Graduation: A time for new beginnings, new possibilities
Let’s congratulate our graduates on completing their high school careers and consider what it all means.
John Clendenin, the Senior Associate Dean of Graduate Programs at IE University in Madrid, Spain, gave a recent lecture on graduation and its meaning to these newly minted adults and the world they are about to enter.
He addressed a common goal among high school grads: to bring change into the world.
That’s a lofty endeavor, but Clendenin says it can be accomplished with a simple algorithm.
To change the world, he said, you must first change your mind.Clendenin has enjoyed an illustrious life. His accomplishments include Olympic medals in two sports, three graduate degrees, and a position as a Senior Lecturer at Harvard University.
He credits his realization of diversity for his successful path and effect on society.
Though he came from poverty and a troubled childhood in Brooklyn, he used his experiences to “change his value system.”
He went on to great things and impacted others in the process.
I hope our high school graduates keep his example in mind as they filter into the “real world.”
Changing your mind is optional— no one has to do it, and few people do.
But if you change your thinking, you can change yourself and become more than you ever thought possible.
To be outstanding, remarkable, or extraordinary in today’s world a person has to think original thoughts. They need to cultivate their own uniqueness.
And having an open and adaptive mind to culture and ideology is a vital.
Nothing will be handed to our graduates as they head on their grand adventure. But all have the potential to be exceptional.
So strive to work hard, friends.
Strive to be happy and make a difference.
Keep your mind open, and these goals will be attainable no matter what path you follow.
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You can follow Colin Criss on Twitter @ADKCurrent
