The outdoor shower has been turned on. Shiny, ripe strawberries are ready for picking. Students are being celebrated at graduation parties.
It’s that time of the year.
And, one of my favorite pastimes in June is to read the inspiration and wisdom from celebrated speakers at college commencements across the country.
This year, I was inspired and uplifted by three speakers, in particular, including what Oprah had to say at Harvard.
“It doesn’t matter how far you might rise, at some point you are bound to stumble,” she said. “Because if you’re constantly doing what we do, raising the bar.
“If you’re constantly pushing yourself higher, higher, the law of averages, not to mention The Myth of Icarus, predicts that you will at some point fall. And when you do,” she warned, “I want you to know this, remember this: There is no such thing as failure. Failure is just life trying to move us into another direction.”
“It’s okay to feel bad for a little while,” Oprah said. “Give yourself time to mourn what you think you may have lost. But then, here’s the key: Learn from every mistake because every experience, encounter, and particularly your mistakes, are there to teach you and force you into being more of who you are.”
If you have a half-hour, I encourage you, if you haven’t yet, to watch Oprah’s entire speech.
(And, note the many times the camera zooms in on Woman on Fire member Sophfronia Scott who was in the audience celebrating her 25th graduation from Harvard!)
*This week’s Spark PINspiration*
Pin to Pass on the Love!
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And while I adored everything Oprah said, I really loved how Arianna Huffington inspired graduates at Smith College.
Arianna is the president and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post and the sister to beloved Woman on Fire Agapi Stassinopolous, author of Unbinding the Heart: A Dose of Greek Wisdom, Generosity, and Unconditional Love.
(Agapi’s book, by the way, is a great gift for a new graduate!)
Arianna urged Smith graduates to lead a new kind of women’s revolution; one that defines success in a new way.
“At the moment, our society’s notion of success is largely composed of two parts: money and power,” Arianna said in her remarks.
What is needed now is a new, third metric to define success: “one founded on well-being, wisdom, our ability to wonder, and to give back … because the world you are headed into desperately needs it.”
She went on to explain that “more and more people, very successful people, are toppling over. Basically, success the way we’ve defined it is no longer sustainable.
“Already, women in stressful jobs have a nearly 40 percent increased risk of heart disease, and a 60 percent greater risk for diabetes. And in the last 30 years, as women have made strides and gains in the workplace, self-reported levels of stress have gone up 18 percent.”
She warned how sleep deprivation is harming our creativity and shared how The Huffington Post is making an effort to put a dent in the problem. They have installed two nap rooms in their offices.
At first people were hesitant to take naps, she said, because they feared others would think they were shirking their duties. “I’m happy to say, our nap rooms are now always booked. Although the other day I was walking by and I saw two people walking out of one of the nap rooms. But, hey, whatever it takes to recharge. Just don’t tell HR, ok?” 😉
And, finally, Katie Couric, who lost her husband, Jay Monahan, to colon cancer in 1998, wrapped up her speech with this powerful thought for us all when she spoke to Randolph Macon College graduates in Virginia:
“The losses I’ve experienced have taught me something else: We are all terminal. You have to appreciate the gifts that every day of your life will bring: Your family. Your friends. A beautiful sky at sunset. A perfect ear of corn in August. The first snowfall of the year. A baby’s tiny hand. Be grateful for the time you have and savor the joy that comes your way.”
Congratulations if you or someone you love is graduating this year. I wish you a joy-filled week – and plenty of sleep!
