Мар
30
“Just living is not enough,” said the butterfly…
Delivered by Sofiya Davydova
1st Prize, 11th grade, High School №1257
It’s beyond question that all people are different. They live in different countries and speak different languages. But there is one thing that unites us all – a wish to be HAPPY. Everyone wants to be happy, to be among their nearest and dearest, to be loved and respected by them. How can happiness be achieved?
It’s really a complicated question. Just living is not enough – eating, doing everyday chores, raising children, making money… All men have their own way of perceiving and estimating the world. We all have to explore and find the true zest of our life – a little flower that makes our lives brighter, full of sense and meaning.
It’s no exaggeration to say that while designating the zest of life, all people mean different things. For someone it’s travelling, because they feel free and independent. They forget about their problems and everyday routine, try to concentrate on their personal interests. For others it’s being face to face with nature – picnicking, bird watching, gathering mushrooms. They enjoy being a part of nature, relaxing and restoring their strength. Such imponderable events are those little “flowers” that embellish their lives.
I am absolutely sure that our life is kind of rainbow. Why are all of us always fascinated seeing a rainbow? Firstly, it’s a feast for our eyes to watch it. Secondly, and it’s an interesting fact, there is a pot of gold buried at the end of every rainbow. And the purpose of everyone is to find this pot in the course of their life. On the one hand the task is apparently easy. Why, if so, can’t all of us achieve this seemingly easy purpose? It depends on people’s personal desire to make their life better, because we make our own heaven and hell. Everyone has their piece of Sun which helps them to live life to the fullest. It can be Work of Choice, music, literature, travelling and … children. All these components of our life can give us an opportunity to always be in high spirits and view life with optimism. Will you agree with me that all before-mentioned philosophy has to explain to us that if we have ideas, we should share and try them, because if we don’t try, we’ll never get.
In conclusion I’d like to state once again that every Man on Earth is an artist, a creator of his life, and he IS able to discover something new and bright to fill his life with a new meaning and zest.
Would you like to embellish your life, to make it shimmer with new colours, or are you satisfied with just living?
What makes a hero today?
Delivered by Sergei Volkov 1st Prize, 10 grade
ГБОУ КШИ №1 «Первый Московский кадетский корпус»
Oh, what a question. One may ask...
A hero? Today? Impossible!
We are not living in the days of Crusades or in the days of the Borodino battle. We are not those 28 soldiers who died but stopped the Nazis near Moscow. They were the heroes and theirs is the glory, and the fame, and the memory eternal…
Allow me to disagree with this point of view, no matter how convincing it may seem. It is my firm belief that a hero is an ever — present category.
All people can become heroes at any given time, there are a lot of heroes, here and now, in this audience.
You, you, why not you? Why not us? (I'll try to prove my point.) Please, tell me, was it easy for you to come here? Was it easy to choose the proper words for your speech? To convince so many people? To be genuinely sincere?
The answer is an emphatic 'no'! It wasn't easy! — since we all had to overcome something — and very often that something we found inside ourselves. Yes, it was our own inertia, laziness, fearfulness.
A great philosopher once said: «You have a great power if this is power over yourself...»
And here is my motto for everyday life: 'Rise up to the challenge! And sour up over the routine!' This became my motto when I realized one simple thing: today you have to be a little better, a little stronger, a little brighter than you were yesterday. Never compete with others, compete only with yourself...
The most natural sphere for people to excel is, undoubtedly, their profession. Look at our teachers: at night they check copy-books with unreadable handwriting, they repeat the same simple things hundreds of times before they are safely 'installed' in our often inflexible brains...Are not they heroes?
Look at our doctors who every day save people's lives.
Imagine yourself when you happen to be the first person on this planet, to hold the newly-born baby, to feel its fragile skin — and its gigantic, divine energy and strength...
Look at our parents who work so hard to make their children just a little happier.
Look at our journalists, pilots, our military men (I myself come from a military family, that's why I chose the military career)
And mind the time we are living through now — the heaviest gravest crisis our country has ever experienced...
The biggest and the most bitter information war has been waged against us... Our brothers and sisters are dying in the cruel, pointless war...
Isn't it time to gain the power inside your fist? Isn't it time to save the world yet again...? We need you, heroes! Rise up to the challenge! Can you hear? The drummers are already at the head of the column! Rise and fight back! Yours will be the glory and the fame and the memory eternal...
Thank you.
The most important lesson my life has taught me.
Delivered by By Nikita Kiselev, 1st Prize, 10th Grade, School №1208.
Have you ever found yourself sitting over a cup of tea or just daydreaming
in your armchair trying to figure out, what is going on in your life and why? I bet
you have. It is as natural as the fact that the sun still shines, that people try to get
closer and closer to «The Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe,
and Everything». And what I find most amazing is that we can study literally
from every single thing we meet on our way. It is part of the Master Plan that,
whether we want it or not, we learn hundreds of lessons each day.
At first, we start with some very simple ones. And there is even no achievement of ours in
that. Such basic skills like breathing, seeing, hearing and what not are, say, our
start-up capital, gifted to us by nature. But our life is not that simple. While
animals can get by with a set of some primitive instincts, we, humans, cannot.
Just open any manual on social studies and most probably one of the first phrases
you’ll see there is: “Man is a biosocial being”. So that’s why everyone needs to
take care of his social side.
And there I go back to my armchair with a noble goal of reaching the enlightenment.
