As I pondered this little speech, I considered all the things that could be useful to this graduating class of 2008. Some of us are celebrating the completion of decades of hard work while yet others toiled for mere months in a mad flurry of activity trying to move on with life as quickly as possible. All of us, however, have one single expectation which guided us through hours of homework and frightful moments like that cursed Finance 502 class which we thought would never end. This one expectation, indeed this one promise, which motivated our hard work was the hope that we could perhaps increase our likelihood of . . . success.
I recall a short 4 years ago as I sat in Gammage auditorium listening to the commencement speech as I prepared to proudly accept my diploma for my undergraduate work in Urban Planning. At that point in time, I knew that my life would take a much better turn and I would ascend to new heights; from selling appliances in a local department store to designing or regulating some of this state’s communities. It was at that point, as I watched well meaning graduates blow up beach balls and hit them with great gusto toward the stage, that I realized that I needed to identify my expectations for the future; my individual meaning of the word which brought each person through the toils of those school years.
I knew at that point that this single concept had been the downfall of many while still allowing millions to achieve the unthinkable; these seven letters had allowed people to climb to the heights of the world, to accomplish amazing things, to save millions of lives, and to solve some of the greatest problems. Yet there were other times when the effort extended to accomplish great things in the eyes of some, also resulted in absolute failure. Yes, Rome burned as many believed they were the most successful nation in the history of earth. Millions perished in the Holocaust as some believed they had been successful at protecting a “master race”. Even in America, freedom was taken from thousands of people who were forced to toil for a handful of wealthy and influential persons all in the same name: Success. As I sat there in May of 2004, I realized that I was not exempt from the same potential; that in my efforts to achieve great things, I could also release great pain on myself and those around me if I did not establish boundaries for my dreams. After all, no one of us is above becoming the next Jeffery Dahmer, Osama Bin Ladin, or even Adolf Hitler if we do not come to grips with the reality that success must be carefully channeled into productive paths and balanced with values, morals, and caution.
I was somewhat disappointed with the definition given by Merriam Webster which said success means a “degree or measure of succeeding”, a “favorable or desired outcome” or “the attainment of wealth, favor, or eminence (m-w.com).” But in my mind the definition falls well short of capturing the true essence of this concept that everyone tries to attain. After all, many accomplish these technical requirements but become corrupt, shallow, morally deficient, and hated. What good are all these achievements without honor to your core beliefs, family, friends, and all the other things which made you capable of success? What gain is there in wealth, fame, or the accumulation of stuff if you lose your family, your friends, your self-respect, and your soul?
As you consider your future and establish your own vision of success, consider that some of the most successful people in the eyes of the world have caused great pain and suffering to those who are close to them while those who are unknown to the billions on this earth have in-fact caused great joy and comfort to those who know them well, even as they languish in anonymity. Who indeed is the most successful? Which of these two types of individuals have accomplished the most? I caution you today as you step out in search of this mysterious treasure we call success to consider its meaning very carefully.
105 years ago another man stood before a graduating class at Yale University. Arthur T. Hadley said this: “If you value the world simply for what you can get out of it, be assured that the world will in turn estimate your value to it by what it can get out of you. A man who sets his ambition in such a narrow frame may have followers in prosperity, but not in adversity. He can secure plenty of sycophants, but no friends. That man on the other hand, who values the world for what he can put into it, who deals courteously with his associates, patriotically with his country, and who, under whatsoever creed or form, has that spirit of devotion to an ideal which is the essential thing in religion, that man makes himself a part of a world which is bound together by higher motives than the hope of material success.”
I propose, on this 8th day of May, 2008, that we establish our own meaning of success which each one of us can carry with us into the wide world which will allow achievement without sacrificing what is truly important. Those who meet these requirements can truly look anyone in the face with confidence that they are not only achievers but are also true men and women in this age where character and honor are so hard to find. So today I propose that all consider this statement: My life will be truly successful if I live every day to honor my beliefs first, my family second, and my country third; in that order, while knowing that were I to leave this life unexpectedly I would be assured that I did not live for myself but for the betterment of those who are truly important to me.
That is my measure of success.
