A Graduation speech to cherish

Here is a graduation speech to cherish.

"You might be surprised to hear this, but you are about to step out into a world that’s in good shape -- in fact the best shape that that it’s ever been in." begins Nipun Mehta in this graduation speech. " The average person has never been better fed than today.  Infant mortality has never been lower; on average we’re leading longer, healthier lives. Child labor, illiteracy and unsafe water have ceased to be global norms. Democracy is in, as slavery is disappearing.  People don’t have to work as hard to just survive. A bicycle in 1895 used to cost 260 working hours, today we’ve gotten that number down to 7.2. So, things are progressing.  But I’m afraid that’s not the full story. "  

"What we’re handing over to you is a world full of inspiring realities coupled with incredibly daunting ones. In other words: miserable and magical isn't just a pop-song lyric -- it's the paradox that you are inheriting from us."

"At the core of all of today's most pressing challenges is one fundamental issue: we have become profoundly disconnected.  The average American adult reports having just one real friend that they can count on.  Just one.  And for the first time in 30 years, mental health disabilities such as ADHD outrank physical ones among American children.  We’ve forgotten how to rescue each other.  Reflecting on my own journey, there have been three keys that helped me return to a place of connection.  I’d like to share those with you today, in the hope that perhaps it might support your journey.

The First Key Is To Give *Maybe* greed is good, but Generosity is better. People consistently underestimate generosity, but human beings are simply wired to give. Our capacity to love is a currency that never runs out.  

The Second Key Is To Receive. When we give, we think we are helping others.  That's true, but we are also helping ourselves.  With any act of unconditional service, no matter how small, our bio-chemistry changes, our mind quiets, and we feel a sense of gratefulness.  This inner transformation fundamentally shifts the direction of our lives. Or as the Dalai Lama once put it, "Be Selfish, Be Generous.”  It is in giving that we receive.

The Third Key Is To Dance. Our biggest problem with giving and receiving is that we try and track it.  And when we do that, we lose the beat. The best dancers are never singularly focused on the mechanics of their movements.  They know how to let go, tune into the rhythm and synchronize with their partners. It’s like that with giving too.  It's a futile exercise to track who is getting what.  We just have to dance.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said it best, when he said, "Everyone can be great, because everyone can serve."