诸康妮演讲

Discover Yourself

Ever since the accelerated development of human civilization, perpetual scientific discoveries of nature had accompanied mankind all along the journey. It was by discovering the world around us that human beings have been able to lead a more sophisticated life. However, as G.K. Chesterton once said, “One may understand the cosmos, but never the ego; the self is more distant than any star.” Similarly, our life is a journey of unrelenting efforts to discover more of ourselves.

When I was 6 I constantly pictured myself as an elegant and skilled pianist rendering Chopin’s nocturne beautifully on the stage, receiving warm applause after my performance. As I furthered my piano lessons, it was hard to be oblivious of my non-gifted skills. Sometimes I couldn’t help but have this feeling of despair when I woke up to the reality and discovered that my goal was unrealistic. Brutal but real, it was the first time I had discovered that I couldn’t have it all.

When I was 12 I thought the coolest job in the entire universe was to be a surgeon. I spent hours and hours watching the drama “Grey’s Anatomy”, and couldn’t help falling in love with the kind of life those doctors lead on the screen. I was utterly mesmerized by the scalpel and all those fancy medical terms they use. However, I stopped dreaming about being a surgeon when I discovered that it was the idea of being a surgeon that appealed to me, not what it truly was. Therefore, the dream ended and I discovered some more about myself.

This year I turned 16, I could proudly say I do not dream to be but ascertain to pursue being a lawyer in the future. Since junior high school I was always awarded the “most eloquent debater” in every single debate I participated in. I cannot only think logically but also deliver my thoughts promptly. My huge interest in philosophy also adds to my reasoning whenever I tried to argue on something equivocal. Being aware of the obstacles and hardships on the way to becoming a great lawyer never panics me, for the simple reason that I have this faith and passion in what I am aspiring after.

G.K. Chesterton was absolutely correct, the most complicated part of comprehending the world is the study of the somehow smaller world—ourselves. I subsequently realized that growing up is the process of discovering ourselves; we get to know what we truly are, and become who we dream to be. As we shape ourselves, and as we shape our lives, we gradually become more aware of our limits and potentials and consequently learn to adjust to what’s out there. And by that, ladies and gentleman, I’m proud to say that I’ve discovered part of myself, still discovering today standing on this stage, and hopefully a lot more in the future. I will always keep this embedded into my heart that things do not change, we do.