罗素(优美,励志英文短文)

第一篇：罗素(优美,励志英文短文)

What I Have Lived For

——The Prologue to Bertrand Russell's Autobiography

Three passions, simple but overwhelmingly strong, have governed my life: the longing for love, the search for knowledge, and unbearable pity for the suffering of mankind.These passions, like great winds, have blown me hither and thither, in a wayward course, over a great ocean of anguish, reaching to the very verge of despair.I have sought love, first, because it brings ecstasy-ecstasy so great that I would often have sacrificed all the rest of life for a few hours of this joy.I have sought it, next, because it relieves loneliness--that terrible loneliness in which one shivering consciousness looks over the rim of the world into the cold unfathomable lifeless abyss.I have sought it finally, because in the union of love I have seen, in a mystic miniature, the prefiguring vision of the heaven that saints and poets have imagined.This is what I sought, and though it might seem too good for human life, this is what--at last--I have found.With equal passion I have sought knowledge.I have wished to understand the hearts of men.I have wished to know why the stars shine.And I have tried to apprehend the Pythagorean power by which number holds sway above the flux.A little of this, but not much, I have achieved.Love and knowledge, so far as they were possible, led upward toward the heavens.But always pity brought me back to earth.Echoes of cries of pain reverberate in my heart.Children in famine, victims tortured by oppressors, helpless old people a burden to their sons, and the whole world of loneliness, poverty, and pain make a mockery of what human life should be.I long to alleviate this evil, but I cannot, and I too suffer.This has been my life.I have found it worth living, and would gladly live it again if the chance were offered me.我的人生追求 对爱情的渴望，对知识的追求，对人类苦难不可遏制的同情，是支配我一生的单纯而强烈的三种感情。这些感情如阵阵飓风，吹拂在我动荡不定的生涯中，有时甚至吹过深沉痛苦的海

洋，直抵绝望的边缘。

我所以追求爱情有三方面的原因。首先，爱情有时给我带来狂喜，这种狂喜竟如此有力，以致使我常常会为了体验几小时的爱的喜悦，而宁愿牺牲生命中其他的一切。其次，爱情可以摆脱孤寂——身历那种可怕孤寂的人的战栗意识有时会由世界的边缘，观察到冷酷无生命的无底深渊。最后，在爱的结合中，我看到了古今圣贤以及诗人们所梦想的天堂的缩影，这正是我所追寻的人生境界。虽然它对一般的人类生活也许太美好，但这正是我透过爱情所得到的最终发现。

我曾以同样的感情追求知识，我渴望去了解人类的心灵，也渴望知道星星为什么会发光，同时我还想理解数字赖以支配千变万化的毕达哥拉斯力量。在这方面我有所收获，然所获不多。爱情与知识的可及领域，总是引领我到天堂的境界，可对人类苦难的同情却经常把我带回现实世界。那些痛苦的呼唤经常在我内心深处激起回响，饥饿中的孩子，被压迫被折磨着，给子女造成重担的孤苦无依的老人，以及全球无情的孤独、贫穷和痛苦的存在，是对人类生活理想的无视和讽刺。我常常希望能尽自己的微薄之力去减轻这不必要的痛苦，但我发现我完

全失败了，因此我自己也感到很痛苦。

这就是我的一生，我发现它是值得活的。如果有谁再给我一次生活的机会，我将欣然接受这

难得的赐予。

第二篇：优美英文短文

优美英文短文

nsiderable value Everybody should read it.It supplies us with a variety of news every day.of reading the newspaper, we shall(will)get enough knowledge to cope with our circu它每天提供我们各种类类的消息。它告诉我们世界政治局势。如果我们养成看报的习惯，我们就能得到足够的知识一两个小时来看报。哪些，他们不但能增加知识而且也能赶上时代。总而言之，看报对学生很有益处。

---------monotonous, I try hard to adapt myself to it.Why? Because I intend to be a good stude.After I wash my face and brush my teeth, I begin to review my lessons.I go to schooe.We usually have supper at seven o’clock.want to finish it before I go to bed.去适应它。为什么？因为我打算做一个好学生，希望将来为国家服务。

