Need some inspiration?

Everyone has something that they reach to for inspiration and encouragement. It could be a person, a poem, a book, a speech, a place.  You cannot predict where inspiration will come from and when it will strike. I am always seeking magical positive energy and awe-inspiring ideas. Here’s one of my “go-to” pieces of inspiration. It’s Conan O’Brien’s commencement address to the Dartmouth College class of 2011 (reproduced here courtesy of teamcoco.com via YouTube). I have lost count of how many times I have watched this speech.

 

Besides being side-splitting funny, Conan O’Brien is intelligent and insightful. This speech is inspiring not only because of Conan’s sensible and wise advice to the youngsters, but more importantly because of his genuine depiction of life’s uncertainties. He steers clear of the “reach for the stars” and “the world is your oyster” clichés. With an unpretentious quality, Conan convinces the audience of how dreams can change and how living through that experience can be liberating rather than devastating. I want to pause here to commend Dartmouth on their excellent choice for a commencement address speaker. It’s not just about picking a successful person, but it also matters at what stage that person is in his/her own life.