Dr. Nguyen Tuan Quynh's speech at the Viet My College Graduation Ceremony: "Many new graduates have an illusion of the power of their degrees."“

In the joyful and proud atmosphere of the 2016 Viet My College Graduation Ceremony, Dr. Nguyen Tuan Quynh, General Director of Alphabook Company, shared his heartfelt thoughts with the new graduates of Viet My College. 

Dear esteemed teachers, distinguished guests, parents, and students,

I am deeply moved and honored to stand in this prestigious position and share some heartfelt thoughts with you, my fellow graduates of Viet My College. For me, studying is always the hardest work, so I would like to warmly congratulate you all on successfully completing a phase of your lives and marking a milestone in your journey of growth.

Dear students,

Allow me to still call you students because the degree you receive today is merely a certificate acknowledging your efforts over the past three years. However, in the context of University – Life, which spans over 40 years – today you are still students full of enthusiasm but lacking in knowledge and experience. The ocean of knowledge is boundless!

Dear students,

Recently, the National Assembly voted to elect a new government. None of the new leaders are from Ho Chi Minh City. I hope that among those of you sitting here, some will become ministers or higher-ranking officials, and perhaps even successful entrepreneurs among the top 500 richest people on the stock exchange. But it's also possible that in 20-30 years, none of you will be in that position. However, don't worry too much or consider it a failure in your life. In my opinion, all of you here can achieve success and happiness in life. That is, you will become valuable individuals, not just materially wealthy.

I'd like to share my story with you. Over 20 years ago, when I was on the verge of entering university and choosing a career, I decided to study economics. I simply thought that studying economics would make it easier to earn money and get rich. After graduating and starting work, my biggest goal was still to excel in my assigned tasks to advance in my career.

The turning point in my life was when I left the state-owned enterprise and embarked on my entrepreneurial journey. I faced more challenges, worked harder, and also achieved many positive results. My personal finances improved as a result. The worry about making ends meet no longer haunted me. And most importantly, I believe I can live well using my own abilities.

During that process of growing up, I realized a truth: whether I die with a fortune of $100 million or $10, it makes no difference. Death is the end. Therefore, the value of life is not the material wealth you leave to your children and grandchildren, but the valuable contributions you make to the community throughout your life.

Twenty-two years after graduating from university, I have worked for over 26 companies, traveled to more than 40 countries, shared my knowledge with thousands of students and young people, written hundreds of articles, and authored two books…

However, my life hasn't been smooth sailing. I've experienced setbacks in my career and relationships. There have been times when I've been disappointed in myself and hurt those I love. But thanks to those experiences, I've grown stronger from my pain.

I slowed down and observed life. Over time, I came to understand the values I could contribute to the world, and how positive thoughts helped me live a meaningful life. I realized that the meaning of life doesn't lie in the material possessions I acquire, but in the positive values I create each day.

Dear students of Viet My College,

Becoming a valuable person is a long journey. First and foremost, you need to improve yourself.

1. Continuously learn to grow:

I graduated from university in 1994, started graduate school in 1995, and took the doctoral entrance exam in 1999. However, I think the learning process from school wasn't enough. I learned through the work I did. That's also why I've been involved with 26 companies in 22 years. I learned how to interact with people from my leaders and colleagues. Among those lessons, the one I always remember is love and compassion. When I graduated from university, I weighed 54kg, was skinny, and had a triangular face. In the company, there was a cook I called Auntie Thuong. At lunchtime, my soup always had a huge chunk of pork fat in it, but the price remained the same. Every 2-3 days, Auntie Thuong would buy pig brains and steam them for me. She wanted me to gain weight because she thought I would look healthier and more handsome. After 5 years of Auntie Thuong's care, I gained over 20kg and could become a model! Auntie Thuong passed away 7 years ago.

I believe that lessons about interpersonal relationships and human kindness are always of immense value. Once, when I was the Youth Union Secretary of my company, we went to Dong Thap to donate gifts to flood victims. Our requirement was that the recipients be poor. However, I discovered that among the recipients were relatives of local officials, and they weren't poor. I was furious and loudly protested to the local leaders. My boss told me to be quiet and leave. He said that at this point, I had to trust the local list and learn from this experience; next time, I should go to the location myself to investigate before distributing the gifts. Getting angry and protesting at that moment would only make things worse. We must accept that there are injustices in life! And more importantly, we must learn from this experience so that such injustices happen less often through our dedication.

