A Commencement Speech for You

Congratulations. You’ve done it. You’ve accomplished another year in a world that does not rationalize its choices and often hands out victories and successes, heartache and grief in ways that we don’t always understand and with randomness that we often question late at night when we feel most alone.

We tend to only recognize our achievements when someone else gives them value. It’s when we hear the praise of others that we finally give ourselves the pat on the back we’ve been yearning for. It’s when others tell us we have done well that we admit that- yes, we have done well and yes- it was difficult. But life is short. And YOU are the one who deserves to hold the power in giving value to your life. To mark your work, your efforts as significant and meaningful in a world that does not always notice. Be brave enough to celebrate your successes without needing permission.

Remember where you were a year ago? Let your mind slowly push forward and speed through the last twelve months and marvel at what you’ve done.  You’ve graduated. You decided to go back to school. You broke up. You lost jobs and found jobs and made friends and said goodbye.  You lost yourself a hundred times, questioning your choices and wondering if this is the right move.  You lost yourself in breakups and job loss and lost friends and health worries. When on shaky ground, you kept going- knowing that the only true failure in life is stopping.

In every moment of sadness, you pushed forward and with determination, you navigated yourself forward and found yourself. You found yourself when you said you deserve better, and did better. You found yourself at 3 am surrounded by friends who know you better than you imagine. You found yourself when you heard the first heartbeat of the peanut you will meet this year. You found yourself when you made the big choices that alter your life and did so with grace and courage in knowing that in a world that values certainty- it’s impossible to know what happens next. You found yourself in those moments where you realized who you are and who you want to be are perfectly aligned for meeting.

Weren’t those the moments?

So congratulations. Regardless of your age or job, relationship status or educational background. You did something this year worth noting. Worth remembering. Worth celebrating. You kept going.  But you don’t need my congratulations, remember- you only need to give yourself permission to celebrate yourself and everything you’ve done in the last twelve months. But until that becomes a habit, I’ll be here to remind you.

You are doing great. Keep going.