English Wisdom Satchel - Touching the Heart, Opening Wisdom (First Series)

Author: Liang Fang
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: From a young boy who came from a poor family, his path to education was not smooth. Once, his teacher asked the whole class to write a report on their aspirations for the future. That night, he wrote seven pages in detail, describing his grand goals—owning a horse ranch of his own one day. He vividly depicted his dream and even drew a design for a 200-acre farm. Then, he meticulously sketched a blueprint for a magnificent 4,000-square-foot mansion that would stand on the ranch. He poured his heart into the report and submitted it the next day. Two days later, he received the report back with a large, red F marked on it and a note: "See me after class." With dreams burning in his mind, he went to find the teacher after class. "Why did I fail?" he asked. The teacher replied, "You're young. Stop daydreaming. You have no money, no family background, nothing. This dream is impossible to achieve." He then added, "If you rewrite a more realistic goal, I might reconsider your grade." The boy went home and thought about it many times before consulting his father. His father simply told him, "Son, this is a very important decision. You must make up your own mind." After careful consideration for a week, the boy returned the original draft unaltered. He told the teacher, "You can fail me, but I won’t give up my dream."
When I recalled this story, my friend Monty and I were sitting in the luxurious 4,000-square-foot mansion, located in the center of his 200-acre farm. Two summers ago, the teacher had brought 30 students to his farm for a camping trip. Before leaving, he said, "Monty, I must admit, it's a bit embarrassing. When you were in school, I once dampened your enthusiasm for your dreams and discouraged you. Over the years, I've done the same to many students. Fortunately, you had the perseverance to stick to your dream."
Whatever you do, believe in yourself and don’t let others shatter your dreams.