As appeared in the Albuquerque Journal Westside and Rio Rancho Sections, 05/16/09
Do commencement speeches really sink in with the graduates who they are intended for, or do the words of wisdom resonate more with the adults in the audience? Of the young leaders in the audience, how many are willing to listen to one more adult give them one more bit of advice? When really all they are thinking about is 1) How soon can I take off this hot cap and gown? and 2) Whose party should I go to first?
Commencement speeches have a tendency to be on the dry side, and unless they are given by the Jay Lenos and Robin Williamses of the world, the speeches can be run-on and bland, with the memorable "aha" moments few and far between.
As I was researching this column, I wanted to find the best of the best in commencement speeches, and I found that some of them held me from beginning to end (Steve Jobs), whereas others could barely hold my attention to the second paragraph (insert any politician name).
So, in keeping within my allotted space on the page and for the sake of interest, I present my favorite excerpts for your review.
Marc S. Lewis, a clinical psychology professor at the University of Texas Austin, in a speech from 2000 said, "There are times when you are going to do well, and times when you're going to fail. But neither the doing well, nor the failure is the measure of success. The measure of success is what you think about what you've done. Let me put that another way: The way to be happy is to like yourself and the way to like yourself is to do only things that make you proud."
More words of wisdom come from Woody Hayes, Ohio State University's legendary football coach from an inspiring speech in 1986: "You'll find out that nothing that comes easy is worth a dime. As a matter of fact, I never saw a football player make a tackle with a smile on his face. Never."
Although U.S. presidents' commencement speeches tend to be rather low-key, I did find a speech by JFK that is among the better ones. In this often-quoted line from his 1963 address to American University grads, Kennedy sums up a collective perspective: "In the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal."
The most inspiring commencement speech I came across is titled "Find What You Love" given by Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple Computer and Pixar Animation Studios, delivered to the graduating class of 2005 at Stanford University. He laments on losing top dog position at Apple Computers, the company he founded, and the humbling task of having to start all over again. In other words, lessons on survival.
Jobs said, "Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith. I'm convinced that the only thing that kept me going was that I loved what I did. You've got to find what you love. And that is as true for your work as it is for your lovers. Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle. As with all matters of the heart, you'll know when you find it. And, like any great relationship, it just gets better and better as the years roll on. So keep looking until you find it. Don't settle."
Follow your hearts, dear readers, even if that means taking art history and oil painting classes in college when you're supposed to be taking calculus and business law.
Quote of the Week: “You will be judged by your gallop, not by your stumble.” – Bradley Whitford
www.jenniferhuard.blogspot.com
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