5th speaker Kasumi Yokoo
"To Live Just Like You"
Why she delivers her speech
When I was a freshman, I could find my identity because of my friend's word. At that time, I made a discovery about how to find identity. To this day, my identity helped me many times. So l would like to deliver my speech in order to share this idea and then to make your life better.
Script
“Wow, you’re such a diligent person, aren’t you?” These words changed my perception of what I am. In that moment, my identity had revealed itself.
Identity is the notion that “I’m not someone other than myself”. That is, it means that you “are what you are” and are going to “stay what you are”. It’s the absolute evidence which confirms you as being “what you are”. However, it is very difficult to find “what you are”, namely your identity. Your teachers will never tell you nor will any books give you any hints. It is only you who can do it. So today, in order for you to find your identity, I’d like to tell you some suggestions from my experience.
But now, you may be wondering why you should find your identity. Your identity will tell you what you really cherish, so with identity, you can live just like you. In contrast, without identity, you may lack your core of how you live your life. You do something because others say so. You do something because others do it. You do everything for reasons others make, in a way others make, and for the goal others make. It’s a robot. Your will is not there. Isn’t it so sad? In order not to live such a life, you need your solid identity.
Then, how can we find our identities? First of all, let us think about the definition of identity. I think that identity is the difference from others. This is because the difference is something only you have, so it represents the real you. By discovering your difference, you can distinguish yourself from others. That is why identity is defined as difference, and therefore it is important to discover your difference for finding your identity.
Next, in order to discover our differences, what action should we take? Before thinking about this question, let me introduce my experience as a freshman. One day in April, before a class, one of my friends said to me, “Wow Kasumi, have you prepared for this class? Did the professor tell us to do something?” I answered, “Oh… nothing special.” “Then, you didn’t need to do such a thing!” “Sure. But I thought that it was better to prepare for this class, so I did it.” Then she said, “Wow, you’re such a diligent person, aren’t you?”
After this conversation, one question was going around in my head. I’m… diligent…? This is the first time that I have been told so.... My confusion lasted for a while. Then, suddenly, a thought came up to me: Yes, this is my identity. Yes, my identity is to be diligent. Of course, I have been diligent so far. But until high school, all my friends surrounding me were very diligent too, so I couldn’t notice my identity that I’m diligent. However, in university, some students sleep during a class and some don’t submit papers. Maybe this change of environment gave me a chance to discover my difference from others. An encounter with new friends helped me find my identity which had been lying inside of me.
This experience gave me some hints about identity. In order to discover your difference, you need to take two steps. First, joining new communities, and second, talking about each other’s values in there. Take a new lesson, join a new circle, or participate in a new event… Anything will do. The important thing is to take steps to jumping into a new environment. Now, please imagine a shiny diamond. If the diamond is surrounded by jewels, it may not stand out. But if it’s among stones, its brilliance may attract people’s attention. It’s the same with identity. By jumping into a new environment, you can make your difference stand out, and notice it. This discovery will lead you to find your identity.
In my case, entering into university highlighted my difference, so I could find my identity. To this day, my identity has helped me many times. One day, I got a lower score on a test than my friend, who had skipped most classes. I was shocked. Was attending all the classes, all for nothing? I thought. But my identity “diligence” justified what I did, and now I have confidence in my attitude to study. In this way, identity will give you the power to treasure what you really cherish. So with identity, whatever others say, whatever others do, you can live just like you.
Now, imagine the future in which you live as the real you. Imagine the future in which your life is shining in your color. A solid identity will support your brilliant life. So ladies and gentlemen, now is the time for you to find your identity. Let’s take steps to joining new communities. Let’s have adventures to interact with new people, to be “what you are”, to stay “what you are”, and to live just like you.