Jie Lin
If you would like to connect to Jie he would be happy to chat with you in the comment section of this post.
“In China, we’ve got a lot of competition in anything – drinks, food, clothing… I have to survive in that competition. It’s easy to say, but it’s hard to do. My family members give me big hope… I’m the first kid in my family, so I have to take care of my father’s business and my younger sister.” — Jie Lin
Jie Lin is a young Chinese business person working to balance his family, education and future. He shares his views of hope and how hope applies to a young leader in China.
16: Jie Lin – China, family and future. How hope connects all three – #isharehope
The 5 Questions about hope that I ask each guest were translated into Mandarin Chinese by Jie Lin in order to share hope with listeners who may speak Mandarin as their native language. If you listen to the English version, you will hear me ask a question and you’ll hear Jie answer it in English. If you listen to the Mandarin version, you’ll hear me ask the question in English and then you’ll hear Jie translate the question and answer the question in Mandarin. Be sure and check the title of the podcast looking for English or Mandarin so you’re not confused.
“In China, we’ve got a lot of competition in anything – drinks, food, clothing. You would become more and more, so I have to survive in that competition. It’s easy to say, but it’s hard to do. My family members give me big hope, so this should be the responsibility. I’m the first kid in my family, so I have to take care of my father’s business and my younger sister.”– Jie Lin
Intro:
Welcome to I Share Hope! The podcast where world leaders share their real stories of hope and how you can use actionable hope to start changing your life today and now here’s your host, Chris Williams.
Chris Williams:
Jie Lin is from China and I’ll let Jie tell more about that in a second, but Jie, I really appreciate your time today in letting us hear from you. I want to just know how hope works. We ask five questions about hope to a thousand people all over the world and there’s going to be a lot of interviews that we’re doing in China, but everybody’s so different. So, Jie give us a little about you, where you come from, your background, what you grew up like. Just give us a quick few minutes about who you are.
Jie Lin:
Okay. Sure. So, my name is Jie Lin, I come from China in the west-east coast. I’m doing the family business. Right now, I’m an international student in Canada. I’m taking a BBA Program.
Chris Williams:
What city do you live in in China?
Jie Lin:
Im living in Fujian, Changle City.
Chris Williams:
Tell me, compared to Shanghai where other people from other countries might recognize, where is that? North, South, East, West?
Jie Lin:
My city is a small city, but right now it’s become very popular and famous, but we cannot compare to Shanghai. Shanghai is a big city, a huge city. Anybody, you can ask them, have you ever been to China? Almost people will say Beijing and Shanghai, but right now a lot of foreigners, people of France go to my city. My city is beautiful. Less air pollution. You don’t have to wear mask everyday. So, that kind of place.
Chris Williams:
Alright. I’m going to ask the first question. Jie, you can do this in English and you can translate in whatever native tongue and dialect you think would be most appropriate to the people in your community because that’s where you come from.
Okay, let’s back up here for a second. So, here’s what happened in this interview. Jie is extremely fluent in English and obviously in his native tongue, Mandarin Chinese. So, during the interview I would actually ask him a question, immediately he would answer in English and then right after that he would re-ask the question in Mandarin and answer in Mandarin. We’re actually running parallel interviews in two languages at the same time. Really an incredible process. It was so fascinating to hear him work through two languages at once. Brilliant. I so wish I could do that.
So, check the title of the podcast that you’re listening to right now and make sure it says English or Mandarin. If you’re listening to the English version, you will hear me ask a question and you’ll hear Jie answer it in English. If you’re listening to the Mandarin version, you’ll hear me ask the question in English and then you’ll hear Jie translate the question and answer the question. Be sure and check the title of the podcast looking for English or Mandarin so you’re not confused.
Let’s get back to listening to what Jie has to say about hope.
Jie Lin:
That’s what I want to say translated to my home language.
Chris Williams:
Very impressive. I think it’s fantastic. I wish I could do that. Alright Jie, let me ask you question number one.
Question 1 – What is your favorite quote about hope or belief about hope or your statement of hope? How do you define that in your words?
