One day in 1819, 3,000 miles off the coast of Chile, in one of the most remote regions of the Pacific Ocean, 20 American sailors watched their ship flood with seawater.
They'd been struck by a sperm whale, which had ripped a catastrophic hole in the ship's hull. As their ship began to sink beneath the swells, the men huddled together in three small whaleboats.
These men were 10,000 miles from home, more than 1,000 miles from the nearest scrap of land. In their small boats, they carried only rudimentary navigational equipment and limited supplies of food and water.
These were the men of the whaleship Essex, whose story would later inspire parts of “Moby Dick.”
Even in today's world, their situation would be really dire, but think about how much worse it would have been then.
No one on land had any idea that anything had gone wrong. No search party was coming to look for these men. So most of us have never experienced a situation as frightening as the one in which these sailors found themselves, but we all know what it's like to be afraid.
We know how fear feels, but I'm not sure we spend enough time thinking about what our fears mean.
As we grow up, we're often encouraged to think of fear as a weakness, just another childish thing to discard like baby teeth or roller skates.
One would think that a person make out will be very cool, actually otherwise, when you are in a great deal of frustration, you will understand the importance of the partners, the value of cooperation.
Points, is separated. When you asked a friend dear John, have you ever thought about, how many friends you have. When you are lonely, have you ever thought how much you have true friends. True friends, when you are sad comfort you, and will encourage you when you lost, will help you, when you difficult will indicate the direction for you when you are lost, so, just a "friend". When parents sick in bed, but swept flatly, cut off the last hope of life, the parents this is not only the irreverent to life, also reflects the inner evil.
When you fail, have you ever thought that you need someone to comfort, points, representing the loneliness and fragile, left the group of geese fly is not far, only to return to his, can play to their ability.
Close, is cooperation. Cooperation is one of the magic weapon of the successful people. People has the inherent potential, this potential to succeed may be one person, but this potential only under special circumstances will burst into its own power. The human potential, the most powerful, the most easy to use, is cooperation. Successful cooperation can create infinite wealth, has the material wealth and spiritual wealth, and contribute to people's wealth.
A man without a friend, leave the inner goodness, cannot leave the cooperation, cannot leave the most is the human nature.
A permanent place, it is heart permanent boarding, there is no the grumpy smile, no annoying noises, the paradise in the clearing of heart forever. There, punishment because of love, scolded because of pain, there is our permanent home.
When life lost to a knife to me, home is always the first the blade, and take the handle pointing to me, and let me escape from the abyss of death many times.
Childish I, with pure fantasy to the distant city, in this foreign land, my weight loss, my heart also tired, walk in a strange way, breathing the strange smell, home fragrance spreading in the bottom of my heart, want to mother's nagging, father's love, my sister smile, naughty brother, home of everything, including the old dog and two a drag ye walk dog (just one month old).
I look forward to, I look forward to, I just want to hurry back to miss home, draw the warmth of home.
The deep, in front of the familiar with Holly, enchanting flowers, deep in the memory of the flowers. When the month is that, under the stars at home and enjoy the quiet courtyard, dog tail flash flash of projection, the top of the tree is the height of the heart has to depend on, the window of the star is the most extensive childhood dream, now, my heart is just the old tree root and the arms of the entrenched at home...
“Once upon a time， there was a king who had a daughter as beautiful as a blooming rose. To all the suitors who came to the king's palace to ask for the hand of the princess, the old king assigned three tasks to be accomplished, each next to impossible. One day, into the king's palace came a handsome young prince…" Well, you know the rest. The three tasks may be different in different versions, but the main plot is always the same, with the prince claiming the princess's hand triumphantly.
And the ending is always the same, finishing with the line "And they live happily every after."
