The mighty desert is burning for the love of a blade of grass who shakes her head and laughs and flies away.

Stray Birds

This afternoon, I was heading home from school. The return trip was packed, and I was sitting side by side with a classmate. When he reached his stop, I leaned aside to let him pass. As he was leaving, he asked me, “Are you the student who gave a speech on stage before?” I nodded. Due to the success of my previous speech on philosophy, many freshmen knew me, but I couldn’t recall their names. This wasn’t the first time I encountered this situation. After getting off the bus, I walked with a friend, pondering a question in my mind: how did my speeches begin and why were they successful?

In middle school, my first formal speech was in May 2022. The success of that speech had an element of chance, but it laid the foundation for my subsequent speeches. Coinciding with the 100th anniversary of the Communist Youth League, my homeroom teacher selected me as the speaker for the flag-raising ceremony. After discussing with teachers, I chose “Chasing Dreams in Youth, Striving in the Era” as the theme. This speech under the national flag received a warm response.

In August of the same year, the grade recommended me to speak at the opening ceremony, encouraging classmates to strive for their youth goals. A few days before the school year started, I came to school to prepare and coincidentally met the new grade director. She had heard my previous speech, had confidence in my abilities, and offered some suggestions for improvement for this speech. However, due to the pandemic, the school opening was delayed, and the speech was put on hold. It wasn’t until December 2022, after mid-term exams, that our grade held an online congress. At noon that day, I participated in a video recording in the school’s party member activity room with other relevant students. In the afternoon, my speech shook the grade, with applause and cheers from other classes and gave me a lot of encouragement. Perhaps it was these successes of my speech that led more kindred friends to recognize my abilities and recommend me to continue speaking in this new collective.

The third speech was more low-profile and took place when the new class was created in February of this year. The class teacher and some students thought that the opening of the class should have a ceremony, so I was nominated to speak with the class president.

The fourth speech was the one mentioned at the beginning of this article.

Looking back, although my first speech was accidental, it paved the way for a series of speeches afterwards. Many friends think that with my continuous efforts, chance gradually turns into certainty. This also means that when selecting speakers, uncertainty is gradually becoming uniform (Of course, this is just one’s view, and I think that many of my high school classmates are much more competent than me, and they may become the next ones to be nominated. I am clearly aware of this).

Sometimes I complain to my friends that I have to make three public speeches in the last month, which is too tiring; but sometimes I feel very lucky to be trusted and recognized by teachers and friends. A completely certain world is boring; a world full of uncertainty is impermanent and terrifying. I want to ask myself: how do we mediate?

Try to think deeply about these two concepts.

Uncertainty gives us the opportunity to innovate and progress. We live in a world that is always unknown. When the future is filled with unknowns, we no longer rely on past experiences and established patterns. Instead of sticking to traditions, we need to look for new methods, new strategies, and new opportunities. It is in moments of uncertainty that we challenge ourselves, surpass our limits, and embrace new possibilities.

From my perspective, both certainty and uncertainty provide opportunities for personal growth and development. As mentioned earlier regarding my speeches—in a certain environment, although our inertia can be daunting and we might fall into a comfort zone, lacking motivation for new experiences and challenges… But it is during moments of uncertainty and transformation that we can adapt to new environments and situations more swiftly, much like when we leave our former collective and arrive at a new high school! I dare to predict that this adaptability will indeed make us more independent and resilient, surely helping to enhance our skills in various aspects of our lives!

Moreover, by learning from uncertainty and accumulating experiences, we can cultivate better problem-solving abilities. These opportunities for growth can make us more competitive and prepare us for a future that aligns with the ideals of “comprehensive development” advocated by our Party, nation, and society.

In the long run, whether it is certainty or uncertainty, the influence and transformation it brings to an individual is an utterly misleading proposition! Every person is a “node” in the vast web of society, and personal growth is inseparable from social contexts! My ability to be recognized for my speeches isn’t due to certainty; rather, it stems from the effort I’ve put into this endeavor. Extending this thought further, the achievements of our school are not solely determined by “certainty” or “uncertainty”.

Ni Dieu, ni César, ni tribun
Producteurs, sauvons-nous nous-mêmes!

L’Internationale

Both certainty and uncertainty can only play a facilitating role in personal growth; the ultimate decision-making power lies within our own hands.

As I write this, I feel that many of my friends around me are, to varying degrees, infatuated with the notions of “certainty” and “uncertainty.” I recall a classmate from another Province earlier this year, who upon hearing inappropriate remarks from a lecturer during a talk, seized the microphone and resolutely proclaimed, “We study for the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!” I admire this classmate’s grand vision and expansive perspective. We are the youth of a new era in China. It is our significant responsibility to ensure that we, as young people, have poetry and the distant future in our eyes! Studying is not merely about learning a few English words or mathematical symbols; more importantly, it is about cultivating a broad mind and a wide vision! This has nothing to do with one’s gentle or rough character, nor with “certainty” or “uncertainty”! Among the great figures in modern Chinese history—leaders like Chairman Mao, Qu Qiubai, Chen Duxiu, and General Peng, each had distinct personalities, yet they are all remarkable figures in the glorious history of our nation. “In books, there are beautiful faces; in books, there are houses of gold.” As one of the top 5% students in Shenzhen(Said by our teachers), how can we have a narrow vision, or even shy away from putting our ideas on the table? Young people should understand from an early age: “Read thousands of classic texts and walk a thousand miles of life’s journey!” Be resolute in adversity and never lose sight of lofty ambitions! Strive for higher goals, seek broader horizons, and maintain a grounded demeanor! Those who are near excellent people would turn excellent; those who are near bad guys may turn bad! Studying is not about seeking a so called “certainty” for survival but about cultivating oneself, managing one’s family, governing the nation, and bringing peace to the world! Studying is also about establishing one’s own heart, setting examples for friends, bringing honor to one’s family, working for one’s country, and possessing the ability to foster peace for all!

In this world filled with opportunities and challenges, seizing opportunities is crucial for both individuals and society. How do we gracefully face certainty and uncertainty? How do we seize opportunities and respond to challenges? These are fundamental questions that each of us needs to contemplate.