The Most Uplifting of Ceremonies
It’s funny how most of the time you are given particularly significant moments (or “life experiences”), you hardly notice them or really take them in until years later, or never even. I hate the word “journey” when I hear it on reality shows, mostly because it seems so contrived and corny, but maybe I also hate it because the word “journey” connotes that you are traveling between places, and I don’t always feel particularly aware that I am. I had the honor of speaking to the summer and fall graduating classes of 2007 at the Art Institute of Atlanta last Friday, and I realized then that I certainly didn’t feel as moved or joyful as I should have when I was graduating. Commencement is one of those steps which should be a huge benchmark in anyone’s “journey”.
Watching the class move across the stage, and listening to the thrilled parents, friends, and family go wild when their loved one moved across the stage, it occurred to me that graduating and moving on to the next stage in your life, whatever that may be, is no small feat and should be appreciated with as much of a sense of accomplishment as you can muster. Congrats to all of the grads!
If you’d like, you can download the speech here. An excerpt from Friday:
“Before I go on, always remember when working with clients, mentors, and when hiring for your own teams, that success can be sought and achieved at any age and with any amount of experience. Especially in the online industry - think Facebook – CEO Mark Zuckerberg is 23. “This American Life” recently featured a woman writing and directing her very first screenplay at the age of 63. The Doritos campaign, which aired as a primetime placement at the Superbowl last year, was created and produced by five people under the age of 22. You are never too young (or too old) to succeed, and never let lack of experience be an excuse for not trying.”