I've also learned from my own failures. I have a gambling streak. During the stock and gold boom, I was obsessed with trading stocks and gold, and I failed quite a bit. Seven years ago, I decided I would stop trading stocks (except for buying shares of companies I manage) and definitely not get involved in the gold market or gambling.

I learn from books. I chose my current job, which is related to books, because of my passion. I read books, and if I find something good, I apply it immediately, especially in running my business. I wholeheartedly agree with Thomas Carlyle's quote: "We become what we read after all the teachers have finished with us. The greatest school is books.".

However, from what I've observed, many young people today are content with their current jobs. They are indifferent to academics, considering a university degree sufficient. Many prefer to wander aimlessly online, drifting aimlessly through life.

Many young people are choosing a mediocre life and have no desire to learn or improve themselves. And as a matter of course, luck only smiles upon those who constantly strive and proactively create opportunities for themselves.

As leaders or senior colleagues, we can only offer guidance, direction, and support; we cannot force young employees to read books or pressure them into attending courses. Moreover, even if someone attends a class, if they don't like or want to apply what they learn to their lives, and don't want to claim the knowledge of others as their own, then the time spent in the classroom is wasted!

Therefore, dear students, to improve yourselves, I believe the first thing you need to do is recognize that learning is a personal need, so that each of you can become better and more complete than you were yesterday. A day that passes without acquiring or accumulating anything new and useful is a wasted day!

Actively learning may not immediately lead to a better position at work, but with a proactive spirit and a willingness to learn, you will certainly perform your assigned tasks better and be helpful to those around you. Furthermore, the knowledge you accumulate and the small successes you achieve at work will boost your confidence and bring joy to your life.

As someone with over 20 years of business experience and a love of books, I'm always overwhelmed and anxious whenever I step into a bookstore. There are so many new books, so much new knowledge I need to know. I have to read, I have to learn!

2. Ready to experience it?

I challenged myself through competitions and as a result, I often achieved top prizes. For example: First Prize in the competition organized by the Peace Boat and the Vietnam Youth Union, with the prize being a round-the-world trip in 1999; First Prize in the competition organized by the Indian Embassy on Vietnam-India relations in the 21st century, with the prize being a trip to India in 2001; First Prize in the Green Essay Contest of Tuoi Tre Online Newspaper in 2010 and 2011; Most Popular Entrepreneur Award in 2011; Most Popular Business Lecturer Award in 2013…

I think that by setting clear goals in my work with high expectations for myself, I have a specific destination to strive for. The key is defining the path and daring to take the plunge and start implementing it.

I was also impulsive, involved in many things, and experienced many setbacks and failures, but I never lost heart or lacked confidence. I grew from my own failures, especially in business management and interpersonal relationships.

I believe luck plays a crucial role in life. But for me, in many cases, except for buying lottery tickets or gambling, luck is the result of prior effort, dedication, and hard work. I've had opportunities to make money, and I seized them. But opportunities only opened up for me after I had worked hard and excelled. I believe everything in life has its own "destiny." And "luck" is also the "destiny" of effort and hard work that sometimes we don't clearly see.

3. Do small things with big love:

Experience has shown that one of the most significant reasons for the increase in unemployment in Vietnam is the inflated sense of academic achievement among recent graduates. After graduating with honors and being hired, many freshmen decide to quit after only a short time because they feel the assigned tasks don't match their academic accomplishments. As a result, an increasing number of talented graduates are unable to find suitable jobs after graduation.

Twenty-two years ago, I graduated from university with honors and was hired by a large oil and gas company. I had big ambitions, but my first tasks were photocopying documents, typing, handling files, and translating... They were truly tedious jobs. However, I was happy and focused on doing them well. These "small" tasks proved incredibly helpful later on; in challenging situations, I was able to handle everything from photocopying and faxing to translation independently. Furthermore, my colleagues respected me more when they saw that I could handle even the most mundane tasks well.

A university degree is merely a "passport" to enter companies. It only reflects a student's academic abilities in university but cannot prove an employee's competence in a workplace environment. Start accumulating experience from the smallest tasks and complete them excellently with the greatest passion!

4. Strive to become the best.

Dear students, I believe that each of you sitting here is more outstanding than you think you are. The important question is whether we dare to believe it or not! After all, the journey of life is about discovering and awakening the amazing person within each of us!

Due to my work environment, I frequently encounter many young people with a burning desire to get rich. A common flaw among them is their strong belief in stories of quick riches through investing in gold, stocks, or real estate; they constantly seek opportunities to get rich elsewhere; and they are willing to quit their favorite jobs and switch careers just for a few hundred dollars more in salary. They fail to realize that the path to wealth requires time, effort, and dedication to self-improvement and becoming the best and most professional in their field.

