Commencement speeches are the mashed potatoes of inspiration.
You don’t strongly like or dislike them. You know what to expect from them, every time. They just kind of lay there — not bad, but bland.
kAm~9[ @442D:@?2==J D@>6@?6 H:== DAC:?<=6 @? D@>6 FDF2==J\E@@\A6CD@?2=\7@C\86?6C2=\4@?DF>AE:@? 9F>@C[ @C 2 A@AF=2C 4F=EFC6 C676C6?46 E92E H:== 36 @FE @7 52E6 3J E96 E:>6 J@F C6249 E96 A2C<:?8 =@E] qFE 7@C E96 >@DE A2CE[ 4@>>6?46>6?E DA66496D 2C6 DE2C49J 3=@3D @7 v@@8=65 BF@E2E:@?D[ 6?92?465 H:E9 DH66E6?65\FA >6>@C:6D 2?5 “E9:D :D?’E E96 6?5[ :E’D E96 368:??:?8” A=2E:EF56D]k^Am
kAms6>@4C2E DE277 >6>36CD 4@G6C65 `` =@42= 4@>>6?46>6?E 46C6>@?:6D E9:D DAC:?8] x? 2== @7 E92E 8C25F2E:@? 4@G6C286[ 2?5 :? >J 4@G6C286 @7 4@>>6?46>6?ED =2DE J62C[ E96C6 H2D @?6 255C6DD E92E 5:DE2?465 :ED6=7 7C@> E96 >2D965 A@E2E@6D] %9:D 255C6DD H2D AC:>6 C:3[ >65:F> C2C6] (:E9 2F ;FD] p?5 9@CD6C25:D9 D2F46]k^Am
kAmp==2? z@G249 :D 2? t?8=:D9 E62496C 2E }@CE9H6DE w:89 $49@@=] x D9@F=5 D2J “H2D” — 96 92D 2446AE65 2 E6249:?8 A@D:E:@? 2E u@CE ~D286 w:89 $49@@= 2?5 DE2CED E96C6 :? E96 72==] z@G249 H2D D6=64E65 3J }@CE9H6DE’D r=2DD @7 a_`a E@ 56=:G6C E96 <6J?@E6 255C6DD 2E :ED 4@>>6?46>6?E] p?5 2D x D2:5[ H92E 96 56=:G6C65 H2D ECF=J 2 >2:? 4@FCD6]k^Am
kAmz@G249 @A6?65 H:E9 D@>6 9F>@C@FD 2?645@E6D 23@FE 9:D DEF56?ED 2?5 E96:C 3692G:@C :? 2?5 @FE @7 9:D 4=2DDC@@>] ~?6 :?G@=G65 9@H 96 42>6 E@ 42== |256=J? !2C<9FCDE “s:CEJ y62?D”j 2?@E96C 46?E6C65 @? 9:D DEF56?ED 8@:?8 “FA 2?5 5@H? E96 92== 3:E:?8 J@FC E9F>3D 2E 6249 @E96C E96 7:CDE 52J H6 C625 ‘#@>6@ 2?5 yF=:6E]’ ”k^Am
kAmw6 E96? 962A65 AC2:D6 @? 9:D AC@5:8:6D[ 42==:?8 E96> “D@>6 @7 E96 3C:89E6DE DEF56?ED E92E x’G6 6?4@F?E6C65 5FC:?8 >J E:>6 2D 2 E62496C]” z@G249’D A2DD:@? 7@C E6249:?8 2?5 2AAC64:2E:@? 7@C 9:D DEF56?ED’ 677@CE 2?5 :?E6==64E H2D 2AA2C6?E 2D 96 E2=<65 23@FE D@>6 @7 9:D >@C6 25G2?465 4=2DD6D C6249:?8 “E96 =6G6= H96C6 E96J 8@ 36J@?5 >:=5=J :?E6C6DE65 2?5 24EF2==J 4@>6 :?E@ 4@?E24E H:E9 E96 H@?56C @7 =62C?:?8]”k^Am
kAmz@G249 E96? @776C65 E96 @3=:82E@CJ H@C5D @7 H:D5@> E92E 2C6 C6BF:D:E6 7@C DF49 DA66496D] qFE 9:D 6?4@FC286>6?ED H6C6 ?@E E96 FDF2= 4@>>6?46>6?E 72C6ik^Am
kAm• “u:?5 D@>6E9:?8 E92E >2<6D J@F 92AAJ[” 96 D2:5[ H9:49 :D AC6EEJ DE2?52C5] qFE 96 H6?E @?i “WwX@A67F==J J@FC ;@3 H:== 36 2 A2CE @7 E92E E9:?8[ 3FE =6E’D ?@E 36 E@@ C@>2?E:4 23@FE E92E — 492?46D 2C6 J@F’C6 8@:?8 E@ E@=6C2E6 J@FC ;@3 >@C6 E92? =@G6 :E[ 3FE E92E’D 7:?6[ E92E’D C62=:EJ] (92E x >62? :D 7:?5 D@>6E9:?8 @C :56?E:7J D@>6E9:?8 J@F 2=C625J 92G6 E92E >2<6D J@F 92AAJ E92E 2E E96 6?5 @7 E96 52J ?@ @?6 42? E2<6 2H2J 7C@> J@F] q642FD6 36=:6G6 >6[ E96J’== ECJ]”k^Am
