2023: The Graduation Speech That No One Asked Me to Give

Graduation season is upon us, and once again, I have inexplicably not received any invitations to address our nation’s newest graduates.

And yet, I still wish to be of service. So, here we go.

Entering a world following a tumultuous period where many of your classes were taught online (not that you would have been awake for early in-person morning cases anyway), you leave with valuable memories, knowledge, and the distinction of setting a record as the “Largest Crushed-With-Debt” graduating class in history.

Here are some things I have learned and will share – and you won’t need another loan.?

1) Luck impacts us all. Good luck is obvious, and yet too often, people fail to leverage their good fortune into better opportunities. Don’t be the person who wins the lottery and squanders the money. And as you are graduating, your degree is a winning lottery ticket. (Not Powerball, of course, more like a scratch-off ticket.)

2) Bad luck is equally abundant. Sometimes, it’s difficult to recover. However, more often than you think, you can also leverage your bad luck and turn the lessons you have learned into exceptional opportunities.

3) Privacy? It’s gone. We already gave it away for access to social media networks whose promises of new friends led us to ignore our non-virtual friends and family, the ones we can see across a table, while together, and when in need. Yeah, we sold cheap.

4)?Free speech, even for people with whom you disagree, is worth protecting. This “cancel culture” really needs to stop. Be persuasive through your arguments. “Be slow to anger” actually works!

5) Perspective matters. Everything is made up of shades of gray. Yes, your life experiences and background are unique. The people you don’t know, with their different upbringings, challenges, and opportunities, are sources of new wisdom, if you are open to them.

6) Don’t get into fights on airplanes. You can’t make a run for the exits once that first punch is thrown. And, you’ll be doing cross-country business trips on Greyhound buses while your colleagues fly to meetings.

7) It’s easy to neglect your mental health. Please don’t! You’re not expected to solve all your problems. Speak to professionals, family, and friends.

8) Show some chutzpah in your life, job search, and career. Try new things, be a trailblazer, and learn genuine humility.

9) Life is stressful – and wonderful. First the stress. If it’s too much, just move back home as soon as possible. That will ease much of your stress, while safely transferring it to your parents. And when you eventually move out, they’ll feel wonderful.

Do you remember the Billy Joel song, “We Didn’t Start the Fire”? Listen again. Substitute your own updated lyrics and you’ll see this continuum, a timeline of history, the present day, and maybe some insight into your role in creating a better future.

Congratulations, good luck, and make a difference!

??#success #life #graduates #chutzpahguy

Mason Harris somehow missed attending all his graduations, including High School, college, and graduate school. But he did attend every one of his children’s events and graduations.