He was invited to give an inspirational speech for a public high school recognition day. He was shocked when he got invited since he was just in his early 20′s. But he accepted it and prepared a speech within the short amount of time before the recognition day.
The school is newly created and not his alma mater. But some of his high school teachers are now teaching there. He has taken a photo of the outstanding students for the year.
So here goes the speech….
“This moment celebrates all the hard work you did and all the sacrifices your parents made. This moment is going to be one of the most unforgettable things that ever happened to you. You are now ready to embark on the next step of your life, especially for the graduating students.
When I was asked to give a speech for this recognition, I thought of what am I going to say to inspire everyone. And so, I would like to share three things that I’ve learned and realized since I stepped out of high school. First, do something that you really want to do. Second, do not be afraid to make mistakes. And lastly, do not forget the people you’ve met along the way.
Do something that you really want to do
As of now, you should at least have an idea of what you want to do in the future. When I was in high school, I know that I want to work for a well-known company, wear business attire, make financial decisions. That is why I took up accountancy. I cannot say that I am successful now but I know this is what I want to do until I become one of the executives of a company. I learned that if you do something you want and commit to it, there is a 100% chance that you will succeed.
When I was studying in UST, I had some classmates who are working students. They come to school in the morning, study and do home works in the afternoon and work in a call center company at night. While some of them became working students in UST so they do not need to pay for the tuition. It may not be easy but if you are fully committed, you will find a way to succeed.
As Paul Walker said, “I live by ‘go big or go home.’ That’s with everything. It’s like either commit and go for it or don’t do it at all.” If you have dream, make it bigger and be 100% committed to it. And the rest will follow.
Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
When you are afraid to make mistakes, you are never going to succeed. Failures are your building blocks to reach your goal. There may be consequences but you will gain something from it. If you grow up not knowing and not learning from your mistakes, you are going to be a person who does not consider the ideas and suggestions of other people.
I remember in my first job when I am making so many mistakes. There were times when my boss yelled at me. But I accepted all my mistakes and learned from it. We learn from our mistakes, not our success.
There will be moments in your lives when you make mistakes that you want stop to reach your goal. This is the reason why I told you earlier that you have to do something that you really want to do. Even if you’re making so many mistakes, you won’t stop until you reached your goal because it is something that you want to do and you’re committed to it. Success is about failing and failing without loss of passion.
Don’t forget the people you’ve met along the way
This is one of the most important things that you need to do. Every people you’ve met and you will meet have a purpose in your life. Treat them equally and learn from them. You will need the things you learned from them. You might not need it now but in the future.
I remember in high school when we all need to make a presentation and our teacher says that we need to be creative and to think outside the box. I never thought that I will need it in my work. Until now, I need to think of something new and creative in my reports. And that is one of the things I have learned in high school that I never thought I will apply until now.
And those are the three things that I want to share and I hope that you will consider them when you start your next chapters in your life. First, do something that you really want to do. Second, do not be afraid to make mistakes. And lastly, do not forget the people you’ve met along the way.
Before I end my speech, I would like to congratulate the students and the graduates, especially those with awards. I would also like to congratulate the parents for now they can see the fruits of their hard work and sacrifices. Lastly, I would also like to congratulate our teachers for their unending patience and selfless sharing of their knowledge to us.”
