ARDB Director General: ‘No One Can Write Our Lives for Us but Ourselves’

His Excellency Dr. Kao Thach, Royal Government Delegate in Charge of the Rural Development and Agriculture Bank (ARDB) as Director General, shared this view: “No one can write our lives for us but ourselves. Let us regard the past as a lesson, today as an opportunity and the opening of a new page in our destiny, and tomorrow as the success that awaits us.”

Speaking at the opening ceremony for the 2026–2027 academic year on November 1, 2026, at Puk Russei High School in Puk Russei Commune, Ksach Kandal District, Kandal Province, Dr. Kao Thach delivered a meaningful and deeply inspiring message to the students. He said: “Please regard the past as a lesson. From today onward, let this be the opening of a new page in the book of your mindset and knowledge—one that will determine your own destiny in the future. No one can write your lives for you but yourselves.”

Dr. Kao reminded the students that intelligence and success do not happen by chance or on their own; they require sacrifice, effort and consistent use of the right methods of study and research. He encouraged them to make the Buddha’s teaching of the four principles, “Su, Chi, Pu, Li,” their regular compass. Dr. Kao also shared four “golden keys” for personal development:

• First, change your mindset: Eliminate the words “I can’t do it” and replace them with “I haven’t learned how yet,” giving yourself the opportunity to keep learning.

• Second, avoid the trap of comparison: Do not compare yourself with others to the point of losing confidence, because everyone’s life journey has its own pace and goals. It is like lotus flowers, jasmine and sunflowers, which bloom in different seasons.

• Third, master technology: A smartphone is a tool to serve people, so learn to control it and use it to support your education. Do not let it take control of you or become a “thief that steals your time, hopes and future.”

• Fourth, intelligence comes from refusing to give up: Intelligence is not something people are simply born with; it comes from accumulating knowledge little by little. Most important are “patience, perseverance and continuous research.”