It was several months ago that Terry Goldberg asked me if I would be interested in speaking tonight. I have to admit...it really didn’t take me long to respond... because I knew this would be an amazing ceremony for a lot of special young adults...including my own daughter.
I’m a teacher...and there’s a reason why I’ve been doing that for 32 years. I simply love what I do! But tonight, I’m not planning to teach. I would like to share a few stories with those who are graduating and with those who have joined them on their journey.
Most likely you will remember very little of what I say tonight. Don’t worry...I’m not offended. So...I will only share 3 WORDS with you tonight. And if you remember those words, I will be thankful for your attention during the next few minutes.
The first word is BELIEVE...which simply means to accept something as true.
Last month I decided I needed to get serious about losing a few pounds. Well...maybe more than a few. From my past experience with weight management, I knew I needed to have a coach for accountability and a planned program of sorts to help me.
And since it seems like I hang around a lot of younger people these days, I discovered an approach I hadn’t tried before -- an online program that is more instruction-based. I mean, I carry around a $600 Google phone...so why not use the smart half of my smartphone.
Well, right out of the chute, the first question the application people asked me was… DO YOU BELIEVE? What? Believe? Believe in what?
I have to admit, part of me wasn’t too sure about setting a goal of 30 pounds. But I had to believe...I had to see something that DID NOT yet exist...a 175-pound me. And I hadn’t seen that person for quite some time. Apparently, BELIEVING...often happens before seeing.
I needed to BELIEVE that my goal was specific...I needed to BELIEVE my goal was going to improve my health and I needed to BELIEVE my goal was something I could reach.
So what does all this BELIEVE stuff mean for YOU?
Well, by no means do I have the ability to SEE your future. YOU don’t even have that good fortune. Yes...I know there actually is a CRYSTAL BALL app that you can download for your smartphone...but, unfortunately, I just don’t think that’s going to work for any of us. Too bad, so sad!
Some people say they have to see to believe. But I think you have to BELIEVE before you can see. Believe first, and then exciting things will happen.
Well, right out of the chute, the first question the application people asked me was… DO YOU BELIEVE? What? Believe? Believe in what?
I have to admit, part of me wasn’t too sure about setting a goal of 30 pounds. But I had to believe...I had to see something that DID NOT yet exist...a 175-pound me. And I hadn’t seen that person for quite some time. Apparently, BELIEVING...often happens before seeing.
I needed to BELIEVE that my goal was specific...I needed to BELIEVE my goal was going to improve my health and I needed to BELIEVE my goal was something I could reach.
So what does all this BELIEVE stuff mean for YOU?
Well, by no means do I have the ability to SEE your future. YOU don’t even have that good fortune. Yes...I know there actually is a CRYSTAL BALL app that you can download for your smartphone...but, unfortunately, I just don’t think that’s going to work for any of us. Too bad, so sad!
Some people say they have to see to believe. But I think you have to BELIEVE before you can see. Believe first, and then exciting things will happen.
The second word I have for you tonight is BELONG.
I mentioned that I hang around a lot of people who are younger than I am. You see...that’s on purpose. I figure when I die, more people will show up for my funeral if I have friends NOW who aren’t so old….like me.
Well, let’s shift the focus from dying... to living. Recently, I was watching a series of television shows about living longer. The big word for that is LONGEVITY.
Why is it that some people maintain good health well into their 90’s and beyond? I mean, my wife’s grandfather lived to be 104.
Well, the folks at the Longevity Project give three simple strategies for longer life…
- Stay in the company of others.
- Live in a community of caring and togetherness; and
- Have healthy relationships with people.
That sounds like BELONGING to me. Don’t go it alone; rely on others. Share your life with compassionate and caring friends.
My daughter, Shelby, loves being around people. She has so many social skills I wish I had. She can only hibernate so long at home before she has to connect with humans. She sings in choir; she loves to dance with friends; she is eager to travel with her family; she greets people and cares for toddlers at church, and she enjoys the crowds of festivals and concerts.
When I was kid, I lived in a neighborhood where a lot of my friends liked to play softball...and I would do anything to get outside to play with them. I think my mom knew that, too.
I still have this frozen moment of practicing the keyboard for 30 minutes and looking out the living room window at a late afternoon game in my neighbor’s yard.
My mom insisted that I practice before joining them, however. Those 30 minutes couldn’t go fast enough. That group gave me a sense of belonging...and I wanted to part of it.
These days, we seem more connected to our iPhone or Android device than people. Consider these elements of belonging:
- friendship
- trust
- being part of a group
So, graduates...don’t hibernate...get out and connect...start BELONGING and amazing things will happen.
BELIEVE… BELONG…and lastly…BECOME.
That simply means...BEGIN TO BE.
I’ll never forget some of the philosophy classes I enjoyed at Grand Valley State University. I know...you’re saying, “Enjoyed? Philosophy? You have to be crazy.”
Frankly, I was only trying to avoid taking history classes; and then I got hooked on some topics professors like Harry Jellema and Dewey Hoitenga offered. Anyway...we shared in some pretty intense discussions about the existence of God, the existence of man, and the purpose of life. I admit, that on a few occasions I was almost beginning to wonder if I even existed.
Since then I really have started to believe that our purpose may simply BE to find our purpose. In other words, why were we placed on this planet?
Think about that: our purpose may simply BE to find our purpose. Like...what gets you out of bed in the morning? What keeps you driven to stay up late at night? Is your journey more exciting today than it was yesterday?
That Longevity Project I mentioned earlier has discovered that living LONGER won’t make you happier; but living HAPPIER will make you live longer. Yes...LIVING HAPPIER WILL MAKE YOU LIVE LONGER! So how do we BECOME happier?
My son’s third grade teacher once told him, “Make the plan, work the plan.” Because a goal without a plan is just a wish. Maybe in order to BECOME happier, we need to plan happiness somehow.
I remember collecting baseball cards when I was a kid. I think I liked a lot of catchers and wanted to BECOME one of those players, because they always seemed to give batters a hard time at the plate and that...in some kind of weird way...seemed like a lot of fun to me.
Well...Yogi Berra was a great catcher who played 19 seasons mostly with the New York Yankees. I’m sure he had plenty of chances to “chat up” many batters, but he also provided a profound simple truth: He said, “If you don’t know where you’re going...you’ll end up someplace else.” I guess he meant that it’s pretty easy to get lost with no directions, no map, no plan.
Graduates...you made a plan a few years ago: a plan to continue your education beyond high school; a plan to achieve even more; a plan of continuous becoming.
So tonight...you celebrate another commencement… another beginning. This is a chance for you to once again re-invent yourself...and BECOME a new someone who doesn’t let their differences define them.
So...graduates of the CLASS OF 2018…
...commence to BELIEVE,
...strive to BELONG,
...and begin to BECOME
...and amazing things will happen!