Long

Never be ashamed of trying. Effortlessness is a myth. The people who wanted it the least were the ones I wanted to date and be friends with in high school. The people who want it the most are the people I now hire to work for my company.

My experience has been that my mistakes led to the best things in my life. And being embarrassed when you mess up, it's part of the human experience. Getting back up, dusting yourself off and seeing who still wants to hang out with you afterward and laugh about it, that's a gift.

Hard things will happen to us. We will recover. We will learn from it. We will grow more resilient because of it. And as long as we are fortunate enough to be breathing, we will breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out.

Never be ashamed of trying. Effortlessness is a myth. The people who wanted it the least were the ones I wanted to date and be friends with in high school. The people who want it the most are the people I now hire to work for my company.

My experience has been that my mistakes led to the best things in my life. And being embarrassed when you mess up is part of the human experience. Getting back up, dusting yourself off, and seeing who still wants to hang out with you afterward and laugh about it — that's a gift.

America is the only country in the world founded on an idea. Not a joke. The idea was: we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men and women are created equal.

What did you do with your life? It is my sincere hope that you will begin a 50-year journey that allows you to answer quite simply: I made a difference.

The eulogy virtues are the ones people will say about you when you're gone. Will they say you were a kind person? Did you love freely? Were you a loyal friend? Did you live a life of giving?

Allow that diploma you're receiving today to be a reminder of who you are and what you want. Let it be a guiding light that always brings you back to this day — when you were proud of yourself, when you were at the height of hope.

It is an artist's duty to reflect the times in which we live. And it is also a banker's duty. It's a lawyer's duty, a doctor's duty, a teacher's duty, an engineer's duty, a plumber's duty, a nurse's duty. A mom's and dad's duty.

Love should be your North Star. Let it guide you. What does it mean to love people we don't know? It means letting go of fear and embracing our shared humanity.

I had to go and chop down that wood and build my own table. Then I had to invite the best there was to have a seat.