Remarks:
I want to thank you for the
invitation to speak with you today. As
the former President of two Colleges, I understand exactly how important a rite
of passage this is for each of you (and for your loved ones as well) and I’m
honored to be a small part of this very special occasion.
Many of you are the first in your
families to attend and graduate from college and, as the eldest of 6 children
and a lifetime entrepreneur, I know in my heart just how hard it is to be the
first at any new enterprise. To take that leap and that gamble. To put yourself
out there with no net and no turning back. To leave the comfort and security of
the way things have always been done and to believe instead that you – and you
alone – can make things different and better. For yourself, and those close to
you, but also for many who will follow in your footsteps and look to you to
look back and lend them a helping hand just as so many people made today
possible for you. No one today does anything important all by themselves.
And, of course, that’s why you’re
never really alone. (It just feels that way sometimes.) Friends and family are critical supporters
and we are all fortunate to have them in our corners, but ultimately, we know
that no one else can do the heavy lifting for you. You carry not only all the
weight of your own dreams, desires and fears, but also the aggregated
expectations of friends, family and even your community in many ways.
And you have the additional
“privilege” of dealing with the naysayers. The ones who know what’s best
for you even as they sit squarely in safety on the sidelines. And the
ones who are happy to tell you in great detail what’s above you, or beyond you,
or too big for your britches (whatever those are), or forever out of your
reach. And finally, the ones who take great joy in pointing out all the reasons
why things won’t work – even though they’ve never had the courage to try. They
can find a million problems for any solution.
But, to build a better world, we have
to keep moving forward and we can no longer afford to be afraid to fail – we
can all expect to fail from time to time – that’s just part of the game, but –
the key to the future is that we can never be afraid to try. Scrapes,
scratches and skinned knees are all part of the process. Being brave means working
to find things that are more important than your fears. You learn to focus your
time and your energies on your desires (and the things that need to be changed)
and not on your fears. Your faith – especially, but not exclusively, in
yourself - needs to be stronger than your fears.
Today you and
your grand achievements are the very best answer and testimony to all those
doubters and a convincing demonstration as well of exactly what each of us can
achieve if we set our hearts and minds to it. We never know how much weight we
can carry until we try or what burdens we can bear until we are really tested. And
this day you showed us all. You met the tests and the challenges and you
overcame them to reach this special moment.
Finally, I want to assure you that
the investment you’ve made in your education is a wise one. Education today may
be costly, but ignorance is far more expensive. A great education changes the way you look at the world –
mostly in a good way – and the rigor, the arguments, the grit and the
perseverance that it takes to excel have prepared you, have distinguished you,
and will set you apart as you enter the working world and in whatever you
choose to do with your lives. This is a special privilege and a sacred trust and
your most important responsibility as well as your first job will be to choose
wisely.
You’ve gained powerful new skills – these
are not to be wasted – not to be withheld for fear of failing - and, most
importantly, not to be frittered away. Every one of you is better than that –
you shouldn’t settle for anything less. Your careers will be very different
from ours – not a linear path or a single employer – you’ll move as you
choose from job to job – gathering experiences – gaining additional skills
– learning from good and bad role models – and ever-expanding outward as you
grow toward what makes your life most complete.
And, as you move forward on the
journey, please keep one thing firmly in mind. There’s always a best seat in
the house – a best row at the show – and, while you may not always get it –
shame on you if you don’t go for it. It pays to aim high.
The world is full of new and
different opportunities everywhere you look. The rate of change in your lives
will never be slower than it is right now – so hang on to something
solid - and be prepared for the ride of your life. Entrepreneurs learn early on
that – just like in racing – the world doesn’t wait for you. The future isn’t
something that you wait and hope for – it’s something you grab hold of and make
your own. You don’t get what you wish for, you get what you work for.
Now I want to leave you with 3 more
quick rules.
(1) Focus is Everything. You can do
anything you want, but you can’t do everything. Do a few important things in
your life very well. The future will be all about difficult choices and constant
triage. Too many opportunities and too little time. And be honest. Commit
wholly to your choices. Don’t say “maybe” when you mean “no”. And remember that
the hardest choices are those we make with our hearts, not our heads.
(2) There is No Finish Line. We all need
to be lifelong learners if we want to make a difference and a contribution.
Your education just started here. Iteration – constantly examining,
adjusting and improving every part of our lives – is the way that we will
remain competitive, valuable and relevant in the global economy. It’s easy to
say. But it’s a hard way to live. We get better by getting just a little bit
better every day.
(3) There’s Always More Work. Work is
like rabbits. If you let it, it can multiply to fill all the hours in the day.
This is called Parkinson’s Law. And it’s easy – especially when you’re starting
out – to confuse your work with who you are. But it’s not your identity – it’s
just what you do. And, even more importantly, while there’s always more work,
you only have one family and it’s critical, but not easy, to remember to make
time and room for them in your soon-to-be very busy life. Creating, supporting
and nurturing your family will always be your most important work.
So that’s my story. My hopes for
you are simple. I want the rest of your
life to be the best of your life.
We often act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of
life, when all that we really need to make us happy is something to be
enthusiastic and proud about.
At
1871, we’re lucky enough to go to work surrounded every day by excited,
energetic and enthusiastic people who are setting out to change the world in
important ways.
My
fondest hope for each of you is that you can find a similar place and similar
challenges. There’s no better way to spend your days.
So now it’s up to you – go forth – go always
forward – and go make us and your parents proud.