Why aren't we tired of something so fanciful, so unrealistic, and, I would say, so unimaginative? How can a story like that endure generations of repetition`? Because, I think, it is a typical success story. It is highly philosophical and symbolic. By implication, we see a 4-step definition of success: 1 ) a goal to be set. as represented by the beautiful princess; 2 ) challenges to be met, as represented by the three tasks; 3 ) the process of surmounting difficulties, as represented by the ordeals the youth goes through; and 4 ) the reward of success, as represented by the happy marriage.
The story not only caters to everyone's inward yearning for success, but also emphasizes the inseparability of the process and the result. The reward of success will be much amplified if the path leading towards it is treacherous, and vice versa. If a person inherits his father's millions and leads an easy life, he is not a successful person even in material terms, because there are no difficulties involved in his achieving affluence. The term "success", to be sure. will not sit still for easy definition. But as I understand it, the true meaning of success entails a combination of both the process and the satisfactory result of an endeavor. To clarify my view, let me give another analogy.
who is using the arm of qiu jin, for us to put up a brilliant sky?
who is using the hard-working hands, happy for us to build a home?
are you, father, a great name but ordinary!
father of a mountain, broad-minded, the father of rivers to accommodate an umbrella for us so that we stay away from disaster
father of a vessel, carrying us, brave the wind and waves, love towards the harbor!
in the eyes of his daughter, the father is more like you are leaning against a tree in spring can love you like fantasy ganlu drop, moisten with my heart;
through the summer to enjoy your love, like bursts of breeze, the wind blowing softly beside him;
taught me to become ripe autumn, your love is to me is that the rich fruits of success
taught me to become a strong winter, you love the sun are continuously given me confidence and strength!
spring, summer, autumn and winter, the sun traces of rotation time, quietly climbed up the wind and rain on your face honed, so that you vicissitudes
not forget, you earnestly to teach the scene not forget, you sent her daughter to ride back to school is not to be forgotten, when the daughter of late in your sad eyes
is not to be forgotten, when the sick daughter on your face can not forget the scenes of fear, the father and daughter is not to be forgotten ... ... if the situation can be life-cycle the next life, i also make your daughter!
Most people would like to be popular with others, but not everyone can achieve this goal. What is the secret to popularity? In fact, it is very simple. The first step is to improve our appearance. We should always make sure that we stay in good shape and dress well.
When we are healthy and well'groomed, we will not only look better but also feel better. In addition, we should smile and appear friendly. After all, our facial expression is an important part of our appearance. If we can do this, people will be attracted to our good looks and impressed by our confidence.
And what we say about kids who have fears like that is that they have a vivid imagination. But at a certain point, most of us learn to leave these kinds of visions behind and grow up.
We learn that there are no monsters hiding under the bed, and not every earthquake brings buildings down. But maybe it's no coincidence that some of our most creative minds fail to leave these kinds of fears behind as adults.
five score years ago, a great american, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the emancipation proclamation. this momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. it came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity.
but one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the negro is still not free. one hundred years later, the life of the negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. one hundred years later, the negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. one hundred years later, the negro is still languishing in the corners of american society and finds himself an exile in his own land. so we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition.
in a sense we have come to our nation's capital to cash a check. when the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the constitution and the declaration of independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every american was to fall heir. this note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
it is obvious today that america has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. instead of honoring this sacred obligation, america has given the negro people a bad check which has come back marked "insufficient funds." but we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. we refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation.
so we have come to cash this check -- a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice.
this is a glass of water, tasteless, right? however if you add sugar, it will taste sweet, but if you add vinegar, it will become bitter. the same is true with our life the flavor is created by our choices.
if kindness is added to a strange you will have a friend;but if hostility is added, you will have an enemy. if love is added to a pile of red bricks you will have a home, but if hatred is add to those bricks , you will have an concentration camp.
so my dear friends, never complain that life is boring and the world is disappointing. if don’t like the taste of your life, changethe ingredients.
three year ago, i weighed more than 100 hundred kilograms which caused significant embarrassment and frustration in my life. like always failing my p.e examinations, like always being laughed at by girls, like being terrified to speak in public. it was my grandmother’s encouragement that revived from my passive attitude to become confident in myself. she said “ my dear, if you can’t change you figure, why not treat it as your own style. so i began to cautiously employ the new way of thinking. by choosing to change my outlook on life, i developed the confidence to make a difference and finally i found a totally new world.
so my dear friend, if faith, hope, love, endurance areadded to your life, you will find the confidence to conquer your limitation and embrace new challenges. and hopefully with my speech included, you will have afantastic speech contest.