The desire to become wealthy is perfectly legitimate. I know many of you sitting here are just like I was 22 years ago: starting out with nothing. So how do you become wealthy? Through my own experience, I've realized that one of the most legitimate and likely successful paths to wealth is to do your best at the work you love and are passionate about. Always strive to be one of the best and most professional in your field.

I earned my first million dollars thanks to this secret. I worked as a gas business manager for a state-owned company. After three years of leadership, that gas brand reaffirmed its position as the number one in Vietnam in terms of production and profit. Thanks to this achievement, I was invited by an investment fund to manage a private gas company. We started from scratch. After three years of building, we became one of the top five gas companies in the South. The shareholders decided to sell the entire gas company to a foreign company. I earned over a million dollars in profit from the sale of the company's shares. That was in 2007, and I was 35 years old. I had this opportunity because I was considered the best gas businessman in the market at that time!

The formula for becoming the best in any field requires three elements: a dream, a good mentor, and persistent practice for 8,000 to 10,000 hours following the right direction. In addition, you need to be quick to seize opportunities, such as collaborating with others or building and developing one or more businesses yourself. Even if you don't want to become an entrepreneur or business owner, at least you will be an excellent and professional employee with satisfactory compensation.

5. Always pursue your dreams:

Dear students,

Looking back on the years, I believe my life has been guided by my dreams. As a child, I dreamed of following in my parents' footsteps and becoming a teacher. And now, in my busy life, I dedicate much of my time to sharing with students and trainees about entrepreneurship, the path to wealth, company management, and more.

In my early days at work, I longed to travel abroad to explore the vast world around me. However, my family and personal financial circumstances didn't allow it. So, I entered competitions with travel prizes. Outperforming over 10,000 others, I won first prize in the "Vietnamese and Asian Youth Entering the 21st Century" competition organized by the Peace Boat and the Vietnam Youth Union. My prize was a 90-day round-the-world trip on the Peace Boat, visiting 18 countries.

Later, when I started my business career, I dreamed of becoming a millionaire. I didn't think of having a million dollars as wealth; I saw it as a challenge. I worked hard, lived positively, was open with people, cared for my customers, loved my employees, and was determined to always strive to be the best. My efforts paid off. At the age of 35, I earned my first million US dollars thanks to my outstanding work.

When the Vietnamese stock market became operational, I dreamed again: one day, I would be the head of a listed company. My company's name and information would be known to many people. It was just a dream, though, because at that time, I was working at a state-owned company. For some reason, life swept me along, leading me through many different jobs and companies. Looking back today, I am a member of the board of directors of three listed companies. My childhood dream has come true!

Deep down, I longed to have my own works published. I wanted to see my name on the cover of a book. And now, I am the author of two books. One of them, "Live Proactively," has sold 15,000 copies and is one of the best-selling self-help books currently available. I am also preparing to release my third book.

I've realized that when you have burning dreams and you eagerly set out to pursue them, you create an interesting and meaningful life. I believe that a person's life journey is about discovering their own abilities and potential.

6. Action, action, action!

“"Even without the power to choose our starting point, we can still choose where we want to go. We can still accomplish many things!"”

That's right. Even if your current circumstances or position aren't ideal, what matters most is your direction and aspirations for the future. And most importantly, you must take action. Only action will gradually lead you to where you want to be. After all, many successful and wealthy people started from very humble beginnings, didn't they?

Just keep doing what needs to be done, pursue what you desire, and you will change your destiny. What distinguishes people is not their starting point, but their destination and how to get there quickly. Just act with the right direction, and you will get what you want!

Do you want to receive love? Then give love.

Do you want to be appreciated? Then appreciate people.

Do you want to experience joy? Then bring smiles to the faces of those around you.

Do you want to succeed? Help others succeed…

It is hopeless to expect only to receive without giving! Nature is inherently fair!

Jack Canfield shared: “Successful people maintain a positive focus on life no matter what’s happening around them. They focus on past successes rather than past failures. They focus on the next steps they need to take to move themselves closer to achieving their goals…”

There are always opportunities for success and becoming a valuable person for those who constantly learn and strive to improve. Life is fair. You will receive what you earn through your efforts and contributions. Don't settle for a dull, monotonous life; instead, strive to improve yourself, venture out, and experience life to live a meaningful existence.

I wish all the young people here will become valuable individuals!

Once again, congratulations on your achievement today!

Thank you.