On 19th June 2026, our senior partner, Lester Kan, returned to Bethany School, his boarding school in Goudhurst, and delivered a speech to encourage their sixth form students. In his speech, Lester shared his journey since he left Bethany, from being a law student to establishing his legal practice and shared lessons he learned throughout his journey.
Below is an excerpt from Lester’s speech:
The oceans ebb and flow.
The moon waxes and wanes.
So is life; it has its ups and downs.
Always remain grounded and work on yourself despite life’s many challenges. Because ups and downs are just different phases of life. Don’t be too proud when things go well for you, and don’t be disheartened when things are not.
Here are some of the lessons I learned. I hope they can help you in times of difficulty.
Lesson 1: Never seek sympathy from others.
Even if you were to receive sympathy, it won’t help to resolve your problems. If you do not get sympathy from others, you will end up disliking them. It’s a lose – lose predicament created by a weak mind.
Lesson 2: Work hard, work harder than anyone else.
This is especially so when you are young. Naturally, you have many deficiencies and lack experience as a young person. However, as a young person, you have a huge advantage that others do not: the abundance of time and energy. If you are prepared to work hard, you can trade your time and energy to compensate for your deficiencies. With hard work, you will gain good experience and iron out some of your deficiencies. Polishing your rough edges and making you a refined character.
Lesson 3: Never compromise on ethics and integrity.
No matter what, do not compromise on this fundamental issue. If you do, all your hard work and investment in yourself will come to naught because you have just lost yourself. Losing yourself is a price too heavy for anyone to bear.
Lesson 4: Winter always turns to Spring.
Nothing lasts forever; even difficult times can’t. It is often difficult to see this when you are going through a harsh winter. It is precisely at times like this that you must hold fast to the belief that winter will always turn to spring; if not, the harshness of the winter cold will crush your spirit. Spring will come; it comes to those who can forebear the winter cold.
Lesson 5: The darkest hour is just before the dawn.
This is similar to the above. There will be times in life when everything around you looks so bleak, so hopeless that you cannot see the light. Remember this: the darker it gets, the closer the daybreak. Such is the nature of things. Keep going, not only will you see the light, but you will also bathe in the glory and warmth of the morning sun.
