My Commencement Speech

Dear Lori, thanks for such a wonderful commentary about something so important. Follow what draws you most and pay attention as best you can to that "inner voice". We all have particular creative passions and there is never too late a time to engage with those deepest dreams even if we have to modify them somewhat, there is always a way. Sometimes, the "journey" that is life takes us in directions that seem to be pulling against the tide, but we can always find or fight our way back, and to do one thing does not mean that we have forever closed that golden door that still beckons, that is part of soul, passion, and love. Sometimes it is the journey itself that informs all of this, and adds a depth to life we never thought possible, even those paths that do not seem to have been quite right. I do believe it's all about journey and love itself as a guiding force.

by far your best and most powerful message, form and content. keep'm coming. please.

Thanks Lori - informative and uplifting - even to a 63 year old non-jew.

Lori's is right! In God's providence I have been able to follow that advice and follow my passion for plants and teaching. Her advice is something that I have given to my students over the years. Lawrence

Wow, what a great message. Whats funny is that people that graduate college probably don't need to hear that as much as people finishing high school do. I am in middle of college and have been talked out of all of my 'silly dreams' already. Granted, some weren't so realistic, but the bottom line is that once a person is done with college, they finish their decision on life. You graduate with a degree which limits your future or focuses it. Either way, its good to hear this speech while I'm still in school and could change paths of my future and not in a couple of years when its too late. KT

Dear lori, I just graduated at the beginning of May (in Australia) and the commencement speech that was given to us at the ceremony left me a little bewildered. As you know, it can be overwhelming to go out into the world and live exactly our dreams. Your commencement speech makes me want to at least try to live my ideal life! Thank you!

Thank you for the video this week Lori. I would hope that incoming Freshment sudents would hear your speech instead of the Graduating students. Your message is a very wonderful thing to tell our children. Happiness and fulfilling their passions is what we would want for them. I have often thought that a lot of young Jewish lives are so controlled that they don't experience any of their own passion. I can't imagine that every young Jewish person wants to become a Rabbi, or an Attorney or a Physician or in the Professions. I doubt these were the passions in life that they felt as a young person. If one was to say to their parents in their second year of med. school, Mom, Dad, I appreciate your wanting me to have this education, but "I am going to follow my passion, learn a trade, and work for a small construction company in Newark and do photography in my spare time." Not many parents that I know would encourage their sons to do this. Perhaps if the men could have followed their passions earlier in life, they wouldn't be looking outside their Jewish community for that passion now. This is just my observation, and I do offer it with respect for education.

I am glad you followed your passion and left advertising. Your videos are so wonderful, and I hope I can thank you in person one day for your beautiful messages.

Finding purpose after college graduation is certainly a matter of what our goals and passion are all about. However, in this economic recession with many college graduates moving back home with their folks, it's not necessarily easy to find a permanent and secure job. I am one of them in particular, BUT, I do have a job and will soon have a second one in a few weeks. I graduated from college 3 years ago with a Bachelor's degree and am doing my best to apply it.