The below is a commencement address shared at Alvin Community College on May 18, 2019.
What an exciting day! Today is a breathtaking destination that you’ve been driving for a long time to see. It is a thrilling moment in time you’ve waited (and worked!) patiently to experience. Congratulations on this pinnacle achievement; you’ve earned it!
It’s natural on such an occasion to have your mind racing forward into the future. In fact, it can be overwhelming at times It can be dizzying if you let it – trying to consider all the choices you have to make in coming days.
Some of you are exploring job offers, others are getting ready to transition geographically and many are no doubt preparing to continue their educational journey. Lots of stuff to think about!
And it’s completely normal that you’re trying to figure out how to get ahead.
I hate to be the guy who brake checks you but please allow me to slow your roll for just a sec. If you’ve traveled much on Houston freeways, you’ve seen that guy before, right? The one who is not going to let anyone else get ahead of him? I’ve been that guy.
But if you’ve driven much around here, you’ve probably also seen the guy who always waits to the last second to jump in line for the exit ramp. He passes up a long string of cars and cuts in front of someone who wasn’t paying attention. Yeah, I’ve been that guy too!
But don’t beat up on me too much. Because you’ve probably been that guy as well. You’ve been the one who wanted to jump ahead. You’ve been the one who wanted to take a shortcut. You’ve been the one who impatiently tried to pass up others.
And that’s ok. It’s normal. It’s human. Trying to skip to the front…
In fact, it is so common that amusement parks sell passes to let you do just that. Give them an extra hundred bucks and they’ll let you breeze through every line. You can smile and wave as you walk past all those people, sweating in the hot sun, straight to the front. Everyone glaring at you with disdain because you didn’t have to wait like they did. You were able to skip to the front.
But I want to encourage you to do something different today. I’d like you to consider skipping to the end.
By that I mean this: in your zealous planning for life, focus less on what happens next and more on what happens last. Spend less time thinking about the immediate future and more time on those distant eventualities. Don’t worry about what you’ll be doing in the next 5-10 years (that will take care of itself) but consider instead the end of your days.
The wise man said, “the end of a matter is better than its beginning.” It’s an odd statement in many ways. Somewhat counter intuitive. We’re usually anxious for that first bite of ice cream and hate the bottom of the bowl! Why would I prefer the end over the beginning?
The short answer I’ll give you here today is simply this: the end of the best things is always better than the beginning. And that’s hard for many people to appreciate but it remains timelessly true nonetheless
For most people, life is full of adversity. Its work to get the nice things they seek. They’ve got to get busy and grind it out. Nobody is going to hand them the keys to success.
“Work hard and you’ll get to the corner office!” has been the motivational mindset and mantra for many. It sounds glorious to climb the corporate ladder, to overcome the competitive peers angling for the same promotions and finally secure that corner office.
Ah, that prized piece of real estate that so many have grinded out so much to secure. Allow me to share a little revelation about those corner offices. I’ve seen a few. I’ve walked past a couple belonging to the CEO’s of big, billion-dollar companies and perhaps the most important single common denominator I’ve observed is that they’re all on the corner. With a view. Of another office building.
But the most important thing I’ve observed about them is this: someone sat there before the current occupant and someone else will sit there after. That seat, at the top, glorious as it may seem, is just a temporary residence for your ego and one day you’ll hand over the keys to another ambitious tenant. Rest assured, just like a good seat at a busy restaurant, someone is anxiously awaiting your departure!
And when you’re out there trying to crush the competition, trying to get that next raise, ring that next bell, buy that next car, it’s easy to get lost in the chaos of life and it’s easy to lose sight of the finish line you headed for.
And that’s what I want you to focus on today. Skipping to the end. Never losing focus on what really matters most because one day soon, faster than you can imagine, you’ll be sitting in the back of this room looking at the caps and gowns of other excited young graduates. You’ll be a lot closer to the end than the beginning. You’ll be thinking a lot differently then than you do now.
