毕业演讲稿：毕业典礼英文致词.doc

演讲稿 毕业演讲稿：毕业典礼英文致词 毕业演讲稿：毕业典礼英文致词毕业典礼英文致词iamhonoredtobewithyoutodayatyourmencementfromoneofthefinestuniversitiesintheworld.inevergraduatedfromcollege.truthbetold,thisistheclosestiveevergottentoacollegegraduation.todayiwanttotellyouthreestoriesfrommylife.thatsit.nobigdeal.justthreestories.thefirststoryisaboutconnectingthedots.idroppedoutofreedcollegeafterthefirst6months,butthenstayedaroundasadrop-inforanother18monthsorsobeforeireallyquit.sowhydididropout?itstartedbeforeiwasborn.mybiologicalmotherwasayoung,unwedcollegegraduatestudent,andshedecidedtoputmeupforadoption.shefeltverystronglythatishouldbeadoptedbycollegegraduates,soeverythingwasallsetformetobeadoptedatbirthbyalawyerandhiswife.exceptthatwhenipoppedouttheydecidedatthelastminutethattheyreallywantedagirl.somyparents,whowereonawaitinglist,gotacallinthemiddleofthenightasking:wehaveanunexpectedbabyboy;doyouwanthim?theysaid:ofcourse.mybiologicalmotherlaterfoundoutthatmymotherhadnevergraduatedfromcollegeandthatmyfatherhadnevergraduatedfromhighschool.sherefusedtosignthefinaladoptionpapers.sheonlyrelentedafewmonthslaterwhenmyparentspromisedthatiwouldsomedaygotocollege.and17yearslaterididgotocollege.butinaivelychoseacollegethatwasalmostasexpensiveasstanford,andallofmyworking-classparentssavingswerebeingspentonmycollegetuition.aftersixmonths,icouldntseethevalueinit.ihadnoideawhatiwantedtodowithmylifeandnoideahowcollegewasgoingtohelpmefigureitout.andhereiwasspendingallofthemoneymyparentshadsavedtheirentirelife.soidecidedtodropoutandtrustthatitwouldallworkoutok.itwasprettyscaryatthetime,butlookingbackitwasoneofthebestdecisionsievermade.theminuteidroppedouticouldstoptakingtherequiredclassesthatdidntinterestme,andbegindroppinginontheonesthatlookedinteresting.itwasntallromantic.ididnthaveadormroom,soisleptonthefloorinfriendsrooms,ireturnedcokebottlesforthe5depositstobuyfoodwith,andiwouldwalkthe7milesacrosstowneverysundaynighttogetonegoodmealaweekattheharekrishnatemple.ilovedit.andmuchofwhatistumbledintobyfollowingmycuriosityandintuitionturnedouttobepricelesslateron.letmegiveyouoneexample:reedcollegeatthattimeofferedperhapsthebestcalligraphyinstructioninthecountry.throughoutthecampuseveryposter,everylabeloneverydrawer,wasbeautifullyhandcalligraphed.becauseihaddroppedoutanddidnthavetotakethenormalclasses,idecidedtotakeacalligraphyclasstolearnhowtodothis.ilearnedaboutserifandsanseriftypefaces,aboutvaryingtheamountofspacebetweendifferentletterbinations,aboutwhatmakesgreattypographygreat.itwasbeautiful,historical,artisticallysubtleinawaythatsciencecantcapture,andifounditfascinating.noneofthishadevenahopeofanypracticalapplicationinmylife.buttenyearslater,whenweweredesigningthefirstmacintoshputer,itallcamebacktome.andwedesigneditallintothemac.itwasthefirstputerwithbeautifultypography.ifihadneverdroppedinonthatsinglecourseincollege,themacwouldhaveneverhadmultipletypefacesorproportionallyspacedfonts.andsincewindowsjustcopiedthemac,itslikelythatnopersonalputerwouldhavethem.ifihadneverdroppedout,iwouldhaveneverdroppedinonthiscalligraphyclass,andpersonalputersmightnothavethewonderfultypographythattheydo.ofcourseitwasimpossibletoconnectthedotslookingforwardwheniwasincollege.butitwasvery,veryclearlookingbackwardstenyearslater.again,youcantconnectthedotslookingforward;youcanonlyconnectthemlookingbackwards.soyouhavetotrustthatthedotswillsomehowconnectinyourfuture.youhavetotrustinsomething-yourgut,destiny,life,karma,whatever.thisapproachhasneverletmedown,andithasmadeallthedifferenceinmylife.mysecondstoryisaboutloveandloss.iwasluckyifoundwhatilovedtodoearlyinlife.wozandistartedappleinmyparentsgaragewheniwas20.weworkedhard,andin10yearsapplehadgrownfromjustthetwoofusinagarageintoa$2billionpanywithover4000employees.wehadjustreleasedourfinestcreation-themacintosh-ayearearlier,andihadjustturned30.andthenigotfired.howcanyougetfiredfromapanyyoustarted?well,asapplegrewwehiredsomeonewhoithoughtwasverytalentedtorunthepanywithme,andforthefirstyearorsothingswentwell.butthenourvisionsofthefuturebegantodivergeandeventuallywehadafallingout.whenwedid,ourboardofdirectorssidedwithhim.soat30iwasout.andverypubliclyout.whathadbeenthefocusofmyentireadultlifewasgone,anditwasdevastating.ireallydidntknowwhattodoforafewmonths.ifeltthatihadletthepreviousgenerationofentrepreneursdown-thatihaddroppedthebatonasitwasbeingpassedtome.imetwithdavidpackardandbobnoyceandtriedtoapologizeforscrewingupsobadly.iwasaverypublicfailure,andieventhoughtaboutrunningawayfromthevalley.butsomethingslowlybegantodawnonmeistilllovedwhatidid.theturnofeventsatapplehadnotchangedthatonebit.ihadbeenrejected,butiwasstillinlove.andsoidecidedtostartover.ididntseeitthen,butitturnedoutthatgettingfiredfromapplewasthebestthingthatcouldhaveeverhappenedtome.theheavinessofbeingsuccessfulwasreplacedbythelightnessofbeingabeginneragain,lesssureabouteverything.itfreedmetoenteroneofthemostcreativeperiodsofmylife.duringthenextfiveyears,istartedapanynamednext,anotherpanynamedpixar,andfellinlovewithanamazingwomanwhowouldbeemywife.pixarwentontocreatetheworldsfirstputeranimatedfeaturefilm,toystory,andisnowthemostsuccessfulanimationstudiointheworld.inaremarkableturnofevents,appleboughtnext,iretunedtoapple,andthetechnologywedevelopedatnextisattheheartofapplescurrentrenaissance.andlaureneandihaveawonderfulfamilytogether.imprettysurenoneofthiswouldhavehappenedifihadntbeenfiredfromapple.itwasawfultastingmedicine,butiguessthepatientneededit.sometimeslifehitsyouintheheadwithabrick.dontlosefaith.imconvincedthattheonlythingthatkeptmegoingwasthatilovedwhatidid.youvegottofindwhatyoulove.andthatisastrueforyourworkasitisforyourlovers.yourworkisgoingtofillalargepartofyourlife,andtheonlywaytobetrulysatisfiedistodowhatyoubelieveisgreatwork.andtheonlywaytodogreatworkistolovewhatyoudo.ifyouhaventfoundityet,keeplooking.dontsettle.aswithallmattersoftheheart,youllknowwhenyoufindit.and,likeanygreatrelationship,itjustgetsbetterandbetterastheyearsrollon.sokeeplookinguntilyoufindit.dontsettle.mythirdstoryisaboutdeath.wheniwas17,ireadaquotethatwentsomethinglike:ifyouliveeachdayasifitwasyourlast,somedayyoullmostcertainlyberight.itmadeanimpressiononme,andsincethen,forthepast33years,ihavelookedinthemirroreverymorningandaskedmyself:iftodaywerethelastdayofmylife,wouldiwanttodowhatiamabouttodotoday?andwhenevertheanswerhasbeennofortoomanydaysinarow,iknowineedtochangesomething.rememberingthatillbedeadsoonisthemostimportanttooliveeverencounteredtohelpmemakethebigchoicesinlife.becausealmosteverythingallexternalexpectations,allpride,allfearofembarrassmentorfailure-thesethingsjustfallawayinthefaceofdeath,leavingonlywhatistrulyimportant.rememberingthatyouaregoingtodieisthebestwayiknowtoavoidthetrapofthinkingyouhavesomethingtolose.youarealreadynaked.thereisnoreasonnottofollowyourheart.aboutayearagoiwasdiagnosedwithcancer.ihadascanat7:30inthemorning,anditclearlyshowedatumoronmypancreas.ididntevenknowwhatapancreaswas.thedoctorstoldmethiswasalmostcertainlyatypeofcancerthatisincurable,andthatishouldexpecttolivenolongerthanthreetosixmonths.mydoctoradvisedmetogohomeandgetmyaffairsinorder,whichisdoctorscodeforpreparetodie.itmeanstotrytotellyourkidseverythingyouthoughtyoudhavethenext10yearstotelltheminjustafewmonths.itmeanstomakesureeverythingisbuttonedupsothatitwillbeaseasyaspossibleforyourfamily.itmeanstosayyourgoodbyes.ilivedwiththatdiagnosisallday.laterthateveningihadabiopsy,wheretheystuckanendoscopedownmythroat,throughmystomachandintomyintestines,putaneedleintomypancreasandgotafewcellsfromthetumor.iwassedated,butmywife,whowasthere,toldmethatwhentheyviewedthecellsunderamicroscopethedoctorsstartedcryingbecauseitturnedouttobeaveryrareformofpancreaticcancerthatiscurablewithsurgery.ihadthesurgeryandimfinenow.thiswastheclosestivebeentofacingdeath,andihopeitstheclosestigetforafewmoredecades.havinglivedthroughit,icannowsaythistoyouwithabitmorecertaintythanwhendeathwasausefulbutpurelyintellectualconcept:noonewantstodie.evenpeoplewhowanttogotoheavendontwanttodietogetthere.andyetdeathisthedestinationweallshare.noonehaseverescapedit.andthatisasitshouldbe,becausedeathisverylikelythesinglebestinventionoflife.itislifeschangeagent.itclearsouttheoldtomakewayforthenew.rightnowthenewisyou,butsomedaynottoolongfromnow,youwillgraduallybeetheoldandbeclearedaway.sorrytobesodramatic,butitisquitetrue.yourtimeislimited,sodontwasteitlivingsomeoneelseslife.dontbetrappedbydogma-whichislivingwiththeresultsofotherpeoplesthinking.dontletthenoiseofothersopinionsdrownoutyourowninnervoice.andmostimportant,havethecouragetofollowyourheartandintuition.theysomehowalreadyknowwhatyoutrulywanttobee.everythingelseissecondary.wheniwasyoung,the