大學英文演講稿

大學英文演講稿大學英文演講稿Thankyou.I＇mhonoredtobewithyoutodayforyourmencementfromoneofthefinestuniversitiesintheworld.Truthbetold,InevergraduatedfromcollegeandthisistheclosestI＇veevergottentoacollegegraduation.TodayIwanttotellyouthreestoriesfrommylife.That＇sit.Nobigdeal.Justthreestories.Thefirststoryisaboutconnectingthedots.IdroppedoutofReedCollegeafterthefirstsi_monthsbutthenstayedaroundasadrop-inforanothereighteenmonthsorsobeforeIreallyquit.SowhydidIdropout?ItstartedbeforeIwasborn.Mybiologicalmotherwasayoung,unwedgraduatestudent,andshedecidedtoputmeupforadoption.ShefeltverystronglythatIshouldbeadoptedbycollegegraduates,soeverythingwasallsetformetobeadoptedatbirthbyalawyerandhiswife,e_ceptthatwhenIpoppedout,theydecidedatthelastminutethattheyreallywantedagirl.Somyparents,whowereonawaitinglist,gotacallinthemiddleofthenightasking,“We＇vegotanune_pectedbabyboy.Doyouwanthim?“Theysaid,“Ofcourse.“Mybiologicalmotherfoundoutlaterthatmymotherhadnevergraduatedfromcollegeandthatmyfatherhadnevergraduatedfromhighschool.第1頁共9頁Sherefusedtosignthefinaladoptionpapers.SheonlyrelentedafewmonthslaterwhenmyparentspromisedthatIwouldgotocollege.Thiswasthestartinmylife.Andseventeenyearslater,Ididgotocollege,butIna?velychoseacollegethatwasalmostase_pensiveasStanford,andallofmyworking-classparents＇savingswerebeingspentonmycollegetuition.Aftersi_months,Icouldn＇tseethevalueinit.IhadnoideawhatIwantedtodowithmylife,andnoideaofhowcollegewasgoingtohelpmefigureitout,andhereIwas,spendingallthemoneymyparentshadsavedtheirentirelife.SoIdecidedtodropoutandtrustthatitwouldallworkoutOK.Itwasprettyscaryatthetime,butlookingback,itwasoneofthebestdecisionsIevermade.TheminuteIdroppedout,Icouldstakingtherequiredclassesthatdidn＇tinterestmeandbegindroppinginontheonesthatlookedfarmoreinteresting.Itwasn＇tallromantic.Ididn＇thaveadormroom,soIsleptonthefloorinfriends＇rooms.IreturnedCokebottlesforthefive-centdepositstobuyfoodwith,andIwouldwalkthesevenmilesacrosstowneverySundaynighttogetonegoodmealaweekattheHareKrishnatemple.Ilovedit.AndmuchofwhatIstumbledintobyfollogmycuriosityandintuitionturnedouttobepricelesslateron.Letmegiveyouonee_le.第2頁共9頁ReedCollegeatthattimeofferedperhapsthebestcalligraphyinstructioninthecountry.Throughoutthecuseveryposter,everylabeloneverydrawerwasbeautifullyhand-calligraphed.BecauseIhaddroppedoutanddidn＇thavetotakethenormalclasses,Idecidedtotakeacalligraphyclasstolearnhowtodothis.Ilearnedaboutserifandsans-seriftypefaces,aboutvaryingtheamountofspacebetweendifferentletterbinations,aboutwhatmakesgreattypographygreat.Itwasbeautiful,historical,artisticallysubtleinawaythatsciencecan＇tcapture,andIfounditfascinating.Noneofthishadevenahopeofanypracticallicationinmylife.ButtenyearslaterwhenweweredesigningthefirstMacintoshputer,itallcamebacktome,andwedesigneditallintotheMac.Itwasthefirstputerwithbeautifultypography.IfIhadneverdroppedinonthatsinglecourseincollege,theMacwouldhaveneverhadmultipletypefacesorproportionallyspacedfonts,andsincedowsjustcopiedtheMac,it＇slikelythatnopersonalputerwouldhavethem.IfIhadneverdroppedout,Iwouldhaveneverdroppedinonthatcalligraphyclassandpersonalsputersmightnothavethewonderfultypographythattheydo.OfcourseitwasimpossibletoconnectthedotslookingforwardwhenIwasincollege,butitwasvery,veryclearlookingbackwards10yearslater.Again,youcan＇tconnectthedotslookingforward.Youcanonlyconnectthemlookingbackwards,soyouhavetotrustthatthedotswillsomehowconnectinyourfuture.第3頁共9頁Youhavetotrustinsomething--yourgut,destiny,life,karma,whatever--becausebelievingthatthedotswillconnectdowntheroadwillgiveyoutheconfidencetofollowyourheart,evenwhenitleadsyouoffthewell-wornpath,andthatwillmakeallthedifference.Mysecondstoryisaboutloveandloss.Iwaslucky.IfoundwhatIlovedtodoearlyinlife.WozandIstartedleinmyparents＇garagewhenIwastwenty.Weworkedhardandintenyears,lehadgrownfromjustthetwoofusinagarageintoa$2billionpanywithover4,000employees.We＇djustreleasedourfinestcreation,theMacintosh,ayearearlier,andI＇djustturnedthirty,andthenIgotfired.Howcanyougetfiredfromapanyyoustarted?Well,aslegrew,wehiredsomeonewhoIthoughtwasverytalentedtorunthepanywithme,andforthefirstyearorso,thingswentwell.Butthenourvisionsofthefuturebegantodiverge,andeventuallywehadafallingout.Whenwedid,ourboardofdirectorssidedwithhim,andsoatthirty,Iwasout,andverypubliclyout.Whathadbeenthefocusofmyentireadultlifewasgone,anditwasdevastating.Ireallydidn＇tknowwhattodoforafewmonths.IfeltthatIhadletthepreviousgenerationofentrepreneursdown,thatIhaddroppedthebatonasitwasbeingpassedtome.ImetwithDavidPackardandBobNoyceandtriedtoapologizeforscregupsobadly.IwasaverypublicfailureandIeventhoughtaboutrunningawayfromtheValley.第4頁共9頁Butsomethingslowlybegantodawnonme.IstilllovedwhatIdid.Theturnofeventsatlehadnotchangedthatonebit.I＇dbeenrejectedbutIwasstillinlove.AndsoIdecidedtostartover.Ididn＇tseeitthen,butitturnedoutthatgettingfiredfromlewasthebestthingthatcouldhaveeverhenedtome.Theheavinessofbeingsuccessfulwasreplacedbythelightnessofbeingabeginneragain,lesssureabouteverything.Itfreedmetoenteroneofthemostcreativeperiodsinmylife.Duringthene_tfiveyearsIstartedapanynamedNe_T,anotherpanynamedPi_arandfellinlovewithanamazingwomanwhowouldbeemywife.Pi_arwentontocreatetheworld＇sfirstputer-animatedfeaturefilm,“ToyStory,“andisnowthemostsuccessfulanimationstudiointheworld.Inaremarkableturnofevents,leboughtNe_TandIreturnedtoleandthetechnologywedevelopedatNe_Tisattheheartofle＇scurrentrenaissance,andLoreneandIhaveawonderfulfamilytogether.I＇mprettysurenoneofthiswouldhavehenedifIhadn＇tbeenfiredfromle.Itwasawful-tastingmedicinebutIguessthepatientneededit.Sometimeslife＇sgoingtohityouintheheadwithabrick.Don＇tlosefaith.I＇mconvincedthattheonlythingthatkeptmegoingwasthatIlovedwhatIdid.You＇vegottofindwhatyoulove,andthatisastrueforworkasitisforyourlovers.