growing up I have always been the new
student when I roll that hammer in grade
eight I was attending the seventh school
that I have been to since first grade
this constant moving around has taught
me how to quickly spot the people who
are similar to me and befriend them so
even as someone who was naturally shy
quiet and a little awkward
making friends wasn’t too hard anymore
however there is another side to this as
I developed this habit of being with
people of similar traits I narrow down
my own comfort zone every day I talked
about things I already knew and did only
the things that I was comfortable with
when my dad first talked to me about the
idea of a comfort zone I observed none
of it I saw no need whatsoever to go new
places meet new people since I was very
comfortable where I was why would I
search for change when there was no need
for it but my dad saw a need for him so
he signed 11y old me up for a six-week
long summer camp my family was living in
Beijing at that time and the camp that
he had signed me up for was in Boston so
that summer I’ve hacked my bags and flew
halfway across the globe alone with a
combination of reading signs asking
airport staff and a little bit of luck I
was able to make it there alive I can
still remember my first day of camp
clearly after five years of public
school in China I have forgotten most of
my English and I was extremely shy ever
since I was little
so I was approached by this very sweet
Indian girl who asked me whether or not
I wanted to join her in playing Bop and
instead of
simply saying yes I broke into tears
which probably made the situation scary
for her as well
fortunately the camp leaders were kind
and understanding so for the rest of
that first day I stayed with them
without saying anything because staying
silent me sense me that way
soon I realize how much the people
around me were enjoying themselves which
made me feel tiny and somewhat jealous I
felt like I was lacking in some way I
just wanted to go home and be with the
friends so I could talk to contrib Lee
but that was not an option and sings
silent for the next 47 days did seem
like the best way to go either my
african-american roommate Cece is one of
the kindest people I have ever met up to
this day every night before curfew she
would initiate conversation and day
after day I began to open up so our
conversations grew more and more
personal that was the beginning of a
friendship I could never have imagined
slowly but surely I was getting more
comfortable with the people around me
although I did not make a ton of friends
by the end of it
I sure knew the eight people from my
hallway pretty well on that last day we
all cried thinking about how we wouldn’t
be able to see each other ever again but
thanks to Facebook we can still speak as
if we’ve only said bye yesterday so
returning home I began to think about
all the opportunities I have missed out
on because I was too scared and that’s
when I realized what a comfort zone is
after a couple of years at Hamburg I
began to get used to this life with not
too many struggles I had decent grades
and I was no longer scared to death when
I came to public speaking however I knew
that there was so much out there I had
no idea existed so when summer came
along again I traveled to Providence
Rhode Island for a pre-college program
there I met
of the most academically accomplished
people who made me realize goals I have
never envisioned for myself previously
it wasn’t the best feeling but it was
motivating knowing that there’s always
an extra mile to go the me that refuses
to step outside of my comfort zone was
rejecting diversity thinking that what I
have can’t be any better and my life
shouldn’t change in any way the me that
sits back and just gets by is tolerating
diversity I’m okay with change coming
into my life but chasing after it
is not something I would do the mean
that seeks for opportunities to expand
my comfort zone is embracing diversity
if I always had my tolerant just getting
by attitude I would not have progressed
in any aspect in my life and if you
think about it embracing change and
diversity kind of makes sense
because after all change is the only
constant in life but sometimes it’s nice
to stay in that zone and I think
sometimes it’s even necessary because
being outside of that zone for too long
would ring on tons of stress naturally
we like to relax and there is a strong
tendency for that laid-back mindset to
take over the opportunity seeking one
keeping the balance between the two is
what’s important but it’s not easy
because you are fighting against nature
I like to think about rejecting
tolerating and embracing diversity as
floors of a house we all live in these
houses and spend time on all floors
the basement is dark cold and a little
humid you don’t usually get your work
done there because you have the ground
floor which is much more comfortable the
ground floor is indoors there are too
many windows so you depend on artificial
lighting but that’s okay because you
have the aircon in the heater so it’s
always going to be comfortable logically
you spend most of your time on the
ground floor and then you have your
second floor it’s a balcony with little
cover so you got the element of surprise
from the weather it’s beautiful out
there when it’s sunny and warm but you
can’t help it some days there will be
rain or even snow storms going up there
is in adventure you don’t know what to
expect one day you may go and be
disappointed by the pouring rain well
another day you may go and have your
breath be taken away by a spectacular
view it’s not the best idea to stay on
one floor forever
although the ground floor is super
comfortable once in a while you’re gonna
need some fresh air
similarly we reject tolerate and embrace
all the time it’s about how much time
you spend on each floor and the first
step to that is being aware of what
floor you’re on transitioning between
floors is a process that takes time just
like how we can’t switch from tolerating
mode to embracing mode at an instant
we can’t teleport between floors it’s
not hard to travel between the basement
and the ground floor both are indoors
how different could they be but when you
go up to that second floor
you need to change from clothes that you
wear at home and to clothes that
suitable for the conditions outside when
progressing from tolerating to embracing
we let go of the stereotypes at the back
of our minds pick up courage and respect
to invite something that’s foreign into
our lives by the time you’re at the top
of the stairs you’re equipped for
whatever the outside world will stare at
you you’re there with a new mindset a
new pair of eyes as Marcel Proust said
the real voyage of discovery consists
not only in seeing new sights but in
looking with new eyes up there with your
horizon expanded you can see not only
where you are but where you could be we
live in a world with over 7 billion
people of different ages colors shapes
and sizes who speak over six thousand
different languages there are limitless
possibilities out there for us to
discover so with a very very limited
time that we have be courageous
be open and in write something that’s
unlike you into your life thank you
[Applause]
