Change motivates 

Ladies and gentlemen, faculty members, proud parents and of course my fellow graduates. It’s crazy to think that 12 years ago we were waiting for the bus to arrive for our first day of kindergarten. Now we are standing here waiting for the last moments we have together. I’m here not only to say how proud I am of everyone and myself for getting through these strenuous and stressful four years, but to also talk about a truth we all have to face, change, I want you to look to the person to the right and the left of you, I can guarantee they have faced a change in their life whether that be big or small, hurtful or heartfelt all change is inevitable and everyone experiences it. Being unaware and naive to the certainty of change takes away from your growth and happiness. For me change has been the thing holding me back from growth my entire life, being worried for the future leaves you stuck in the past.

Being worried how others perceive you, being worried which path to choose, being worried how you perform in the things you love most such as sports, friendships and even jobs. In my experience this worry holds you back and makes it harder to reach your goals. I noticed this the first day we walked into high school. I was terrified because this was the first change we faced together, moving to a new school, navigating our new classes and getting used to the workload. This felt like the biggest challenge.  Little did we know life throws curve balls and change is always waiting for you at home plate. And I know from personal experience a change up pitch gets me everytime. As a class we’ve faced many change ups, loss, sadness, uncertainty, stress and successes. These challenges don’t define us, they make us reflective. Believe me when I say that nobody is worried for you. That worry is deep rooted in your own mind, your brain wants you to fail, mess up or even hurt people. This is how you grow, make mistakes and live with the consequences. 

Choices never go away, Life isn’t always fun, change is scary but the only way to grow is to learn to adapt, a thing my mom always tells me. Adapt to the situation and you will persevere. learn how to get over the heartbreak, how to be tough, and cope with burnout. Be strong, be resilient and remember that you always have a choice in the matter.  The way you treat people around you reflects your growth. You are the only one in control of your life.  From the moment we are born we are thrown into a world of constant change but one thing remains the same each and every single one of your journeys are different. These events we go through alone or together all shape our identities and help us become who we are today. and life doesn’t end today. Today our life is just beginning. A wise man once said hate has four letters but so does love, enemies have seven letters but so do friends. Lying has five letters but so does truth, failure has seven letters but so does success. Cry has three letters but so does joy, and negativity has ten letters but so does positivity. you always have a choice. and life is only as great as you make it so be happy when someone’s hurt. 

“Softball at the Lloyd!” by Seth W. is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0.