#GraduationSpeeches #graduates #graduation #GraduationCeremonies #speeches
Graduation ceremonies always have speeches.
Some speakers make pretty good coin speaking at graduations. Some even make news with them.
Some, if not most, graduates couldn’t care less about hearing a speech from someone well-known or famous. Many just want to get the ceremonies over with, so they can get to the fun celebrations sooner.
Also, graduates mostly hear speeches talking about motivation, following one’s dreams, working hard etc. Most graduates know what they are going to do next, so the emotional speeches can ring hollow.
Some graduation speakers have taken to straying from conventional topics and talking about themselves, their grievances and what THEY – not the graduates – can do for the world.
That not only can ring hollow for graduates, but can be downright annoying for them, and potentially embarrassing for the speaker.
Still, the graduation speeches must be given, and endured, because it’s how we do things.
The truly outstanding graduation speech – one that has graduates soaking up every word – is rare, but not unheard of.
What if schools and colleges dispensed with the speeches and just handed out diplomas or degrees and sent everyone home?
That would put a real dent in what has become more than a cottage industry. Not only do a lot of these speakers get paid well for a speech, they also often collect honorary degrees from the institution.
Politicians, authors, athletes, celebrities and academics often thrive on giving these speeches.
To be fair, some good ideas and quotes arise from the speeches. As a graduate, wouldn’t you love to have a few quotes from the speech in the folder with your degree or diploma, rather than sit through a whole long speech?
Graduation ceremonies can be uncomfortable. It can be 100 degrees in a big venue with no air-conditioning, or outside in the heat or the rain.
To sit through a long speech in either of those conditions likely would mean you won’t get much from the speech, no matter how good it is. And, regardless of conditions, it’s unlikely a graduate will remember much from any speech a few weeks later.
If schools removed the speeches and cut to the chase of handing out degrees or diplomas, there would be more time for families to take pictures and enjoy a good celebration afterward.
Though speeches can be inspirational, educational and motivating, most graduates likely would rather do without them.
More comfortable clothes and more fun with family and friends are on most graduates’ wish list.
Some graduates opt to skip the whole ceremony and have their degree or diploma sent to them sometime later.
If one must sit through a graduation ceremony, those who plan them should think more about what the graduates want, and less about what the institution or the speakers want.
Peter
Tag Archives: graduation speeches
GRADUATION SEASON IS ONE OF GRATITUDE
#graduates #GraduationSeason #gratitude #AttitudeOfGratitude #HelpingOthers
Graduation season brings out the gratitude in all those mortarboard-clad hopefuls.
Graduates are grateful to those who helped make them who they are: parents, teachers, mentors, coaches, family and friends.
But can they sustain that gratitude to others who will influence their lives from here on?
Certainly, those who brought them along during their formative years will likely not be forgotten.
But as they (pick one: cruise, stumble, climb, fly) into adulthood, others will step in to influence what they do, who they are and what they will become.
The question for those grads will be: will they remember who helped them, advised them or worked with or for them etc., that made a difference in their outcomes?
Leaders and other good people understand that the road to success is not a solo venture. In fact, they learn that success comes not from just helping oneself, but by helping others.
As they proceed to help others succeed, they cultivate a deep gratitude not only for the privilege of helping others, but also for the honor of being helped by others.
So, if you are a graduate this year, don’t let the season just be a symbol of gratitude. Let it be a foundation for the gratitude you will hone throughout your life.
This is not to say that self-confidence is not a virtue. In fact, it’s difficult to appreciate those who believe(d) in you if you do not believe in yourself.
You will face many decisions that will be completely yours. You may indeed have strong beliefs on how to proceed. Still, don’t hesitate to ask someone you trust whether they believe you are making the right choice(s) before you decide. You may discover something of which you’d never thought.
Also, you will face choices to do what benefits you most, or what may benefit others most. Choosing the former may work in some employment situations. Very likely, however, choosing the latter in more whole-life circumstances will be better.
Also, remember it is always better to serve than be served, regardless of what position or status you reach.
Serving is the ultimate form of gratitude for your success.
Success by serving others is the truest form of achievement. As you help others succeed, success generally follows you.
You will run across some for whom success comes at the expense of others. That may work in some sports competitions, but generally does not in other aspects of life. Success at the expense of others is the opposite of gratitude.
So, as you proceed to your next step, tread with gratitude, not only for those who’ve already helped you, but also for those who will help you. Return that favor by helping others.
Flying solo in life can get you off-course, can send you adrift and can be very lonely.
Taking others along for the ride will make the trip more pleasant, more fun and more rewarding.
Always be grateful.
Peter
ATTENTION GRADUATES: SIFT AND SORT THE ADVICE YOU GET
#graduation #GraduationMessages #GraduationSpeeches
Graduation speeches, at least to the graduates who are just looking to celebrate and party afterward, can often draw a groan.
It seems to many of them to be something they must sit through. Perhaps it’s good training for the next corporate meeting they will have to attend.
But they also may find a few nuggets of good advice among the long, drawn-out talks.
Jena McGregor, in a Washington Post article, highlighted some well-known speakers’ pearls of wisdom. The article was also published May 29, 2018, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Oprah Winfrey, for example, gave the typical “do what you love” advice when she spoke at the Annenberg School of Communication and Journalism at the University of Southern California, the article says. Then, she said:” You need to know this: Your job is not always going to fulfill you,” McGregor writes.
Yet, Oprah also advised the graduates to be so good at what they will do that “your talent cannot be dismissed,” the article quotes her.
Undoubtedly, some of those graduates will find out that even though they are very good at what they do, perhaps even winning awards etc., whoever they work for might not recognize it. And, they may also discover that even good people get laid off when each of the many reorganizations they will witness takes place.
Meanwhile, Hamdi Ulukaya, CEO of the Chobani Greek yogurt company, told this to grads of the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania: “It’s great that you are a Wharton MBA. But please, don’t act like it,” the article quotes him.
His point was the great training that Wharton has given the graduates shouldn’t make them think less of others who have not been so academically blessed.
“Don’t let (your degree) get in the way of seeing people as people and all they have to offer you, regardless of their title or position,” the article quotes him.
Certainly, graduates have their own ambitions. They have come this far and have put in the work and time – hopefully having some fun along the way. Some may come out of school not knowing exactly what they want to do. For some, it may be a craps shoot as to what opportunities their degrees will give them – or not.
Then, they face the issue of jobs not turning into what was expected or promised. Will they be able to roll with whatever happens? Make no mistake: the unexpected will happen.
If you are a new graduate in a period of indecision about your future, know that there are many ways out there to earn a potentially substantial income with a few part-time hours a week away from your W-2 job. To check out one of the best, message me.
Meanwhile, sift and sort every piece of advice you get. Some advice, though well meaning, can stifle what you might want, or be destined, to do. Other advice can encourage you to shoot for the moon. Know that the moon can be there for the taking if you shoot properly and consistently over time.
See the good in everything you do, and everyone you encounter, as you endure some drudgery in each endeavor. Don’t ever be afraid of pursuing your dream. It, too, could be there for the taking with the right effort and strategy.
Peter