Do Great Things?

I had the great honor of giving the commencement speech at my daughter’s graduation from high school recently. It was an “average at best” speech, and you’ll find out why if you choose to keep reading.

 Good evening, everybody.

Principal Gunn, distinguished administration, faculty, staff, parents, family, friends, and… you guys. Graduates. It is a true, genuine, and terrifying honor to be with you all tonight on this most special occasion.

I want to be very clear about something here at the top.

I did not volunteer for this.

I did not seek out this stage.

I did not even hope to one day be in a situation like this one.

But here we are, graduates...

…me and you and THOUSANDS of other people.

I bring that up — the fact that this was not my idea — because it is important to me that you know that what’s about to happen is all Principal Gunn’s fault.

Because I’ve never done this before, I have done a bit of research to prepare. I found that at the normal speaking rate of 130 words per minute, a 10 minute speech — which is what I have been assigned — will have approximately 1300 words.

This one has 1,593 words, so I’m gonna probably go a little long.

We’re gonna go ahead and blame Mr. Gunn.

What the others all say about moving on

Anyway… I’ve also studied some incredible commencement speeches given by incredible people who delivered their motivations — beautifully, memorably, successfully, with great inspiration, wisdom, and humor.

Folks like President John F. Kennedy, who reminded soon-to-be graduates of American University that--

... our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet. We all breathe the same air. We all cherish our children's future. And we are all mortal.

We are the same.

That’s good.

Steve Jobs, who spoke at Stanford’s graduation, said,

Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life… have the courage to follow your own heart and intuition.

Love that.

Kurt Vonnegut, one of my favorite writers, beseeched Bennington College graduates, by saying,

I beg you to believe in the most ridiculous superstition of all: that humanity is at the center of the universe, the fulfiller or the frustrator of the grandest dreams of God Almighty. If you can believe that, and make others believe it, then there might be hope for us yet…

What a great, great writer.

David Foster Wallace, delivered a speech in 2005 to Kenyon College. It was entitled “This is Water,” in which he eloquently reminded those present that it is unimaginably hard to stay conscious and alive in the adult world day in and day out… but that we can, because very smart people have prepared us to do so.

That’s also pretty good.

Those are all objectively great speeches, given by objectively great, creative, and wise individuals… Great, creative, and wise individuals… who are ALL currently… no longer living.

There’s a theme here. This is not looking good for me. So, I’ve decided that this will not be a great speech. This will be an average-at-best speech, because I do not want anything to happen to me.

Off we go.

And they all say it...

We hear stuff like “Go, and do great things” at graduations, don’t we?

You’ve probably already heard that phrase multiple times today. You’ve no doubt seen the T-shirts and the signs around Shelby County throughout the year that read: Do Great Things. Speakers and teachers and coaches even before this year have announced the charge: Go. And. Do. Great. Things.

It’s an appropriate blessing, I suppose. “You made it. You did it. You’re graduating!” But… Now, what? What does do GREAT things even mean? Does it mean: Go and take all that you have been taught… all that you have learned… all that ‘we’ have collectively poured into you and prayed over you throughout the years... and do something incredible? Maybe.

But “Great Things,”… leaves a lot to the imagination, doesn’t it?

It’s a good question. But it’s a tough question.

So, let’s take a step back, and start with a different question. An easier one. This is simple.

You ready?

The other question

Here’s the simpler question:

What are you going to do with the rest of your life?

Surely you can answer that. That shouldn’t be that hard. You’ve been taught you algebra. These people up here taught you about World War II and the Great Depression.

They taught you about dangling participles and how to conjugate verbs.

And I guarantee every single one of you knows that water is made up of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom.

You’ve memorized sonnets, for goodness sakes!

You don’t know what you’re going to do with the rest of your life?

The fact of the matter is that what’s next is not always easy to determine, define or decide. If our charge to you was to simply “Go and do things,” that might not be as scary. I have great faith that you all could answer that call.

You could all actually go and do… things.

It’s when we add the word Great in there… that’s when things get scary. It can be harder to imagine doing something “GREAT.”

But one of the most important things I have learned in my life this far is that you do not have to do something grand to do something great.

“Great things” do not have to be big things.