课，七点钟我就去上学。

餐，之后我就开始做家庭作业，希望在睡觉前把它做完。

---------dent? Of course not.So far as I know, everybody intends to be(become)a model studen no means an easy thing.First, he must do his best to obtain knowledge.A man without sufve his health.Only a strong man can do great tasks.Thirdly, he should receive moral edus with him.每个人都打算做模范学生。

力获得知识（求知）。一个没有足够知识的人是不会成功的。第二，他必须记住促进健康。只有强壮的人才能做大

---------何获得快乐

is the most precious thing in the world.Without it, life will be empty and meanttention to the following two points.appiness(the key to happiness).Only a strong man can enjoy the pleasure of lifcontentment.A man who is dissatisfied with his present condition is always in d人生将是空虚的而且毫无意义的。如果你希望知道如何获得快乐，你须注意下面两点。

受人生的乐趣。

痛苦之中。

---------o learn life, truth, science and many other useful things.They increase our knowledgey are our good teachers and wise friends.This is the reason why our parents always ent pay great attention to the choice of books.It is true that we can derive benefits f学以及其它许多有用的东西。它们增加我们的知识，扩大我们的心胸并加强我们的品格。换句话说，它们是我们的。不错，我们能从好书中获得益处。然而，坏书却对我们有害无益。

(made)me take my little young brother to the a trip to the country.She bade me take d, the sun was shining brightly and the breeze was blowing gently.We saw the beautifulir sweet songs on the trees.The scenery was indeed very pretty(beautiful).me.We saw Mother(our mother)wait(waiting)for us at the door.历。她吩咐我要好好照料他。

着，微风轻轻地吹着。我们看见美丽的花儿对我们微笑着，并听见鸟儿在树上唱着悦耳的歌曲，风景实十分美丽。们看见母样正在门口等候我们。

---------------make the country rich and powerful(To make the country rich and strong is...).In order consider this an unchangeable truth.(be patriotic)? I find my answer very simple and clear.He must study hard and store upudent can do according to what I said, the country will certainly be rich and powerful目的，必须爱国。我认为这是一条不易的定理。

明了。他必须用功读书并积储知识以便将来服务国家。如果每个学生能按照我所说的去做，国家一定会富强。

---------y.I consider it(this)wrong.Why? Because we all know that we can earn money be work bay(can)say that time is more valuable than money.of time.It(this)is indeed a great pity.We must bear(keep)in mind that wasting ti不对的。为什么？因为我们大家都知道我们能够用工作赚钱，但无论如何却无法把时间争取回来。基于此种理由，必须记住浪费时间等于浪费生命。

---------么我们要学英文

y English, my answer will be simple and clear.Now let me enumerate the reasons one bycome an international language.If you know English, you van make a trip round the wor books, newspapers and magazines are written in English.If you wish(hope)to get kno复很简单明了。现在让我来把我的理由一一列举在下面：

可以环游世界不会被人误解。

写的。如果你希望获得知识，你必须学习英文。

---------classmates sent me presents.Mother prepared a tea party for me.I invited all of thex.There were cold drinks and refreshments.We ate, talked and laughed.We felt that we

g, the clock on the wall struck nine.We could not but say “Good-bye” to one another礼。母亲给我准备一个茶会。我邀请他们都前来参加。