So ask yourself this, today, right now: “What will I be thinking then that I’m not thinking now?” Next time you drive past a nursing home, ask yourself, “What matters most to those senior citizens at that stage in life?”
I like to call it the “rocking chair perspective” which is simply that view you have (and way you think) when you’re at the stage in life when you’re sitting on the front porch of the nursing home, watching all the cars race by while meditating on the things in life that matter most.
Maybe when this graduation is over, sometime soon, you can ask your grandparents to talk about what’s most important in life.
See the wise man said, “the end of a matter is better than its beginning.” People always say, “Well, if I could go back and do things over again…” I know I’ve said it and maybe you have to.
But how about, instead of wanting a “do over” to start again from the beginning, we make up in our minds, I’m going to live with the END at the forefront of my mind. Don’t worry about “missing out in life” because you’ll get to do all the cool stuff. So go ahead and SKIP TO THE END.
I know you have to focus on tomorrow. I know you’ve got decisions to make. But don’t worry too much about tomorrow because, like the wise man also said, “tomorrow will take care of itself”
If you focus on THE END, I promise you’ll crush all the tomorrows. You’ll be surprised at how amazing your life is when you change your life goals. When it’s less about the things that matter least, and more about the things that matter most, you’ll find yourself enjoying levels of success that others only dream about. They’ll be watching your storybook life wondering how someone can make it look so easy!
And you’ll know the secret: I’m just skipping to the end! You’ll look like those playground kids at recess – happy little 6 year olds out there without a care in this world. They’re just having fun, playing and skipping their little selves toward the end.
John F. Kennedy said, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” So true. Your worlds are about to radically transform. Don’t worry at all about the past – that’s done and you’ll never change it. Don’t worry too much about the present – it’ll work itself out for the most part. Focus on the future; keep your eye on the prize! SKIP TO THE END!
My prayer for you is that you enjoy the best of life sooner than later, that you achieve all your goals swiftly in pursuit of something much higher than success, that you accomplish what so many others have failed to due in this life and that you’re able to SKIP TO THE END and experience the finest fastest!
May God bless you today!
What an exciting day! Today is a breathtaking destination that you’ve been driving for a long time to see. It is a thrilling moment in time you’ve waited (and worked!) patiently to experience. Congratulations on this pinnacle achievement; you’ve earned it!
It’s natural on such an occasion to have your mind racing forward into the future. In fact, it can be overwhelming at times It can be dizzying if you let it – trying to consider all the choices you have to make in coming days.
Some of you are exploring job offers, others are getting ready to transition geographically and many are no doubt preparing to continue their educational journey. Lots of stuff to think about!
And it’s completely normal that you’re trying to figure out how to get ahead.
I hate to be the guy who brake checks you but please allow me to slow your roll for just a sec. If you’ve traveled much on Houston freeways, you’ve seen that guy before, right? The one who is not going to let anyone else get ahead of him? I’ve been that guy.
But if you’ve driven much around here, you’ve probably also seen the guy who always waits to the last second to jump in line for the exit ramp. He passes up a long string of cars and cuts in front of someone who wasn’t paying attention. Yeah, I’ve been that guy too!
But don’t beat up on me too much. Because you’ve probably been that guy as well. You’ve been the one who wanted to jump ahead. You’ve been the one who wanted to take a shortcut. You’ve been the one who impatiently tried to pass up others.
And that’s ok. It’s normal. It’s human. Trying to skip to the front…
In fact, it is so common that amusement parks sell passes to let you do just that. Give them an extra hundred bucks and they’ll let you breeze through every line. You can smile and wave as you walk past all those people, sweating in the hot sun, straight to the front. Everyone glaring at you with disdain because you didn’t have to wait like they did. You were able to skip to the front.
But I want to encourage you to do something different today. I’d like you to consider skipping to the end.
By that I mean this: in your zealous planning for life, focus less on what happens next and more on what happens last. Spend less time thinking about the immediate future and more time on those distant eventualities. Don’t worry about what you’ll be doing in the next 5-10 years (that will take care of itself) but consider instead the end of your days.