student when I roll that hammer in grade
eight I was attending the seventh school
that I have been to since first grade
this constant moving around has taught
me how to quickly spot the people who
are similar to me and befriend them so
even as someone who was naturally shy
quiet and a little awkward
making friends wasn’t too hard anymore
however there is another side to this as
I developed this habit of being with
people of similar traits I narrow down
my own comfort zone every day I talked
about things I already knew and did only
the things that I was comfortable with
when my dad first talked to me about the
idea of a comfort zone I observed none
of it I saw no need whatsoever to go new
places meet new people since I was very
comfortable where I was why would I
search for change when there was no need
for it but my dad saw a need for him so
he signed 11y old me up for a six-week
long summer camp my family was living in
Beijing at that time and the camp that
he had signed me up for was in Boston so
that summer I’ve hacked my bags and flew
halfway across the globe alone with a
combination of reading signs asking
airport staff and a little bit of luck I
was able to make it there alive I can
still remember my first day of camp
clearly after five years of public
school in China I have forgotten most of
my English and I was extremely shy ever
since I was little
so I was approached by this very sweet
Indian girl who asked me whether or not
I wanted to join her in playing Bop and
instead of
simply saying yes I broke into tears
which probably made the situation scary
for her as well
fortunately the camp leaders were kind
and understanding so for the rest of
that first day I stayed with them
without saying anything because staying
silent me sense me that way
soon I realize how much the people
around me were enjoying themselves which
made me feel tiny and somewhat jealous I
felt like I was lacking in some way I
just wanted to go home and be with the
friends so I could talk to contrib Lee
but that was not an option and sings
silent for the next 47 days did seem
like the best way to go either my
african-american roommate Cece is one of
the kindest people I have ever met up to
this day every night before curfew she
would initiate conversation and day
after day I began to open up so our
conversations grew more and more
personal that was the beginning of a
friendship I could never have imagined
slowly but surely I was getting more
comfortable with the people around me
although I did not make a ton of friends
by the end of it
I sure knew the eight people from my
hallway pretty well on that last day we
all cried thinking about how we wouldn’t
be able to see each other ever again but
thanks to Facebook we can still speak as
if we’ve only said bye yesterday so
returning home I began to think about
all the opportunities I have missed out
on because I was too scared and that’s
when I realized what a comfort zone is
after a couple of years at Hamburg I
began to get used to this life with not
too many struggles I had decent grades
and I was no longer scared to death when
I came to public speaking however I knew
that there was so much out there I had
no idea existed so when summer came
along again I traveled to Providence
Rhode Island for a pre-college program
there I met
of the most academically accomplished
people who made me realize goals I have
never envisioned for myself previously
it wasn’t the best feeling but it was
motivating knowing that there’s always
an extra mile to go the me that refuses
to step outside of my comfort zone was
rejecting diversity thinking that what I
have can’t be any better and my life
shouldn’t change in any way the me that
sits back and just gets by is tolerating
diversity I’m okay with change coming
into my life but chasing after it
is not something I would do the mean
that seeks for opportunities to expand
my comfort zone is embracing diversity
if I always had my tolerant just getting
by attitude I would not have progressed
in any aspect in my life and if you
think about it embracing change and
diversity kind of makes sense
because after all change is the only
constant in life but sometimes it’s nice
to stay in that zone and I think
sometimes it’s even necessary because
being outside of that zone for too long
would ring on tons of stress naturally
we like to relax and there is a strong
tendency for that laid-back mindset to
take over the opportunity seeking one
keeping the balance between the two is
what’s important but it’s not easy
because you are fighting against nature
I like to think about rejecting
tolerating and embracing diversity as
floors of a house we all live in these
houses and spend time on all floors
the basement is dark cold and a little
humid you don’t usually get your work
done there because you have the ground
floor which is much more comfortable the
ground floor is indoors there are too
many windows so you depend on artificial
lighting but that’s okay because you
have the aircon in the heater so it’s
always going to be comfortable logically
you spend most of your time on the
ground floor and then you have your
second floor it’s a balcony with little
cover so you got the element of surprise
from the weather it’s beautiful out
there when it’s sunny and warm but you
can’t help it some days there will be
rain or even snow storms going up there
is in adventure you don’t know what to
expect one day you may go and be
disappointed by the pouring rain well
another day you may go and have your
breath be taken away by a spectacular
view it’s not the best idea to stay on
one floor forever
although the ground floor is super
comfortable once in a while you’re gonna
need some fresh air
similarly we reject tolerate and embrace
all the time it’s about how much time
you spend on each floor and the first
step to that is being aware of what
floor you’re on transitioning between
floors is a process that takes time just
like how we can’t switch from tolerating
mode to embracing mode at an instant
we can’t teleport between floors it’s
not hard to travel between the basement
and the ground floor both are indoors
how different could they be but when you
go up to that second floor
you need to change from clothes that you
wear at home and to clothes that
suitable for the conditions outside when
progressing from tolerating to embracing
we let go of the stereotypes at the back
of our minds pick up courage and respect
to invite something that’s foreign into
our lives by the time you’re at the top
of the stairs you’re equipped for
whatever the outside world will stare at
you you’re there with a new mindset a
new pair of eyes as Marcel Proust said
the real voyage of discovery consists
not only in seeing new sights but in
looking with new eyes up there with your
horizon expanded you can see not only
where you are but where you could be we
live in a world with over 7 billion
people of different ages colors shapes
and sizes who speak over six thousand
different languages there are limitless
possibilities out there for us to
discover so with a very very limited
time that we have be courageous
be open and in write something that’s
unlike you into your life thank you
[Applause]
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