my dear friends and family
this is an interesting story which i had wanted to share since april, but could not find time to so do.
this is about kevin's car, the subaru which i bought for him in 2001.
as mentioned in my earlier email, kevin decided to buy a new car and return this old car for me to resell. at that time he said: mom i think for this old car the maximum u can only sell for would be about max $7000.
somehow back in my mind, i know it would worth much more than this, so i asked him to bring it over to me. when i saw it and had test driven it, i was extremely happy with it, kevin had it detailed cleaned inside out, and he spent about $5000 to fix up all parts. i knew i could sell this for $10,000.
when i told andrew about this, he laughed and said that the NRMA survey says that this model is only worth about $5-6000.
he laughed at me in front of his friends saying i am crazy , he even said: if you can sell for $10,000, i will cut my head off for you to sit on 
.
.
i disregarded what kevin, andrew and all the surveys had said and said to andrew: well, just let me try. of course, i chanted nam myo ho renge kyo to the gohonzon to help me achieve this goal.
i took all necesary actions to keep a good image of the car, including putting it in my own garage and took some beautiful photos in the park. the car did look brand new. (see photos)
when everything is all ready, i put ads in the internet on sunday, the asking price was $10,500, leaving $500 for bargaining.
the next day, at 4 pm, i got a call from a lady who said: i like this car very much, i want to buy it for my daughter and i will pay you $9000, in cash right now and take the car from you.
i said: i thank you for liking my car, however i want $10,000 for this car. (although $9000 is not a bad price at all, i really wanted to show andrew that i could sell for $10,000) so i turned down the offer.
then at 5 pm a guy called and said he wanted to buy this for his son and also offered me $9000.
had my faith been less strong, i would have accepted these two 'not bad' offers, however, i was very determined to show andrew, and even kevin what can be done. so i turned down this offer again.
then at about 6.30 pm, a young guy called and enquired. i said: are u ok with the price? i dont want to waste your time. he then said: yes, its ok. the same night, he and his parents came to our home to see the car, test drove it and bought it for $10,500!!!!, not a penny more, not a penny less.
when kevin learned about this deal, he said: mom, how can u sell this pc. ofMETAL JUNK for soooo much?
so in kevin's eyes, this beautiful car is a pc of JUNK, and if he sees it as junk, his potential buyers will also see it as junk and there is no value in it.
however, i saw it as a nice, smart, efficient and beautiful car, the photos showed this image and all buyers saw it the way i presented it. the young boy who bought this car was soooo happy and he treated it like a treasuresaying that he had always wanted a car like this.
the reason for my writing this long email is: a lot of times we dont think very highly of ourselves, saying: i am not pretty, i am too fat, i am too old, i am not good enough ......., so we regard ourselves as trash, and in return, people do not value us.
however, if we trust in our own selves, our potential, our goodness and regard ourselves as a treasure or an asset, then other people will regard us as a jewel. people see us the way we see ourselves.
oh by the way, andrew's head is still sitting comfortable on his neck. 
cheers
lydia
以下是中文版:
這是一個有趣的故事，自4月份以來我一直想和大家分享，但都沒有找到時間。這是關於我在2001年買給兒子的車，一架susbaru的故事。
正如我之前面說過，kevin決定自己買一輛新車，並將這車還給我去出售。當時他說：媽媽我想這架舊汽車最多只能賣$ 7000。
在我心中，我知道它的價值一定不止$7000,所以我要求他給我看看。當我看到這架車，並試驅動它之後，我對這車感到十分滿意，kevin將它內外都抹得一塵不染，而他花了約$5000修理了所有零件。我知道我一定可以賣到1萬澳元。
當我告訴andrew 時, 他說，根據NRMA的調查說，這種模式是只值約 $5-6000。他在他的朋友面前說我瘋了，他甚至說：如果你能賣到 1萬元，我會砍掉我的腦袋下來給你坐。
我不理會kevin, andrew和所有的調查報告, 只是同andrew說：讓我試試吧。當然，我在康座前唸南無妙法蓮華經去幫我實現這個目標。
我採取了一切必要的行動，盡量好好的保持這車，把它泊在自己的車裏裹，並將這車車去公園拍了一些漂亮的照片在。車子看起來是全新的一樣。 （見附圖）
當一切都準備好了，我在星期日把廣告放在互聯網上，要價是$ 10,500，留下500元去給人講價。
第二天，在下午4點，我接到一位女士的電話,說：我非常喜歡這款車，我想買給我的女兒，我可以現在立刻給你$ 9000現金並來拿這車。
我說：我感謝你喜歡我的車，不過我要賣一萬元。 （雖然$9000是個不錯的價格，但我真的想証明給andrew我可以賣到 1萬元），所以我拒絕她。
然後在下午5點一個男人打來電話，說他也想買這車給他的兒子, 並出價$ 9000。
如果我的信心沒有那麼強，我會接受這兩個“不壞”的價錢，不過，我是很有決心去讓andrew 和kevin知道我一定可以做到。所以我再次拒絕了這個價錢。
然後在下午6:30左右，一個年輕的男子打電話詢問。我說：我要$10,500, 你有沒有問題? 我不想浪費你的時間。他接著說：無問題。同一天晚上，他和他的父母來到我家看車，試開它，然後用$10.500買了它.!!!! 一分錢也不少。
當kevin知道之後，他說：媽媽，這个十年舊的廢鉄怎可能賣到咁多錢？
因為在kevin眼裡，這個美麗的車是件垃圾，如果他視為它為垃圾，他的潛在買家也將它视為垃圾而一文不值了。
不過，我視它為一架性能很好的，高效，漂亮的車，並將這個形象在的照片上顯示出來，而所有買家看的就是我想顯示的它。那位年輕的男孩買了這車非常高興，並视它為塊寶, 說，我一直想要一架這樣的車。
我之所以寫這篇長的電子郵件是想告訴大家：很多時候，我們看低自己,說：我不漂亮，我太胖，我太老了，我還不夠好...... ，，我們說自己無用, 所以其他人就看低我們, 覺得我們無用了.