Why aren't we tired of something so fanciful, so unrealistic, and, I would say, so unimaginative? How can a story like that endure generations of repetition`? Because, I think, it is a typical success story. It is highly philosophical and symbolic. By implication, we see a 4-step definition of success: 1 ) a goal to be set. as represented by the beautiful princess; 2 ) challenges to be met, as represented by the three tasks; 3 ) the process of surmounting difficulties, as represented by the ordeals the youth goes through; and 4 ) the reward of success, as represented by the happy marriage.
The story not only caters to everyone's inward yearning for success, but also emphasizes the inseparability of the process and the result. The reward of success will be much amplified if the path leading towards it is treacherous, and vice versa. If a person inherits his father's millions and leads an easy life, he is not a successful person even in material terms, because there are no difficulties involved in his achieving affluence. The term "success", to be sure. will not sit still for easy definition. But as I understand it, the true meaning of success entails a combination of both the process and the satisfactory result of an endeavor. To clarify my view, let me give another analogy.
If we changed the rules of football, greatly enlarged the goal and sent away David Seaman or any other goal keeper, so that another David, namely David Beckham, could score easily, then scoring would not give him the thrill of accomplishment and the joy that it brings. If we further changed the rules by not allowing Arsenal's defenders to defend, so that Beckham needed only to lift a finger, actually a toe, to score, then there would be no game at all, because the meaning of winning would have disappeared. In accepting the challenge, in surmounting the difficulties and in enduring the hardship, success acquires its value. The sense of attainment varies in proportion to the degree of difficulties on overcomes.
The concept of success is not constant but relative because the nature of difficulty is also relative. Something you do effortlessly might pose a great difficulty for a handicapped person. In acquiring the ability to do the same as you can, he or she achieve success. That's why we greatly admire Stephen Hawking, because, though confined to a wheel chair, he has contributed greatly to the field of science.
What College Education Means to Me
the title of my speech is “what college education means to me”.now reflecting on the past two and half years of my college experience, i come to realize how much it has shaped me.
for me, college education is a marvelous ship-builder who designed me from kneel plates up.
with great vision, college education has equipped me, first with a powerful propeller----the sophisticated knowledge in certain field and wide exposure to other disciplines. by dedicating myself to the engineering courses in the day and immersing myself in the rich banquet of the world literature at night, i’ve amassed the driving force for the future and enriched my soul.
besides, college education has also provided me with a precise compass----the sense of social responsibility. how can i best serve the interest of the public while achieving my self-fulfillment? my one year’s experience as a part-time english teacher has testified: to be valuable to society as well as to find my place, i have to possess some actual strength and the ability to function well in the most challenging situation. amid the hectic schedule that balances club activities, sports, and academic courses, i feel the rhythm and beauty in the intensity of my high-pitched life, knowing that i ’m on the right way.
and more importantly, college education has set up not only single ships, but also fleets with common destinations. by interacting with friends of common beliefs, i’ve acquired skills of relating to other people.
now ,as a ship about to make my maiden voyage ,i’m still not in the position to tell what’s waiting ahead of me ,but with a powerful propeller, a precise compass and ardent companions of sailing in the sea of society, i’m ready to be a great sea-explorer.
thank you.
