Today I am here to bring you a simple message. I would like to start it with a five-year-old little girl's story. Her name is Jean. Unlike most five-year-old little girl, who are usually cute, with fair skin, long hair, and they dress like little princess; this little girl is different. She had short hair and dark skin. She looked more mature than girls in her age, and she dressed like a little boy. She was neither pretty nor cute. However, she had been pretty happy with her life. One day, it was her first day to kindergarten. Jean was so excited. She went to school with her best friend from the next door. You can imagine these two five-year-old little girls, holding hands together, running and hopping to school. Just when they were about to enter school, Jean saw a kindergarten teacher, standing there by the gate, wearing a big smile like an angle, and with both her arms wide open. So, Jean was ready for a big warm hug from this teacher. Suddenly, the kindergarten held up Jean's best friend. She held her high up in the sky like a precious gift, telling her how cute she is and how she is like a little princess; while, she left Jean standing by there alone, looking at them and wondering: Why am I not being treated like a precious gift? Why doesn't teacher like me? What's wrong with me?

Studies have shown that how children are treated at this stage is very crucial to how they value themselves and how they value others when they grow up. In the story, what do you think the teacher had taught the little girl who was standing back there? The teacher had taught her that she is not important, that she is not as good as others, and that she doesn't matter. As days gone by, the little will learn a lot more lessons from schools, from her friends, and from her family. Because she doesn't think she is important enough, she will learn to compromise, she will learn to give in her own needs, she will learn to be quiet, and she will become invisible in a group. And as days gone by, she will grow up and become one of us. Can you imagine your own kids grown up like that? I guess we all don't want to see this happen to our own kids. Bus ladies and gentlemen, today I am not here to talk about your kids or your next generation. I am here to talk about us, all of us.

22 years ago, I was that little girl in the story, who was standing back there and wondering why am I not being treated like a precious gift and why am I not as important as others. 22 years from now, I am still the girl with short hair and dark skin. I still look more mature than girls in my age, and I still like to wear pants more than skirts. But what makes me different is that I don't look up to people and ask them, “Why don't you treat me like a precious gift?” anymore. Instead, I look into people's eyes and tell them that, “You are so unique. You are so precious. And you deserve the best.”

You might want to ask what made me change? Is it because something happened, or someone came into my life and changed the whole story? No. Ladies and gentlemen, this is not a fairy tale. This is not a Cinderella Story, where there will always be a prince came out and save the princess, or someone with a magic wand showed up and tune the hell to heaven. Life is not a fairy tale.

Life is about changing, moving, failing, suffering, learning, and shining. So, there is no tricks or short cuts that can change your ways of perceiving things, or change your life just like that. It requires you to live all your days and learn from it. It requires you to collect those messages that God is trying to send it to you in life. Those messages could come from anywhere, it could be a book; it could be a song, it could be someone or something you see on the street, or it could be from those people who care about you. You just simply need to take it and receive the gift.

And of course there will be times that you are just so frustrated, and totally being defeated by life. Once upon the time, when I was once again being defeated by my own belief that I am not good enough. I was about to give up. Lucky enough, a dear friend of mine told me a story. I listened to the story, I heard the message and I received the gift. It inspired me and help me through the dark period of my life. It's actually just a story of Snoopy and Charlie Brown. This comic strip has been going on for 30-40 years. One of the famous theme is when Charlie Brown kicks the football. Whenever he tries to kick off the football, his friend, Lucy, will always find out a way to take away the ball, right at the moment when Charlie uses all his strength to kick off. So all these years, Charlie has never managed to kick off that ball. But guess what, he is still so into it. Every single time, he still uses his full strength, trying to kick off that ball, even thought he knows that Lucy will take the ball the away after all.

Ladies and gentlemen, what do you think the author of the comic strips is trying to tell us. Is it about how to make fun of people? No. It's about never give up on hoping. It's about never give up on trying. In your life, you are gonna go through a lot of difficulties and frustration, and at that moment, it is your decision on how you deal with it. In your decision, lies my very simple message for you.