Jie Lin:
For me it’s very simple. Two ways, make a good living with my family, second one is my dream to become true. That is my hope. What do I mean make a good living? Nowadays, we want to have say, a lot of money. We want to have a lot of money to make a good living. Right now, I didn’t or actually my father didn’t. My father was building from nothing in 2010 and now they have a company and have sent me outside the country to learn how to run the business. I got the responsibility of having to create or keep running or find a new area for the business. This is my hope. Also, for my younger sister, she is still young and I have to take care of her. That is also a responsibility.
For my dreams to become true, everybody has to have a dream. Like Martin said, I have a big dream. That can drive you to get your goal. It’s very important. That is what I identify with hope.
Chris Williams:
Excellent. You want to translate that in Chinese?
Jie Lin:
Yes. Okay, so let me think about it because I said a lot. I can’t memorize all that. That’s what I said. I’m freaking out, you know when I’m saying what I said in English.
Chris Williams:
I know. It’s easier to translate when it’s in small sentences, not when you’re… Tell the whole story first.
Question 2 – Who has been a great sharer of hope or who has given you a lot of hope in the past?
Jie Lin:
Actually, just like what I said earlier, my father, my family, my younger sister. This should be the responsibility. My parents went their pathway, so I’m the first kid in my family, so I have to take care of my father’s business because he built that from nothing and my younger sister. My family members give me big hope to let me get into work. That means you find it with somebody else, living in the social society nowadays. In China, we’ve got a lot of competition in anything – drinks, food, clothing. You will become more and more, so I have to survive in that competition. It’s easy to say, but it’s hard to do.
Chris Williams:
Thank you. That’s very respectful to your family. I think that’s beautiful. I really do. Thank you.
Question 3 – When was a time in your life growing up or things you’ve really experienced in life that you really needed to have that vision of hope and that dream, knowing where you’re going, that’s really helped you accomplish something or pull through a hard time?
Jie Lin:
In my life, I got hopeless times. For example, when I’m stuck for the business or student area and also financial problem. I will teach you how to find a good friend forever. I will tell you a story. Not a true story, not a false story, but you can listen to this and you will find out who is your best friend forever.
For example, you want money. You are asking from your two good friends to borrow money from, about $100,000. Friend A and friend B both can lend you money, but how can we find who is your good friend forever? Friend A, he is a rich man. He’s got $10 million, $20 million, giving you $100,000 is a piece of cake, he doesn’t care, no big deal. Friend B, he is not rich, but $100,000 is the only money he’s got. He gives you everything. Friend B is your friend forever. Going back to my life, I was studying accounting and I had two classmates, one is good at accounting and the second one is so-so, 50-50%, so friend A and friend B both help me. Friend A answers everything I ask, but friend B who has also studied by himself also had to teach me. This is hope – when friend B is helping me a lot. I still didn’t pass accounting, but I still appreciate it.
Chris Williams:
That’s a great measurement of friends who you know really have given you something special when they give you something that actually cost them a great deal. If it’s time or relationship or money or food or whatever it is, if somebody gives something that is a lot of what they have, it’s a greater gift even if it doesn’t equal as much real dollars or whatever it may be.
Jie Lin:
Yes. You know the real hand that can help you.
Chris Williams:
Excellent.
Question 4 – In your life today, how are you sharing hope? How are you giving hope to people around you? What are you doing personally to grow as a person of hope yourself?
Jie Lin:
Simple. One word – help.
Chris Williams:
Help?
Jie Lin:
Just like I said in question three, people always helping you in your difficulties, any difficult time. For example, I’m homeless and you are a man just walking down the street, if you give a dollar or coins or just water, that makes you feel warm. I don’t want to say something deep, but you guys know what I’m talking about – only a simple word – hope. Hope can warm people’s hearts.
Chris Williams:
That’s very profound. You’re right. It’s simple and so real.
Jie Lin:
Yes, it’s so real. You are trying to do critical thinking on how you can help people.
Chris Williams:
I got it. That’s great. So, translate that.
Jie Lin:
I used some Chinese and English, maybe they can speak a little bit in English, they will know what I’m talking about.
Chris Williams:
That’s wonderful. Okay, question five, our last of the hope questions.
