Dear Prof. Kuo, Dr. Li, School Managers, guests, Principal Wong, teachers, students, parents, and friends
Good morning! I am delighted to be with you at the 27th Graduation Ceremony of Ning Po No.2 College. Also, I am grateful to have the opportunity to share a few words with our graduates. Today, I would like to share with you about the importance of being “true friends!”
I am sure there were unforgettable moments and cherished memories over the past six years of study. Most importantly, without the guidance of the Principal, teachers and the company of schoolmates in your life journey during this particular period, you will not be the same as you are today! I believe you will share with me that they are dear to you! They are your friends indeed, and many of them are your true friends! They are those who really love and care about you, and will tell you the truth even if it is tough to bear!
It is evident that we have blind spots about ourselves. The saying is true that you can't see what you can't see. Unless you have some help, that blind spot can cause you great difficulties or even regrets in your life. So how do you find your blind spots? I would say having true friends is the prime key. Today, your Principal, teachers and schoolmates are the priceless gift in your life – they are honest to you and help to make you a better person! Honor them, cherish them, seek advice from them, and share with them as you journey forward!
Recently, I have read an inspiring piece of sharing of Tim Elmore, Founder and President of Growing Leaders, titled “What can Every Student Learn from Malala?” As you will probably know, Malala Yousafzai, the advocate for education and peace, is the youngest-ever Nobel Prize winner at 17 years old who just won the Nobel Peace Prize in this October. Among the six lessons that Tim presented, I would like to quote three of them: 1) she’s able to both give and receive criticism from her adversaries; 2) she’s not living for her own benefit, but for the benefit of others; and 3) she’s not waiting until she’s an adult to make a difference.
Now, let me continue with this noble subject of “true friends.” When you are honest to yourself by walking in integrity, and when you are willing to give and receive criticism from adversaries (as Tim gave praise to Malala), you become your own true friend! When you are honest to the needs of others, and live not for your own benefit alone but the benefits of others, you become true to your society!
Today, I encourage you to make a difference in this generation of individualism: start building and nurturing a community of honest people when you are still young. This can be a wonderful community where you can honestly appreciate others and be true to yourself and others. That is a choice you can make today. Let’s not unfriend others and be true friends.