第5頁共9頁Yourworkisgoingtofillalargepartofyourlife,andtheonlywaytobetrulysatisfiedistodowhatyoubelieveisgreatwork,andtheonlywaytodogreatworkistolovewhatyoudo.Ifyouhaven＇tfoundityet,keeplooking,anddon＇tsettle.Aswithallmattersoftheheart,you＇llknowwhenyoufindit,andlikeanygreatrelationshipitjustgetsbetterandbetterastheyearsrollon.Sokeeplooking.Don＇tsettle.Mythirdstoryisaboutdeath.WhenIwas17Ireadatethatwentsomethinglike“Ifyouliveeachdayasifitwasyourlast,somedayyou＇llmostcertainlyberight.“Itmadeanimpressiononme,andsincethen,forthepast33years,Ihavelookedinthemirroreverymorningandaskedmyself,“Iftodaywerethelastdayofmylife,wouldIwanttodowhatIamabouttodotoday?“Andwhenevertheanswerhasbeen“no“fortoomanydaysinarow,IknowIneedtochangesomething.RememberingthatI＇llbedeadsoonisthemostimportantthingI＇veeverencounteredtohelpmemakethebigchoicesinlife,becausealmosteverything--alle_ternale_pectations,allpride,allfearofembarrassmentorfailure--thesethingsjustfallawayinthefaceofdeath,leavingonlywhatistrulyimportant.RememberingthatyouaregoingtodieisthebestwayIknowtoavoidthetrapofthinkingyouhavesomethingtolose.Youarealreadynaked.Thereisnoreasonnottofollowyourheart.Aboutayearago,Iwasdiagnosedwithcancer.第6頁共9頁Ihadascanat7:30inthemorninganditclearlyshowedatumoronmypancreas.Ididn＇tevenknowwhatapancreaswas.Thedoctorstoldmethiswasalmostcertainlyatypeofcancerthatisincurable,andthatIshoulde_pecttolivenolongerthanthreetosi_months.Mydoctoradvisedmetogohomeandgetmyaffairsinorder,whichisdoctors＇codefor“preparetodie.“Itmeanstotryandtellyourkidseverythingyouthoughtyou＇dhavethene_ttenyearstotellthem,injustafewmonths.Itmeanstomakesurethateverythingisbuttonedupsothatitwillbeaseasyaspossibleforyourfamily.Itmeanstosayyourgoodbyes.Ilivedwiththatdiagnosisallday.LaterthateveningIhadabiopsywheretheystuckanendoscopedownmythroat,throughmystomachintomyintestines,putaneedleintomypancreasandgotafewcellsfromthetumor.Iwassedatedbutmywife,whowasthere,toldmethatwhentheyviewedthecellsunderamicroscope,thedoctorstartedcrying,becauseitturnedouttobeaveryrareformofpancreaticcancerthatiscurablewithsurgery.Ihadthesurgeryand,thankfully,Iamfinenow.ThiswastheclosestI＇vebeentofacingdeath,andIhopeit＇stheclosestIgetforafewmoredecades.Havinglivedthroughit,Icannowsaythistoyouwithabitmorecertaintythanwhendeathwasausefulbutpurelyintellectualconcept.Noonewantstodie,evenpeoplewhowanttogotoHeavendon＇twanttodietogetthere,andyet,deathisthedestinationweallshare.第7頁共9頁Noonehaseverescapedit.Andthatisasitshouldbe,becausedeathisverylikelythesinglebestinventionoflife.It＇slife＇schangeagent;itclearsouttheoldtomakewayforthenew.rightnow,thenewisyou.Butsomeday,nottoolongfromnow,youwillgraduallybeetheoldandbeclearedaway.Sorrytobesodramatic,butit＇squitetrue.Yourtimeislimited,sodon＇twasteitlivingsomeoneelse＇slife.Don＇tbetredbydogma,whichislivingwiththeresultsofotherpeople＇sthinking.Don＇tletthenoiseofothers＇opinionsdrownoutyourowninnervoice,heartandintuition.Theysomehowalreadyknowwhatyoutrulywanttobee.Everythingelseissecondary.WhenIwasyoung,therewas