Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellor, members of the Senate,
distinguished guests, members of Staff,
graduates and their guests.
Don't you just love it when a long plan comes together?
Fifteen years in the making, more on that later.
First, it is important that we recognise and thank
the people who have enabled us to get here today.
Our lecturers, our fellow classmates, friends, families.
It is only their support that makes the countless
late nights and the sacrifices manageable.
Think back to when you started your degree.
Consider how many inspirational minds you have met,
and relationships that have generated.
I want to take the opportunity to make a special thank you
to my wife, Adia.
No doubt you will all agree with me that this achievement is
not only about the individual, but a collective of people.
For the past couple of months or so, I've been pondering
what inspirational advice can I give you as you look out
to the next chapter in your life?
I refer to this guy I know.
He grew up in a small country town, total population
circa, nine hundred and seventy people.
He went to a public school where the teachers were
more interested in farming than teaching.
After school was spent trying to hunt rabbits
and shoot birds with a slingshot because that's what
country kids did.
He was always told he was a B grade student.
Graduating high school, he went to Bunbury ECU campus
to study to be an accountant.
Not chasing grades, but working during study
in a local accounting firm.
Soon this country kid moved to the big smoke, Perth,
where he started working in a mid-tier accounting firm.
Well, this country kid may as well moved continents.
He told me that he was fascinated by the concept
of chopsticks.
Apparently, when you get it right, you get to eat.
At a meeting with a local accounting firm, also with
a partner, at the mid-tier accounting firm, responsible
for 80 staff or so, he was asked, "What is the most
exciting thing working in his division?"
The country kid's reply, "I get to ride an elevator
to work."
Well, I'm that country kid.
I've come a long way.
It is only your determination that will cause you to
persevere.
Like the country kid, you can achieve anything
just by chipping away at it, by having grit.
It is this grit I encourage you to harness.
Grit is passion, and perseverance for very long term goals.
Grit is having stamina.
Grit is sticking with your future, day in, day out.
Not just for a week.
Not just for a month, but years.
I look at every great challenge I've accomplished,
academically, physically, or professionally.
And every achievement is linked to the ability to dig deep
when things go south.
This deep level of grit has got me into and out of
a lot of situations.
I was stuck on a mountain in Turkey alone, dehydrated,
delirious for over two days.
Digging deep and applying short term objectives to
achieve the long term goal of safety, I got off that
mountain and allowed me to be here today.
Know yourself and improve your resilience.
Putting yourself into difficult situations
allows you to grow.
This building of your resilience gives you the ability
to strive if you find yourself in an unfortunate situation.
Physical challenges are relatively easy way to build
your resilience.
You can see your obstacle.
The business world is different.
You have to deal with this intangible concept,
people and how they behave.
People can be cruel.
It is most likely your ideas will be stolen.
You will be back-stabbed.
Do not expect a harmonious world out there.
Learn to control your grit.
Recognise toxic work environments or relationships,
and end them.
When you can do this well, let me know how.
Being determined to turn everything around all the time,
has caused me to persevere far too long in situations
than someone should.
This ultimately putting pressure on my support network.
Being too focused, too determined does come at a cost.
Do not strive for perfection.
You'll never reach it.
The world is moving too fast, and if you ever get
close to perfection, it's out of date.
Action is the only way to keep up.
So do something with your life.
Challenge yourself.
Use this achievement you're about to accomplish
to motivate you for the next.
Pursue a career with passion.
Learn a language.
Run a marathon. Travel.
Summit a mountain.
All of the above. Do stuff.
Don't care what it is, but do something.
Don't check in and check out of a job.
Do something with your life.
Be a teacher. Be a student.
Be a dad, mother, partner, whatever you do, do it well.
Don't be a drifter.
The best example I can provide you of grit
is standing here in front of you today.
As you witness the execution of a long term goal,
I made the decision to stand here some fifteen years ago,
when I received a letter from this very University.
A response to my undergrad application
when I was in year 12.
The exact wording of the letter was not important.
But the message is.
Josh, you are not good enough for this University.
I knew one day I would graduate from this University,
and I had planned to give the validictorian role
by having passion, staminia, I've been able to achieve
this very long term goal.
So, thank you for listening and being part of my journey
of self-fulfillment.
I encourage you to be ambitious.
If someone says can't, prove them wrong.
Harness your grit.
I expect big things from you.
Thank you.
(audience applauds)