吃又谈又笑。我们觉得是世界上最快乐的人。

我们不得不互道再见。

第三篇：简单的英文励志短文

在阅读英语文章的时候，会看到一些励志的小短文，能够给我们带来满满的正能量。有哪些简单的英文励志短文？以下是小编为你精选的简单的英文励志短文，希望能帮到你。

简单的英文励志短文篇一

A long time ago, there was a huge apple tree.A little boy loved to come and play around it every day.He climbed to the tree top, ate the apples, took a nap under the shadow… He loved the tree and the tree loved to play with him.Time went by…The little boy had grown up and he no longer played around the tree.One day, the boy came back to the tree and looked sad.“Come and play with me,” the tree asked the boy.“I am no longer a kid, I don’t play around trees anymore.” The boy replied, “I want toys.I need money to buy them.” “Sorry, but I don’t have money…but you can pick all my apples and sell them.So, you will have money.” The boy was so excited.He picked all the apples on the tree and left happily.The boy didn’t come back after he picked the apples.The tree was sad.One day, the boy returned and the tree was so excited.“Come and play with me.” The tree said.“I don’t have time to play.I have to work for my family.We need a house for shelter.Can you help me?” “Sorry, but I don’t have a house.But you can cut off my branches to build your house.” So the boy cut all the branches of the tree and left happily.The tree was glad to see him happy but the boy didn’t appear since then.The tree was again lonely and sad.One hot summer day, the boy returned and the tree was delighted.“Come and play with me!” the tree said.“I am sad and getting old.I want to go sailing to relax myself.Can you give me a boat?” “Use my trunk to build the boat.You can sail and be happy.” So the boy cut the tree trunk to make a boat.He went sailing and did not show up for a long time.Finally, the boy returned after he left for so many years.“Sorry, my boy.But I don’t have anything for you anymore.No more apples for you.” the tree said.“ I don’t have teeth to bite.” The boy replied.“ No more trunk for you to climb on.” “I am too old for that now.” the boy said.“I really want to give you something…the only thing left is my dying roots.” The tree said with tears.“I don’t need much now, just a place to rest.I am tired after all these years.” The boy replied.“Good!Old tree roots are the best place to lean on and rest.Come here, please sit down with me and have a rest.” The boy sat down and the tree was glad and smiled with tears…

This is a story of everyone.The tree is our parent.When we were young, we loved to play with Mom and Dad… When we grow up, we leave them, and only come to them when we need something or when we are in trouble.No matter what, parents will always be there and give everything they could to make you happy.You may think that the boy is cruel to the tree but that's how all of us are treating our parents.很久以前有一棵苹果树。一个小男孩每天都喜欢来到树旁玩耍。他爬到树顶，吃苹果，在树荫里打盹……他爱这棵树，树也爱和他一起玩。

随着时间的流逝，小男孩长大了。他不再到树旁玩耍了。

一天，男孩回到树旁，看起来很悲伤。“来和我玩吧!”树说。

“我不再是小孩了，我不会再到树下玩耍了。”男孩答到，“我想要玩具，我需要钱来买。”

“很遗憾，我没有钱……但是你可以采摘我的所有苹果拿去卖。这样你就有钱了。”男孩很兴奋。他摘掉树上所有的苹果，然后高兴地离开了。自从那以后男孩没有回来。树很伤心。

一天，男孩回来了，树非常兴奋。“来和我玩吧。”树说。“我没有时间玩。我得为我的家庭工作。我们需要一个房子来遮风挡雨，你能帮我吗?”很遗憾，我没有房子。但是，你可以砍下我的树枝来建房。“因此，男孩砍下所有的树枝，高高兴兴地离开了。

看到他高兴，树也很高兴。但是，自从那时起男孩没再出现，树有孤独，伤心起来。

突然，在一个夏日，男孩回到树旁，树很高兴。“来和我玩吧!”树说。

“我很伤心，我开始老了。我想去航海放松自己。你能不能给我一条船?” “用我的树干去造一条船，你就能航海了，你会高兴的。”于是，男孩砍倒树干去造船。他航海去了，很长一段时间未露面。

许多年后男孩终于回来了。“很遗憾，我的孩子，我再也没有任何东西可以给你了。没有苹果给你……”树说。“我没有牙齿啃。” 男孩答到。“没有树干供你爬。”“现在我老了，爬不上去了。” 男孩说。“我真的想把一切都给你……我唯一剩下的东西是快要死去的树墩。” 树含着眼泪说。“现在，我不需要什么东西，只需要一个地方来休息。经过了这些年我太累了。”男孩答到。“太好了!老树墩就是倚着休息的最好地方。过来，和我一起坐下休息吧。” 男孩坐下了，树很高兴，含泪而笑……

这是一个发生在每一个人身上的故事。那棵树就像我们的父母。我们小的时候，喜欢和爸爸妈妈玩……长大后，便离开他们，只有在我们需要父母亲，或是遇到了困难的时候，才会回去找他们。尽管如此，父母却总是有求必应，为了我们的幸福，无私地奉献自己的一切。你也许觉得那个男孩很残忍，但我们何尝不是这样呢?

