Sarah Dunnigan

The first message I got from Da Chen was to always believe in yourself.  There will be people in this world who try to bring you down but if you believe in yourself you can overcome any obstacle.  Believe in yourself and don't let anyone define who you are.  Mr. Chen talked about how you may not know where you're going in life but the important thing is that you're going.  As long as you believe in yourself you won't be afraid to keep going. The second message I took away from the talk is that change is possible.  Da Chen came from a poor southern Chinese town and now he's a successful writer.  He also emphasized that you are capable of changing the world.  The third thing I gained from his speech was to always do your best.  If you give your best then no one can ask for anything more.  Also, if you give your all you won't have regrets.

The first value I chose for my circle of life was faith.  Faith is the center of my world.  It gives me strength, security, and balance.  I not only have faith in a greater being but I also have faith in people and myself.  My faith keeps me grounded and gives me the courage to go through life fearless.  Honesty is the next value I put in my circle.  I believe that it is the key to having a successfull relationship.  I am not only honest with others but I'm honest with myself as well.  Being true to yourself and not being scared of who you are allows other people to see the real you.  The third value I picked was kindness.  It's important to treat others the way you want to be treated.  Kindness is what makes the world go round.  The human race won't progress at all without kindness.  The last value I chose is open mindedness.  I don't believe that anyone has the right to judge anyone else.  We are all equal, no one better than the other.  Life is to short to go through judging people.