece of silver each and instructed them: "Go do business and see me when I return." When the king returned, the first servant said: "Master, the piece of silver you gave me, I have earned ten pieces." So the king rewarded him with ten cities. The second servant reported: "Master, the piece of silver you gave me, I have earned five pieces." So the king rewarded him with five cities. The third servant said: "Master, the piece of silver you gave me, I have been keeping it wrapped in a handkerchief, afraid of losing it, and have not taken it out." So the king ordered that the third servant's piece of silver be given to the first servant and said: "To those who have little, even what they have will be taken away; to those who have much, more will be given, so that they may have even more." This is the Matthew effect. Looking around us, we can find many examples of the Matthew effect: people with many friends will gain even more friends through frequent interactions, while those with few friends will remain lonely.
The smallest unit of society is the individual, and no one is isolated. No one can exist independently without others, whether in today's studies or tomorrow's work. The "Compulsory Education Curriculum Standards" also emphasize cultivating students' spirit of cooperation and exploration, which requires the ability to get along with others. In response to this, we have specially compiled this series of books, covering several sections such as "Being a Person," "Dealing with Others," "Sincerity," "Making Friends," and the current focus—"The Internet." These sections comprehensively explain how to make friends with teachers, friends, classmates, and even yourself, helping you solve the confusion in your daily life. The stories in this series are common small incidents in life, but they reveal profound insights. We believe that after reading this series, you will gain a great deal.