Today, as you bid farewell to all the years of schooling, learning about your respective courses and field of choice, there are some things that you might be waiting for to hear such as ‘congratulations’ or ‘job well done’. Well, I stand here before all of you determined to do no such thing. In fact, I want to turn it all around and say some things that you are not expecting to hear on this glorious graduation day of yours. Some of you may even feel offended with what I’m about to say; but believe me when I say that by the end of this speech, you will take more than you have ever thought you would take with congratulatory speeches.
Let me start by telling you that the past years of hard work and late nights for your studies are all garbage. Not to disrespect the people behind me but learning all the technicalities, principles and theories from your professors won’t do you any good in the real world. Yes, you heard me right. There is an entirely different world outside your college; and that is called the real world. If you think that you have had learning overload for the past four or five years, then I am sorry to say but you will be eaten alive the moment you step into the real world.
I remember when I got my diploma. One thing stuck to mind was when someone told me “good luck” instead of “good job”. And the way that he said it wasn’t a form of wishing me well. It was actually more of a warning. And then I realized that what he meant was, the lessons that I will be learning as soon as I step out of college will be more baffling and fulfilling at the same time. And all of you who have a weak stomach to swallow the hurdles along the path of wisdom will most definitely fail, no matter the career or field you are in.
A lot of you here have some sort of ideal view of how your career will pan out. Some of you might even say you aren’t doing your job for the money, because you care for people and you want to help others. This ideal is true, but not how you think how it works. Gratification from helping other people will only come when you have financially retired or have reached a point where you have learned so much about life in general. Starting out your career after college with that liberal thought of feeling and caring won’t get you anywhere but the gutter. This may sound too harsh for you but it will help you a great deal later on in life. Why? Because starting out in such diplomatic and liberal ways will get you burnt out easily.
So what does your feelings and you being too emotional have to do with your success in the real world? A lot of you here are group driven. All throughout college you have been taught about teamwork and group efforts. Even your social life, joining different clubs, fraternities and such teach your subconscious mind to become attached. Now attachment is not to bad, except if you use it to govern your life. If you are too emotional, too caring or you let your feelings get the best of you, you can easily let your guard down. And because life after college entails you to be head strong, you will have to learn about it as you go along.
Think about it, you always hear people classify people according to groups, race, social status and more; as opposed to looking at them as individuals. This is not your fault, nor is it your professors’. This type of teaching has been passed down from generations and I for one am not excluded. I learned the hard way that the life I had in college was nothing compared to life I was about to step into following my career and field. It was hard, and you will have to go through it too because there is no other way to learn other than doing it and experiencing it yourself.
Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong about being part of a team, but there is a fine line between striving as one functional unit and group mentality. Have you ever experienced being with your friends and having to take hours upon hours on what movie all of you should be watching? That is the principle behind group mentality. You wait and wait for everybody, you become so attached to the emotions of the other people in the group and that leaves all of you paralyzed and unable to move towards a productive result. It is true that no man is an island, but if you and your friends or teammates wait for each other to do something, you are in for a big trouble. If in a year, five maybe ten years from now you realize you are not up for more learning – real life learning that is, then you can go ahead and teach age old theories and principles in your college and become one of these respected people behind me today. I am more than sure that you will be absorbed by your university and that they will be more than willing to pay for you to teach – not do.
Learning how to be part of a team but not get attached is something that you will never learn in school. No matter how prestigious a college or university may be, principles taught to you by your esteemed professors will never help you understand this concept. You will learn how tp handle being detached when you yourself experienced it. Usually it will take you years to master taking away emotions to everything that you do, which is why I am here to help you realize it the soonest possible time. I am not saying I am an expert at this but I have been learning and experiencing it in the real world so many years now that I know what I’m saying and I know what a waste of your potential it is to keep hiding in your shell. The bottom line is, you have to be brave enough to face the real word today, as soon as you receive your diploma, as soon as you step out of the school premises today.
I stand here before you today in front of your mentors, your families and friends and I know that some agree with what I am trying to get through. I know I am blunt but a lot of people within my age group have experienced and learned this years beyond our college graduation. I am hopeful that some of you will really appreciate what I am telling you. If only one person, just one gets this, then I know I have done my job well. And if you see me years from now please do not hesitate to come up to me and tell me about your experience and I will be more than willing to share with you my thoughts and principles in life in full detail.
You may accept what I have to say to you today, or you can realize it ten or twenty years from now. One wise man once told me, your life today, is the product of the decision you made in the past and the ripples of how you will take what I’m saying now will be greater and much heavier the longer you decide to internalize it and prepare yourself for it. Take action and move forward today. Do it now – otherwise, you might as well just teach.
Good day to all of you and the best of luck in the real world.