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To Serve well

Serving with Excellence for a Life of Excellence

May 19, 2016

‘Flippin sweet’ graduation advice!

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Every time I see a clip or see a reference to Napoleon Dynamite (circa 2004), I laugh. My boys were about 8 then, and that has to be one of the more fun ages. I, however, think no matter the age, this movie is ridiculously awesome because it is dumb beyond belief. See some out takes below! A bit of humor is good for the soul.

So in addition to the advice above – by the way do VOTE please, however I do have to say I’m glad this isn’t my first election to vote in – there are several “round ups” of the best commencement speeches and in those, some great advice. This list is my favorite after doing a bit of research. I have summarized below some key thoughts for those who don’t want to scroll through it all. Some sound words of wisdom for all of us!

  • Shonda Rhimes, 2014 – STOP DREAMING, START DOING
  • David Foster Wallace, 2005 – “Be less arrogant, and a little less certain about your beliefs.”
  • Robert Krulwich, 2011 – “People who stay at it, who stay stubborn, very often win.”
  • George Saunders, 2013 – Be KIND: “What I regret the most in my life are failures of kindness.”
  • Stephen Colbert, 2011 – Never feel like you have it all figured out.  (Can I get an amen from anyone else my age or above!)
  • Nora Ephron, 1996 – “It will be a little messy, but embrace the mess.  It will be complicated, but rejoice in the complication.”
  • Steve Jobs, 2005 – Live each day as if it were your last. “Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your inner voice, and most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.”
  • Kurt Vonnegut, 1999 – Make the world a better place by respecting humanity.
  • Atul Gawande, M.D., 2012 – “The difference between triumph and defeat, you’ll find, isn’t about willingness to take risks.  It’s about mastery of rescue.”  (Don’t be afraid to fail!)
  • JK Rowling, 2008 – “It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all-  In which case, you fail by default.”
  • Joss Whedon, 2013 – Embrace inner conflict- “It’s inevitable, and it never goes away.”
  • John F. Kennedy, 1963 – Strive for what may be the biggest goal of all of them:  WORLD PEACE.
  • Toni Morrison, 2004 – CREATE YOUR OWN NARRATIVE!  (Story)

Now a bit more humor:

(Photo credit: Pinterest)

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Filed Under: Grit

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INSIGHTS, INSPIRATIONS, AND IDEAS

Thank you so much for joining me! I am thrilled. My great hope is that you might be inspired by some of the insights here - simple thoughts on everyday life with an emphasis on serving and striving for a life of excellence!

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