Simple stuff… small things… make a big difference all the time. The idea that we have to do world-changing things to change the world is flat out not true. Sure, great things happen through the actions we take… but mostly because of the choices we make.

Maybe stop asking what do I want to do with my life? And start deciding who and how and why?

WHO do you want to be?

HOW are you going to serve and make a difference in the lives of others?

WHY do the things you hope for actually matter?

It all comes down to...

It comes down to choices. And maybe the answers we all seek have more to do with people than these GREAT things. Just look at yourselves! Look around you! You are graduating high school tonight.

That’s something to be proud of, for sure, but you didn’t get here all by yourself, did you?

Great PEOPLE through great LOVE got you to this place.

Choices matter.

My father passed away when I was a couple of years younger than you are now. Before he died, he wrote me a note. It was a simple gesture, but it changed my life. I was going through what I perceived to be a difficult time… at the time, so he scribbled these words to me one day before school.

He wrote:

Hey, buddy. Today is going to be a great day. It’s your day and no one and nothing can make your day anything other than you want it to be. If the weather calls for rain, decide now that you will enjoy being wet. If the test score is low, work hard to make sure the next one is higher. If treated unfairly for something, just smile and be grateful for the many things you’ve not been caught for. You have a choice today. Attitude is everything. Today is not yet anything. Fill it with laughter.

Go and do great things. Go, and make great choices. You just have to decide.

Decide WHO and HOW and WHY… and the WHAT will likely take care of itself.

You’ve probably heard the quote: “Find something you love to do and you’ll never work another day in your life.”

Well. That. Is. Not. True.

You’re gonna have to work and it’s gonna be hard and you’re gonna fail and you’re gonna get back up and you’re gonna have good days and bad days and worse days and the best days you’ve ever had. And you know what?

That’s a GREAT. THING.

God has blessed each of you with that thing — whatever it is – that makes you… uniquely you. And He made you that way so that you might share it with the world. And make life better. For us. For everyone here and everyone out there and everyone everywhere. And it’s gonna be great! One day — about 32 years from now — you’re going to be my age. And like those other great commencement speakers before me … I’ll probably be long gone… and while that is sad (especially for me), that’s just the way life goes.

But here’s the thing: You all are going to do great things.

How I know

I know so many of you.

You’ve spent the night at my house; you’ve swam in my pool; I’ve coached many of you in baseball or football.

Sorry about that, by the way…

But I’ve cheered you from the sidelines of courts and fields and tracks and courses throughout the southeast. We all have.

We’ve watched you perform and sing and dance and play instruments and grow from kindergarten until now. And you are exceptional. You are talented, beautiful, smart, brave, kind, generous, and remarkable people. 

I KNOW that great things are out there for you.

Believe it or not, you’re not going to remember the old man who spoke at your graduation. You might not even remember the person to your right or to your left… and I guarantee you won’t remember algebra… but you will be forever impacted by the relationships you have made, and the who and how and why choices you make moving forward.

The best news

But here’s the best news… and I want you to listen very carefully to this:

Grace exists.

Redemption is real.

And forgiveness comes easy for and from those we love. And the reason that’s such good news is because you are going to be wrong. A lot. You’re going to make bad, ill-informed, selfish, and just plain bone-headed decisions almost every day of your life… Frankly, most of us here would expect nothing less.

But when you DECIDE to surround yourself with people who love you, who want the best for you and who are FOR you… and when you can be those things for them… greatness and great things really are possible.

You just have to decide.

In a few minutes, your name will be called out and there will be hoots and hollers and whistles and chants from family and friends… because THEY will DECIDE to ignore the rules…

But the joy in our cheers and the happiness in our tears pale in comparison to the joy and sense of accomplishment you will find when you decide the who and how and why.

And that is when you will be empowered to go… and do… great… things.

I want to end with a few words from another great commencement speech. This one is by Fred Rogers — the famous “Mr. Rogers," who also happens to be dead. He spoke to the graduates of Marquette University years ago and said:

You don't ever have to do anything sensational in order to love or to be loved. And that is what’s so great about life.

Godspeed, Class of 2023.

My goodness, you are so loved!

We are so, so proud of you.