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| Tim Minchin's graduation speech sparks inspiration |
For those of you who haven't seen The University of Western Australia's viral recording of Tim Minchin's honorary doctorate graduation from 2013, you are missing out. I was sent this link by a friend in my second year of uni as I seem to remember it being relevant to a conversation we had been having that day. At the time I first watched this, I was feeling drained by academia, I had only the smallest inkling of a career idea and as a result I wasn't feeling very positive about a graduate future.
Since then, I have finished uni feeling much more positive, and as I remembered this video recently I decided to watch it again to see how my thoughts and feelings towards it differed. I can now say that I'm not just taking the advice point blank, but I feel confident enough in myself and my future to question certain aspects of Tim's speech. I still find Tim's speech incredibly compelling and intelligent, and I really respect him as a person. However, I want to share my spin on his 9 points with you, as I see it today.
1. You don't have to have a dream
The first time I watched this, I thought 'phew.' Because I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. It was one of my main worries which I now realise is pretty common amongst the student population, but at the time this was a welcome insight to the real world.
I still agree with this, actually. Yes, I do have a dream career in mind now. Actually, I have several, all kind of related. But that brings me on to the point that Tim is really making... that 'passionate dedication to short term goals' can take you places that you never imagined. Personally, I have always vowed to pursue what I enjoy and then I will find a job I love, and this just reinstates that belief in me more strongly than ever.
2. Don't seek happiness - it finds you
Hmm ok. I find this a difficult one because there's not really any proof either way. I think in one sense, if you try to find happiness you will miss the journey, and fail to appreciate how happy you are in the present time. On the other hand, you can't just sit around and wait for happiness, you have to actively participate in things you enjoy, and understand what you value.
3. It's all luck
In context, Tim talks about this in relation to being humble. He says that if you credit yourself 100% for the success you have achieved then you are probably wrong. He says that we are all lucky in the path we take in life, in who we have around us and supporting us. And he's totally right. I feel incredibly lucky to have been given the tools and support I have needed to succeed so far, and know I can't get to where I want to be in the future without a little help now and again.
4. Exercise
I can't really argue with this one, it's kind of a fact. Although I definitely need to do more of it!
5. Be hard on your opinions
Yes! It's not healthy to think that your opinion is always right. I have been in many situations where people are not willing to see all sides of an issue and it's incredibly difficult to deal with. Be open minded, assess your own opinion first and see if it's actually correct. Does it change with time and experience? Be critical about yourself, it's one of the best ways towards self improvement.
6. Be a teacher, please!
I spend much of my time as a humanities graduate saying no thank you, I don't want to be a teacher right now. I'm not saying never, just not right now. And Tim telling graduates to be a teacher at some point in their life kind of infuriated me. Until the end, when he slipped in a little nugget about sharing experiences and wisdom with others. That's more like it. Most people have a thirst for knowledge and learning in something they are passionate about, even if they aren't being taught it in the traditional sense, therefore every single one of us has the capability to be a teacher in one form or another. Learning and teaching is part of human nature and Tim is right to encourage this.
7. Define yourself by what you love
Throughout my teen years I would often not admit to liking things, or admit to liking things I didn't really like for fear of being 'weird' and so on. Now, it's a different story, and I'm sure a lot of us in our twenties realise this: being unique is cool. It's important to be proud of who you truly are to be completely happy.
8. Respect people with less power than you
Tim made a point of saying that in the past he has turned down jobs because of the way a Manager treats the waiters. Although I wouldn't go to such drastic measures as this, I think I will be taking a leaf out of his book. A job interview is two sided; it's as much about you seeing if you like them and the company as it is about whether or not they like you. So this is a point I will remember for those situations. Noted.
9. Don't rush
The most valuable piece of advice in there right now for graduates. There seems to be this huge pressure to have a job lined up as soon as you finish uni, but it needn't be the case. Life is for living, the jobs will still be there. Do things as you feel ready and do what feels right to you. A job is something that most of us spend the majority of hours doing so to me it seems vital to find the right one. I don't think I'm qualified to close this point completely as it is my current situation, but I'm still confident that taking Tim's advice here is the right way for me to go about things.
As a recent graduate this is very close to home right now. Previously, I had absorbed much of Tim's advice, but now I have reasons why I should or shouldn't take his suggestions on board. Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe we're both wrong. But it's a very personal path which to me warrants some consideration.
If you've not seen the video, I've placed a link to it here if you have a spare 15 minutes in your day: Tim Minchin Video
Do you agree with Tim's advice? Would you add anything to his list?
Thanks for reading x
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