A wise person once told me,
"Dreams don't work
unless you do."
Today I need you to embrace what comes hard
today I need you to accept the challenge,
today I need you to fall in love with the process.
And I mean all of the peaks and valleys.
I mean all of the highs and lows.
I mean all of the ebbs and flows.
I need you to set your internal GPS
to the destination of next level
and begin your trek to greatness.
Your journey to the destination of graduation
will be a bumpy one
but you must keep going,
stay focused and keep your eyes on the prize.
As your GPS guides you
Don't be alarmed when it says, "Keep straight.
Turn right on Failure Boulevard
Keep driving."
In a half a mile make a left on Setback Lane.
Keep driving.
In a quarter of a mile turn right on Adversity Avenue.
Keep driving.
In two miles, turn left on Bad Day Drive
Keep driving.
In 10 miles, turn right on Heartbreak Street.
Keep driving.
And the directions will continue
but the recurring theme is
Keep driving.
Just like the recurring theme in this message is
keep going, keep grinding
Because your motto is and always will be
Hard Work Pays Off
It always has and it always will.
Do you have the willpower to overcome the dark days?
Do you have the willpower to overcome the rough patches?
Do you have the willpower to overcome the bad grades?
Do you have the willpower to overcome that professor that doesn't like you
and vice versa?
Let me answer that question for you.
Yes, you do.
Because you refused to let anything stop you
from designing a lifestyle of your dreams.
And if that means you have to power through the dark days,
if that means you have to push through the rough patches
that's exactly what you can and will do.
Because you understand that if you sweat now
you shine later.
Never forget
what comes easy won't last.
And the things that last the longest
never come easy.
And that's the exact reason why
The harder you work for something
the greater you feel when you achieve it.
And that's why you spend all those hours studying.
You limit the time you spend on social media,
you very seldom go hang out with your friends
and you push yourself harder than the average person ever would.
Because you made a vow to your mama,
you made a vow to your daddy,
you made a vow to your brother,
you made a vow to your sister,
you made a vow to your family.
And most importantly,
you made a vow to yourself
that you did not go to school to be ordinary.
You did not go to school to be mediocre.
You did not go to school to be middle of the road.
You did not go to school to be average.
As a matter of fact,
you always make sure you take your annual average vaccine
because you never ever ever want to catch the disease of average.
So that means you understand that at times you will feel pain,
at times you will not be comfortable,
at times you will mentally hurt,
at times you will be physically exhausted.
But it's those times
that will catapult you to heights you never thought you would see.
It's those times
that will propel you to successes you never thought you could achieve.
It's those times
that will launch you into a stratosphere that only few ever reach.
It's those times
that will thrust you into an orbit that most will deem impossible
But all of your hard work
will make the impossible possible.
All of your hard work
will make the unbelievable believable.
If you want to bypass coach
and fly in first class
you must first make all of your classes a priority.
Because the studies show
in terms of dollars and cents
those that fail to graduate high school
earn about $25,000 per year.
Those that graduate high school
earn about $35,000 per year.
Those with an associate's degree
they earn about $42,000 per year.
Those with a bachelor's degree
it bumps up to about $60,000 per year.
Those with a master's degree
they earn about $70,000 per year.
And those with a PhD
they earn about $85,000 per year.
So as you can see
the more you invest in your education
the more the world is willing to invest in you.
So when you're having one of those days,
when you're having one of those weeks,
when you're having one of those months,
when you're having one of those semesters
never forget
if you quit
you are not only robbing yourself of mental gratification,
You're also robbing yourself of the financial gain
that comes when you graduate to the next level of higher learning.
So let that be the fuel that drives you to keep giving every ounce of your soul.
Let that be the fuel that drives you to keep giving every ounce of your heart.
Let that be the fuel that drives you to keep giving every ounce of your being
to reach the finish line.
The great Muhammad Ali was once asked by a reporter
How many sit-ups do you do every day?
He said, "I don't know.
Because I only start counting when it starts hurting,
when I feel pain
that's when I start counting
because that's when it really counts."
I need you to think the same way.
When you start to feel a little pain,
when you start to feel a little uncomfortable,
when you start to feel a little tired,
when you start to feel a little stressed,
a little overwhelmed
Keep pushing,
keep grinding,
keep going
because that's when it really counts.
When you reach that point that most others would stop
that's when you keep going
and engage in positive self-talk
just like the little engine that could.
Tell yourself over and over again,
I know I can, I know I will
I know I can, I know I will.
It's not over until I succeed.
It's not over until I win
because stopping right now
is absolutely not an option.
That diploma is mine,
that degree is mine,
that job is mine,
that business is mine,
the next level awaits.
And once I get past all of the streets bypasses and highways of adversity,
misfortune, bad luck, hardship, misery and heartbreak
I will arrive at my destination of gold.
Because all of that pressure
transformed that lump of coal that used to be me
into a diamond.
Now that's the mindset of a champion.
That's the mindset of a winner.
That's the mindset of an overcomer.
And above all else,
that's the mindset of a graduate.
David Bly said,
"striving for success without hard work
it's like trying to harvest a crop
where you haven't planted."
So today,
I need you to take hard work out for a date
and before you know it
you're in a phenomenal relationship with success
That one day will lead to an incredible marriage to greatness
So never forget
Hard Work Pays Off.
So stay dedicated,
be persistent,
remain positive,
dream big
and conquer
any and every obstacle
that you ever face.
This is a great day
to win.