Do you still recall who gave the commencement speech when you graduated from high school and/or college? I do. And I have to admit they were quite unremarkable and imminently forgettable.
But that isn’t always the case, as this year’s crop of commencement speeches from around the country shows. So here’s some great advice and well-founded wisdom from some of the men and women who spoke to graduates in 2015:
Denzel Washington:
- Put God first: “Everything that I have is by the grace of God, understand that. It’s a gift. … I didn’t always stick with Him, but He stuck with me.”
- Fail big: “Don’t be afraid to fail big, to dream big, but remember, dreams without goals, are just dreams. And they ultimately fuel disappointment. … I try to give myself a goal every day, sometimes it’s just not to curse somebody out.”
- You’ll never see a U-Haul behind a hearse: “I don’t care how much money you make, you can’t take it with you. … It’s not how much you have, it’s what you do with it.”
- While you’re on your knees in the morning, say thank you: “Say thank you in advance for what is already yours. … True desire in the heart for anything good is God’s proof to you sent beforehand that it’s already yours. … When you get it, reach back, pull someone else up. Each one, teach one. Don’t just aspire to make a living, aspire to make a difference.”
Arianna Huffington’s 3 Relationships:
- Your relationship with technology: ?No generation has been as liberated and as connected by technology as yours. But also, no generation has been as enslaved and as distracted by technology.?
- Your relationship with yourself: ?There will be many profound and fulfilling relationships ahead of you, but the relationship with yourself is the most important relationship you’ll ever have.?
- Your relationship with the world: ?There is an invisible but very real and inescapable connection between our relationship with ourselves and our relationship with the world… Don’t get so caught up in your busy life that life’s mystery passes you by.?
Gavin Newsom‘s 3 Topics Worthy Of Addressing:
- Diversity: ?At our best we don’t just tolerate our diversity. We celebrate our diversity?
- Leadership: ?You don’t have to be something to do something. Take responsibility. Step up and step in. Because at the end of the day, folks, we are our behaviors.?
- Anxiety: ?Start failing forward fast?
Tom Brokaw’s?4 Mantras For ?The New Age:”
- Do not be afraid to be disruptive.
- Find new ways to do the conventional.
- Do not run from big and bold challenges.
- Be the generation that sees a friend or a stranger for who they are, and not just the color of their skin.
Best wishes to the Class of 2015!
