Prosperity/Success Principles
The Graduates And Their Dreams
1:36 AM
Take
time to read my simple speech given during a graduation ceremony five
years ago.
To
our beloved school principal, hardworking teachers, supportive
parents, our dear graduates, and to all who attend this
memorable graduation ceremony, good morning.
Before
I proceed, I would like to thank the school administration, headed by
our principal, for choosing me as your keynote speaker.
How
are you dear graduates? I know how happy you are right now. I was
once in your position. I know how excited you are to receive the
fruit of you labor. Perhaps you are also excited to go home because
there is a celebration waiting for you. But before anything else, did
anyone of you approach his/her parents or teachers and say “thank
you” to them? It's not yet too late, after this you approach and
thank them for all those years of molding, patience, understanding,
and efforts they have done to you. I know your parents and teachers
cannot also explain how happy they are right now watching you sitting
there and receiving your diplomas. At this moment, may I ask you dear
graduates to please stand and give a round of applause to your
teachers and most specially to your ever supportive parents.
Dear
graduates, I want you to do something for me. Please take a look of
your fellow graduates. Look at you classmate on your left and on your
right. Now consider this, 10 years or more from now, odds are your
fellow graduates might become a doctor, lawyer, engineer, teacher,
nurse, priest, businessman, a good father or mother, mayor and
perhaps president of this country. And you, in the middle? What can
you expect?
You
are the person endowed with potential, capability, skill, talent and
intelligence that can build a strong and wealthy nation. All you have
to do is to believe in yourself and put it in action.
I
will ask you a question. Who among you here have dreams in life?
Please raise your hand. I challenge you graduates, how can you
achieve your dreams or goal in life if you can't even manage to raise
your hand? Now, for the last time, who among you here have dreams in
life? Why I ask you that question? Because the poorest person in this
world is not the person who don't have money but the person who don't
have dreams in life.
According
to a survey conducted by Harvard University, out of 100% who have
dreams in life, only 3% put their dreams in writing and plan to
accomplish them. These 3% were the people who achieved their goals
and dreams in life. How about you? Did you put your dreams in
writing? If you put it in writing, you will become more focused and
determined to achieve it.
What
you want to become after graduating? What course you want to take up
in college? What you want to do after college? What you want to
accomplish? You must have a dream or goal in life. As the bible says
in the book of proverbs, “A person who does not have a goal in life
is like a ship without a rudder.” If you don't know where you are
going, every road will get you nowhere. People don't plan to fail,
they fail to plan.
Dream
big dreams – it's free. Allow yourself to dream and fantasize about
the kind of life you would like to live. Project yourself 10 to 15
years forward. Whatever it is, take the first step today. Because if
you can dream it, you can do it. As the MILO slogan goes, “Great
things starts from small beginnings.”
Believe
that you have the power to transform your thought into physical
reality, you can dream and make your dreams come true. Cherish them
as they are the children of your soul and the blueprint of your
ultimate achievements. Napoleon Hill says “Whatsoever the mind of
man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.
Dear
graduates, a while ago I have asked you to give a round of applause
to your parents. Why? Because it's your parents who gave you the
opportunity to receive good education in order to achieve your dreams
in life. Your parents did this to you because it is the only treasure
and legacy they can give. An opportunity which is a product of their
hardwork because they know that they will not always be around, even
your teachers. This opportunity will come only once, so don't dare to
waste it. Cherish this opportunity and nurture it. This is your ticket
to success.
What
we are celebrating right now is just the start of your battle in
pursuit to receive good education and to achieve your goals. Always
remember, that merely going to school or involvement is not enough.
You must commit and sacrifice yourself to attain your worthy goals
because I believe that the purpose of education is action, to bring
out the talent and intelligence we are born with.
I
can still remember how my parents work hard so that I will be able to
achieve what I am right now. In the process I also help my parents.
In the young age, I experienced and learned how to plant, harvest and
sell tobacco, sell bananas in the neighborhood, cook food, feed
animals, tend our small store, etc. We studied hard and we were only
allowed to watch tv once a week during Fridays or Saturdays. Now, I
also urge you dear graduates to also help your parents. They are not
superheroes who can give you everything you want. They are not banks
who can give you money anytime you want. They are just humans. Always
listen to them because they are good source of wisdom even though
some of them haven't attained what you have accomplished at this
time. My father once told me, “Do your best in your studies and in
your life and don't go back to what you have experienced before.
