Dear readers,

也许你为自己毕业还没找到工作焦虑， 为年过三十仍然单身而苦恼，为苦苦奋斗数十年仍未买上房而郁郁寡欢。但是，请不要急着给自己的人生下定义。现实中很少有什么经典人生轨迹。每个人都有自己的节奏。熟不知Getting your degree after 25 is still an achievement. 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 timelines. 不要让别人带跑了自己的节奏。人生还长，我们慢慢来。

Transcript：

Headmaster: All right, everyone looking forward, please. 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 years' time you will be studying across the world, studying at the university of your choice. In 5 years' time you will start 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 will be 30 and from then on your path, your life will be set.

校长：好了，请看向我这边。早上好，11年级的同学们。

今天的会议有关于你们一段新旅程的开始，你们余生的开端。两年以后，你们所有人会高中毕业。三年以后，你们会在全世界各地学习，在你们选择的大学里。五年以后，你们会开始工作。你们中的很多人会在这个领域为全世界顶尖学府工作。接着你们会结婚，也许会买房。十年以后，你们的生活基本定型。十五年以后，你们三十岁了，从那以后，你们的人生轨迹就定型了。

(A hand was up, then someone came up to the stage.)

（一只手举起，这位某人走到了讲台前）

The Someone: Sorry, Mr. Headmaster, let me tell you why that approach may fail you.

这位某人：抱歉，校长先生，也许你说的不尽其实。

I know people who graduated at 21 and didn't get a job until when they were 27. I know people who graduated late at 25 and found work immediately. I know people who never went to university but found what they loved 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 and they change their mind at 26. I know people who have children but are single. 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. 

我认识这样一些人：有人在21岁毕业，却直到27岁才找到工作；有人直到25岁才迟迟毕业，立即找到了工作；有人从没上过大学却在18岁找到所爱；有人一出大学找到工作，挣着体面的工资，却讨厌他们所做的；有人在几年间隔年之后找到了他们的意义；有人在16岁的时候那么确定自己的目标，然而在26岁的时候改变了主意；有人有了孩子然而单身；有人结婚了，等了十年八年生孩子；有人处在一段关系中但是另有所爱；有人相爱但是不在一起。

So my point is, everything in life happens according to our time, our clock. You may look at some of your friends and think they are ahead of you, maybe some of them you feel are behind, but everything happens at their own pace. They have their own clock and so do you. Be patient.

所以我想说的是，生命中发生的一切都是取决于我们每个人自己的时间。也许你看着你的一些朋友在你之前，你感觉也有一些落后于你，但是一切都是按照他们的节奏发生的。他们有自己的时间节点，你也是。请耐心一点儿。

At 25, Mark Cuban was a bartender in Dallas. It took till 32 for J.K. Rowling to be published for Harry Porter after being rejected by 12 publishers. Ortega launched Zara when he was 39. Jack Ma started Alibaba when he was 35. Morgan Freeman got his big break at 52. Steve Carell only got his break after 40 years old. Virgin was started by Richard Brandson at 34.

马克·库班25岁时还在达拉斯一家酒吧做着服务员；JK罗琳在被12家出版商拒绝之后才在32岁出版了哈利波特；Ortega39岁才创立了Zara集团；马云35岁创立了阿里巴巴；摩根·弗里曼在52岁才有了事业的突破；史蒂芬·卡瑞尔40岁以后才达到事业顶峰；理查德·布兰森在34岁创立了维珍集团。

Getting your degree after 25 is still an achievement. 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. 

在25岁之后毕业依然成功；30岁不结婚但是过得幸福仍然美好；35岁之后组建家庭以及40岁之后买房依然很棒。

Don't let anyone rush you with their timelines. 

别让别人带跑乐你人生的节奏！

Because as Einstein said, Not everything that counts can be counted and not everything that's counted truly counts. 

就像是爱因斯坦所说，并不是所有重要的东西都能计算，也并不是所有能计算的都是重要的。

And this is the most important thing, I want your to be able to create meaningful, purposeful 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.

最重要的是，希望你们能够创造你们自己有意义的人生，学着如何去影响别人的生活。这，才是真正的成功。