THE IMPRESSIVE SPEECH OF A STUDENT AFTER 10 YEARS OF GRADUATION: THOSE WHO WIN AT THE STARTING LINE MAY NOT BE THE ONES WHO CAN RUN TO THE END

English interpretation by Cat Tien (D1K11)

The true winners will always keep an eye on their steps, breath, and speed of movement.

Dear Principal, Teachers, Parents, and All Students!

My name is Chi, a student of K98 at the National Taiwan University’s Faculty of Fine Arts. Since I was 5 years old, I have always wanted to be an artist. When I was 18, I applied to the university and chose only one major: the Faculty of Design at the National Taiwan University. That was my only wish!

Today marks ten years since my graduation. The ten years after graduation are the most important years of my life. I also believe that these are the most crucial years in everyone’s lives. 20 to 30 years old is your golden age; 10 years later, what kind of person do you want to become?

Over the last ten years, the thing I've felt most grateful and glad about is learning the following three crucial things:

When I was 20 years old, I thought the world was so unfair. Why are there so many people who do not have to work hard to make their living? Why are there people who can afford to attend expensive classes? Why are they able to acquire laptops and expensive phones? How can their families unconditionally support whatever they want? Why can people travel abroad whenever they want? Is it just because they were born with a silver spoon in their mouth?

Why can’t I afford to buy paints, print my work, or rent a space to hold an exhibition? Why do I have to tutor every day or work part-time at a coffee shop? Why do I have to count every penny before eating? Why do I have to save money for travel? Why is my life so hard? Why have I had to go through such hardships since I was a child? Why is that?

I earned money myself to make my living when entering the university. After graduation, I no longer ask my parents for money. I stayed in the city, working to earn money and preparing to study abroad. The rent and living expenses alone were so costly that I felt suffocated. I used my remaining savings I had left to take the TOEFL, buy reference books, and prepare for my workbooks. My bank account at that time was completely empty.

When I was a postgraduate in New York, I also studied and worked at the same time, eating porridge to get by. At my poorest time, I only had 35 dollars in my account. I had no idea where my next meal or the tuition for the next semester would come from. There was also a debt of hundreds of millions TWD, which I had borrowed to study overseas. The mental pressure kept me awake. I wondered why so many people could comfortably go abroad, travel everywhere, and buy branded items yet I could not.

This doubt has crossed my mind numerous times. I was filled with resentment; I felt that the world was extremely unfair. Success appeared to be a monopoly of the wealthy. People succeeded because their families had money. Do you think so?

However, I discovered that constantly blaming the world and justifying others' success did not help me learn anything. Criticizing people did not help me become a better person. On the contrary, it sent me into a downward cycle of negativity and made me assume that no money equals the perception of not being able to succeed.

I don't want to be a commoner; that is not what I want. Class opposition, rich-poor opposition, political opposition, and era opposition should not be used to distinguish ourselves, as this just reduces our strength.

The founder of Amazon, Jeff Bezos once said: “Cleverness is a gift, kindness is a choice”

Your choices determine who you become. I choose to focus on how to grow as a person, how to tackle difficult obstacles with my own power, or even how to get along with different types of people, particularly those who encounter different circumstances than me, and how to replace rejection with empathy.

To learn, I buy books; to travel, I work part-time; and to study overseas, I seek scholarships. I find ways to pay my rent and other living expenses. This causes me to constantly accumulate maturity. It strengthens my heart day by day and helps me avoid unpleasant feelings of resentment.

This decision helped me to successfully gain a position in the top 500 largest companies after graduating from a PhD program in New York. At the same time, it enabled me to pay off all of my student loans on my own at the age of 27. I finally fulfilled my dream of studying abroad without spending a single penny of my parents’ money. Since then, I’ve returned all the money I earned to my family to help improve their financial situation. 

Your origins will not shape who you become. Only you can determine who you are.

Do not criticize your life, whether good or bad; everything happens for a reason. And each of them will help you become a better version of yourself.

This world is truly quite fair.

After I turned 30, I realized that the world is truly fair.

My talented friends, the rich kids, and the friends studying abroad were all in better situations than me. However, after ten years of graduation, some have to do jobs they do not enjoy, while others are unable to cope with their lives. There were times that I wondered, “They are the top winners, why do their lives turn out this way?” I used to admire their lives so much, but now it’s their turn to admire mine.

I was 24 years old when I came to the US to study alone. Two years later, I completed my PhD program. At the age of 27, I was able to pay off all of my loans. When I was 29, I taught at the New York School of Visual Art. At the age of 30, I released my personal autobiography.