但是，如果我們信任我們自我能力，及我們的潛力，我們的好處，把自己視為珍寶或資產，那麼其他人會把為我們視為珍寶. 我們怎樣看我們自己, 別人就怎樣看我們.
哦對了，現在andrew的頭還舒適的坐在他的脖子上。
正如我之前面說過，kevin決定自己買一輛新車，並將這車還給我去出售。當時他說：媽媽我想這架舊汽車最多只能賣$ 7000。
在我心中，我知道它的價值一定不止$7000,所以我要求他給我看看。當我看到這架車，並試驅動它之後，我對這車感到十分滿意，kevin將它內外都抹得一塵不染，而他花了約$5000修理了所有零件。我知道我一定可以賣到1萬澳元。
當我告訴andrew 時, 他說，根據NRMA的調查說，這種模式是只值約 $5-6000。他在他的朋友面前說我瘋了，他甚至說：如果你能賣到 1萬元，我會砍掉我的腦袋下來給你坐。
我不理會kevin, andrew和所有的調查報告, 只是同andrew說：讓我試試吧。當然，我在康座前唸南無妙法蓮華經去幫我實現這個目標。
我採取了一切必要的行動，盡量好好的保持這車，把它泊在自己的車裏裹，並將這車車去公園拍了一些漂亮的照片在。車子看起來是全新的一樣。 （見附圖）
當一切都準備好了，我在星期日把廣告放在互聯網上，要價是$ 10,500，留下500元去給人講價。
第二天，在下午4點，我接到一位女士的電話,說：我非常喜歡這款車，我想買給我的女兒，我可以現在立刻給你$ 9000現金並來拿這車。
我說：我感謝你喜歡我的車，不過我要賣一萬元。 （雖然$9000是個不錯的價格，但我真的想証明給andrew我可以賣到 1萬元），所以我拒絕她。
然後在下午5點一個男人打來電話，說他也想買這車給他的兒子, 並出價$ 9000。
如果我的信心沒有那麼強，我會接受這兩個“不壞”的價錢，不過，我是很有決心去讓andrew 和kevin知道我一定可以做到。所以我再次拒絕了這個價錢。
然後在下午6:30左右，一個年輕的男子打電話詢問。我說：我要$10,500, 你有沒有問題? 我不想浪費你的時間。他接著說：無問題。同一天晚上，他和他的父母來到我家看車，試開它，然後用$10.500買了它.!!!! 一分錢也不少。
當kevin知道之後，他說：媽媽，這个十年舊的廢鉄怎可能賣到咁多錢？
因為在kevin眼裡，這個美麗的車是件垃圾，如果他視為它為垃圾，他的潛在買家也將它视為垃圾而一文不值了。
不過，我視它為一架性能很好的，高效，漂亮的車，並將這個形象在的照片上顯示出來，而所有買家看的就是我想顯示的它。那位年輕的男孩買了這車非常高興，並视它為塊寶, 說，我一直想要一架這樣的車。
我之所以寫這篇長的電子郵件是想告訴大家：很多時候，我們看低自己,說：我不漂亮，我太胖，我太老了，我還不夠好...... ，，我們說自己無用, 所以其他人就看低我們, 覺得我們無用了.
但是，如果我們信任我們自我能力，及我們的潛力，我們的好處，把自己視為珍寶或資產，那麼其他人會把為我們視為珍寶. 我們怎樣看我們自己, 別人就怎樣看我們.
哦對了，現在andrew的頭還舒適的坐在他的脖子上。
