Opening
First I would like to thank the MAC Board members for allowing me the opportunity to speak to you all today. This is a special evening for the Class of 2010 and your families and I recognize the significance of the event and feel privileged to be able to talk with you this evening.
For the next 10 minutes or so I’m going to share my ingredients for success. Now these ingredients are not stand-alone self-fulfilling products. They all require action and effort on your part to see their true value.
Following my comments I will take any questions you may have.
Intro
So, 56 days left until graduation?? Excited? That’s it? Come on now only 4 people are excited?
I remember sitting in your seat 8 short years ago in this same place and being excited as well.
I remember thinking “Wow! I’m almost done….Thank God!”
I also have little recollection of the speech I received that day so I hope my speech to you is a little more memorable!
Focus on that word short for just a moment….For some of you these past 12+ years in the Marcellus school community have flown by and I’m sure for others has moved at a snail’s pace. I want all of you to think back for just a moment and reflect on your Marcellus experience. This is something that I often did, and still do, following graduation. Always realizing just how special an environment this town, community and school system truly is.
I figure a lot of you have heard a parent or teacher say something similar. Well, I’m here to tell you it is true. You probably will not realize it though for some time. As each of you go off on your own path following graduation keep this in the back of your mind as you experience new things, new people and new places and just maybe…a few of you will be back here to raise children of your own in this unique and special environment. Maybe…
Ok well, as you know I am currently serving in the United States Army. Now in the Army, they like to make things very direct and clear. They teach you battle drills to execute the simplest of tasks and they use acronyms to help you remember everything. So in keeping with Army fashion I’m going to focus this speech on 5 key statements:
First: Don’t be afraid to fail
Flexibility is a tremendous asset
Never be satisfied with mediocrity
Value the people around you
Finally: Remember to enjoy life
Don’t be afraid to fail - The word failure is not something we like to hear kind of makes us cringe a bit, leaves a bad taste in our mouths. Me personally, I hate to fail at anything. I not only want to succeed in everything but I also believe I can succeed. The only way you will reach your best in anything, whether it is academics, athletics, music or the work place is to push yourself out of your comfort zone, ask questions and never be afraid to fail. Just remember if you ever do happen to fail at something I can guarantee you will remember that experience for the rest of your life and will be less likely to make the same mistake again. I can remember very vividly the times in my life when I have failed at something, whether it be on a test, in an assignment or in a competition and I can tell you that I never made the same mistake again. So though none of us likes to experience failure and I hope all of you never have to, remember that if it does happen you can recover from it and life goes on. And if I haven’t convinced you yet here’s a list of people you probably know that have experienced failure at some point in their lives but through determination and desire pursued their passion on their way to achieving success…
Albert Einstein failed his entrance exams to Swiss Polytechnic Institute,
J.K. Rowling author of The Harry Potter series, lived on welfare in an apartment infested with mice,
Julia Roberts auditioned for All My Children but didn’t get the part,
Michael Jordan was cut from his high school basketball team, and
Walt Disney was fired from a newspaper because they said he lacked imagination and creativity.
All of these people have the same thing in common; they pursued their passion at all costs. Don’t let small failures or other people determine your goals and passion in life. Hang onto your dreams, goals and passions no matter what.
Flexibility – Flexibility is a tremendous asset. Things will not always go as planned. We plan, practice, strategize and predict where, when and how things will go only to see all our plans go up in smoke. This is an especially important trait for those of you thinking about joining the military. Uncle Sam likes to change his mind frequently and not always let you know when he does. Flexibility has kept me from going insane more than a few times. It’s ok to plan; I’m not saying you shouldn’t plan. My wife is a constant planner and very good at it. However, you just need to handle change and adversity with confidence and an optimistic outlook so that when it comes, and it will, you will be able to adapt and roll with the punches.
Never be satisfied with mediocrity – Mediocrity means different things to different people. Personally, mediocrity means doing just enough to get by. Now you shouldn’t try to do things to other peoples’ standards. But you should always hold yourself and anything you are committed to, to your highest personal standard. Let’s pause and reflect, what things and people could you be committed to?
Non-profit organizations – these organizations rely heavily on volunteers that are committed to help meet their organizations goals.
Employer – your job stability is directly dependent on your commitment to.
Your family’s well being – again directly influenced by your day to day actions
And your Self – both your mental/physical health and the benefits of a long and healthy life truly depend on your commitment to yourself.
Ok, now that we’ve talked about what you’re committed to, let’s talk about what’s on the line?
Your Personal image – the way you view yourself, & your self esteem, self worth
What other people think of you – how do others view your ability to complete a task?
And maybe most importantly, the Feelings of the people that matter to you most (family and friends)
The old saying, “If it’s worth doing its worth doing well” still holds its weight. Striving to do your personal best in all of life’s endeavors will result in a more fulfilling and rewarding experience. As you go through life always remember what’s on the line.
Value the people around you - Several years from today when you reflect back on your high school experience you may not remember the names of the courses you took or the grades you received in them but you will remember each other. Relationships are the key to happiness. As you move through life, in college, on teams, in your job, devote time to those around you. Classmates, study partners, teammates, work colleagues, if you respect the people around you they will help you out whenever you need them. You can’t do everything on your own and at some point you will need to depend on others. Push yourself and strive to do your best, just not at the expense of your friends/family. Don’t always be so focused on a grade or project or a promotion that you neglect the people around you that helped you get there. If you value the people around you they will always be there to help you out or pick you up when you need it most. You all will quickly see, if you haven’t yet, that social networking plays a huge roll in your career. Many scholarships, interviews, evaluations and jobs are awarded not for your past performance or achievements but because of who you know and your reputation with them. This is a fact of life and it is not changing anytime soon, so you need to understand this and realize that the people around you can and will have an impact at some point on something you want to do. So value them and they will help you go far.
Remember to Enjoy Life – This is not always easy to do. Especially when you are super busy studying for finals, scrambling to finish a report or have a very difficult task hanging over your head at work. Just try to remember that soon enough you will be done with the report or difficult task and able to take a deep breath and relax before moving on to something else. You have the choice to decide whether to go through life as an optimist or pessimist. This is an easy choice when everything is going well for you. However, there are lots of people that have trouble staying positive and enjoying life when life throws us curve balls. Your attitude and outlook go a very long way in determining your happiness. Your ability to remain optimistic throughout life’s challenges will lead to a more enjoyable and healthier life for you while at the same time causing others to want to be around you so they too can feel happy.
Well that’s it. The 5 keys to success and happiness in the future. Easy enough right?
Some of you may be wondering do I really have what it takes now as a graduating senior to succeed in the challenging and competitive environment outside of Marcellus? Yes you do. The environment and community in which all of you were raised is special. The Marcellus school system has taught you not only the academic knowledge, but provided you with the values and character traits necessary to be successful in life. These values and character traits cannot be measured in any Regents exam or final. The Marcellus community has given you strength of character and a sense of community while nurturing you in this small town environment. The environment and community you all grew up in here in Marcellus is a unique one. You can rest assured that the Marcellus community has provided each one of you with all the skills and intangibles to succeed in life.
I wish you all the best of luck in all your life’s endeavors.
Congratulations to the Class of 2010!Thank you & God Bless…
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment