A Commencement Speech Just For You
- megdeford
- May 25
- 3 min read
I was inspired by commencement season, so I wrote a commencement speech just for you.
Dear Class of Right Now,
Today, I deliver this commencement speech not on a stage or a stadium, but in your inbox. It's an honor to be here, and I’m humbled to be your speaker on this important day in your life.
If no one’s said it to you lately, allow me: congratulations.
You’ve made it through another cycle. Not a semester or a season, maybe, but definitely something.
You’ve worked. You’ve wondered. You’ve unraveled. You’ve done small, brave things without applause. And through it all, you keep showing up.
That alone deserves a speech. So here it is:
Keep showing up. Like you always do.
Not just when it’s easy. Not just when you feel ready or rested. Show up when it’s boring, when it’s messy, when it feels like no one’s watching and nothing’s changing. Because that’s when we build our muscle of character.
This past week on the podcast, I talked to Stephen Schumann, a Nordic Combined skier for Team USA. He’s chasing his second Olympic Games, and what struck me wasn’t the medals or the glory. It was the everyday grind. The invisible discipline. The refusal to disappear, even when progress was slow. That’s the energy we need.
The hard parts don’t mean you’re doing it wrong. Life isn’t linear. Progress isn’t pretty. And no one is crushing it every day. So if you feel tired, unsure, or like the momentum you had in January fizzled somewhere around April… you’re in excellent company.
You’re going to have to meet yourself again. And again. And again.
You’ll outgrow old ideas. You’ll shed narratives you once swore by. You’ll surprise yourself, sometimes gently, sometimes like a freight train.
That’s what becoming looks like.
Joan Rivers nailed it when she said, “I wish I could tell you it gets better. But, it doesn't get better. You get better.”
You get better at listening to your heart.
Better at letting go.
Better at focusing on what deserves your precious energy and attention.
You get better at being you.
And just like when you graduated decades ago, the world is full of wonder.
Even now. Especially now!
Even with broken systems and toxic algorithms.Even with grief and burnout and seemingly endless to-do lists. There is beauty and meaning and hope and possibility.
So consider this your commencement:
Show up. Even when you’re tired. Even if your inbox is a crime scene.
Speak up. Even if your voice shakes or your group chat disagrees. Momtok will survive.
Keep meeting yourself. Because let’s face it, we’ve all lived a few lives by now. And the younger version of you would be stunned by how far you’ve come.
And hey, you don’t always have to be healing or leveling up.
You can just be.
You can enjoy a Tuesday.
You can go outside without turning it into a nature-themed productivity challenge.
Wear sunscreen. Hydrate. Stop doomscrolling.
The world is messy and wide open. And you, beautiful, evolving, wonderful you, are exactly where and when you need to be.
I'm handing you a metaphorical doctorate; congratulations, you earned it.
xoxo,
Meghan
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