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#50 - My Graduation Speech

May 14, 2024

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This is my graduation speech to the class of 2024 (and anyone currently in their 20s.

A quick note on my 50th episode: Thank you so much for being a part of this journey and sticking with me. I hope I've brought some value to your day and am incredibly grateful that you are here listening, I don't take that lightly. I'll continue to give this my all.

The Graduation Speech That Should Have Been: Life Lessons for Your 20s

A real talk guide to navigating life after college without the typical commencement speech fluff

The Speech You Actually Need to Hear

Graduation speeches are usually full of generic advice about "following your dreams" and "making a difference." But what you really need to hear is the truth about what comes next - and it's both scarier and more exciting than anyone tells you.

As someone who's been out of college for two years, here's the graduation speech I wish I could have given (and the one I never got to give because, let's be honest, I wasn't valedictorian material).

Change and Control: The Reality Check

Here's the truth: There will be so much change in the next few years of your life. Most of it will be uncontrollable.

You'll come into the most trouble when you try to control everything. If you don't allow yourself to give into change and approach new experiences with an open mind, you'll never discover what you can learn about yourself.

Some days you'll wake up thinking, "What the hell am I doing?" You'll feel like you're in the wrong place at the wrong time. Other days you'll feel completely on track, like you're exactly where you need to be. This will go back and forth constantly.

Focus on What You Can Control

When everything feels chaotic, lean into what you can actually control:

You can't control where your friends move → But you can control how often you call them
You can't control what your boss says to you → But you can control your response
You can't control someone ghosting you → But you can control not talking badly about them online

As they say, "We can't control the waves, but we can choose how to ride them."

Doubt and Comparison: Your Biggest Enemies

The what-ifs and doubt will creep in at every step:

What if I'm not good enough?
What if I fail?
What if I don't get the job?
What if she doesn't like me?
What if I don't stay close with my friends?

Here's what I've learned from experience: You will doubt yourself constantly and think everything you're doing is wrong while everyone else is doing it right.

The person you think has it all figured out? They're probably thinking the same thing about someone else - maybe even about you.

A Mental Trick That Actually Works

When comparison thoughts creep in, try this psychological trick: Put that thought on a cloud in your mind and let it go. It won't get you any further, so why carry it around?

Writing Your Own Story

You get the opportunity to write your page every single day. Everyone will have different perspectives and opinions about your story - that's normal. You don't get to control how people perceive what you write, but you can control what you do next.

The biggest lesson from my post-college years: Dive into what excites you.

Letting other people dictate what you do with your time will leave you stagnant and wishing you had just gone for it. You'll find things that genuinely excite you and that you're passionate about. So why not lean into those? Why wait?

The Permission You're Waiting For

Nobody is going to put the pen in your hand. You have to take it yourself.

I started a podcast. I post videos of my thoughts and experiences online every day. Some people think it's weird or embarrassing. Some people send it to their friends (and not in a nice way). But it's something I always wanted to try.

For the longest time, I waited on the sidelines thinking, "What will people say about me if I do this?"

I'd rather try and potentially fail than wait on the sidelines and never know if I could do it.

The Real Graduation Message

Taylor Swift said it best in her NYU graduation speech: "The scary news is you're on your own now. But the cool news is you're on your own now."

Once you leave college, you're on your own. It's up to you what you do with your time, effort, and energy - probably the three most important things any of us have.

There's no set path or someone telling you exactly what to do. Sure, you have your job, but everything else? That's all you.

Don't Be Afraid to Be Seen Trying

People are going to talk anyway. So give them something to talk about.

We're all here for a pretty short amount of time. It's up to us what we do with that time and how we pick up the pen every day to write the next chapter.

If the story you're currently writing isn't working, you can turn the page and write a new one. If it is working, figure out how to keep it going.

The question isn't whether you'll make mistakes (you will). The question is: How are you going to write your story?

Class of 2024: Don't be afraid to be caught trying. The pen is in your hand every single day. What are you going to write?

Want More Real Talk About Your 20s?

This is exactly the kind of honest conversation we have every week on GuySet. No sugar-coating, just real advice for guys navigating their twenties.

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