Inspiring commencement speeches

-
Like what J.K Rowling said about herself, I too can't remember a single word from the speaker at my graduation ceremony more than a decade ago. High chance that I might have fallen asleep as what I always did during lectures. I figured that the speaker at my commencement must not have been half as entertaining as Oprah and Rowling. 

The commencement speeches below are true gems. Although it's well past the time that I should be listening to them, I still find them inspiring, timeless. 



Oprah Winfrey's commencement speech

JK Rowling's commencement speech

Common points that I have distilled from their seemingly different messages are:
  • We need to have a vision for ourselves - with that only can we pave our own path in life to success. (I like Oprah's case of her boyfriend asking her to go for a ride and she would ask 'to where?'.)
  • We need to know what we are capable of and learn to make good impacts to the world with this talent/ service of ours (know we can touch other people's lives).
  • Surround yourself with good people. People who are worthwhile to be with, who want the best for you and make you a better person.

The 2 lady speakers are outstanding in their own ways of delivering the intended messages, like the way they draw references and experiences to themselves. I guess owing in part to the extraordinary and undulant life stories that they had behind the glamour of success.


Indeed, if life is all calm, peaceful and rosy, what's there to strive for? 
"You might never fail on the scale I did, but some failure in life is inevitable. It is impossible to live without failing at something, unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all – in which case, you fail by default." - J.K Rowling




 ***
Like what you read? View my other posts here

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Be anti-fragile

-
Image
Life's not easy, life goes on. Rather than gripe (we know the saying "人生不如意事十之八九"), it is important for us to focus on risk management in our daily lives and how to become anti-fragile. Buying insurance, setting stop-losses, cut losses and bad connections out of our lives, look before stepping and don't seek cheap thrills. That's risk management at its very least. Taleb's concept of anti-fragile is one level above risk management and robustness.  It is about how chaos can make one better and stronger. Don't fear volatility, uncertainty and disruptions. Instead view them as opportunities.  Quoting the video, we should learn to  "transforms fear into prudence, pain into information, mistakes into initiation and desires into undertaking" . Toughen your mindset If you have tough desire, then be prepared for a tough process working towards it. Another point highlighted in the video for our mind training is - we can imagine worse case scenario, imagine
Read more

Shit happens and I lost my low-hanging fruits

-
My SAYE account has just hit its 25th month anniversary which is also the "month of maturity". Anticipating to get the 3.5% bonus interest for all these months of saving, I was shocked to see only $17+ cash gift credited as opposed to a few hundred dollars. I was about to send a message to query the bank what caused this interest plummet versus what I got in the 13th month when I came across a debit transaction in my account history (GASP!). To my oblivion and horror, I have accidentally selected my SAYE account to transfer $50 to a joint account to foot some bill in one of the months last year. Here's the terms and conditions for those who are not familiar with the SAYE account of POSB. "To receive the additional 3.5% p.a. Cash Gift Interest, ensure that you do not make any withdrawal from your POSB SAYE account." "If a withdrawal is made in the month, this will result in the previously accumulated additional 3.5% p.a. interest to be forfeited." Damn.
Read more

Reflections for year 2023

-
Image
2023 is a year which I have relented to the inevitable dealing with adversities. Sending my mother in and out of hospital had become a norm. Being a healthcare professional, I thought I could handle it single-handedly well enough, not until the point when my mother ceased to be fit enough to attend dementia day care that I came to the conclusion that I needed a helper. However, things took a steep downhill turn before I could hired one (counted myself lucky for it). My mother passed away in June, it was a relief for me and probably a relief for her as well. However, life is not meant to be smooth-riding. My mother did not leave behind a will, thus I have to apply for the Letters of Administration with the Court and as my sibling has mental disability, this led to some complexities which have yet to be resolved. Instead of hiring a lawyer, I decided to apply the LOA and MCA orders by myself through the Service Bureau. I am paying my time and convenience for it but that's fine as I
Read more

Letters of Administration / Probate - DIY application

-
Image
It's been almost 2 months since my mum's passing. I have not had the mood to blog as there's simply too much for me to settle - both tangible and intangible stuff.  For the first month, there's like a void in my life that I couldn't get used to because I was so used to the daily routine of taking care of her. It felt like a boulder lifted off my shoulder, as I was near breaking point; but this boulder was not gone, instead it shifted to my heart. The passing was sudden but not unexpected. My mum's condition deteriorated rapidly after her last fall, which led to hospitalization, and every hospitalization made her more frail. On the last discharge she could barely sit up in bed. My mum  did not leave behind a will  because she did not see a need to at that time when she still had a clear state of mind. Without a will, I would need to apply for the Grant of Letters of Administration (instead of a Grant of Probate ) in order to administer her Estates. (Note: If ther
Read more

Success in life

-
Image
Different levels of our life and career Level 1 - Aimless You have no earthly idea what you're doing or where you're going. You have no direction. Level 2 - Stuck You can envision yourself doing better but can't seem to get out of a rut. You might work hard but experience very little progress. Level 3 - Coasting You are going through the motions. Your life is on cruise control. You do what you have to do to survive. Level 4 - Developing You are steadily growing. You've had incremental improvements over the past few years, and your relationships and career have excelled. Level 5 - Thriving You are operating in your sweet spot. You don't have to do anything. You get to do everything. Level 6 - Mastery You are doing so well that you're in a place to help others do the same. from  "Leveling up" by Ryan Leak I came across the above while browsing IG and it made me reflect on how success in life and career is defined. Which level am I at now? In my early 30s
Read more

Disclaimer:

The contents of this blog are author's personal opinions and do not constitute advice to hold, buy or sell any securities, commodities or assets mentioned. I do not guarantee the accuracy and reliability of any information provided, and shall not be liable for any losses incurred from reading my posts or using the materials herein. This blog may contain affiliate links to external sites.