Question 5 – Give me real practical tips. If I’m trying to become, which I am, I’m trying to become a person of greater hope and a person who shares hope better in my community, what do I start doing today?
Jie Lin:
Recommendation is before you start, know what is hope. If one helps somebody to have hope, you have to help yourself first. What is your hope. Everything starts with yourself and then keep helping other people.
Chris Williams:
So, I have to find out what I’m hoping in first and maybe have to help myself first. Like being on the airplane, they always tell you to put the oxygen mask on yourself before you help the child next to you. You have to be in a solid place yourself before you can really offer the most hope to another person?
Jie Lin:
Yes. That is exactly what I mean. It’s find yourself first and keep helping people and share your hope with somebody else. According to Chinese omen, helping yourself is better than asking somebody else to help you. Everything is done by yourself first and then keep doing – maybe you can have an organization or something to help homeless people or some people stuck in their problem or in a hopeless time.
Chris Williams:
That makes sense. Say that again, I want to hear the Chinese proverb or omen?
Jie Lin:
Chinese old men, like the older men.
Chris Williams:
Okay, Chinese older men?
Jie Lin:
Yes. They say helping yourself is better than finding somebody else to help you.
Chris Williams:
Helping yourself is better than finding someone else to help you.
Jie Lin:
Yes.
Chris Williams:
Excellent. Excellent work. Thank you for answering those five questions. There’s one question we ask on the way out. You’ve seen it on your notes. Your favorite music when you’re feeling a little low or depressed or like you need to put a smile back on your face, what do you listen to? What are you going to put in your iPod?
Jie Lin:
Actually, I like jazz, I like old jazz. Sometimes when I’m in a hopeless time, I would listen to Seven Years. It’s an American singer, Norah Jones, or Fly Me to the Moon.
Chris Williams:
Fly Me to the Moon?
Jie Lin:
Yes. That’s what I want. Even you, I would recommend that. Just put it, but you don’t have to use this to do songs.
Chris Williams:
No, it’s okay. I just like knowing what everybody we interview – I like knowing what you listen to. That’s great.
Jie Lin:
Sometimes I just want to forget everything when I’m stuck or in hopeless times. I just like to forget everything and enjoy this moment first. Maybe take a break and find other ways to solve your problems.
Chris Williams:
So, music helps you take a break from the big problem and you get refocused?
Jie Lin:
Yes. Sometimes I listen to some hiphop. I’m okay with something like that.
Chris Williams:
That’s great.
Jie Lin:
I want to say thank you and have a great interview. Sorry about it guys because my brain is stuck. I didn’t organize what I’m saying. If you find something wrong, please forget me.
Chris Williams:
I want to say something there because your interview is fantastic. I wish I could speak two languages. I struggle with just a few words with other languages.
Jie Lin:
I cannot organize in Chinese. If I say something in Chinese, I cannot say it in English. If I say something in English, I could not translate to Chinese.
Chris Williams:
I know, but you’re working with two of the most difficult languages in the planet and you’re doing really well with both of them. Thank you and congratulations.
Jie Lin:
Thank you so much.
Chris Williams:
Thanks for the interview, it’s been great talking to you. I appreciate your help.
Jie Lin:
Thank you so much.
Chris Williams:
Okay. Bye.
Chris Williams:
If I could go and talk to anybody in China and ask them the same questions, who do you want to hear answer these questions?
Jie Lin:
In China? Maybe a person younger than me would have other answers. Maybe they would say it is my hope or something – everything can be your hope. So, I’m 23, so you can find others younger than me or older than me that you can compare to with all three people’s answers. You just leave your email address. I will find somebody who can do this as soon as possible. I will email you back.
Chris Williams:
That’s sounds great. I would love to. Anybody you can think of. It will take five years to put all these interviews together to get to a thousand. I mean I got to get a thousand people. Thanks a lot for helping me with this. That’s great man.
You’ve just listened to I Share Hope. If you’re ready to make a change, head to our website at isharehope.com and claim your free copy of the Top Ten Actions of Hope from World Leaders to use hope in your own life. Thanks for listening and we’ll talk to you next time.