简单的英文励志短文篇二

The Panda in China

A panda looks like a little bear.It has black and white fur.It lives only in China, so it is called the national treasure of China and protected by the law.We all see panda on TV or in the zoo.They look stupid and walk slowly, but they are lovely and everyone likes them.A panda is lucky animal.We Chinese like it, and people of the world like it, too.Now there are China’s pandas in many other countries, such as Japan and the USA…

A panda isn’t a common animal, it is bridge of friendship.中国熊猫

熊猫看起来好像一只小熊。它的皮毛是黑白相间。它只居住在中国，因此，它是中国的国宝，受到国家法律的保护。

我们在电视上或在动物园里能看到熊猫。他们看起来显得很笨的样子，走起来很缓慢，但很可爱，大家都很喜欢它们。

熊猫是个吉祥的动物。中国人民喜欢它，世界人民也喜欢它。现在许多国家都有中国的熊猫，如，日本、美国……

熊猫不是一种普通的动物，而是一座友谊的桥梁。

简单的英文励志短文三

How a Colt Crossed the River

One day, a colt took a bag of wheat to the mill.As he was running with the bag on his back, he came to a small river.The colt could not decide whether he could cross it.Looking around, he saw a cow grazing nearby.He asked, “Aunt Cow, could you tell me if I can cross the river?” The cow told him that he could and that the river was not very deep, just knee high.The colt was crossing the river when a squirrel jumped down fron a tree and stopped him.The squirrel shouted, “Colt, stop!You’ll drown!One of my friends drowned just yesterday in the river.” Not knowing what to do, the colt went home to consult his mum.He told his mum his experience on the way.His mother said, “My child, don’t always listen to others.You’d better go and try yourself.Then you’ll know what to do.” Later, at the river,the squirrel stopped the colt again.“Little horse, it’s too dangerous!” “No, I want to try myself,” answered the colt.Then he crossed the river carefully.You see, real knowledge comes from practice.小马过河

一天，一匹小马驮着麦子去磨坊。当它驮着口袋向前跑去时，突然发现一条小河挡住了去路。小马为难了，这可怎么办呢?它向四周望了望，看见一头奶牛在河边吃草。小马问道：“牛阿姨，请您告诉我，这条河我能趟过去吗?”奶牛回答说：“水很浅，刚到膝盖。”

小马正准备过河，突然从树上跳下一只松鼠，拦住它大叫道：“小马，别过河!你会被淹死的。昨天，我的一个伙伴就在这条河里淹死啦!”小马不知如何是好，于是决定回家问问妈妈。

小马把路上的经历告诉了妈妈。妈妈说：“孩子，光听别人说是不行的，你自己亲自去试一试，就知道答案了。”小马回到河边，刚要下水，松鼠又大叫起来：“小马，你不要命啦?”小马说：“让我自己试试吧。”他一面回答一面下了河，小心地趟了过去。

这下明白了吧，实践才能出真知。

第四篇：英文励志短文阅读

不够洒脱，但这就是人生。不够豁达，但这就是人生。不够励志也不够美好，但这就是人生啊。小编整理了著名英文励志短文，欢迎阅读!

