Ah graduation speeches. Tis the season and just about all of them will have somebody all dressed up and well intended telling you that you are launched – so go out there and do something great big by golly. To that everybody will cheer and throw their hats into the air and it will be over except for the pictures and the party.
I know for certain that none of them will say what I am about to tell you and that is a shame because these are the very things you need to know before you step out onto the busy street called life. Here goes.
For some of you, this night is the end, the culmination of your achievement. You have peaked but you don’t realize this tonight. Having grown accustomed to the adoration of your peers because of what you can do on the athletic field, for your raging popularity or because you are just the cutest darned thing anybody’s ever seen, you will flounder and sadly probably end up selling used cars on this fine town’s main street or perhaps you will retire having been the main librarian at the downtown branch - which is not such a bad thing – but not the future you had envisioned for yourself. You see, in real life they hardly ever have popularity contests and when they do, they don’t pay the bills. Athletics – unless you are one in a million, will be your union’s beer league or the company softball team, also not bad either but they don’t give out letter jackets and nobody much cares what you did at your last game. And, sadly those who got their attention solely from their looks will soon realize that there are a whole lot of pretty people out there in the big world – so you’ll need to rely on something besides that – if you can but sadly, some of you are a little out of practice. It's not too late but you're going to have to retool the factory if you're going to change course.
Some of you are sitting there having been largely ignored during the past school years – at least ignored by the really neat people. As life would have it – it is you that will most likely end up at the top and the really cool people who are getting all the attention tonight and have been for the last many years will be bitter and resentful at your 20th reunion. That said here are some short words of wisdom, again not necessarily the ones you usually hear, but things you need to know at any rate.
Be you. The good Lord put a lot of time and effort into making you who you are, your perspective, your unique gifts and talents, your determination. Take stock of what you have and be honest with what you don’t. Be you and you will soar.
Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that the dream you hold inside is a bad idea that it is unlikely to succeed. You would not have been given that dream if it were not possible for you to achieve it. I believe that with all my heart and you should too.
Do not confuse believing in yourself with meaning that you should not listen to sound and sage advice. Believe in yourself, but use all the help you can get to achieve what it is you want.
Never be afraid of hard work and never ever take the shortcut. There are no shortcuts and nothing worth having comes without hard gut busting work.
Grow up now if you haven’t already.
Be responsible and take the heat when you haven’t been.
Whether or not you like your life, your job, your circumstances or your spouse is nobody’s fault but your own. If you don’t like it, do something about it.
Never whine about what you don’t have. Use the energy instead to work hard enough to get it.
If you want wealth, then don’t spend all your money, period. Rich people have money because they save more than they spend. Saving isn’t for dorky people, spending to impress somebody by buying things beyond your means is and by the way, nobody is ever fooled.
Pay your own way because it is nobody else’s’ job. It is impossible to gain respect with mommy and daddy paying your way the rest of your life. It is your life – pay for it.
Life is good and fun and rich. Breathe it in, rub it all over and relish the very fact that you are alive.
May God bless each and every single one of you and yell loudly into your ear when you are going wrong. Now - hold hands and jump!