June 7, 2009

President Pappas, distinguished trustees, my esteemed colleagues, proud parents, family, and friends, and you awesome graduates. It is such a privilege for me to represent the faculty on this special occasion. Your success is so intimately tied to our own personal and professional fulfillment. We celebrate this wonderful milestone in your life. Congratulations!

Two years ago, I attended a rather extraordinary event. It was my mother-in-law's 100th birthday celebration. It was extraordinary because during the two receptions that day with over 200 people, Alice not only remembered everyone's name as she greeted and hugged them, but could recall little details about each person — their birthday, their ex-spouse's name, and even the name of their favorite pet.

With the millions of people on this planet, imagine how very few have the rare privilege that Alice did on that day to be surrounded by loved ones and hear the words of admiration usually reserved for eulogies at funerals or memorial services. Sharp as a tack, clearly the beneficiary of good genes and a healthy lifestyle, Alice's strong faith and optimistic spirit served her well. She has been a wonderful role model for me on aging elegantly.

She has also reinforced for me one of the true paradoxes of life — that we acquire wisdom by affirming our ignorance. You know, all our adult lives we strive to become knowledgeable, competent, and skilled in our professional practice. We pat ourselves on the back every time we achieve a new credential, certificate, or degree. We applaud our achievements as though filling up the shopping cart of our accomplishments is the mark of an educated mind. The irony is that true wisdom comes from the admission of our ignorance, from being open to discovering just how much we don't know, how much we still need to learn.

Well, two years ago I also marked an important milestone in my own life. Exactly 40 years younger than Alice, I turned 60. As a gift to myself I took a week off during the summer to reminisce about my personal and professional journey. I read every word in the dozens of journals I've kept over the years; I looked at photographs that captured special moments along the way; and I organized boxes of letters, cards, and assorted memorabilia from the different positions I've held. What struck me was that my most significant learning experiences over the years have occurred when I was most receptive to change, to admitting my ignorance, and embracing the discomfort that comes from challenging my assumptions.

I believe the most vibrant people I've met in my life hold a transformational view of human growth and change. They see themselves as active agents in describing, interpreting, and shaping their behavior. In other words, they are self-mentors.

The great Roman philosopher Cicero is credited with saying, "No one can give you better advice than yourself." Well, that is the essence of being a self-mentor. Self-mentoring means taking stock of the parts of yourself you relish and want to preserve as well as those you'd like to change or toss out the window. It is a conscious commitment to move toward personal excellence by celebrating ignorance.

The Latin American novelist Eduardo Galeano put it this way:
Soy lo que hago,
Especialmente lo que
Hago para cambiar lo que soy.

I am what I do,
Especially what I do to
Change what I am.

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