Nursing School Graduation

On September 12, 2015, I walked across a stage and received a diploma from Provo College. I even graduated with Honors! I never did that in high school, or any other college. It feels amazing to be finished. The ceremony was kinda long, and even more boring. (Because they always are, right?) I was however, asked to give a 5 minute speech. And when I say asked, I mean my class voted for me to speak.

I couldn't have done this without the help of my amazing husband. He truly made it possible, and took the not only the role and job of husband and provider who works full time, but also the mom, and housekeeper for 16 months. I'm so lucky to have him by my side.

 My parents and Buck's parents came and supported me as well. I'm lucky to have such amazing, and supportive family.

Here is my speech that I gave:

 Good morning Ladies and Gentlemen, friends, families, teachers, and fellow classmates; I am grateful for the opportunity I have to be able to stand before you today and congratulate my fellow graduates, and hopefully bring a smile to each of your faces at least one last time. As I sat down to write this very speech, I was truly at a loss for any words of inspiration that I might render to you all. So I reverted back to my fine skills that I used all throughout nursing school whenever I didn't know or wasn't sure of something, and Googled it. :)

I think it's safe to say that I speak for most of us when I say that we have looked forward to our Graduation day since the beginning of our education in each of our career fields. We are all happy and excited to move on to the next big step, and chapter in our lives, with more knowledge in our brains, confidence in our steps, and eagerness in our hearts. With that, I would like to talk today, about failure.

J.K. Rowling said, “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.” Yes, I do understand that we graduates are here listening to this speech today because we did in fact, NOT fail in our classes, and that we are indeed successful and ready to embrace our new careers. However, part of being successful is to have experienced failure. Failure teaches many lessons. Failing defines us, and helps to make us better. Professor Mark S. Lewis, of clinical psychology tells a story that helps explain my point.

The First Tightrope Walker

In 1859 the Great Blondin -- the man who invented the high wire act, announced to the world that he intended to cross Niagara Falls on a tightrope. Five thousand people including the Prince of Wales gathered to watch. Halfway across, Blondin suddenly stopped, steadied himself, back-flipped into the air, landed squarely on the rope then continued safely to the other side. During that year, Blondin crossed the Falls again and again -- once blindfolded, once carrying a stove, once in chains, and once on a bicycle. Just as he was about to begin yet another crossing, this time pushing a wheelbarrow, he turned to the crowd and shouted "Who believes that I can cross pushing this wheelbarrow?" Every hand in the crowd went up. Blondin pointed at one man.
"Do you believe that I can do it?" he asked.
"Yes, I believe you can," said the man.
"Are you certain?" said Blondin
"Yes," said the man.
"Absolutely certain?"
"Yes, Absolutely certain."
"Thank you" said Blondin, "Then sir, get into the wheelbarrow."

Like that man in the crowd, you all know a lot of things. But also like that man, there will be times in your life when knowing things won’t matter as much as how scary the situation is -- and when that happens you’ll have to decide whether or not to get into the wheelbarrow.

Each of us are prepared and ready to embark on our journey into our new career. Do we know everything about what we are getting ourselves into? No. Are we prepared knowledge wise? I hope so,as we are about to receive diplomas. What we need to remember though is we are still learning, and that on occasion, we are going to fail. The important thing, is how we react to our failures, and how we choose to learn, and better ourselves from them. Rahm Emanuel said, “You will have failures in your life, but it is what you do during those valleys that will determine the height of your peaks.”

Failing is a part of life; a part that helps shape who we are. But failure does not always have to be bad, or negative. Even though failure is imminent, there will also be triumphs and successful times in our lives. Adm. William McRaven of the U.S. Navy said, “Know that life is not fair and that you will fail often, but if take you take some risks, step up when the times are toughest, face down the bullies, lift up the downtrodden and never, ever give up—if you do these things, the next generation and the generations that follow will live in a world far better than the one we have today and—what started here will indeed have changed the world—for the better.”

I have one last story of a very successful man, who didn't start out very successful at all. This man had desired to help people all throughout his youth, and when old enough, he attended medical school and became a doctor, as he was a very intelligent man. As he began his career of helping others in the medical field, he found himself disliking his job more and more every day, because he didn't like talking to people, be it his staff, or his patients. He felt like he was failing every day. He later decided to become a mortician, where he finally felt that he got along with his patients, and was able to help them.

Mark Twain said it best with what he called the "Live Frog" principle. Twain used to argue, and quite convincingly, that one should swallow a live frog at the beginning of every day. That way you'd know the worst part of your day was behind you.

Graduates of 2015, congratulate yourselves and be proud—we can do hard things.