Dear Class Of 2020: I hope you dance

I have the picture of the Ex-US President, Barack Obama, right up there because his commencement speech to the class of 2020 was a masterclass. It took me back to my time as a teacher - seeing students graduate has been one of my proudest moments. This is something I wrote for all the students who are moving on to a new phase of life - high school to college; college graduates and even the MBA degree holders. Here goes -

Dear Class of 2020,

I am a commencement speech junkie. So, this a tribute to all the amazing lessons I have learnt – I hope you can find them inspirational in your way You are all going through a very difficult and simultaneously, an incredibly exciting time. Space launches, race riots and a global pandemic: It might as well be the 1960’s again. So brace yourselves for impact.

Dear students - you will face higher unemployment rates; uncertainty and fear when you go back out into the world riddled with COVID-19; issues with maintaining work-life balance; doubts about higher education and isolation from your familiar friend circle.

Say to yourself - "This too shall pass."

It will and these are the things that have helped me through a difficult time.

1.‘Stay hungry, stay foolish’ – said Steve Jobs and I will share the same message with you. In a world where you may not get to start with your dream job or even the dream pay, you should take up the job nonetheless. This is your time to experiment and learn things, often at the grassroots. There will be enough time for you to decide on a career path. Stay hungry for learning. The world has opened up incredibly with online learning - spend a little less time on Netflix and a little more on upskilling.

Sharpen that axe - understand which skills will give you an edge in the future of digital and remote work - practice those skills. When the time comes, you will be the woodcutter with the sharpest axe that can fell even the toughest of trees.

Never, ever, ever give up on being curious and wanting to know more. As you grow older, there will be so many things – so many people – they may puzzle you. Try and ask – try and learn – try and understand. Don’t be afraid to be unsure and to be vulnerable at times.

2. “Rock bottom became the solid foundation on which I rebuilt my life.”– said J.K Rowling. She wrote Harry Potter when she was a single mother, broke and depressed while living off the government dole. If she can make it, we all have a chance.

Some of the biggest companies started in recessions: Microsoft; Apple; Netflix; Mailchimp; Airbnb; Warby Parker; Amazon; Instagram; WhatsApp; Uber; Slack..... need I go on? 2020 might be giving you the chance to build something big, again.

Yes, there will be times when sheer hard work will not cut it. You may never live your dreams or achieve the wealth and success that she has. Yet, if you can give your all to something, despite the challenges, that will be its reward. You can't let go of hope and stop taking a chance in life.

Persistence and grit will get you where talent and attitude will not.

Before you throw in the towel, before you give up – remember her and the magical world she created.

3. Think 10x and persevere – Elon Musk. 'Moonshots' - Feats that are so impossible to conceive today but if accomplished, can change history and the future.

Musk did it – with the first human crew in space in a commercially designed rocket. Everyone says, ‘Dream Big’ is a cliché. Yes, if it is only a dream and you do not think strategically about how to achieve it. The competition is lowest at the top. Try to do something big – you may take a long time to succeed but once you do, you will be known for it. It is also known as the flywheel effect. A flywheel takes a lot of momentum to start spinning but once it starts, it becomes self-sustaining.

4. Set The World On A Different Path - Barack Obama

Build bridges. If I can share just one snippet from his amazing speech - it will be - 'Set the world on a different path'. As students, you are the future of the world and you have all the power to build the right bridges for people. Advocacy, activism, participation in politics, non-profit work and CSR - these are all the paths that can drive change. We all aim to make money and so should you. However, COVID-19 has shown how our jobs, careers and money all turn out to be fragile in some situations.

Start small - take care of your community. Join hands with others who are trying to do good work. Amplify those bridges with the power of networks and social media. Donate and volunteer with time and resources, rather than just money. It's your world - it's your future - and you won't be able to save it alone. Build bridges.

The idea is just this – you too will survive. You will flourish.

My dear students, listen to the ‘Sunscreen Song’ once. Then listen to it again, whenever you feel down or low or get jealous seeing someone’s Insta feed.

‘The race is only with yourself’. Always remember this. What you make of your life is completely your story.

Understand that just like your life is valuable, so is that of every other person on this earth. No one has given you the right to harm or hurt someone else’s life. So try and be kind.

Be open, be adaptable, be kind. Always try and do something new. Love and allow yourself to be loved. Try and achieve excellence in any area of your life – it may ‘heal the world’.

I would love to end with the lines from one of my favourite songs – ' I Hope You Dance ' by Lee Ann Womack.

"I hope you never lose your sense of wonder

You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger

May you never take one single breath for granted

God forbid love ever leave you empty-handed

I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean

Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens

Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance

And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance

I hope you dance.......

Here's to you, Class of 2020, to dancing at every opportunity and to dancing through any challenge.

The future is yours.

Congratulations.

 About The Author:

Hi There! This is Annesha - love going by the name Annie. I am the 'Queen of the Nerds'. Communications creator and content marketer by day at the awesome fintech startup - MoneyTap, headquartered in Bangalore.

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