英文励志短文篇一

Life is not about just getting by.Life is about reaching ever higher, building one achievement on top of another, and creating real, meaningful value in each moment.生活并不是过得去就行,而是需要我们每时每刻都有所超越,不断取得成就,并且创造真正的、有意义的价值。

A common stone on the ground does a great job of just getting by.You, on the other hand, are destined1 for much more spectacular things.Yes, indeed, you will certainly meet a number of challenges when you make the effort to raise your world even a little bit higher.The good thing is, you are superbly equipped to thrive on those challenges.地上的一块普通的石子只是躺在那里就做得很好了。然而,你注定是要做大事的。是的,当你努力提升自己时,你的确会遇到许多困难,哪怕只是提升一点点。幸运的是,你有能力战胜那些挑战。

If life seems unsuccessful, it’s not because of the challenges or limitations that stand in your way.It’s because you refuse to see the exceptional opportunities that those challenges represent.如果生活看起来并不是一帆风顺的,那并不是因为你前方的道路上有挑战或阻碍,而是因为你没有看到那些挑战中蕴藏的良机。

This is your precious and unique life, and it is absolutely worth all the trouble and effort you must go through to make it great.Within you at this moment are beautiful dreams, and you can begin to live in the direction of those dreams whenever you choose.这是你所珍爱的、独一无二的生活。为了让它变得更美好,经历困难、付出努力都是值得的。此刻,你的内心充满着美好的梦想,只要你选择,你就可以朝着梦想的方向生活。

Let go of the false security of just getting by, and get yourself into focus on a purpose that will bring your life gloriously to life.Your very own pathway to success is just one quick step away.摒弃生活只要过得去就行这样的错误观点,全心投入一个目标——让你的生活更加精彩。成功之路离你仅一步之遥。

英文励志短文篇二

Don’t allow your troubles to get the best of you.Instead, allow those troubles to make the best of you.不要被烦恼击败,相反,要让这些烦恼磨练出更优秀的你

Don’t tire yourself out fighting against the challenges.Instead, find new energy by embracing1 those challenges and working through them to create real value.不要因与挑战作斗争而身心疲惫,相反,要在接受挑战、战胜挑战的过程中找到活力去创造真正的价值。

Always remind yourself that discour-agement is nothing more than a response you’ve chosen.When you find that you’ve chosen to let it be, you can just as surely choose to let it go.时常提醒自己,气馁只不过是你自己的选择。当你发现是你选择了气馁,你当然也可以选择不这样。

Replace discouragement with determin-ation.It is your life’s energy, and you can point it in whatever direction you choose.Your most powerful response is not based only on what has already happened.Your most powerful response also takes into account what you wish to make happen next.用决心消除气馁,这就是你生命的活力,是放之四海而皆准的。你最有力的反应不仅仅受所发生的事情的影响,而且与你期待发生的事情有一定关联。

Look forward, and envision in great detail the future you desire.Then gather all your energy, and step forward to make it be.向前看,详尽地展望你所期盼的未来。然后集中你所有的精力,努力前进,让梦想成真

英文励志短文篇三

You are where you are.Accept it and feel the power your acceptance gives you to move forward.你就处在这样一个位置。接受这个事实，感受随之而来的力量，这份力量会驱使你前进。

This moment is as it is.Accept its uniqueness and experience the freedom of not having to fight against it.此刻就是这样。接受这一刻的独特性，体验无需与之对抗的自由。

There are difficult challenges in your life.Accept them and feel the energy that will enable you to rise above them.你的生活中充满了艰巨的挑战。接受这些挑战，鼓足勇气去战胜它们。

Accept that this is your starting point.Instead of placing judgements on it, see the real, positive value that’s already yours.You cannot change where your past priorities* and choices have brought you.Yet you can make use of the wisdom you’ve earned to create a future that fulfils your most treasured dreams.相信此刻就是你的起点。无需再判断，看到你所具备的真正意义上的价值。你过去认为重要的事和以前做过的选择给你带来了什么都是无法改变的。然而你可以充分利用你的智慧去创造未来，实现你最珍爱的梦想。

Lovingly and gratefully accept who you’ve been, what you’ve done, what you have and where you are.For you can now transform it all into what you most wish to be.满怀爱心和感激之情，接受现实的自己，接受你所做过的、你所拥有的以及你所处的位置。现在你可以按你的愿望去改变它们。