This time I will succeed! Many years have passed,
lots of events have taken place, I have read quite a lot of books… Seems like there
can be no more discoveries to make… for just one second. Then I realize that our
world is such an incredible, enormous, fabulous place, that there is absolutely no
chance of any human on Earth knowing at least 1% of its wonders. But we should
never stop our curiosity and maybe one day, after thousands of years of intense
researching our descendants will be able to fully appreciate the conception of the
Universe.
So does life actually teach us any lessons or is it just we, the people,
who can analyze the world around us deep enough to think that life teaches us
lessons? Probably, it just sometimes gives us little tips of at least how not to be a
man with a fork in a world of soup. For us, those, who, at this stage of
development, cannot comprehend this whole great kingdom of life scientifically,
happiness may be concluded in simplifying it mentally. “Man is a biosocial being”.
So that’s why everyone needs to take care of both biological and social sides.
We were born by nature, just like billions of creatures we share this planet with. So
we all are tiny little parts of the engine, the power of which I don’t even have
enough words to describe. Though, at the same time everyone lives in his own
world. There is no way you find two people, who see life absolutely alike. One
human brain is much stronger than all kinds of computers ever created. And only
a human can see the pure beauty of this world, to feel love, to have the sense of
unity. Because in the end of the day there is
One love,
One life,
When it’s one need
In the night.
One life,
But we’re not the same,
We get to
Carry each other… Carry each other…
So here are the most important lessons I learned from my life: faith in
humanity, faith in beauty, faith in love!
Thank you!
What makes a hero today?
Delivered by Shakaryan Grigory, 1st Prize, 9th Grade, School 920 We rarely raise such an urgent question. Though, today a tremendous amount of actions characterizing a heroic deed go unnoticed because of those never — ending everyday errands and routines. Unfortunately, that is how it is today! Don’t you all think that in ancient times there were more opportunities to become a hero rather than there are today?
The old legends tell us about the fearless and stalwart knights who would fight bravely for their kingdoms and defeat fire-dragons. There are many chronicles and memorials from the battlefields when a brave action for your country could turn a simple soldier into a hero. All those momentous events have already become our history. They remain in the past.
What makes a hero today?
You might consider it laughable or even ridiculous, but I truly believe that MUSIC, just one song, has the power to inspire a normal person to accomplish a heroic deed and make him a true hero. I believe that boundaries between heroes and common people basically do not exist – anyone can become a hero today.
Why don’t we look at our history? In times of World War II the songs honoring our huge homeland, songs about love for our Motherland — they united people into one strong entity. They empowered people to fight for their country, to save our women, children and the whole motherland. They sacrificed their lives, but DID NOT name themselves as heroes. However they all were and still are true heroes. I hope, that you would agree with me that bravery, courage and love for your homeland make any person a true hero.
Ladies and Gentlemen, please, listen to these words attentively: “Yes, the message is so real, Don’t turn all The earth to stone because, because this is your home” I wish people all over the world would hug our planet and try their utmost to protect it from ecological wars, tsunami, floods, earthquakes and other dangerous events. If only it was possible. In the past 2 years alone there have been disasters in the Krasnodarsky region and in Siberia. Big cities and small villages were harmed by high water. It was a tragedy for thousands of people; however nobody was left alone in their lurch. Sympathy, kindness, compassion, willingness to help when the trying hour comes – that is what makes a hero today.
“ Not gonna get us! They're not gonna get us!’ Does it look familiar to you? The Opening of every Olympics starts with the hymn, the song of a nation. The song motivates our sportsmen to gather the courage and strength, and ultimately win the competition. The ability to overcome difficulties, the will to victory makes a hero today. And the winners of the Olympic and the Paralympic Games in Sochi in Russia have proved it.
Oh! What can I say… Serenades, serenades! Here is another way to become a hero today. A man who serenades a love song full of passion and affection to his beloved woman – isn’t he a hero? No doubt, it is an act of bravery from any man! Listen to these captivating words:” Is there anybody going to listen to my story All about the girl who came to stay? She's the kind of girl you wants so much it makes you sorry Still you don't regret a single day Ah, girl, girl, girl”. No girl can say “No” to such love, she will immediately agree to his offer of marriage. What I am trying to say is that fighting for love and strong family relationship is one more way to become a hero today.
But what about becoming a hero to yourself ? When one has lost his faith and hope, or has gone through betrayal of his soul mate, he should listen to the song : “I'll top the bill, I'll overkill I have to find the will to carry On with the On with the show The show must go on..." or "I'm beautiful in my way ' Cause god makes no mistakes I'm on the right track baby I was born this way Don't hide yourself in regret Just love yourself and you're set I'm on the right track baby I was born this way” and make the words of this song as a motto in his life. I believe that the Victory over our own fear, selfishness and insecurity can make each of us a hero.
Once again, what makes a hero today? In my opinion, all the above mentioned actions and qualities have magical power to bring energy, light and kindness into this world. Let’s tune into the “radio wave of kindness all together.” If every person on this planet did it, the world would become a better place. The person who has taken the first step towards it can already consider him– or herself a hero. I wish you would believe that our world has always needed its heroes, those people who work towards peace and common welfare of the community. Just as the song says «Through the wind and the chill and the rain And the storm and the flood, We can feel his approach, like a fire in our blood, like a fire in our blood We need a hero! We’re holding out for a hero 'till the end of the night, He's gotta be strong, And he's gotta be fast, And he's gotta be fresh from the fight! ».
Wait a second – what if we don’t need to wait for a Superman who would save us all and accomplish all those heroic deeds? Why don’t we turn to the people around us, simply smile and share our good mood –and make a small first step toward a better world for all of us. What we need to be happier is each other! Let’s try to become heroes for those people around us. NOW! I hope I have convinced you.
