Every year during graduation season, the commencement speeches of major universities at home and abroad attract much attention.

On May 24, local time, Chinese movie star and 2023 Oscar best actress winner Michelle Yeoh attended the graduation ceremony of Harvard Law School as a guest speaker.

As it may seem strange for an actor to come to a law school as a guest speaker, Michelle Yeoh opened with humorous self-deprecation: “As you know, I am not a lawyer. I can’t even say that I have played one on the screen. So why am I here?”

She then talks about her career being full of leaps and dives, leaping off high purchases into scary voids. She wants to share these life lessons with young people who are about to enter the world.

In her speech, Yeoh gave graduates three pieces of advice: stay loose, know your limits, and find your people.

Stay loose.

On August 6, 1962, Michelle Yeoh was born in Ipoh, Perak, Malaysia to parents from Fujian Province, China. She began learning ballet at the age of four, trained day and night, and attended the Royal Academy of Dance in London.

However, life is always full of accidents. When her spine was injured, she had to give up her dreams and transfer to a dance-related art course.

“My dreams of dance were crushed. I credit the principal of my school for giving me the encouragement that ultimately led me to a career beyond my imagination. It was she who encouraged me to stay loose about my future.”

“When falling, the tendency is to tighten up, to brace for impact. But in truth, the safest thing one can do is remain calm, even curious, about the shifting world around you.”

After graduating from the Royal Academy of Dance in London in 1982 with a Bachelor in Creative Arts, she returned home more open to possibilities.

This knowledge also gave her more freedom of choice. She moved to Hong Kong, began making commercials, and eventually entered the film industry as an actress.

Know your limits.

However, when she first arrived in Hong Kong, Yeoh found that as a young woman, she faced various restrictions. Her roles were limited to meek and troubled women.

Soon, she realized that she wanted to play action roles, heroic roles, and at the time, those were reserved exclusively for male actors. But she was confident that what male actors can do, she could also do!

While acting in Hong Kong, Yeoh discovered, “Understanding what you can do is essential, understanding what you can’t do is pretty important too.”

Those external limitations are boundaries to break through, she told the soon-to-be graduates. At the beginning of her career, Yeoh was offered one stereotypical demure Asian female role after another. However, she knew her dance training would allow her to ace the fight choreography she saw her male costars handing off to stunt doubles.

“When the chance finally came, I knew it was make or break. I had one shot to prove my bankability as an action star, and if I failed, I would not get that opportunity again.”

Michelle Yeoh did it. In 1985, she made her first film, Yes, Madam! It was a huge success and launched her acting career.

Her persistent work style has also become a legend in the industry: it is said that in Hong Kong, she, Jackie Chan, and Jet Li are the three people insurance companies are least willing to accept as customers. Insurance companies ran away when they saw their acrobatics. But in Yeoh’s mind, that was an honor.

There were injuries, as one could imagine. But with every nick and scratch and bruise and fractured vertebrae, she came back better, braver. Learning how to fall teaches one how to land. And learning to land gives one the courage to jump higher.

Later, Michelle Yeoh starred in “Tomorrow Never Dies”, “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon” and other big productions, establishing her own “Eastern warrior girl” archetype in the film industry.

“These examples illustrate the importance of limitations because our limitations become our challenges. There is nothing like a challenge to keep you working, striving, and pushing,” she said. “For every demeaning role I was offered, every rejection I was handed, every time someone underestimated me, I found energy and renewed motivation.”

Find your people.

From a ballerina with a broken dream to a world-renowned Oscar-winning actress, Michelle Yeoh knows that these achievements were a testament to the support of the people around her.

“For every winner, there doesn’t have to be a loser,” she reminded the soon-to-be graduates. “In fact, most success stories are less about competition and more about collaboration.”

For her, this sense of community requires representation, particularly in entertainment: “When we shine a light on the rich and varied world around us, we empower the whole of humanity. I can see no better reason to wake up in the morning and get to work.”

Go with love.

To the Class of 2023, she concluded: “Today you graduate and today you leave. Stay loose, be smart and go with love and then leap, and then leap again and leap again. I look forward to living in the world you’ll all help build and I am honored to have been one small voice at the beginning of your journey.”