The Joy of Moving On
Posted by Parke Ladd on Dec 14, 2008 in Featured {Article}, Greatness, Such Is Life | 0 comments
A lot of people don’t enjoy graduation ceremonies. I happen to love them! This love has nothing to do with the store bought sugar cookies or the punch or the endless photo sessions at the end of it all. No, my love for graduation ceremonies comes from the inspiring words that seem to flow effortlessly from the wise and learned of he or she that delivers the commencement speech to the graduates. The same type of phenomenon seems to occur at many wedding receptions as well. Something along the lines of, “Look, I’ve been married a whole lot longer than you newly married couple, so let me give you some words of advice on how to handle him/her!” The graduation words of wisdom are usually a bit more inspiring and usually a little easier to discern (well…maybe). Allow me to share with you the theme of this weekends graduation ceremony held for my sister Mary’s graduating class this past weekend in Birmingham, Alabama.
Key Points (expounded upon):
- Beginnings and Endings. Do not look at life as a series of projects or events or blocks of time involving categorized jobs or tasks. Rather, understand that life builds on itself. There are no endings and beginnings, only learning from today and building upon it in order to improve your tomorrow. Example: The end of a college career is really only a commencement (beginning) to the rest of a students life. A student very rarely learns everything (or even close to everything) that he needs to know for a career (or life) in the classroom. A student is mainly learning how to learn. Important so that throughout the rest of their life, they can continue to learn adeptly and thoroughly whatever it is they may need to know or learn. A so called ending to one event is genuinely just another continuation to the next great adventure. Hence, don’t get frustrated when something seemingly ends or begins.
- Do you act boldly in your beliefs? Essentially, your beliefs and commitments and ideas require of you a level of zero courage if they are never tested by others who see things a little differently or completely oppositely. Is it important to surround yourself with great, positive people? Of course. You become like those you surround yourself with. BUT!…It is basically easy to believe what you believe and know what you know as long as you surround yourself with people who only believe and know as you do. Your beliefs and visions require zero courage to believe them if they are never tested. It is easy to believe in something when you are surrounded by people who believe the exact same way. Lesson? Take the time to talk to, communicate with, interact with and join with people who see the world from a different and unique way. Make sure your ideas are tested. Does this mean you have to change what you believe? Certainly not! But, how can you expect your ideas or beliefs to grow stronger if you don’t put them through some testing or ridicule or run them by the critics? Exactly.
