Several years ago, a student came up to me after one of my school speeches.

幾年前有一位學生在我校園演講結束後來找我

He said, “Hey JR, I've been going to this church for quite a while. I've been learning there but I don't seem to be changing. I don't see a difference in myself. I still feel terrible about myself. I think I'm a lousy person.”

他說「嘿JR，我有去教會一陣子了，我在那邊學習但我感覺不出來自己有改變，我看不出來自己有什麼差別，我還是覺得自己很糟糕，我覺得我是個很糟糕的人」

He was being harsh on himself so I asked him, "Well, for how long have you been to this church? How long have you been learning there?"

他一直對自己很苛刻 所以我問他「 那你去這間教會多久了？你在那邊學習多久了？」

And he said, “5 years.” And I was like, "Wow! 5 years is actually quite a lot of time. So for the past 5 years, have you not made any change at all?

他說「5年了」我整個很驚訝「哇！5年其實還滿久的耶！那過去5年你一丁點都沒改變嗎？」

Are you still the same person you were 5 years ago? Or have you, more or less, made some degree of change? Some degree of progress?"

「你還是跟5年前的那個自己一模一樣嗎？還是說或多或少你有某種程度上的改變？某種程度上的進步？」

So he paused for a bit and thought for a few seconds.

他停了一會 想了幾秒鐘

And then he replied, “Well, I've never thought of it that way, but since you've asked. Well, I think I have become quite different. I've changed quite a lot in the past 5 years.”

接著回答「噢，我是沒有這樣想過，但既然你問了，嗯，我覺得我變得滿不一樣，過去5年來我改變了滿多」

So I said again, “Now if you've changed in the past 5 years, can you picture yourself 5 years later from now? Is it fair to say that you might have a good chance or being quite different from now 5 years later?”

於是我又說「那麼如果你過去5年來有所改變，你能想像距今5年之後的自己嗎？我這樣講公平嗎？說你5年之後有很大的機會會變得跟現在很不一樣？」

He nodded. And that was the end of that conversation.

他點點頭 我們的對話就這麼結束了

We tend to dwell in our present reality, finding fault with ourselves and our surroundings.

我們很會陷入在現實中 對自己和環境吹毛求疵

We set up these boundaries, telling ourselves that we won't go beyond here. This is how far we get. We're not gonna surpass that limit. We're not gonna reach the next level.

我們劃下界線 告訴自己說 我們超越不了這條線 就只能到這了 我們無法跨越那極限 我們無法到達下一個層次

Things aren't going to change. We're gonna be stuck here forever.

事情不會有所改變 我們會永遠卡在這裡

But whoa. Before you let that negativity get the best of you. Hold your horses. 'Cos if Rome wasn't built in one day, neither are we.

但 等等 在你讓那些負面想法擊垮你之前 稍安勿躁 如果就連羅馬也不是一天造成的 更何況是我們

When you get caught up in the rough times you're going through, the times you think you're making no progress at all.

當你陷入在那些困難的泥沼 那些你覺得毫無進展的時刻

Well, why don't you just take one step back. Take a deep breath and take the time to look back and reflect and just acknowledge how much you've accomplished so far and give yourself that credit.

你何不乾脆後退一步 深呼吸 花一點時間回想過去反思看看 並承認你過去至今成就了多少事情並認定自己的功勞

Now I can already hear people saying, “But JR, I've accomplished nothing in my life. I've literally done nothing.”

嗯 我已經可以想像有人在說「但JR，我一輩子都沒成就什麼，我真的一點成就都沒有」

Well excuse me for interrupting you right here 'cos you are wrong.

抱歉 我可要打斷你了 因為你錯了

As far as I know, life is not just about how much money you make, what position you're in, how big you're on social media, how good you scored on your SAT or GSAT or whatever they call it these days.

就我所知 人生不是只是 你賺了多少錢 你在什麼職位 你在社群媒體上多有名氣 你的SAT或學測考了幾分 不管那些考試現在到底叫什麼

The essence of life is you. Who you are. Who you decide to be. Who you will become.

人生的本質是你 你是誰 你決定要成為誰 你將會成為誰

And the fact that you're alive and well means you've already overcome so many challenges in your life and so you are more than worthy of a big round of applause for just being here today.

而你一路走來都活著並好好的這件事本身就代表你已經克服了人生中許許多多的挑戰 所以你完全值得一個大大的掌聲鼓勵 就為了慶賀你的存在

I'm not gonna say that there's not gonna be any bumpy roads ahead, that everything is gonna be fine from today.

我才不會說 前方不會有崎嶇難行的路 從今天起一切都會順利

Life is full of challenges, and in some sense, that's what makes it fun. Your muscles won't grow without feeling sore.

人生本來就充滿挑戰 就某種意義來說 就是因為這樣才好玩 肌肉哪有不酸就長大的道理呢

But whenever you're stuck in a dilemma, just think of all the things you've accomplished in the past.

但每當你卡在困境中 試著回想自己過去以來所做到的事

How far you've come. How amazingly you've done to get here in the first place and just to realize that there's just so much more for you in the future!

你究竟走了多遠 要不是你做得這麼棒怎麼能到達今天這裡 並且要體會到有太多太多的事物在未來等著你！

Peace

再會

[Music]

[音樂]