Recently, our school held a show called "Us After Ten Years", where the speakers presented what they would become in the future. It was a sort of "coming-of-age"ceremony. The student representatives predicted their future careers. At first, I didn't care about the activity, but just four days before the ceremony, my head teacher asked me to take the place of one student who got ill. I was amazed, but I had no choice, as it was an honor to be asked."Be confident, Susan," she encouraged me.
There were three barriers during my preparation. Firstly, I didn't have a clear career path at that time. Luckily, my classmates suggested that I should choose to be a diplomat(外交官)，who is persuasive, hardworking, and enjoys creative thinking, like me. Secondly, I had to choose a representative scene to show my career. My first design was to hold a press conference. However, that would have taken longer than the scheduled time. Eventually, I decided on coming back to my school and giving a speech to the current students about my job. Thirdly, I had to decide the presentation style. During my first two practices, I tried to imitate the foreign ministry spokesmen. But I felt embarrassed and couldn't find myself like a true spokesperson when speaking. I told myself, "You are unique, so just be yourself and create your own style."
Finally the day came. Wearing a uniform, I paced backstage with my heart beating wildly. I couldn't stop thinking,"Will I be too nervous to speak fluently? What if I don't perform like a diplomat? Is my speech good enough?" Trying to calm myself down, I took a deep breath and then felt a little more relaxed.
Then came my time. I walked steadily onto the stage, waving to my audience. The bright lights and screams from the hall suddenly surrounded me tightly.
Fortunately everything went as expected. When the last speech concluded, the pride. suddenly shifted into a whole sense of relief, and then a sense of I'm proud that I have overcome the mental barriers and challenges. I'm also proud of Chinese diplomats, who meet all kinds of questions and emergencies every day but manage to keep showing Chinese wisdom and conveying Chinese values. That's the kind of person I want to be!