Helicopter strike force, fish cheung tanked, and eagle soar, heaven and earth have a xiang nine days alone, solitary bully the power of the sky; Cicada to usurp the role of "cicada", then only the branches, mediocre. Su Shiceng tells us: "into the big, you not only the world of the ancient, also have perseverance of the volunteers". Empty talk one cavity revenge, will be ineffective.
May 18 look back in the spring and autumn has quietly away from me. And I knew that he was acting the cicadas, looking back scaned the age of 18 in the spring and autumn period, only talk the talk, alone in the branches, does nothing, heart can not help relief stuff, but in this time, 18 in the spring and autumn is the sea a bouquet. But life is 18 several spring and autumn period, stand up to us to squander? Looking at that time in the history of, listen to this "absolutely know this matter to practise." The great poet lu you's great melody. Lu you already understand this truth, doing is better than saying, each person's success, not to say that come out of, if not just rhetoric, rhetoric that was just a belly empty, hustle, a paper, and the language is also good.
Listening to the bing xin's stars: "four or five flowers of speech opening the behavior of the fruit of the junction progressively more small." Thoughtfully in the heart, the thunder again big, if the rain is too small, also is just a bluff. Work is the most true, actions speak louder than words. Today's symbol of today's symbol of buffett's daughter proud as a child, at a dinner party, the father for the daughter bragging about their future will certainly become a great writer, for his father.
And I think it's no accident that we think this way. Neuroscientists have actually shown that human beings are hard'wired to be optimists.
So maybe that's why we think of fear, sometimes, as a danger in and of itself. “Don't worry,” we like to say to one another. “Don't panic.” In English, fear is something we conquer. It's something we fight.
It's something we overcome. But what if we looked at fear in a fresh way? What if we thought of fear as an amazing act of the imagination, something that can be as profound and insightful as storytelling itself?
It's easiest to see this link between fear and the imagination in young children, whose fears are often extraordinarily vivid.
When I was a child, I lived in California, which is, you know, mostly a very nice place to live, but for me as a child, California could also be a little scary.
I remember how frightening it was to see the chandelier that hung above our dining table swing back and forth during every minor earthquake, and I sometimes couldn't sleep at night, terrified that the Big One might strike while we were sleeping.
If we changed the rules of football, greatly enlarged the goal and sent away David Seaman or any other goal keeper, so that another David, namely David Beckham, could score easily, then scoring would not give him the thrill of accomplishment and the joy that it brings. If we further changed the rules by not allowing Arsenal's defenders to defend, so that Beckham needed only to lift a finger, actually a toe, to score, then there would be no game at all, because the meaning of winning would have disappeared. In accepting the challenge, in surmounting the difficulties and in enduring the hardship, success acquires its value. The sense of attainment varies in proportion to the degree of difficulties on overcomes.
The concept of success is not constant but relative because the nature of difficulty is also relative. Something you do effortlessly might pose a great difficulty for a handicapped person. In acquiring the ability to do the same as you can, he or she achieve success. That's why we greatly admire Stephen Hawking, because, though confined to a wheel chair, he has contributed greatly to the field of science.
I myself, a rather shy person by nature who easily suffer from stage fright, had to pluck up great courage to take part in a speech contest like this. I could have stayed away and had an easy time of it by not entering the university level contest.But I chose to accept the challenge and to face the difficulties. Now here I am. If I come out first, it will be a great success for me. If I come out last-I hope this will not be the case-but if I come out last, I will not call my attempt a failure, but will also celebrate it as a true success, because part of my goal is my own character training-to do more assertive, to be brave in face of difficulties. For me, it is a meaningful step forward, small as it is, in the long journey toward the final success in my life, because I have truly gained by participating.
Let us return to our handsome young prince and the 4-step definition of success. You my have noticed that the usual worldly criteria of wealth, position and fame were not mentioned as part of the story, but rather, it emphasized the process of overcoming difficulties. The ancient wisdom had already defined the meaning of success, and this is my definition, too.
Thank you.