重新定義成功

「我一直問自己：究竟怎樣的教育，才能真正祝福孩子的生命？」林秋霞的履歷光鮮亮麗：公開試成績優異、本科一級榮譽畢業。其實她可以一直待在「人生勝利組」，但她在中學任教四年後卻毅然請辭，步向她真正嚮往的「成功」——投身生命教育，助學生面對失敗。

談到轉向的緣由，她說起某年擔任「差班」的班主任的往事：在高舉成績的教育風氣下，她卻看到這班成績稍遜學生的優點，例如堅強和幽默，「而這是一群家庭和能力出狀況的孩子。我亦頗肯定並非主流課程令他們長成這樣。」

她思考這些珍貴特質從何而來，直至一次學生無意道出答案，「我們這些失敗失到大的人，失敗當『食生菜』啊！」「然後我看到成績好的孩子，我發現我們有些相似之處——怕輸、實用主義。我不是說這樣不好，但未來挑戰很大，不只讀好書、找好工作、一生輕鬆過活。於是我想，與其教他們一帆風順，不如教他們乘風破浪？」

林秋霞於是成立生命教育機構，與學校合作，藉不同活動壯大學生的「心理肌肉」，學習擁抱挫折和失敗。她說過程「無前車可鑑」，「如果不是新傳，我絕對沒有這個勇氣，亦不會覺得有實力做到。」

她形容本科是「內外兼修」的過程，精神為「內功」，重點在「無中生有」，「我眼中的新傳人，都具備創造的能力，能夠由零到十完成一件事」；能力為「外功」，即媒體訓練和技巧，如刊物排版、撰寫宣傳文案，如今她亦學以致用，她隨手展示一件製作給師生的紀念品：文件夾上印著一雙髒了的球鞋，以及一句簡而精的soundbite——「跌倒的都是行走的人」。

她說，這正是挫折教育的重心，「我常問孩子：『什麼人不會跌倒？』他們說是躺著、坐下的人；那什麼人會跌倒？就是行走、跑動的人。我跟孩子說，我們沒資格笑跌倒的人，因為他們正在行走，行走本身就很了不起。我認為，新傳人也是在行走的人，他們一直在探索。」

簡介：
林秋霞，2010年香港中文大學新聞與傳播學院本科畢業，其後任職中學老師，2015年創辦生命教育機構 Why Not Education。

Redefining Success

“I keep asking myself: What kind of education can truly bless a child’s life?”

Lam Chau-ha Sharon had every reason to stay on the conventional path to success. Her credentials were stellar—top exam scores, first-class honors from university. She could have easily remained among life’s “winners,” but after four years teaching secondary school, she made a bold decision: she quit to pursue her own definition of success, dedicating herself to life education and helping students learn from failure.

The turning point came during her time as a homeroom teacher for what the class labeled an “underperforming group.” While the education system fixated on test scores, Lam saw something different in these struggling students—remarkable qualities like resilience and humor. “These were kids dealing with family problems and learning difficulties,” she reflects. “I knew it wasn’t the mainstream curriculum that shaped who they really were.”

She wondered where these valuable traits originated, until one student casually provided the answer. “For us who’ve failed so much, failure is like eating salad—no big deal!”

This comment sparked a revelation. Looking at her high-achieving students, Lam recognized troubling similarities between them and her younger self: fear of failure and an overly pragmatic mindset. “I’m not saying these traits are necessarily bad, but the challenges ahead are enormous. Life isn’t just about good grades, landing a good job, and cruising to retirement. So I thought—instead of teaching kids to sail in calm waters, why not teach them to navigate storms?”

This insight led Lam to establish a life education organization that partners with schools to build students’ “psychological muscle” through activities designed to help them embrace setbacks and failures. Breaking new ground wasn’t easy—she describes the process as having “no roadmap to follow.” “Without my journalism and communications background, I never would have had the courage or felt equipped to take this leap.”

Her undergraduate experience provided what she calls “inner and outer cultivation.” The program’s philosophy served as “inner training,” emphasizing creativity and innovation—“the ability to build something from nothing.” The practical skills formed the “outer training”—media techniques like layout design and copywriting that she still uses today. She pulls out a folder she created for teachers and students as an example: it features a pair of scuffed sneakers alongside her signature message—“Only those who walk will fall.”

This message captures the heart of her educational philosophy. “I often ask kids: ‘Who never falls down?’ They tell me it’s people who are lying down or sitting still. And who does fall? People who are walking, running, moving forward. I tell them we have no right to mock someone who falls, because they’re actually moving—and that takes courage.”

She sees a parallel with her fellow journalism graduates: “They’re people in motion, constantly exploring and pushing boundaries.”

Profile:
Lam Chau-ha Sharon graduated from the School of Journalism and Communication at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in 2010. After working as a secondary school teacher, she founded the life education organization Why Not Education in 2015.