You are brilliant, and the earth is hiring. The earth couldn't afford to send any recruiters or limos to your school. It sent you rain, sunsets, ripe cherries, night blooming jasmine, and that unbelievably cute person you are dating. Take the hint.
Paul Hawken
University of Portland Commencement, 2009, 2009
The Story Behind This Quote
Paul Hawken, the renowned environmental entrepreneur and author of 'Blessed Unrest,' told graduates there is invisible writing on the back of their diplomas that they'd need lemon juice to decode. His message was one of urgent optimism: the earth needs a new operating system, they are the programmers, and it's needed within a few decades. Every living system on the planet is declining, and the rate of decline is accelerating — but rather than despairing, Hawken framed this as the greatest job posting in history. The speech went viral and has been viewed millions of times, becoming one of the most shared commencement addresses of its era.