Commencement Speeches

Below is the Harvard Commencement Speech by JK Rowling. She talks about fear of failure, humanity, and responsibility. It's a bit off-topic for this blog, but since I look for things that inspire me, I thought it appropriate to share.

I like commencement speeches because their only purpose is to inspire. They're not trying to convince you to spend money, or vying for your vote, or persuading you to do any one thing in particular. They each seem to have a simple message: Good job, now go do more. Working on a college degree is long, hard work. The dedication should be commended and recognized. But it is also only a starting off point. You are now armed with information and education. You understand where life comes from: history, mathematics, language, biology. Whatever you study, you come out with a piece of paper that says that you understand how something works. Now your job is to do something with that knowledge. Do more: find a way to share you knowledge, to build upon it, give back, go forward. I think I could use a commencement speech in each phase of my life, reminding me to reflect on what I've done, take a breath, then go and do more.

J.K. Rowling Speaks at Harvard Commencement from Harvard Magazine on Vimeo.