Nobody would give you even a single peso.”
Most
of us are easily discouraged or frustrated if someone tells us that
we are not good enough. We easily give up our dreams to dream
stealers. Dear graduates, don't allow anybody to steal your dreams.
It is yours to fulfill. No one should stop you from achieving it. You
must have strong attitude – become deaf in all discouragements,
failures and obstacles that you may encounter along the way.
Remember, the greatest reward in life is doing things that other
people say you cannot.
You
can be wrong and fail, and still succeed. You don't have to be super
talented and very smart to succeed. You should be persistent. Have
courage, don't quit. You only have to have one good success. When you
succeed everyone forgets your mistakes. Why? Because mistakes wont
matter as long as you continue to reach for your success in life.
If
you never do anything, you wont make a mistake. Get started making
some mistakes so success will come your way. Just remember, if you
want to accelerate the rate of your success, you mu st double the
rate of your failure. Success is on the far side of failure... dare
to fail. As the famous words of Winston Churchill goes “Never,
never, never, never give up.” You must have the G.U.T.S. (Genuine
Urge To Succeed).
Let
me give you an example. I have in my hand a P1,000 bill. Who want a
P1,000 bill? Now, what if I crumple, drop or throw this bill? Will
you still beg for it? Dear graduates, you have all learned a very
valuable lesson. No matter what I did to the money you still want to
have it because it did not decrease in value – it still worth
P1,000.
Just
like us, many times in our lives, we were dropped, crumpled and
ground into dirt by the decisions we made and the circumstances that
come our way. We feel as though we are worthless, but no matter what
has happened or what will happen to us – We will never lose our
true value. We are born with power to surmount all the odds that are
stacked against us; to be able to bounce back after each fall; to be
able to break free from any limitations; to claim rightful place on
this planet; to be the master of our circumstances; and to be the
creator of our destiny.
Your
courage to persist in the face of adversity and disappointments is
one quality that will guarantee you to achieve your goals in life.
Your willingness to persevere longer than anyone else is your
greatest personal asset. It is your ability to focus your desire and
to desire your focus.
Dear
graduates, if you cannot finish college don't be frown because it's
not yet the end of your quest to become successful citizen in this
country. In fact, many successful people have left school without
receiving a college degree. Like Henry Ford, founder of Ford Motors
Company; Thomas Edison, founder of General Electric; Ted Turner,
founder of CNN; Ralph Lauren, founder of Polo Ralph Lauren
Corporation; Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft Inc.; Steve Jobs,
co-founder of Apple Inc.; Joseph Estrada, former president of the
Philippines; and your favorite people's champ, Manny Pacquiao. Life
experience is their wise and great teacher. Like these personalities,
you must commit yourself to lifelong learning. Continuously sharpen
your saw. If you stop learning that is the beginning of your downfall
because you stop growing. We are what we repeatedly do, excellence
then is not an act but a habit.
Don't
you know that God has plan for us? It is well stated in the bible in
Jeremiah 29:11-12. It says “I have plans for you, declares the
lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you
hope and a future.”
I
hope someday, one of you will come to me and say “Neil, here I am,
a successful lawyer, doctor, teacher, father, etc.” When that time
comes, your teacher, parents, me and this country will be proud of
you.
Before
I end my speech, let me leave this wonderful poem to you.
If
you think you are beaten, you are
If
you think you dare not, you don't,
If
you like to win, but you think you can't
It
is almost certain you won't.
If
you think you'll lose, you're lost
For
out of the world we find,
Success
begins with a fellow's will
It's
all in the state of mind.
If
you think you are outclassed, you are
You've
got to think high to rise,
You've
got to be sure of yourself before
You
can ever win a prize.
Life's
battles don't always go
To
the stronger or faster man,
But
soon or late the man who wins
Is
the man WHO THINKS HE CAN!
Thank
you, congratulations and God bless...
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