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CHAPTER 4
Lin Li, PhD
Winter break in south China’s Guangzhou City
I spent my well-deserved winter holiday in Guangzhou City, a warmer place which helped me recover from the tiredness and neurosis. I enjoyed visiting my middle school friends who were studying in Guangzhou, and I liked tropical fruits, flowers and particularly the tall palm trees there. The big palm trees reached high into the sky and they gave me a lot of inspirations and a sense of freedom and freshness. I also liked to see the Pearl River and the high rises on the bank of it. Because I grew up at the bank of Erhai Lake in Dali, I had a natural and deep appreciation for the watercourse in the big Pearl River. Of course human activities and economic development around the Pearl River Delta were much busier and of a bigger scale than those around Erhai Lake. I was impressed by those newly built huge bridges that oversee thousands of cars, ships and other vehicles passing on and under it. The high rises and all the big shopping malls and busy hotels told me that it was a very prosperous and modern city in the economic reforming era of China. I was glad to have the opportunity to see it through my own eyes in early 1988.
The winter break helped me in recovering from my neurosis and lack of energy. When I returned to my university in Chengdu in February 1988 the weather also became better. The spring gradually came its way. I found two things were especially helpful in getting me back into the right track. One was to read inspirational and motivational books and literature, and another was to actively engage with my peers and friends, both in sports and in social activities.
Some inspirational and motivational books and literature I read
As mentioned earlier, I liked to read inspirational books and materials since my middle school years. For example, I could relate to the key messages from the inspirational stories of Abraham Lincoln and the teaching of the ancient Chinese philosopher Hsun-Tzu, etc. I particularly brought my favorite Chinese calligraphy pieces to my university dorm and hanged them on the wall from which I could read them every day. One of such calligraphy pieces was of Hsun-Tzu’s teaching: “契而不舍, 金石可镂”, meaning “carve without stopping, even metal and stone can be engraved”. I tried to imagine how those role models overcame obstacles and adversities, and persistently pursued their goals, even in times of great difficulties and challenges.
I bought and borrowed a number of inspirational and motivational books in Chengdu. One of such books was a compilation of one hundred well-known quotations, both from China and other countries. Many of the quotations in that book talk about the importance of having goals and aims in one’s life, working hard, and being determined to achieve them. As Goethe pointed out that “The important thing in life is to have a great aim, and the determination to attain it”. An old Chinese saying tells us that “A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step”. Some quotations on being hardworking and diligent are very short (e.g., “No pain, no gain”, “Industry is the parent of success”), and some are longer (e.g., “There is no such thing as genius; it is nothing but labor and diligence”; “There is no royal road to science, and only those who do not dread the fatiguing climb of its steep paths have a chance of gaining its luminous summits”; and so on. They all made good sense to me. I remember that one impressive quotation on perseverance was from Benjamin Franklin, and it went like this: “Energy and persistence conquer all things”, and I did believe that through strong will and persistent efforts, “Nothing in the world is difficult for one who sets his mind to it.” I found that special book contained a lot of wisdom.
I loved reading about American educator Helen Keller and loved her stories. Each time I read about her stories I was deeply touched. In some of my letters I extensively shared my understanding and feelings about Helen and her exceptional work with one of my close childhood friends (i.e., Li Xiaoling) who was working in a textile factory in Xiaguan City. I described in my letters how this great American educator deeply touched me and inspired me. At only nineteen months, Helen was afflicted by an unknown illness which left her totally deaf and blind! How unlucky the little girl was and how hard her life could be! However, with the help from her family and her teacher Anne Sullivan, Helen overcame the adversities and became one of the 20th century’s leading humanitarians. What a remarkable life and what a great achievement she made! For some time, I was truly curious about how she did it. Her articles, essays and books all provided great insights and answers. I especially liked the details she provided in her autobiography (i.e., The Story of My Life) on how her teacher Anne Sullivan came into her life and how they worked together and brought ‘light’ and wonder and hope into her world, and also into so many other people’s world!
Both her gifted teacher Anne and herself demonstrated to us the great potential and influences human beings can have. She taught us the value and importance of education, hard work, and helping others, especially those with disabilities. I admired (and I still do today) her determination, efforts, dedication and her accomplishments. As a medical university student and a student of the foreign language department, I regarded Helen’s writings and stories highly relevant and inspiring, and I was glad that I learned and shared them with my childhood friend back in my hometown.
(To be continued.)
注：以上内容摘自李林博士的英文新书《THE POWER OF EDUCATION AND DREAMS》（Chapter 4）（《教育和梦想的力量》第四章）。东成西就教育文化交流公众平台在2016年6月8日－17日期间登载了第三章的内容。2016年7月29日开始继续登载第四章的内容，敬请关注。
一位美国艺术家是这样评价李林博士的这本关于教育和梦想的新书的：“这不仅仅是一个个体的教育和奋斗史及反思，同时也是对一个家庭、一个民族的教育和美好梦想追求和实现的历程的深刻回顾和总结。该书极具可读性和启发意义。这是五代人的故事，这些故事跨越了千山万水，连接着不同民族和国家......”
Praise for The Power of Education and Dreams
以下是美国艺术家Kate Klingensmith女士对李林博士的这本关于教育和梦想的新书的评价：
"Dr. Lin Li has labored over his book The Power of Education and Dreams for two years. It is a book from the heart that also bridges the reality of curiosity, hard work, goals and dreams. It is an inspirational story of persistence."
--Kate Klingensmith, Moberly MO USA.
广州著名出国培训机构高管王丽霞女士对《教育和梦想的力量》这本书的点评：
“李林博士是理想主义和行动派，从您的书中我们不仅读到熟悉的儿时的成长环境，物质并不丰富，但恰恰是单纯的生长和教育环境，塑造了您的坚毅和乐观的性格。这就是教育和梦想的力量。”
(If you want to read some earlier parts of Dr Lin Li's book, please click on the "Read More" button at the end of this article.)
（如果您想阅读本平台中原已登载的李林博士这本书的前面部分的内容，请点击本文最后左下角的“阅读原文”链接。）
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