Parallels in Job Search Advice and Commencement Speeches

As a former college teacher and a lifetime lover of learning; I have heard a?fair share of commencement speeches, all of which tend to follow the same basic template:?

• Thank those who have supported your journey
• Reminisce over the joys and challenges of the past?
• End with wisdom to guide forth the listener with optimism for the future ?

As many of us on LinkedIn are in the position to start fresh ourselves, commencement speeches can take on a new light and help remind us of the unbridled potential in our own future. ?

We may not be graduating, but we are going forth into the unknown; armed with the tools we have learned from the past and the connections we’ve made along the way. ?

Below I share my thoughts on this new chapter we embark on. I hope it helps to inspire and guide your own journey of self-discovery during economic uncertainty. ?

Start with Gratitude:

I'm a firm believer that happiness begins with gratitude. ?

Take time each day to reflect on the good already in your life. It’s easy to be sucked into the negativity and fear which is so prevalent in our global news sources, but when we look a little deeper, we can find positives which also surround us. ?

So much of what we accomplish in life may feel like a lone uphill battle, but the reality is the way forward has been paved by trailblazers before us. We are all connected, in ways both known and unknown. There is comfort to be found in knowing we walk in the footsteps of another while making deeper imprints to inspire those who follow behind us. ?

Gandhi famously said: “Be the change you wish to see in the world”. I believe this starts with sharing words of positivity.??

Thank your friends and mentors. Share with them specific examples of action they have taken which impacted your life for the better. Compliment a stranger walking by on the street. Add warmth to your greeting to the coffee shop employee and take a moment to genuinely thank them for serving you. ?

When we speak words of kindness, we organically work on cultivating a positive mindset for ourselves. ?

Give Yourself Grace:

We’ve all heard the phrase “unprecedented times” repeated over these last three years. Although we are not alone with our struggles, our perceptions and feelings of these hardships are uniquely our own. Others can empathise, but only we can feel what our hearts and minds struggle with. ?

Often, we hold ourselves to a higher standard than we do for others and have a tendency to beat ourselves up when we fail to meet our own expectations. ?

Treat yourself with the same kindness you give to others. Self-patience during times of tumultuous learning provides a level head to face challenges with a solution-based mindset not clouded by emotion. ?

Think in terms of productivity: negative thoughts and self-abuse do nothing to serve you and do not add value to the outcomes you are hoping for.

Learn, evolve and grow without wasting time berating yourself with actions from the past. ??

Optimism is a Forced Multiplier:

As part of Colin Powell's Thirteen Rules of Leadership, he famously said: “Perpetual optimism is a force multiplier”.?

What happens in the future is uncertain, but tomorrow still remains and it belongs to you. Stay grounded in the present, as todays choices remain your own. Let tomorrow's joy (and struggles) come as they may. Your future is your own history in the making. ?

Today will pass, and with it goes this moment. Trust yourself and continue to drive progress. So many variables are unknown,?but you have the power to focus on areas in your life you can control.?

Read: Spend at least thirty minutes a day reading something new. Be it fiction or non, educational or entertainment, engage your mind with the written word.

Be Active: Walk, run, cycle or dance. Let your mind rest while releasing some positive endorphins.

Explore: While the opportunities we want may be just out of arms reach, there are options to reinvent ourselves and try new things. So many skills are transferable and your value is not limited to what you have done in the past.

You hold the power of choice in your own life, and that is something worth being optimistic about. ?