“Success begins with belief and ends with doubt.”—Larina Kase

    I remember reading through a book and the author was writing about being a reverse paranoid. In that particular section he mentions how he has a belief that the world he's living in is out to give him everything he absolutely wants and desires.

    There are times when I think to myself，“Wow，the world is out to get me and make me miserable.” Then I thought，why can't I believe that the world is out to make me a better conversationalist. Then I started adapting to the belief of the reverse paranoia.

    When I started talking to people，I truly believed that I was the most interesting person in the room. I believed that everything I said added value to the conversation. I believed that people stayed behind and chatted with me because they found me charismatic.

    As a matter of fact, for about five months I wrote down on my bathroom mirror the following affirmation：“People love me and respect me. It is a privilege to talk to me. People find me interesting and charming and always want to get to know me better！”

    I would say the affirmation after I brushed my teeth. And I would continue to say it until I felt completely great about myself. There were days that I just wouldn't feel like saying it，because it would feel like a lie to me. But that's the trouble，like the quote says，success ends when there's doubt. And that's why I continued until I had no doubt in my mind.

    Then strange things happened，I noticed that people did find me more interesting，and that I gained more confidence in talking with people. I was more assertive(坚定自信的) at work. I was able to control politics and gossip at work to minimal levels，and became a much better manager，and developed better customer relations to the point that sales were up by 20% compared to the year before，on my best month sales were up by 39%，and this was a year that a recession was happening.

A

—       . Either is OK.

    Can people change their skin color without suffering like pop king Michael Jackson? Perhaps yes. Scientists have found the gene that determines skin color.

    The gene comes in two versions, one of which is found in 99 percent of Europeans. The other is found in 93 to 100 percent of Africans, researchers at Pennsylvania State University report in the latest issue of Science.

    Scientists have changed the color of a dark-striped zebra-fish（斑马鱼） to uniform gold by inserting a version of the pigment (色素) gene into a young fish. As with humans, zebra-fish skin color is determined by pigment cells, which contain melanin (黑色素). The number, size and darkness of melanin per pigment cell determine skin color.

    It appears that, like the golden zebra-fish, light-skinned Europeans also have a mutation (变异) in the gene for melanin production. This results in less pigmented skin.

    However, Keith Cheng, leader of the research team, points out that the mutation is different in human and zebra-fish genes.

    Humans acquired dark skin in Africa about 1.5 million years ago to protect bodies from ultra-violet rays of the sun (太阳光紫外线), which can cause skin cancer.

    But when modern humans leave Africa to live in northern latitudes, they need more sunlight on their skin to produce vitamin D. So the related gene changes, according to Cheng.

    Asians have the same version of the gene as Africans, so they probably acquired their light skin through the action of some other gene that affects skin color, said Cheng.

    The new discovery could lead to medical treatments for skin cancer. It also could lead to research into ways to change skin color without damaging it like chemical treatment did on Michael Jackson.

—______, you can do it!

—______ I'm not American.