第五篇：英文名人演讲励志短文

在美国，你的命运由你自己书写，你的未来由你自己掌握。如下小编就为大家收集了英文名人演讲励志短文，欢迎阅读！

英文名人演讲励志短文

At the dawn of the 21st century a free people must now choose to shape the forces of the Information Age and the global society, to unleash the limitless potential of all our people, and, yes, to form a more perfect union.在二十一世纪的曙光来临之际，一个自由的民族现在必须做出选择，去打造信息时代和全球一体化的力量，去释放全民无尽的潜能，并且，去成就一个更完美的联邦国家。

When last we gathered, our march to this new future seemed less certain than it does today.We vowed then to set a clear course to renew our nation.上次我们在此相聚时，我们向这个新未来的进军似乎没有今天这么明确，我们那时曾宣誓确立新的道路，复兴我们的国家。

In these four years, we have been touched by tragedy, exhilarated by challenge, strengthened by achievement.America stands alone as the world s in dispensable nation.Once again, our economy is the strongest on Earth.Once again, we are building stronger families, thriving communities, better educational opportunities, a cleaner environment.Problems that once seemed destined to deepen now bend to our efforts: our streets are safer and record numbers of our fellow citizens have moved from welfare to work.在这四年中，悲剧使我们动容，挑战使我们兴奋，成就使我们强大。美国作为世界不可缺少的国家巍然挺立。再一次，我们的经济是世界上最强大的；再一次，我们建设着更牢固的家庭，繁荣的社区，更好的教育机会，更清洁的环境。曾经似乎注定要恶化的问题现在也屈服于我们的努力：我们的街道更安全，参加工作不再领取社会福利的公民人数比任何时候都多。

And once again, we have resolved for our time a great debate over the role of government.Today we can declare: Government is not the problem, and government is not the solution.再一次，我们解决了当前关于政府角色问题的巨大争论。今天我们可以宣告：政府不是问题的产生者，政府也不是问题的解决者。

附:英文名人励志演讲

Hello, everybody!Thank you.Thank you.Thank you, everybody.All right, everybody go ahead and have a seat.How is everybody doing today?(Applause.)How about Tim Spicer?(Applause.)I am here with students at Wakefield High School in Arlington, Virginia.And we've got students tuning in from all across America, from kindergarten through 12th grade.And I am just so glad that all could join us today.And I want to thank Wakefield for being such an outstanding host.Give yourselves a big round of applause.(Applause.)

I know that for many of you, today is the first day of school.And for those of you in kindergarten, or starting middle or high school, it's your first day in a new school, so it's understandable if you're a little nervous.I imagine there are some seniors out there who are feeling pretty good right now--(applause)--with just one more year to go.And no matter what grade you're in, some of you are probably wishing it were still summer and you could've stayed in bed just a little bit longer this morning.I know that feeling.When I was young, my family lived overseas.I lived in Indonesia for a few years.And my mother, she didn't have the money to send me where all the American kids went to school, but she thought it was important for me to keep up with an American education.So she decided to teach me extra lessons herself, Monday through Friday.But because she had to go to work, the only time she could do it was at 4:30 in the morning.Now, as you might imagine, I wasn't too happy about getting up that early.And a lot of times, I'd fall asleep right there at the kitchen table.But whenever I'd complain, my mother would just give me one of those looks and she'd say, “This is no picnic for me either, buster.”(Laughter.)

