杰克·坎菲尔德（Jack Canfield）是“心灵鸡汤系列丛书”的创始人之一，这套丛书被《时代》杂志赞誉为“近十年来是出版业的神话”。他还参与编写了另外八本畅销作品。

     马克·维克多·汉森（Mark Victor Hansen）和Jack Canfield一样，是“心灵鸡汤系列丛书”的创始人之一。他是一个备受追捧的演讲人、畅销书作者、市场营销专家。他关于可能性、机遇、行动的具有冲击力的见解，已经为全球成千上万人的人生带来了神奇的改变。

     艾米·纽马克（Amy Newmark）是“心灵鸡汤系列丛书”的出版人，拥有三十年的从业经历，其身份包括作家、演讲人，以及金融与电信领域的金融分析师和业务主管。

     They Won‘t Eat Us！
     它们才不会吃掉我们！
     I got a pink slip. Sounds sexy， right· I wish I could say that it was the slinky， sassy kind that one might find in a Victoria’s Secret catalog. But given the state of our economy， you probably know what kind of pink slip I‘m really talking about. After all， pink is the new black in this economy.
     I can’t say I‘m surprised. I’ve had my eye on the market. I‘ve also worked in the corporate world long enough to know how these things work. It literally comes down to the dollars and cents of the matter. It’s not personal. It‘s business. So over the past few months I have braced for this moment， if not dared myself to embrace the opportunity that will come with my severance package.
     However， convincing my nerves to look on the bright side has been an entirely different story， especially on that somewhat sobering morning when I was sequestered in a faraway conference room to receive the news.
     On the long walk to that conference room， where a senior leader from New York awaited me， I called to mind a profound conversation with my three-year-old niece， Lexi， just a few days before. She shared a story about this dinosaur café her dad， my baby brother， was taking her to for lunch in Orlando where they live.
     “They won’t eat us，” she kept repeating in her sweet little voice. “They”being the dinosaurs.
     I wasn‘t sure who she was trying to convince， herself or me. Funny， but those were the words that saved me on that seemingly grim morning.
     “They won’t eat me，” I mumbled to myself as I walked the green mile toward my impending fate， shuffling my feet like a kid on her way to the principal‘s office. The truth being， I wasn’t all that convinced that they wouldn‘t.
     All I knew for sure was that little Lexi was onto something beyond her three tender years on this planet. When you think about it， no matter how big the proverbial meat-eating dinosaurs are in this life， they won’t eat us unless we let them.
     So after working nineteen years for a company I loved， with people I loved even more， I felt numb sitting in that conference room face-to-face with the next chapter of my life. In a big way， after months of much fear and uncertainty， it was somewhat of a relief to finally hear the words out loud and to be assured there is life after a layoff.
     Believe it or not， there is a certain freedom that comes packaged in the truth and in the distinct knowledge that， in the end， they won‘t eat us！
     ~Natalie June Reilly
     我收到了一件粉色的东西。听起来很性感，对吗？我真心希望这是一款像“维多利亚的秘密”内衣宣传册里那样时髦的紧身内衣。如果你了解当前糟糕的经济环境，就知道我真正谈论的粉色东西是什么了--解雇通知单。事实上，粉色通
     知单在经济萧条时期简直如同死亡诏书。
     我对此并没感到特别惊讶。其实我早已留意市场情况的变化，再加上在企业界摸爬滚打了这么久，其中的游戏规则我还是了解的。归根结底，这是纯粹的经济因素所致。这就是金融法则，与私人恩怨无关。所以在过去的几个月里，我已经为这一时刻的到来作好了准备，并打算在领到养老金的时候另谋出路。
     然而，说服自己保持乐观完全是另外一回事，尤其是当我坐在那个遥远的会议室里接受这个消息的时候。不过在那个早上，我却有了彻悟。
     纽约的老总在会议室里等着我，我得步行很长一段路才能到达。其间，我回想起几天前一次有启发意义的与侄女莱克西的交谈。她家住在奥兰多，她跟我讲了一个那儿的一家恐龙咖啡馆的故事。她才三岁，有一天，她的爸爸--也就是我弟弟，带她去那儿吃午餐。
     “它们才不会吃掉我们。”又轻又甜美的声音不断重复着。“它们”指的是恐龙。
     我不确定她是在试图说服谁--是她自己，还是我？有趣的是，在那个看似糟糕的被解雇的早晨，这句话拯救了我。
     “它们才不会吃了我。”我喃喃自语道。我踏上了去往“刑场”的最后一段路，去接受命运的审判，这种感觉就像一个孩子拖着脚走在去校长办公室的路上。事实上，我还是怀疑“它们”会把我给吃了。
     但我能肯定的是，小小的莱克西知道一些已然超越她三岁年龄的事情。仔细想一想，现实生活中的“肉食恐龙”无论有多么庞大，也不会吃掉我们--除非经过你的允许。
     我在这家我所深爱的公司里工作了十九年，这里还有我友情深厚的同事和朋友们，现在我却麻木地坐在会议室里，面对即将展开的下一个人生篇章。经过了几个月的害怕与忐忑之后，我终于听到了老板清晰响亮的解雇宣告，这在很大程度上算是一种解脱。我确信在裁员后，自己还能重新恢复正常的生活。
     不管你们信不信，反正我相信这世上有一条永恒不变的真理、千真万确的定律--就算是到了最后，“它们”也不会吃掉我们！
     ——娜塔莉·琼·莱利
     ……

