Good morning everyone. My name is Shanice Hedger and I’m from the Eurasian Association.
Today, I would like to share a quote by the late Mr Lee Kuan Yew that has stuck with me since the first time I heard it.
“Life is what you make of it. You are dealt a pack of cards, your DNA is fixed by your mother and your father; you may be siblings but you may get different parts and parcels of the DNA. Your job is to make the best of the cards that had been handed out to you.”
Mr Lee Kuan Yew was an extremely accomplished man who sacrificed his life for the betterment of a small, undeveloped nation that was reliant on a humble trading port. Who am I to compare myself to Mr Lee Kuan Yew’s words? Who am I to think that I am able to live up to his expectations?
The analogy of a pack of cards was what struck me the most upon hearing his words. How could cards have anything to do with my capabilities?
Now, it cannot be denied that Mr Lee’s life is nothing short of a legacy and it only makes sense that youths in Singapore see the importance in working on his legacy to ensure a bright future for generations to come. As clichéd as it sounds, the future really is in our hands. Our generation is the future of our nation.
The last line of his quote reads, “Your job is to make the best of the cards that had been handed out to you.” Mr Lee’s words sound almost, ‘matter-of-fact,’ but make no mistake — they do carry a lot of weight.
The dealing of cards in any game is random. What you get in your hand is simply by chance. Similarly in life, the circumstances we are born into, we have had no say in.
And just like how we continue playing the game with what we have been dealt, we should continue playing the game of life, striving for better.
We have to constantly remind ourselves to not let our circumstances define us as people. What we are capable of has not been predetermined by how much money you have, how big your house is, how many things you possess, or whether your grades are better than your peers. And this brings me to my next point — School and education.
School takes up a large percentage of our youth and can carry a great influence on our outlook on life. Thus, it is not surprising that a common plight faced by many youths is with regards to education. PSLE, O Levels, A Levels, or the Final Year Project. Regardless of route, it is not uncommon to hear the words “stress” and “pressure” being weaved into the conversations between students. And not surprisingly, with the added stress and pressure coming from multiple sources*, every Singaporean kid knows how easy it is to fall prey to feelings of distress, disappointment, and incompetence. These negative feelings are detrimental as they only serve as a damper on our hopes and dreams.
Not obtaining your desire grade in school does not equate to failure. Giving up, would. Therefore, I urge all Singaporean youths to make the conscious effort to be positive and resilient through all our experiences; whether it be good or bad.
I believe that one’s upbringing and their experiences as a youth, is what makes the biggest impact on how our personal values are shaped. These personal values are carried forward into adulthood and may very well determine our future.
Despite where you are in your life, youths should always remind themselves that the race never ends, even after seemingly large setbacks, and that failure only occurs when one stops trying.
Mr Lee Kuan Yew has left us a precious reminder – to create the life we want to live, and to make the most of what we’ve been blessed with.
Thank you.