The Answer

此文是加入Foodie 俱乐部的第一篇Ice-breaker. 演讲目标是：Introduce yourself. 虽然做了很多次Ice-breaker,每一次在自我介绍时候还是会有对自己的新的认识。通过演讲和写文章，不断记录自己不同阶段的变化和成长！

 

The Answer

“It’s just one lesson. Why does it take you

so long to prepare for it?” My colleague asked me in bewilderment.

“But for me, it’s more than just one

lesson.” I smiled and said.

As an English teacher in a middle school, I

cherish every moment when I teach, and try my best to make the lesson

worthwhile for my children and for me.

My colleague had a point in asking such a

question. Since the arrival of the new principal several years ago, there had

been an earthquake. Sharp cut down in teachers’ salary; harsh remarks fell on

us like an avalanche. The morale was at its record low, and hatred accumulated

to a point that we had gone on several protests against the new principal and

his stupid policies. But the protests went just silently in heart and never

went loud enough to reach the big boss. Teachers! (sigh)

“What’s the meaning of working hard! No one

is watching. No one cares. The big boss only concerns about papers and essays.

He doesn’t give a shit about a lesson!” they said. By the way the big boss used

to be a scholar in university before he came to middle school. His only

interest was making statistics look good!

Complaints and whining were heardeverywhere. And some of the teachers started to adopt a lazy working attitude. Lesseffort is put into work, less homework is assigned, less communication withstudent is made. That’s the least we could do, because by doing the least wemade the teaching job worth itslittlewhile.

I used to be one of them. Deprived of

self-esteem and grasped by disappointment. I was no longer passionate about

teaching. Yet with the lack of my passion for work, my heart also froze

ruthlessly. So did my smiles and happiness.

My dear friends, if you have watched ananimation calledSpirited Away千与千寻， you must know about a man without a face. 无脸男。His only purpose in life is to devour as many coins and possessions as

he can, and in this way he also loses his soul. It was the same with me at that

time. When I compromised my work ethics, I was like this Faceless Man，a

walking zombie without a heart and most devastatingly, without love.

One day, the unhappy me stopped and began

to think: Who do I work for? What do I work for?

Do I work only for the principal to see me

and give me a promotion?

Do I work only for the sake of income? Do I

work for fame or for a renowned title?

The answer to these questions: Yes, 停顿停顿再停顿and No.

I must be honest with you guys that I used

to work for all the above reasons. But after that period of dark zombie like

moment, I now proudly declare that I work for a more unique reason---I work for

a better and respectable ME.

The respectable me will never be achieved

if I don’t think hard about a lesson or bring new breeze to it.

High self-esteem will never arrive if I

compromise my work ethics and stop growing, stop taking challenges, stop

expanding my vision, and above all, stop being passionate.

Whoever the big boss is, whatever happens,

I am who I am. I shall stick to those values that make me who I am: love,

passion and devotion.

And thus I readjusted my working attitude.

I resumed my power of love and started to embrace my teaching career with

enthusiasm.

My dear friends, all the fun and happinessand rewarding moments in life, they are never about money, or fame, or title.They are about howyoulook at yourself. It’s about elevating your

self-esteem, the highest level in Maslow’s Hierarchy of happiness, it’s about

making yourself proud by being altruistic, caring and selfless.

Thanks to the new principal, my spirit is

purified. The despicable me used to take the upper hand, but luckily the angel

me battles hard and comes to my rescue.

This is what I want to share about me here

with all my friends in Foodies Club. I am here to meet more angel-life souls. A

soul like Charles’ who is smart and humorous and considerate, a soul like Alva’s

who is adventurous, self-assured and caring; a soul like Ellen’s who is

perseverant in her dream. I am here to make memories together with you guys and

let’s seek the answers to many unanswered questions still to come in life.

And it’s the courage to keep seeking those

answers that give the meaning to our life. Thank you.