Introduction
引言
Chapter 1 Fired!
第一章 勇往直前！
The Moment My Life Began
生命起程的时刻
They Won't Eat Us!
它们才不会吃掉我们!
The Glass Slipper
玻璃鞋
Nickel Walks
生财之道
Crisis, Opportunity, and Change
危机、良机和改变
The Humorous Heroine
幽默的女英雄
For Richer or Poorer
贫富之间
Downsized
裁员
Chapter 2 With a Little Help from My Friends
第二章 朋友的滴水之恩
No Disability between Neighbors
邻里之间无障碍
Choosing My Own Path
走自己的路
Drive-through Giveaway
赠人玫瑰，手有余香
Staying Warm in the Dark
温暖不惧黑暗
Good Old-Fashioned Sharing
分享永不过时
Heartbreak and Compassion
绝望与怜悯
Love Versus Adversity
爱与逆境的较量
One Boulder at a Time
一石激起千层浪
A Certain Samaritan
做个乐善好施的人
Lifeline of Hope
希望是生命之泉
Chapter 3 Tough People
第三章 生命不止 自强不息
Lessons in Suffering
在苦难中成长
Making the Best of the Worst of Times
最坏亦是最好
Ziggy
天使奇吉
Riding Home
漫漫回家路
Super Strong Mom
绝世好妈妈
Burned
浴火重生
Marks on the Heart
你曾走过
Hope Is a Choice
选择希望
Spitting in Death's Eye
朝它吐口唾沫
Tough Yet Tender
坚强又柔软
Maestro
艺术家
Chapter 4 For Richer or Poorer
第四章 贫富之间
My Parents' Worth
父母的"身价"
Interesting Times
不乏味的时光
Camping on the Couch
沙发也是露营地
Then and Now
当时和现在
Broke
枯木逢春
Extraordinary Lessons from Extraordinary Debt
从特殊债务中获得的特殊经验
Blessed
幸福的我们俩
Do It Yourself, or Do Without
要么自己动手，要么宁愿没有
Getting Up Again
重新站起来
The Legacy
遗产
Going Back
回到过去
Chapter 5 Grief and Healing
第五章 治愈心灵的悲伤
Losing a Wife, Mother, and Daughter
她已逝，生者如斯
Dear Danielle
亲爱的丹尼尔
To Forgive Is to Receive
原谅即获得
Healing Connections
心相连，伤即愈
293. Memories of Sarah
缅怀莎拉
Patchwork Memories
拼贴回忆
He Can't Hide from God… or His Mother
母爱无疆
Rows of Grief
悲伤逆流成河
Chapter 6 Five Bonus Stories of Faith
第六章 额外送给你的五个心灵小故事
The Ultimate Landlord
终极房东
Demon
小恶魔
Living Well with God and CF
好好活下去
The Source
源泉
A Dandelion Christmas Wish
一朵蒲公英的圣诞愿望
Meet Our Contributors
见见我们的撰稿人
Meet Our Authors
见见我们的作者
Thank You
感谢词
Chicken Soup for the Soul
Improving Your Life Every Day
心灵鸡汤
每天改善你的生活
Share with Us
与我们一同分享