一開始，一位操著一口純正英式發音的油膩中年男校長給一群至少是剎帝利的印度精英中學生做演講：
Good morning, year elevens. Today’s assembly is about the start of a journey. The start of the rest of your lives. In 2 years’ time, all of you will be finishing your A levels. In 3 yeas’ time, you’ll be studying across the world, studying at the university of your choice. In 5 years’ time, you’ll have started your careers. Many of you will be in this room working for the top institutions across the globe. You will then get married, you then may buy a house. In 10 years’ time your life will be set for you. In 15 years, you’ll be 30 and from then on, your path, your life will be set.
早上好，11年級的同學們。今天的集會(assembly)是關於一段新的開始。它將開啟你們今後的餘生。再過兩年，你們就會完成A levels（英國高中教育體系）的學業。再過三年，你們就會去到自己想去的國家，上自己想上的大學。再過五年，你們就會開啟自己的職業生涯。你們在座的很多同學會進入世界頂尖公司工作。然後你們會結婚，買房。十年之後，你的人生就會安定下來。再過十五年，你就三十歲了，你的人生軌跡就會定型。
這段話是不是似曾相識？而且我敢斷言在中國90%的家庭都給孩子做了這樣的規劃，90%的人也正按照這樣的軌跡去過自己的人生。這讓我想起一個很久以前的段子：
這是中央電視臺記者在採訪中與一個西北放羊娃的對話：你每天干什麼？”“放羊。”“放羊為了什麼？”“掙錢。”“掙了錢呢？”“娶媳婦。”“娶了媳婦呢？”“生娃。”“生了娃，讓他幹什麼？”“放羊。”…
難道這人生本該如此？當在座的孩子陷入迷茫的時候，一位印度小哥哥伸舉起手，走上臺，駁斥了校長的言論，並發表了自己對“成功人生”的理解，博得了滿堂喝彩。
首先小哥哥旗幟鮮明地反駁了校長：
I’m sorry, Mr. Headmaster, let me tell you why that approach may fail you.
抱歉，校長，我想告訴你為什麼你的這些話是錯的。
接下來，他用老外非常喜歡的論證手段—give tons of detailed examples（給出大量細節例子），來證明校長所謂的“經典人生軌跡”並不一定給人帶來幸福；那些沒按照這種軌跡生活的人反而很快樂。
I know people who graduated at 21 and didn’t get a job until they were 27. I know people who graduated late at 25 and they found work immediately. I know people who never went to university, but found what they love at 18. I know people who found a job straight out of college making decent money, but hate what they do. I know people who took gap years and found their purpose. I know people who were so sure about what they were going to do at 16, they change their mind at 26. I know people who have children but are single, and I know people who are married but had to wait 8 to 10 years to have children. I know people in relationships who love someone else. I know people who love each other but aren’t together.
有的人21歲畢業，到27歲才找到工作。有的人25歲才畢業，但馬上就找到了工作。有的人沒上過大學，卻在18歲就找到了熱愛的事。有的人畢業就找到好工作，賺很多錢，卻過得不開心。有的人選擇間隔年，去尋找自我。有的人在16歲就清楚知道自己要什麼，但在26歲時改變了想法。有的人有了孩子，卻還是單身。有的人結了婚，卻等了10年才生孩子。有的人身處一段感情，愛的卻是別人。有的人明明彼此相愛，卻沒有在一起。
舉完例子後，小哥哥得出了第一條重要結論：
So my point is everything in life happens according to our time, our clock.
我想說的是，人生中的每一件事都取決於我們自己的時間。
樹立完觀點，小哥哥進一步對其進行論證：
You may look at some of your friends and think that they’re ahead of you, maybe some of them you feel are behind, but everything happens at their own pace. They have their own time and clock and so do you. Be patient.
你身邊有些朋友也許遙遙領先於你。有些朋友也許落後於你，但凡事都有它自己的節奏。他們有他們的節奏，你有你自己的。耐心一點。
演講跟寫議論文一樣，也講究“三要素”：論點、論證和論據。剛剛給出了論點和論證，小哥哥現在要給論據了。這撥論據很有說服力，橫跨IT、文學、商業、娛樂、交通等多個領域，還提到了Jack Ma，看來馬爸爸影響力巨大，已經成為國外孩子寫作文的經典素材了！
At age 25, Mark Cuban was a bartender in Dallas. It took till 32 for J.K. Rowling to be published for Harry Potter after being rejected by 12 publishers. Ortega launched ZARA when he was 39. Jack Ma started Alibaba when 35. Morgan Freeman got his big break at 52. Steve Carell only got his break after40 yeas old. Virgin was started by Richard Branson at 34. Getting your degree after 25 is still an achievement.
庫班25歲的時候還在酒吧做酒保。在被拒12次之後，JK羅琳到32歲才出版了哈利波特。Ortega到39歲才創辦了ZARA。馬爸爸35歲才建立了阿里巴巴。摩根佛裡曼到52歲才迎來他演藝事業的大爆發。Steve Carell40歲才紅。Richard Branson34歲才創辦維珍航空。25歲後才拿到文憑，依然值得驕傲。
小哥哥再來一撥論證，並得出第二條重要結論：
Not being married at 30 but still happy is beautiful. Starting a family after 35 is still possible and buying a house after 40 is still great.
Don’t let anyone rush you with their time lines.30歲沒結婚，但過得快樂也是一種成功。35歲之後成家也完全可以，40歲買房也沒什麼丟臉的。不要讓任何人擾亂你的時間表。
演講快結束時，小哥哥祭出“大殺器”—以重量級的名人的話作“點睛之筆”。不過，下面這句話據說並不是愛因斯坦說的，而是掛在愛因斯坦辦公室裡的一句話：
Because as Einstein said, “Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that’s counted truly counts.”
因為愛因斯坦曾經說過：並不是每一件重要的事情都能被計算，也不是每一件能計算的事情都重要。
演講最後的結論一定要精彩，一定要把氛圍推向最高潮。這就好比足球比賽裡，一位球員帶球突破，費了九牛二虎之力，殺入禁區，一腳臨空抽射，球進了。我們來看看這位印度小哥哥如何“臨門一腳”的：
And this is the most important thing, I want you to be able to create meaningful, purposeful fulfilling lives for yourselves and learn how to use that to make an impact and a difference in the lives of others. That will be true success.
這才是最重要的事，我希望你們可以創造屬於自己的充滿意義的人生，我希望你們可以創造屬於自己的充滿意義的人生。學會用這些去影響點亮他人的生活。這才是真正的成功。
最後為大家總結一下這番演講中最重要的三條結論：
1. Everything in life happens according to our time, our clock.
2. Don’t let anyone rush you with their time lines.
3. I want you to be able to create meaningful, purposeful fulfilling lives for yourselves and learn how to use that to make an impact and a difference in the lives of others.
正如抖音裡那句著名的歌詞：“我們不一樣，每個人都有不同的境遇”。與其盲目攀比，不如做好自己。陶華碧50歲創立“老乾媽”，如今坐擁70億身家；褚時健71歲入獄資產清零，85歲種植褚橙，再成億萬富翁。
請大家按照自己的節奏，步步為營，相信每一個人都能和屬於自己的幸福不期而遇。
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