The wise man said, “the end of a matter is better than its beginning.” It’s an odd statement in many ways. Somewhat counter intuitive. We’re usually anxious for that first bite of ice cream and hate the bottom of the bowl! Why would I prefer the end over the beginning?
The short answer I’ll give you here today is simply this: the end of the best things is always better than the beginning. And that’s hard for many people to appreciate but it remains timelessly true nonetheless
For most people, life is full of adversity. Its work to get the nice things they seek. They’ve got to get busy and grind it out. Nobody is going to hand them the keys to success.
“Work hard and you’ll get to the corner office!” has been the motivational mindset and mantra for many. It sounds glorious to climb the corporate ladder, to overcome the competitive peers angling for the same promotions and finally secure that corner office.
Ah, that prized piece of real estate that so many have grinded out so much to secure. Allow me to share a little revelation about those corner offices. I’ve seen a few. I’ve walked past a couple belonging to the CEO’s of big, billion-dollar companies and perhaps the most important single common denominator I’ve observed is that they’re all on the corner. With a view. Of another office building.
But the most important thing I’ve observed about them is this: someone sat there before the current occupant and someone else will sit there after. That seat, at the top, glorious as it may seem, is just a temporary residence for your ego and one day you’ll hand over the keys to another ambitious tenant. Rest assured, just like a good seat at a busy restaurant, someone is anxiously awaiting your departure!
And when you’re out there trying to crush the competition, trying to get that next raise, ring that next bell, buy that next car, it’s easy to get lost in the chaos of life and it’s easy to lose sight of the finish line you headed for.
And that’s what I want you to focus on today. Skipping to the end. Never losing focus on what really matters most because one day soon, faster than you can imagine, you’ll be sitting in the back of this room looking at the caps and gowns of other excited young graduates. You’ll be a lot closer to the end than the beginning. You’ll be thinking a lot differently then than you do now.
So ask yourself this, today, right now: “What will I be thinking then that I’m not thinking now?” Next time you drive past a nursing home, ask yourself, “What matters most to those senior citizens at that stage in life?”
I like to call it the “rocking chair perspective” which is simply that view you have (and way you think) when you’re at the stage in life when you’re sitting on the front porch of the nursing home, watching all the cars race by while meditating on the things in life that matter most.
Maybe when this graduation is over, sometime soon, you can ask your grandparents to talk about what’s most important in life.
See the wise man said, “the end of a matter is better than its beginning.” People always say, “Well, if I could go back and do things over again…” I know I’ve said it and maybe you have to.
But how about, instead of wanting a “do over” to start again from the beginning, we make up in our minds, I’m going to live with the END at the forefront of my mind. Don’t worry about “missing out in life” because you’ll get to do all the cool stuff. So go ahead and SKIP TO THE END.
I know you have to focus on tomorrow. I know you’ve got decisions to make. But don’t worry too much about tomorrow because, like the wise man also said, “tomorrow will take care of itself”
If you focus on THE END, I promise you’ll crush all the tomorrows. You’ll be surprised at how amazing your life is when you change your life goals. When it’s less about the things that matter least, and more about the things that matter most, you’ll find yourself enjoying levels of success that others only dream about. They’ll be watching your storybook life wondering how someone can make it look so easy!
And you’ll know the secret: I’m just skipping to the end! You’ll look like those playground kids at recess – happy little 6 year olds out there without a care in this world. They’re just having fun, playing and skipping their little selves toward the end.
John F. Kennedy said, “Change is the law of life. And those who look only to the past or present are certain to miss the future.” So true. Your worlds are about to radically transform. Don’t worry at all about the past – that’s done and you’ll never change it. Don’t worry too much about the present – it’ll work itself out for the most part. Focus on the future; keep your eye on the prize! SKIP TO THE END!
My prayer for you is that you enjoy the best of life sooner than later, that you achieve all your goals swiftly in pursuit of something much higher than success, that you accomplish what so many others have failed to due in this life and that you’re able to SKIP TO THE END and experience the finest fastest!
May God bless you today!
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