What to Do when You’re Falling Behind

When I was a kid, it took me longer to learn how to ride a bike. I kept using a bike with training wheels and I didn’t _______ much, so of course I didn’t learn how to balance.

One day I _______ that my sister, 2.5 years younger than me, was getting close to _______ how to ride a bike. She wasn’t quite there yet, but she was _______ much closer to balancing than I was. I couldn’t let her _______ me to it!

So I took my bike, _______ it out to the street, and decided that I was going to learn how to ride it right now. I _______ the training wheels, jumped on, and swerved (突然转向) all over the place like an out-of- control madman. I tried to stay near the grass when I could get some degree of _______, so when I fell, I’d _______ fall to the lawn instead of the street or sidewalk.

After many attempts, I finally learned how to ________ Then I rode my bike a lot that summer and have had the ________ ever since.

Up until that point, I’d been making a big deal out of the whole process. It seemed ________ and discouraging. I was afraid of falling. But once I began to face the fear and ________ the courage to risk getting hurt, I quickly showed my ________ ability on the other side with a whole new skill. From the moment of making the decision to the time I ________ to get the basic skill it probably took me less than an hour.

What finally ________ me to face the fear and take action? It was the ________ that I was falling behind. My sister was leaving me in the dust. She could ride ________ I couldn’t. I really didn’t want that to happen.

I had no idea that I could learn to ride a bike so quickly. The feeling of falling behind served as a powerful motivator (动力). ________ trying to hide the disappointment, I allowed myself to feel the weight of that pressure. I used the ________ feeling to motivate myself to take action.

   At 14，my life was filled with school，homework，boy scouts（男童子军），friends，and occasional work for local farmers. I was always_____ ，but I didn’t have much direction. Then，something_____ ：a new master was assigned to our scout. Jerry brought excitement and adventure into my life. Every week I _____ something new. He brought_____ into my life and taught me what was the most important.

A few years later，after_____ home from a two-year service mission，I found myself searching for a_____. I was twenty-one and I had no idea what I wanted to do.

On a spring afternoon，I drove to one of my favorite hiking trails and_____ up to a rock. It was there that I prayed for guidance on what _____ I should take in my life and I knew that everything would turn out _____ .

When I arrived home later that evening，there was a(n)______ by the phone with a message for me to call Jerry；it was______ .I immediately dialed the number and was very delighted to hear Jerry’s familiar______ . Wonderful memories of exciting scout camps______ into my mind.

“Do you know computers?”Jerry asked.

“Yes，I’ve______ one before,”I replied.

“Well，I need you to come to work for me in my new______ company,”he stated.“When can you start?”

I knew this was the answer to my prayer. “I can start tomorrow!”I exclaimed.

The next five years of my life passed so______ . Jerry again took me under his wing， but this time he______ me in business. He taught me how to sell，how to market，how to______ people，and how to grow a business from almost nothing to a nationwide______ .

Jerry’s patience and example ______ a foundation of learning and confidence that I needed in the career that I have now been in for twenty years. Jerry is that person in my life.

   36-year-old Victoria Murden McClure is a real adventurer. She has been on many mountaineering expeditions（探险）. She was also the youngest person in a team that skied 1，200 kilometers across Antarctica to the South Pole in 1989，and became one of only two women ever to travel to the Pole by land.

The journey across the Atlantic was her third attempt. The first time she failed because of illness，and during her second attempt，in 1998，she nearly died. She had rowed nearly 5，000 kilometers when her boat was hit by Hurricane Danielle. McClure was suddenly in the middle of 80 mph wind，and surrounded by waves that were 20 meters high.

Her little boat turned over five times. McClure was sure that she was going to die —she took the video recorder that she had brought with her and recorded a goodbye message to her family and friends. The hurricane continued into night，and The Pearl turned over five more times.

McClure was determined not to send a signal asking to be rescued-she didn't want other people to risk their lives. But after the eleventh capsizing（倾袭）of her boat，she finally sent it and a large ship came and found her. However，they couldn't get her boat out of the rough sea—it was found months later near the coast of Portugal.

Victoria Murden McClure had concussion（脑震荡）and a dislocated shoulder when she got home. Many people might have given up after an experience like this，but one year later，McClure was back in her repaired boat and tried again. This time she was successful，and although she again met a hurricane on the journey，which stopped her from breaking the record for the fastest transatlantic rowing crossing，she only overturned once！

   When 65-year-old Joan Price got a check in a hospital in November，she knew she wouldn't be returning to her home. But she _________ to pay her rent so her cat，Isis，would have a _________ place to live in.

Price got _________ wrong with her liver 40 years ago. She was unable to walk or stand without _________—a difficult condition，but her only _________ was for Isis.

The manager of Price's building in Fort Lauderdale，Florida，_________ the cat and cleaned her litter box，but Isis，a 2-year-old black cat that Price had _________，was alone. And with no friends or family nearby，Price _________ that Isis would have no one to care for her.

"I was so anxious. I cried every night，"Price _________ Vetstreet. com. "I don't care about myself. I'm ready. But I am worried if Isis is OK."

Price began getting in touch with rescue groups to find a new home for Isis，but she wasn't having any luck ____________ Dorian Wagner，a Florida blogger，who often helps local rescues find homes for cats，____________ Price's unpleasant situation.

Wagner ____________ Price's story with her Facebook community. Soon so many people were ____________ in helping that Wagner started a Facebook page to ____________ updates and organise assistance.

The ____________ quickly found a foster home（寄养家庭）for Isis，but they knew she needed a ____________ home，so Wagner worked with Good Karma Pet Rescue and began to ____________ whoever hoped to adopt Isis.

Soon they found a home with the help of a friend in Michigan, and another member of the Facebook group offered to ____________ the cat to meet her new owner.

When Price learned that Isis would have a new family, she was ____________ deeply. Just knowing Isis was taken care of gave her much ____________.