kAm• z@G249’D ?6IE A@:?E C6>:?565 >6 @7 2 8C62E =:EE=6\<?@H? 7:=>[ “$EC:4E=J q2==C@@>[” H9:49 42CC:6D E96 D2>6 >6DD286i “(@CCJ :D =:<6 :?E6C6DE A2:5 :? 25G2?46 @? 2 563E E92E ?6G6C 4@>6D 5F6] s@?’E 36 27C2:5] q6 AC@24E:G6] x7 J@F =:G6 J@FC =:76 :? 762C J@F H:== ?6G6C 36 92AAJ]”k^Am
kAm• |@DE :>A@CE2?E[ 96 E@=5 E96 DEF56?ED ?@E E@ 7@C86E 23@FE E96 AC6D6?E — E@ =:G6 C:89E ?@H] “{@@< 2C@F?5 2E 2== E9:D[ E2<6 :E :?[ :E’D 2== 7@C J@F 2?5 :E’D 2== 92AA6?:?8 C:89E ?@H] v6E FD65 E@ 5@:?8 E92E 3642FD6 E96 AC6D6?E :D >@C6 :>A@CE2?E E92? A6@A=6 8:G6 :E 4C65:E 7@C[” 96 D2:5]k^Am
kAmz@G249 4=@D65 3J E6==:?8 E96 DEF56?EDi “*@F’C6 :? 492C86 @7 J@F ?@H] v@ @FE E96C6 2?5 >2<6 J@FCD6=7 AC@F5] *@F 5@?’E ?665 FD 2?J>@C6 — 2?5 E92E :D 6IEC6>6=J 4@>7@CE:?8]”k^Am
kAmwF>@C[ AC2:D6[ 2 =:EE=6 H:D5@> 2?5 2? 6IAC6DD:@? @7 4@?7:56?46] vC62E H2J E@ D6?5 2 4@==64E:@? @7 8@@5 <:5D @FE :?E@ E96 H@C=5]k^Am
kAmz@G249 D2:5 96 7@F?5 @FE 2 >@?E9 28@ 96 H2D D6=64E65 2D E96 8C25F2E:@? DA62<6C[ 2?5 :E E@@< 9:> EH@ E@ E9C66 9@FCD E@ HC:E6 E96 255C6DD] w:D 8@2= H2D E@ “4@??64E E@ E96 <:5D ]]] x H2?E65 E@ 4966C E96> FA] x 925 D66? D@>6 @7 E96> E62C:?8 FA” E2=<:?8 23@FE 8C25F2E:@? 2?5 2== :E 6?4@>A2DD6D]k^Am
kAmw6 25>:EE65 E92E 9:D 255C6DD :D D@>6E9:?8 E92E 42??@E 36 AF==65 @77 2E 3:886C D49@@=D]k^Am
kAm“*@F ;FDE 42?’E 86E E92E A6CD@?2= 4@??64E:@? H:E9 E96 DEF56?ED[” 96 D2:5] $E:==[ 96 76=E 325 E92E ?@E 2== @7 E96 8C25F2E6D H6C6 >6?E:@?65 :? 9:D DA6649[ 6G6? E9@F89[ “x 8@E :? 2D >2?J 2D x 4@F=5]”k^Am
kAm%9C@F89 E96 DE@C:6D 96 D92C65[ J@F 4@F=5 E6== 96 C6G6=65 :? 8:G:?8 9:D DEF56?ED 2 92C5 E:>6] “%92E H2D >J 9@@< H:E9 E96>[” 96 D2:5] “q6:?8 2 ;6C<[ 3FE 2 8@@5\?2EFC65 ;6C<]”k^Am
kAmz@G249’D >@G6 E@ u@CE ~D286 E@ E6249 t?8=:D9 :D 3:EE6CDH66E] w6 D2:5 E96 >@G6 E@ 2 3:886C D49@@= H:E9 3:886C 492==6?86D H2D 2 5:77:4F=E 564:D:@?[ 3FE E96 C:89E @?6 E@ >@G6 9:D 42C66C 7@CH2C5] w6 DEC6DD65 E92E 9:D 56A2CEFC6 D9@F=5 ?@E 36 E2<6? 2D 2 D:8? E92E E96C6 :D 2?JE9:?8 HC@?8 H:E9 }@CE9H6DE]k^Am
kAm“x H:== >:DD :E 2 =@E[” 96 D2:5] “xE’D 2 8C62E A=246] x 42?’E D2J 6?@F89 8@@5 23@FE :E]”k^Am
kAmr@?46C?:?8 9:D 4@>>6?46>6?E 255C6DD[ z@G249’D 9@A6 H2D E92E :E 42>6 @77 2D “>@C6 86?F:?6 E92? H92E J@F 4@>>@?=J D66 2E 8C25F2E:@?D]” x 2DDFC65 9:> 96 9:E E96 >2C<]k^Am
kAm“%96? x 8F6DD x’> 8@:?8 @FE @? 2 9:89 ?@E6[” 96 D2:5]k^Am