Life is like a marathon; those who win at the starting line may not be able to reach the final destination.

Many people believe that “Life is like a 100-meter race, losing at the starting line means failure”, thus they think that they cannot lose at the beginning.

However, life is a long-distance race full of obstacles. There will be many psychological challenges. The ones who succeed are often not the ones rushing forward from the beginning, nor are they those who are only concerned with their opponents. Those who win, on the other hand, will always be those who are aware of their steps, breath, and speed of movement.

Whether people have money or not, good or bad looks, or great or low aptitude, they all experience difficulties, challenges, and ups and downs. However, each of us will encounter opportunities along our path. In fact, the world is not biased towards anyone. Everything is completely fair.

If life gives you lemons, make lemonade. Everyone's journey is unique, and there is no need to admire anyone. Cherish what you have; being an ethical and happy person is far superior to being resentful.

Do not be afraid to extend your wings and fly high and far simply because of temporary stability. Don't be hungry for money and pass up the opportunity to grow; following a difficult route will undoubtedly make you a far more resilient and determined person.

I had to suffer from sleeplessness when I was 19. Every night, I lay in my dormitory, watching the time pass by, one hour, two hours, three hours, till five o'clock, when I finally fell asleep. This was not the ideal university life I had imagined. I was silently crying alone at night.

On the surface, my undergraduate career appeared to be a success, with a beautiful CV that included many design awards, participation in numerous activities, forums, and exhibitions, getting an exceptional student scholarship, and graduating second in my class. Everything appeared to be bright, but the university was the most boring time of my life.

I longed for the world to recognize me, and I hoped that all parents and classmates would love me. So I began competing in a variety of competitions, transforming myself into an excellent university student. I really wanted to succeed quickly so that the rest of the world could see me. I strived to please everyone, but unfortunately, I gradually lost myself, becoming someone I couldn't love.

Stress and depression tortured me for six years until I began working, traveled abroad, and finished my PhD program.

I decided to give up pursuing all of the endless games, such as comparing achievements when young, comparing wealth in society, comparing whose car is more expensive, whose house is more expensive, comparing who got married sooner, and who had children faster. Having children is still not enough, so we begin comparing whose offspring are better at studying. Everyone strives to be a better person than others in every way. You cannot compare everything, no matter how old you are; misery will always exist.

Psychologist Alfred Adler once said: "You do not live for the satisfaction of others, and others do not live for your satisfaction."

Do not pay attention to other people's comments or judgments. Do not seek their approval. Think and accept your inherent appearance. The only person you need to please is yourself.

So I started to accept myself, and I stopped trying to achieve competition outcomes and meet societal expectations. It allowed me to sense my own existence for the first time. I even recognized my shortcomings and overcame depression. I don't want to live in blindness; instead, I want to comprehend others and myself in the most genuine way, from the most precise distance.

I don’t want to be the greatest of all time. I just want to be the best version of myself. I began to get rid of the burden of achievements and the rigid superiority. This in turn made my works seem to be covered with a magnetic field that attracted many major awards around the world. This was a result that I could not achieve before, no matter how much I pleased others.

Japanese architect Ando Tadao once said: "Following the majority will inevitably make you lose yourself, the only thing you can do is continue to do what you want and live as yourself".

When you know how to accept yourself, the world will begin to affirm, listen, and respond to your most sincere feelings.

My dear friends, you are your own greatest example; there is no reason to compare yourself to others. As long as you give it your all, the results don’t matter. Don't let utilitarianism take your heart. Believe that if you do your best, you will be proud of the outcome.

This society may not be what you expect, and the world may not become more peaceful as a result of your graduation. You may be like me, suffering from despair, in debt, and crisis, unsure what to do.

I really like the expression, "Life is like a salted egg; it must be cracked to fit."

Try to embrace the cracks in life and enjoy your unique imperfections, because they may be tastes that not everyone can copy or cover. Only you can create the most delicious meals for your own life.

Only through experience may one grow up and enrich his or her life. Human potential is boundless. When one can endure suffering and do the things that others cannot, that person is able to appreciate all that others cannot.

Dear Students,

First, be the person you want to be; don't allow bad feelings to overwhelm you.

Second, enjoy yourself, and do not try to fulfill the worldly gaze.

Third, strive to accept the world's injustice, imperfection, and unfulfillment, and try to contribute your small efforts to fill the gaps and shortcomings in society. Be a kind person who wants to help others.

Be the best version of yourself; the world may not be better, but you must be more courageous, resilient, and indomitable. I wish you success!

Source: kenh14.vn