And So the Adventure Begins…

It’s graduation season. If you haven’t been lucky enough to be invited to a graduation this year, here is just a little taste of the words of wisdom that commencement speakers delivered to the class of 2017.

“YOU’RE NEVER NOT AFRAID.” – WILL FERRELL

Will Ferrell admitted to students at the University of Southern California that he wasn’t confident when he was going after his dream of being an actor. “I would think to myself, ‘Oh well, I can always be a substitute schoolteacher,’” he said. “I was afraid.”

Ferrell later realized that fear is a natural part of growth. “You’re never not afraid. I’m still afraid. I was afraid to write this speech,” he joked.

Instead of being controlled by fears, do it anyway. “My fear of failure never approached in magnitude my fear of what if. What if I never tried at all?” he said.

It helps to try to enjoy the process without succumbing to the pressure of the result, he said. “Trust your gut; keep throwing darts at the dartboard,” said Farrell. “Don’t listen to the critics and you will figure it out.”

“NEVER GIVE UP IS BAD ADVICE” – ADAM GRANT

“Never give up your dreams” is common advice for graduates, but Adam Grant, Wharton School management professor and coauthor of Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy, told students at Utah State University that sometimes quitting is a virtue.

“Grit doesn’t mean ‘keep doing the thing that’s failing,’” he said. “It means, ‘Define your dreams broadly enough that you can find new ways to pursue them when your first and second plans fail.’”

Grant had to give up on his dream of being an NBA player, but he didn’t give up his dream of becoming a halfway decent athlete. “Sometimes resilience comes from gritting your teeth and packing your bags,” he said. “Other times it comes from having the courage to admit your flaws.”

He offered one caveat: Don’t give up on your values, but be willing to give up on your plans. “Today, my advice for you is to take a page out of the Goldilocks story. Watch out for virtues that burn too hot, not just too cold. If you want to be resilient, find the right amount of generosity and authenticity and grit,” he said.

“TREAT PEOPLE LIKE PEOPLE” – DAME HELEN MIRREN

As graduates head off to entry-level jobs, they’re likely to be the low person on the totem pole, but how you treat others as you rise in your career is important, said Dame Helen Mirren. The actress told the graduating class of Tulane University that one of her favorite life lessons was learned from another actress as they shared a ride in a car.

“She got her cigarettes out and before she lit up, she offered the driver one,” she said. “So simple, but, you know, thoughtful. To her, he wasn’t a ‘driver person,’ but a ‘person person’ who might want a smoke.”

Every single person, whether they have dominion over your life or not, deserves equal respect and generosity, Mirren said.

“CHOOSE TO KEEP YOUR HEADS UP.” – THEO EPSTEIN

Before earning his reputation as one of the greatest baseball executives of all time, Theo Epstein was a stranger in a strange land: A 20-something Ivy League graduate trying to make it in an industry that rarely bucked convention, and honored experience over innovation.

So in a sense, the Chicago Cubs president’s career came full circle when he returned to Yale University and delivered the commencement address for the Class of 2017.

Epstein, 43, sprinkled his remarks with the usual platitudes and graduation asides about the occasional too-good time he enjoyed at Yale, but also lent a window into his own evolution as an executive, while also casting an eye on the current political climate.

“I am truly inspired by the traits that distinguish your generation: your diversity, your boldness, your optimism, your tolerance, your treatment of others based on substance rather than on the labels that used to divide us. I am so excited to see what lies ahead for you all.

“While there will undoubtedly be times here and there when you have to suck it up, follow that code, put on that suit and tie, I urge you to remember that if you think you look hot, wear it.”

Congratulations to all the graduates of the class of 2017 – and so the adventure begins…