英語演講稿：我思故我在

dear fellow friends:
good morning. today I’m going to share with you the most valuable thing that i have learned at university.
i was born in 1977. but my life didn’t begin in the real sense until 1999. prior to that, i spent every hour, every day and every year doing what was expected of me , eating, sleeping, studying, playing, so on and so forth. i didn't have the idea of who i am, what i should do now and next or what life means to me. never had i thought about these questions. this situation lasted for year after year. it underwent few changes even after i entered the university. and it was another two years later that i began to think about these questions, which are of great significance to me, from then on, my life turned over a new leaf, because independent thinking, which didn’t have any place in my life, started to play an important part.
first, thinking helps me to know myself, such as my dream, interest, strengths and weaknesses. as we all know, every one of us has his own character, although we are all human beings. it is therefore vital for us to develop a sense of identity, form our own opinions, make our own choices and take responsibility for our own destinies. we won’t be the initiator of our action or in charge of our life, unless we think about our uniqueness and make our individuality clear. to my joy, i’ve started to do that. now i set my own standards and regard them as my code of conduct rather than judge myself by how others estimate me or how much approval i’m getting from other people. i won’t live in the shadow of anyone else. i live my life in my own way.
second, thinking stimulates me to treat life and time seriously. mans dearest possession is life. it is given to him but once. so how we spend our life and time is a question we are supposed to ask ourselves. it’s a pity that some people have never made an effort to seek the meaning of life. they live their own life, but not in a meaningful way. most of them seem disoriented, not knowing what to do or how to make use of time. to be honest, i used to be troubled by the same problems. however, as i learned to think, i came to know the purpose of life, which is by no means food, drink and merrymaking. now i’ve made up my mind to be a diligent, responsible man. on the one hand, i’m eager to give full play to my professional knowledge and live out my dream. on the other hand, i’m trying my best to fulfill my obligations to society as well as my family and friends. in a word, i want to live a full, meaningful life. i hate to spend my time in vain. so im working hard to challenge and improve myself. it can be said without the fear of exaggeration that thinking has awakened my slumbering soul, transformed me into an enterprising young man.　it is therefore apparent that thinking is playing a very important role in my life. however, it can be painful at times. although i spend much time thinking, i still cannot sort out some of the problems i encounter. consequently, i will get depressed. it seems that i’m asking for trouble. why not go and have some fun instead of taking pains to think? the reason is that its rewards far outnumber those momentary displeasure. thinking is the key to life, the gateway to psychological maturity, and the beacon to the road ahead.