The Commencement Address for the New Work World

By Mary Ann Faremouth, CPC

A few years ago, I had the privilege of delivering a commencement address at a local college. I tried hard to impart solid life lessons as these graduates began their new lives. Big changes were in front of them. They would begin to apply what they had learned in college to the real world and, with luck, do so successfully.

“Like so many of you sitting in the auditorium today,” I told them, “when I graduated from college, I was excited but uncertain about exactly what my employment future would hold. There are times in our lives when the future looks fuzzy or unclear, and it can actually be pretty scary to think through what might come next.”

“Commencement,” of course, means an act or time of beginning. All of us are, in a sense, beginning or graduating to a new normal as we strive for success in our personal and professional lives. The lessons in my speech came not only from my years as a career consultant, but also from what I have experienced as a human being trying to survive on this planet. Let’s look at the tips I gave the graduates that might resonate during these changing and challenging times:

1. Take the Focus Off Me and Put It on We.
Especially when entering a new beginning, thinking about how to be of service is of paramount importance. It can also create a feeling of benevolence and gratitude for having the health and ability to do so. A service-oriented mindset, as opposed to focusing solely on the benefits we receive from a personal or professional endeavor, enhances self-esteem and is usually well received.

2. Make Friends With Fear.
Don’t be afraid of fear. Speak your fears out loud. Acknowledge your obstacles, but don’t be limited by them. The challenges we face are what force us to grow and expand. Fear is often the dragon within that we have to slay. As Audre Lorde wrote, “When I dare to be powerful, to use my strength in the service of my vision, then it becomes less and less important whether I am afraid.” Fear must take a backseat when we envision our quest. Keep marching through troubled waters toward your goal.

3. Life’s a Dance, We Learn as We Go.
The great song by John Michael Montgomery reminds us that, while we are all surely doing a different dance these days, we can choose the steps we take. Are we going to twist and shout through big changes or waltz through them?

4. Write the Book of Your Life.
“I trust the next chapter because I am the author.” Life coach Mary Morrissey’s words compel us to think about writing our personal stories of determination as we move through tough times with grace and resilience.

5. Stay Humble and Kind.
With every success and accomplishment, try to always stay humble and appreciate those special people who walked with you on your journey. And for any hard lessons you had to learn along the way, be grateful for the struggles, too, as they build strength and character. Sometimes our greatest lessons and accomplishments come not from things being easy or without challenge, but from the strife and struggle it took to reach that special goal.

Let’s make our own commencement a new beginning, one that expands who we can be: graduates of the school of life. Let’s journey into our future with expanded success and renewal.

Mary Ann’s award-winning first book Revolutionary Recruiting has been listed by Book Authority as Number #1 Best 100 Recruiting Books; #1 Best Seller, Non-Fiction, Amazon (2019); Top 20 Recruiting books, Recruitics; Readers’ Choice finalist (2019), Houston Literary Awards; Best Non-Fiction (2018), Best Cover (2019), and Best Self-Help (2018), Authors Marketing Guild. This was followed by “Revolutionary Reinvention”, a workbook for job seekers giving advice on how to rediscover your skills and passions and reinvent your career. Her most recent book is “Revolutionary Results” , a collection of life lessons about relationships, integrity and contributing to the world.