Dear teachers, parents, and students,

It is a great honor to speak as the teacher representative at this moment. In order to keep everyone awake, I'd like to start with a recent little story.

During a recent trip, my family and I participated in a whale-watching activity at sea. At first, everyone's focus was on whether we would be able to see the whales. Although the guide mentioned the low probability of spotting whales, everyone couldn't help but feel worried and anxious.

However, as the boat set sail, there was a subtle change in the atmosphere. The day was sunny, and the boat swayed gently in the sea breeze, resembling a baby's cradle. Gradually, everyone began to relax: some ran to the deck to take photos, some started chatting with strangers nearby, some basked in the sun while eating fruit, and I, because the swinging of the boat was so comfortable, fell asleep.

Suddenly, someone shouted, "Look, dolphins!" which startled me awake from my nap. Instantly, everyone became excited, clicking their cameras incessantly. Afterwards, my family and I continued to chat, and we even saw turtles and other marine creatures, but we didn't see any whales. Strangely, everyone seemed to have forgotten about whale watching, and each person was thoroughly enjoying the present moment.

When I checked travel guides on Xiaohongshu, all I found were posts complaining about how boring the whale watching activity was and how disappointed they were not to see any whales. It made me wonder, why was I not affected at all, even though I didn't see any whales either? Perhaps it was because the process was so enjoyable and exceeded my expectations, making me less concerned about the outcome. Seeing dolphins and turtles, chatting with my family, or even falling asleep in the warm sea breeze—each of these was meaningful to me.

You might be thinking, "Nice story, but what does it have to do with me?" I would like to ask everyone, especially my fellow students, to reflect on the last time you felt anxious or depressed. Was it because your grades weren't ideal, you didn't get the offer you wanted, or because your crush rejected you? Perhaps, ultimately, it was because what you expected didn't come true. But did you really get nothing? Maybe while preparing for exams, you read a good book, while writing your application, you deeply analyzed yourself, or when trying to chat with your crush, you developed new interests...

In psychology, there's a term called "overjustification effect," which refers to external motivations becoming too strong and replacing internal ones. If you're only studying to get high grades, applying just to climb ranks, or dating just to show off, then it will greatly affect those processes that you could have enjoyed and found meaningful. If you're troubled by negative emotions, why not try to increase your focus on the process in the new semester? Ask yourself what you've gained and what truly matters to you. Perhaps you'll gradually discover that psychology is a very interesting subject, that after writing your application, you understand yourself better than before, or that your new hobby is much more interesting than your crush... And what used to be your excessive focus on outcomes will naturally become an icing on the cake.

In conclusion, I hope everyone can fully enjoy the extraordinary process of this event called "the new semester".

Thank you!