Latin Yu, Shenzhen University

    “Difficult circumstances serve as a textbook of life for people.”

    This is my favorite proverb and I regard it as my motto because it always guides me to overcoming difficulties. Sadness and hardships are inevitable for most of us. How we react to them is our choice. Some people regard difficulties as monsters and try to escape, and others simply surrender to them. But what if we choose to face the thorny problems and learn lessons from them?

    I’d like to take my experience as an illustration.

    I began studying English when I was in primary school. I had practiced for weeks in order to deliver my first speech in English. I was confident on stage but soon I forgot the words and my mind was a total blank. I almost burst into tears. But later, I overcame the fear of public speaking because I learned that I could never rehearse enough.

    Another incident happened when I was in junior high school.

    The boys in my class lost the school basketball tournament. We girls were so heartbroken and couldn’t help crying. The boys looked like deflated balloons but despite their tiredness and low spirits, they all ran over to console us. They didn’t give up hope and kept practicing. I suddenly realized that nothing could be more important than friendship.

    These somewhat unhappy experiences function as soft reminders for me to face frustrations and always learn from them. The failed speech and the disappointing game all led to recovery, reflection and growth. I’m not afraid of such difficulties any more. Instead, I believe what I have experienced from hardships will become wisdom and strength.