Personal Renewal英语演讲经典值得收藏.docx

Personal Renewal英语演讲经典值得收藏.docx

《Personal Renewal英语演讲经典值得收藏.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《Personal Renewal英语演讲经典值得收藏.docx（7页珍藏版）》请在冰豆网上搜索。

PersonalRenewal英语演讲经典值得收藏

“PersonalRenewal”

deliveredby JOHNW.GARDNER

Background

JohnW.GardnerwastheSecretaryofHealth,Education,andWelfareunderPresidentLyndonJohnson,anactivistandauthor,andrecipientofthe1964PresidentialMedalofFreedom.ThisspeechwasdeliveredtoMcKinsey&CompanyonNovember10,1990.

SpeechTranscript

I'mgoingtotalkabout“Self-Renewal.”Oneofyourmostfundamentaltasksistherenewaloftheorganizationsyouserve,andthatusuallyincludespersuadingthetopofficerstoaccomplishacertainamountofself-renewal.Buttohelpyouthinkaboutothersisnotmyprimarymissionthismorning.Iwanttohelpyouthinkaboutyourselves.

Itakethatmissionveryseriously,andI'vewrittenoutwhatIhavetosaybecauseIwanteverysentencetohititstarget.Iknowagooddealaboutthekindofworkyoudoandknowhowdemandingitis.ButI'mnotgoingtotalkaboutthespecialproblemsofyourkindofcareer;I'mgoingtotalkaboutsomebasicproblemsofthelifecyclethatwillsurelyhityouifyou'renotreadyforthem.

Ioncewroteabookcalled“Self-Renewal”thatdealswiththedecayandrenewalofsocieties,organizationsandindividuals.Iexploredthequestionofwhycivilizationsdieandhowtheysometimesrenewthemselves,andthepuzzleofwhysomemenandwomengotoseedwhileothersremainvitalalloftheirlives.It'sthelatterquestionthatIshalldealwithatthistime.Iknowthatyouasanindividualarenotgoingtoseed.Butthepersonseatedonyourrightmaybeinfairlyseriousdanger.

Notlongago,Ireadasplendidarticleonbarnacles.Idon'twanttogivethewrongimpressionofthefocusofmyreadinginterests.Sometimesdaysgobywithoutmyreadingaboutbarnacles,muchlessrememberingwhatIread.Butthisarticlehadanunforgettableopeningparagraph.“Thebarnacle”theauthorexplained“isconfrontedwithanexistentialdecisionaboutwhereit'sgoingtolive.Onceitdecides...itspendstherestofitslifewithitsheadcementedtoarock..”Endofquote.Foragoodmanyofus,itcomestothat.

We'veallseenmenandwomen,evenonesinfortunatecircumstanceswithresponsiblepositionswhoseemtorunoutofsteaminmidcareer.

Onemustbecompassionateinassessingthereasons.Perhapslifejustpresentedthemwithtougherproblemsthantheycouldsolve.Ithappens.Perhapssomethinginflictedamajorwoundontheirconfidenceortheirself-esteem.Perhapstheywerepulleddownbythehiddenresentmentsandgrievancesthatgrowinadultlife,sometimessoluxuriantlythat,liketangledvines,theyimmobilizethevictim.You'veknownsuchpeople—feelingsecretlydefeated,maybesomewhatsourandcynical,orperhapsjustvaguelydispirited.Ormaybetheyjustransohardforsolongthatsomewherealongthelinetheyforgotwhatitwastheywererunningfor.

I'mnottalkingaboutpeoplewhofailtogettothetopinachievement.Wecan'tallgettothetop,andthatisn'tthepointoflifeanyway.I'mtalkingaboutpeoplewho—nomatterhowbusytheyseemtobe—havestoppedlearningorgrowing.Manyofthemarejustgoingthroughthemotions.Idon'tderidethat.Lifeishard.Justtokeeponkeepingonissometimesanactofcourage.ButIdoworryaboutmenandwomenfunctioningfarbelowtheleveloftheirpotential.

Wehavetofacethefactthatmostmenandwomenoutthereintheworldofworkaremorestalethantheyknow,moreboredthantheywouldcaretoadmit.Boredomisthesecretailmentoflarge-scaleorganizations.Someonesaidtometheotherday“HowcanIbesoboredwhenI'msobusy?

”AndIsaid“Letmecounttheways.”LoganPearsallSmithsaidthatboredomcanrisetothelevelofamysticalexperience,andifthat'strueIknowsomeverybusymiddlelevelexecutiveswhoareamongthegreatmysticsofalltime.

Wecan'twriteoffthedangerofcomplacency,growingrigidity,imprisonmentbyourowncomfortablehabitsandopinions.Lookaroundyou.Howmanypeoplewhomyouknowwell—peopleevenyoungerthanyourselves–arealreadytrappedinfixedattitudesandhabits.AfamousFrenchwritersaid“Therearepeoplewhoseclocksstopatacertainpointintheirlives.”IcouldwithoutanytroublenameahalfofadozennationalfiguresresidentinWashington,D.C.,whomyouwouldrecognize,andcouldtellyouroughlytheyeartheirclockstopped.Iwon'tdoitbecauseIstillhavetodealwiththemperiodically.

I'vewatchedalotofmid-careerpeople,andYogiBerrasaysyoucanobservealotjustbywatching.I'veconcludedthatmostpeopleenjoylearningandgrowing.Andmanyaredearlytroubledbytheself-assessmentsofmid-career.

Suchself-assessmentsarenogreatproblematyourage.You'reyoungandmovingup.Thedramaofyourownriseisenough.Butwhenyoureachmiddleage,whenyourenergiesaren'twhattheyusedtobe,thenyou'llbegintowonderwhatit