So I know that some of you are still adjusting to being back at school.But I'm here today because I have something important to discuss with you.I'm here because I want to talk with you about your education and what's expected of all of you in this new school year.Now, I've given a lot of speeches about education.And I've talked about responsibility a lot.I've talked about teachers' responsibility for inspiring students and pushing you to learn.I've talked about your parents' responsibility for making sure you stay on track, and you get your homework done, and don't spend every waking hour in front of the TV or with the Xbox.I've talked a lot about your government's responsibility for setting high standards, and supporting teachers and principals, and turning around schools that aren't working, where students aren't getting the opportunities that they deserve.But at the end of the day, we can have the most dedicated teachers, the most supportive parents, the best schools in the world--and none of it will make a difference, none of it will matter unless all of you fulfill your responsibilities, unless you show up to those schools, unless you pay attention to those teachers, unless you listen to your parents and grandparents and other adults and put in the hard work it takes to succeed.That's what I want to focus on today: the responsibility each of you has for your education.I want to start with the responsibility you have to yourself.Every single one of you has something that you're good at.Every single one of you has something to offer.And you have a responsibility to yourself to discover what that is.That's the opportunity an education can provide.Maybe you could be a great writer--maybe even good enough to write a book or articles in a newspaper--but you might not know it until you write that English paper--that English class paper that's assigned to you.Maybe you could be an innovator or an inventor--maybe even good enough to come up with the next iPhone or the new medicine or vaccine--but you might not know it until you do your project for your science class.Maybe you could be a mayor or a senator or a Supreme Court justice--but you might not know that until you join student government or the debate team.And no matter what you want to do with your life, I guarantee that you'll need an education to do it.You want to be a doctor, or a teacher, or a police officer? You want to be a nurse or an architect, a lawyer or a member of our military? You're going to need a good education for every single one of those careers.You cannot drop out of school and just drop into a good job.You've got to train for it and work for it and learn for it.And this isn't just important for your own life and your own future.What you make of your education will decide nothing less than the future of this country.The future of America depends on you.What you're learning in school today will determine whether we as a nation can meet our greatest challenges in the future.You'll need the knowledge and problem-solving skills you learn in science and math to cure diseases like cancer and AIDS, and to develop new energy technologies and protect our environment.You'll need the insights and critical-thinking skills you gain in history and social studies to fight poverty and homelessness, crime and discrimination, and make our nation more fair and more free.You'll need the creativity and ingenuity you develop in all your classes to build new companies that will create new jobs and boost our economy.We need every single one of you to develop your talents and your skills and your intellect so you can help us old folks solve our most difficult problems.If you don't do that--if you quit on school--you're not just quitting on yourself, you're quitting on your country.Now, I know it's not always easy to do well in school.I know a lot of you have challenges in your lives right now that can make it hard to focus on your schoolwork.I get it.I know what it's like.My father left my family when I was two years old, and I was raised by a single mom who had to work and who struggled at times to pay the bills and wasn't always able to give us the things that other kids had.There were times when I missed having a father in my life.There were times when I was lonely and I felt like I didn't fit in.So I wasn't always as focused as I should have been on school, and I did some things I'm not proud of, and I got in more trouble than I should have.And my life could have easily taken a turn for the worse.But I was--I was lucky.I got a lot of second chances, and I had the opportunity to go to college and law school and follow my dreams.My wife, our First Lady Michelle Obama, she has a similar story.Neither of her parents had gone to college, and they didn't have a lot of money.But they worked hard, and she worked hard, so that she could go to the best schools in this country.Some of you might not have those advantages.Maybe you don't have adults in your life who give you the support that you need.Maybe someone in your family has lost their job and there's not enough money to go around.Maybe you live in a neighborhood where you don't feel safe, or have friends who are pressuring you to do things you know aren't right.But at the end of the day, the circumstances of your life--what you look like, where you come from, how much money you have, what you've got going on at home--none of that is an excuse for neglecting your homework or having a bad attitude in school.That's no excuse for talking back to your teacher, or cutting class, or dropping out of school.There is no excuse for not trying.Where you are right now doesn't have to determine where you'll end up.No one's written your destiny for you, because here in America, you write your own destiny.You make your own future.That's what young people like you are doing every day, all across America.Young people like Jazmin Perez, from Roma, Texas.Jazmin didn't speak English when she first started school.Neither of her parents had gone to college.But she worked hard, earned good grades, and got a scholarship to Brown University--is now in graduate school, studying public health, on her way to becoming Dr.Jazmin Perez.I'm thinking about Andoni Schultz, from Los Altos, California, who's fought brain cancer since he was three.He's had to endure all sorts of treatments and surgeries, one of which affected his memory, so it took him much longer--hundreds of extra hours--to do his schoolwork.But he never fell behind.He's headed to college this fall.And then there's Shantell Steve, from my hometown of Chicago, Illinois.Even when bouncing from foster home to foster home in the toughest neighborhoods in the city, she managed to get a job at a local health care center, start a program to keep young people out of gangs, and she's on track to graduate high school with honors and go on to college.And Jazmin, Andoni, and Shantell aren't any different from any of you.They face challenges in their lives just like you do.In some cases they've got it a lot worse off than many of you.But they refused to give up.They chose to take responsibility for their lives, for their education, and set goals for themselves.And I expect all of you to do the same.That's why today I'm calling on each of you to set your own goals for your education--and do everything you can to meet them.Your goal can be something as simple as doing all your homework, paying attention in class, or spending some time each day reading a book.Maybe you'll decide to get involved in an extracurricular activity, or volunteer in your community.Maybe you'll decide to stand up for kids who are being teased or bullied because of who they are or how they look, because you believe, like I do, that all young people deserve a safe environment to study and learn.Maybe you'll decide to take better care of yourself so you can be more ready to learn.And along those lines, by the way, I hope all of you are washing your hands a lot, and that you stay home from school when you don't feel well, so we can keep people from getting the flu this fall and winter.But whatever you resolve to do, I want you to commit to it.I want you to really work at it.I know that sometimes you get that sense from TV that you can be rich and successful without any hard work--that your ticket to success is through rapping or basketball or being a reality TV star.Chances are you're not going to be any of those things.The truth is, being successful is hard.You won't love every subject that you study.You won't click with every teacher that you have.Not every homework assignment will seem completely relevant to your life right at this minute.And you won't necessarily succeed at everything the first time you try.That's okay.Some of the most successful people in the world are the ones who've had the most failures.J.K.Rowling's--who wrote Harry Potter--her first Harry Potter book was rejected 12 times before it was finally published.Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team.He lost hundreds of games and missed thousands of shots during his career.But he once said, “I have failed over and over and over again in my life.And that's why I succeed.”

