With high school graduation 3 months behind me, I have missed the grad speech window. And at this point, you may even be tired of hearing them (I don't blame you). Not having my speech get picked to be read at graduation was two things: a huge disappointment and a huge relief. I did what any mature high school senior would upon discovering that my speech had not been chosen; I cried and called my mom. But on the other hand, "picturing the crowd in their underwear" is weird, nor does it work. So here we are, 3 months later, and despite the fact that my speech was never read in front of 2,000 people, I think if anything, it can suffice as a little motivation as we start life after high school. So, here goes nothing:
When we were 5, they asked us what we wanted to be. To our kindergarten selves, the world seemed small and our dreams seemed big. We said things like superheroes, astronauts, or in my case, a princess. Sure, we weren’t worried about how practical those options were, but we wanted to do what would make us happy. Well, now they’re asking us again and this time, they’re looking for a more serious answer. Yet, not all that much has changed.
I once read that Vincent Van Gogh, one of the most esteemed artists of all time, ate yellow paint. As crazy as it sounds, he thought that yellow was the color of happiness and if he ate the yellow paint, he would become happy too. Most people thought he was insane, and maybe he was. But through his eyes, he was happy and everyone else was just a skeptic. I encourage you all to find your own yellow paint; something that brings you irrefutable happiness. Try new things and stretch yourself as much as possible. Change your mind and change it again. Find what makes you happy so that when they ask us what we want to be, we won’t be guessing anymore; we’ll know.
High school has shown us our fair share of obstacles and challenges, and these will take form in new dimensions in the future. But the obstacles we face don’t have to define us or steer us off course; it’s a choice that we all make for ourselves. The opportunity to achieve greatness is within our grasp and we all have the chance to become our fullest selves. Keep in mind, many of the most influential people started out as normal everyday people, much like you and I. Whether recognized by the world or just a few, my message to you is simple: Greatness is attainable. What’s unique about greatness isn’t even the act of being great or extraordinary; it’s the fact that we each create our own definition of it.
Just as greatness can be measured by what a person accomplishes, the true test of character comes in the wake of adversity. Failure is so important. We speak of success all the time. But the truth is, it is impossible to live without failing. Unless you have lived so cautiously that you haven’t lived at all. In which case, you have failed by default. To think failure is fatal is a tragic misconception. In fact, the function of failure is to create a shelf to put our successes on and allow our diligence to shine through. Walt Disney was told that he was "not creative enough". Steve Jobs was fired from Apple. Steven Spielberg was rejected from film school multiple times. Oprah Winfrey was fired from her first job as a television anchor. And yet, they have come to serve as the pinnacle of success in their fields. As we take our first steps into the rest of our lives, I challenge each and every one of you to live boldly, in such a way that our failures serve as an affirmation of our growth.
It’s easy to look at people who appear to be successful and happy and imagine that they always feel that way—that they never feel insecure or afraid, and they always operate from a place of confidence. But in doing so, we are doing ourselves a great injustice. Every person who has a pulse deals with human emotions. The only difference is the ability to recognize that no one is immune from failure, and the stepping stones to success might actually come from our struggles. Confident, successful people look fear in the eyes and make the choice to push through the discomfort, fully aware that it’s impermanent, and in the process learn, grow, and expand themselves. They realize that whatever happened in the past is over, and what happens is the future is dependent on their willingness to act now. Failure and success are two facets of the same coin, and we get to choose which side we land on. Some days, I let my fear control me, feeling sure I know what bad thing is coming and find myself determined to prevent it. Other days, I remember that I am shaping the future, and I can create it in determination or fear, but not both. Which do you choose today?
So many things are finite. There are always going to be 365 days in a year. 4 quarters will always equal 1 dollar. And if you multiply 2 negative numbers together, you will always get a positive number. Neil Armstrong once said "I believe every human has a finite number of heartbeats. I don't intend to waste any of mine". In between the finiteness of life lies the future. Infinite possibility. That is the future I see for all of you. Congratulations Class of 2016!
