 |
Welcome Graduates |
 |
This commencement Speech is being brought to you by O.T.E. Inc
"I've found that every person I've ever spoken to had a Turning Point, and the Turning Point was where they made a clear, specific, unequivocal decision that they were not going to live like this anymore. That they were going to achieve their own success, on their own terms. And some people make that decision at 15 and some people make that decision at 50, and some people never make it at all." -- Brian Tracy
I have a recurring dream about the Program. In it, I'm walking to the post office on the way to my first class at the start of a new school year. Suddenly it occurs to me that I don't have my schedule memorized, and I'm not sure which classes I'm taking, or where exactly I'm supposed to be going.
As I walk up the steps to the Post Office, I realize I don't have my box key, and in fact, I can't remember what my box number is. I'm certain that everyone I know has written me a letter, but I can't get them. I get more flustered and annoyed by the minute. I head back the same way I came, racking my brains and asking myself, "How many more years until I graduate? ...Wait, didn't I graduate already?? How old AM I?" Then I wake up.
They say that experience is food for the brain; and 5 years in the program is a rich meal. I suppose it should be no surprise that your brains will probably burp up the programs for a long time. And I think the reason I keep having the dream is because its image is a metaphor for a good part of my life; not knowing what direction my life would take, where my friends were or what they were doing.
I graduated; or rather I was shunned out of the program almost 20 years ago. I don't look back on my first few years out of the program with much affection; but over time I've learned to heal those wounds and learned a great deal about myself in the process.
One of my greatest realizations is that selling out is usually more a matter of buying in. Sell out, and you're really buying into someone else's system of values, rules and rewards.
We will always find our own ethical dilemmas in all parts of our lives, both personal and professional. We will all have different desires and needs, but if we don't discover what we want from ourselves and what we stand for, we may end up living passively and unfulfilled.
Sooner or later, we are all asked to compromise ourselves and the things we care about. You have to stand up for what you believe in. If I could count the number of times I have been asked to compromise and sell out myself for one reason or another, I would be a billionaire 10 times over. My integrity is not for sale and neither is yours.
We define ourselves by our actions. With each decision, we tell ourselves and the world who we are. Think about what you want out of this life, and recognize that there are many kinds of success.
I tell you all this because it's worth recognizing that there is no such thing as an overnight success. You will do well to cultivate the resources in yourself that bring you happiness outside of success or failure. The truth is, most of us discover where we are headed when we arrive. At that time, we turn around and say, yes, this is obviously where I was going all along. It's a good idea to try to enjoy the scenery on the detours, because you'll probably take a few.
Creating a life that reflects your values and satisfies your soul is a rare achievement. To invent your own life's meaning is not easy, but it's still allowed, and I think you'll be happier for the trouble.
I think you'll find that the Program touched a deep part of you. These have been formative years. Chances are, you've seen everything ugly about human nature you ever wanted to know. You may have also had friends who transmitted a spark of insight or interest you'd never had before. Cultivate that interest, and you may find a deeper meaning in your life that feeds you.
Your preparation for the real world is not in the answers you've learned, but in the questions you've learned how to ask yourself.
I wish you all fulfillment and happiness. Congratulations!
O.T.E. INC.
|