These people succeeded because they understood that you can't let your failures define you--you have to let your failures teach you.You have to let them show you what to do differently the next time.So if you get into trouble, that doesn't mean you're a troublemaker, it means you need to try harder to act right.If you get a bad grade, that doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means you need to spend more time studying.No one's born being good at all things.You become good at things through hard work.You're not a varsity athlete the first time you play a new sport.You don't hit every note the first time you sing a song.You've got to practice.The same principle applies to your schoolwork.You might have to do a math problem a few times before you get it right.You might have to read something a few times before you understand it.You definitely have to do a few drafts of a paper before it's good enough to hand in.Don't be afraid to ask questions.Don't be afraid to ask for help when you need it.I do that every day.Asking for help isn't a sign of weakness, it's a sign of strength because it shows you have the courage to admit when you don't know something, and that then allows you to learn something new.So find an adult that you trust--a parent, a grandparent or teacher, a coach or a counselor--and ask them to help you stay on track to meet your goals.And even when you're struggling, even when you're discouraged, and you feel like other people have given up on you, don't ever give up on yourself, because when you give up on yourself, you give up on your country.The story of America isn't about people who quit when things got tough.It's about people who kept going, who tried harder, who loved their country too much to do anything less than their best.It's the story of students who sat where you sit 250 years ago, and went on to wage a revolution and they founded this nation.Young people.Students who sat where you sit 75 years ago who overcame a Depression and won a world war;who fought for civil rights and put a man on the moon.Students who sat where you sit 20 years ago who founded Google and Twitter and Facebook and changed the way we communicate with each other.So today, I want to ask all of you, what's your contribution going to be? What problems are you going to solve? What discoveries will you make? What will a President who comes here in 20 or 50 or 100 years say about what all of you did for this country?

Now, your families, your teachers, and I are doing everything we can to make sure you have the education you need to answer these questions.I'm working hard to fix up your classrooms and get you the books and the equipment and the computers you need to learn.But you've got to do your part, too.So I expect all of you to get serious this year.I expect you to put your best effort into everything you do.I expect great things from each of you.So don't let us down.Don't let your family down or your country down.Most of all, don't let yourself down.Make us all proud.Thank you very much, everybody.God bless you.God bless America.Thank you.