Take the challenge rather than b

Another small tip to maintain the zest of life is to take on challenges deliberately. Since life will challenge us no matter what and life is by nature difficult, if we don’t take the challenge actively, we will fall into passivity and be challenged anyway. The reality is either we undertake a challenge or we're going to be challenged. But when we undertake a challenge consciously, the challenge is a result of deliberate choice, which is meaningful for us; whereas, when the challenge is not something we constantly choose, it is foisted upon us just by external circumstances, then we're not going be really motivated to deal with the challenge, and we're just going to be avoiding the challenge, grudging the challenge and then the challenge will anyway come into our way.  On the contrary, if we undertake a challenge consciously, then we will have more preparation and motivation.
For instance, when I sit in the driver's seat, once I step on the gas, the car will be in my control. I may speed up suddenly, brake abruptly, turn drastically or change lanes erratically. No matter how tough the journey is, I, as the driver, will never feel sick. Whereas the feelings of other passengers sitting in the same car driven by me would be totally different. Those who are sensitive and fragile will be so sick to the degree of vomiting because they are in a passive position, where things are not in their hands. Those who drive the car will never be car sick because they take the challenges actively and have choices and are able to make judgements and relevant decisions actively. 
As long as we have heart, soul and spirit, as long as we are motivated intrinsically, we're following our own values and doing things that are meaningful to us in life that we really care about. Maintaining the zest for life, we're connected with life, with its beauty and its majesty. Then even if the difficulty is still there, even if we still face some really hard knocks, we will have the inner resources, and the morale to deal with them. The key is whether we choose actively to take the challenge or wait passively to be challenged. 

接受挑战而不是被挑战!
保持生活热情的另一个小窍门是故意接受挑战。因为无论如何，生活都会向我们发出挑战，且生活本身是艰难的。如果我们不积极接受挑战，就会陷入被动，且无论如何都会遭受非难。现实情况是，要么我们主动承担挑战，要么我们将被挑战。

但 ，当我们有意识去承担挑战时，挑战是刻意选择的结果，这对我们来说是有意义的；而当挑战不是我们不断选择的结果，是由外部环境强加给我们的，那么我们就不会有真正的动力去应对挑战，只是一味回避，怨天尤人，然后挑战还是会不断出现在我们面前。相反，如果我们有意识地主动进击，那么就会有更多的准备和动力。

例如，当我坐在驾驶席时，一旦我踩下油门，汽车将由我掌控。我可能会突然加速，紧急刹车，急速转弯或不规则地改变车道。无论旅途多么艰难，作为司机，我都不会感到不适。而坐在由我驾驶的同一辆车上的其他乘客，感受则完全不同。那些敏感和脆弱的，可能会晕车到呕吐的地步，因为他们处于被动的状态，失去了对局面的掌控。而开车的人永远不会晕车，因为他们主动去挑战，他们有选择，有主动性，可以实时做出判断并采取相应措施。

只要我们有信心，有灵魂，有精神，只要我们有内在的动力，且遵循自己的价值观，做对我们来说有意义的事，做我们真正关心的事，保持对生活的热情，我们就会和生活的主动脉紧密相连，与生活的美丽与庄严共舞。即使困难仍然存在，挑战真得很难，我们将有内在的资源和士气来应对。

关键在于：我们是主动选择接受挑战，还是被动地等待被挑战。