This Commencement Address was delivered at a school in Australia by a graduate of the school who is now a well-known comedian. I want to watch this with my kids at a later point in life when they can understand some of the nuances. For now, I share some of these lessons with you.
Lessons from Tim Minchin’s Speech:
- You do NOT have to have a giant DREAM. Instead, have passionate dedication to short-term goals. If you focus too far ahead, you won’t see the shiny thing out of the side of your eye.
- Do NOT seek happiness. If you think about it too much, it goes away. Keep busy and aim to make someone else happy.
- It’s ALL luck. You are lucky to be here, to have your background, your DNA, etc. Don’t take yourself too seriously.
- Exercise. Take care of your body. We are living longer. You are going to need it.
- Be HARD on YOUR OWN opinions and beliefs. Be intellectually rigorous.
- Be an AMAZING TEACHER in all aspect of your life. Share your ideas, rejoice in what you love, and SPRAY IT.
- Define yourself by what you LOVE, and not what you dislike.
- RESPECT people with less power than you.
- DON’T RUSH. Don’t PANIC. You do not need to know what you are going to do with your life yet.
Finally, leave it to humans to think that life has a purpose. There is one sensible thing to do with this empty existence: FILL IT. LEARN as much as you can about as much as you can. Take PRIDE in whatever you are doing. SHARE ideas. BE enthusiastic, “It’s an incredibly exciting, wonderfully meaningless life of yours.”
The summary loses a lot of the finer points of his message, so enjoy his speech sometime.
