“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”
Beat the drum that others will listen to.
My grandfather was a general in the Chinese Air Force. A veteran of World War II, he taught me the core values of integrity, authenticity, dependability - and most importantly - courage to give voice to my values.
I lived in six cities on three continents over the past seven years, and it is not easy to express myself effectively in an alien environment. I have lost count of the number of times when my views were ignored, just because I came from a different background.
Yet I do not go with the flow when it comes to my values. This means that I sometimes need to express unpopular opinions. People told me this is not smart. Indeed, by doing so, my grandfather almost lost his life during the Cultural Revolution.
I have learned a fair amount of lessons in the past. But I keep asking myself: As I have learned so many things from history, what kind of legacy do I want to leave behind? The answer is: I want to make a difference in the world by making my voice heard.
All the world is a stage, and I am ready to step up.
— Long Lu