Thank you for that kind introduction.

You read it precisely the way my wife wrote it.

It is an honor for me to be here to celebrate this day.

You made it.

Congratulations!

Before you start celebrating too much … I would like you take a moment to thank the people who helped you - your family.

Let me add something: a family is whatever you define it to be.

It could be relatives or friends.

Graduates, I want you to stand up … look around … and find your family in the audience.

Now … on the count of three … I want all of us to yell out "thank you."

One …
Two …
Three …

Thank you!

That was great!

(Lead applause)

I am receiving an honorary doctorate today … and that gave me a chance to thank my family, too. My wife Deborah, and my children, Jennifer and George, are here … and my daughter-in-law Debbie as well as my two brothers and their families.

As a child, I grew up a short 75 miles from here in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. I wish my parents were alive to see this day.

Family and friends are so important.

In preparing this talk today, I did a little research about King's College. And I am impressed with the words of your founding president, the Reverend James Connerton. He said an education at King's teaches students "not only how to make a living, but how to live."

You have spent the last four years learning how to live. I am 53 years old … and I have been learning how to live my entire life. And I hope I never stop.

For the next few minutes, I would like to talk to you about five ideas that I use every day because they help me as I continue to learn how to live.

Number 1. Have a purpose.

If your life was a movie … what would people say about you when the credits rolled?

What do you want to be remembered for?

What have you always wanted to do?

What would you do if you were not afraid of what someone else might think of you?

Ask yourself those questions. You will be surprised by the power of your answers.

My purpose is … to get people to think smarter … in such a way that through intellectual conversation and larger question asking, growth occurs, so that mankind will benefit.

I have been working on this purpose statement for years. This purpose guides my direction. It helps me challenge myself … and those around me.

People who have a purpose can do remarkable things. Let me give you an example.

Patty and Frank DeViva are graduating today. Their purpose was to improve themselves by getting college degrees so they could provide their family with a better life.

Fulfilling a purpose like that takes commitment … especially when you have three children and are both holding down full-time jobs like Patty and Frank are.

Frank majored in computer information systems … and Patty will be getting her degree in communications.

The great thing about having a purpose is that often you exceed your own expectations. That is true for Patty and Frank.

They are graduating today with honors. That is the power of having a purpose.
Patty and Frank, will you stand so we can recognize you?

(Lead applause)

I urge all of you to create your own purpose statement. However, having a purpose is no guarantee of smooth sailing.

Throughout your life … you will experience problems you never expected. Those problems may be at work … or they may involve your personal life.

Just getting to this day, you have faced incredible challenges.

Completing your coursework …

Dealing with final exams …

Stopping for one last beverage at Senunas. If you are not aware, that is the place of highest learning - the campus pub!

And then there are the expectations of your family …

That is a lot!

To keep all those plates spinning in the air … some of you may already be experts in thinking outside the box. That is my second idea for learning how to live.

Thinking outside the box is about coming up with creative solutions to difficult problems.

To do that, I use a process I developed called Breakthrough Leadership.

I teach this in my course at the University of Michigan … and I talk about it every day at Ford Financial.

I usually spend two hours just introducing this concept … so let me give it to you in a nutshell.

A breakthrough is something that would not normally have happened … and, as a result, it will never go back to the way it was before.

It is a process that starts by asking questions … the answers to which lead to breakthroughs in thinking.

Think of this in terms of your own life. How can you make a difference?

Sometimes the simplest questions can lead to some of the greatest breakthroughs.

Think of Rosa Parks. She asked, "Why do I have to sit in the back of the bus?" Those words helped to change a nation.

Think of Albert Einstein. He asked, "How big is small?" That question revolutionized how we look at our world.

Simple questions like these can help people - and companies - look at problems in new ways.

They help us think outside the box.

Your education at King's College gave you the skills … and the values … to think in new ways … and try new ideas.

In fact, King's College has had a few breakthroughs of its own.

For example, some 30 years ago, this all-male school asked the question, "Why not admit women?" And today, more than half of this graduating class is female.

The late Don Farmer had another important question. He asked, "How do we know students are learning?" That question led King's College to become a national leader in learning assessment.

And more recently, your student government asked the board of directors, "Why not create a true student center? And today, the Sheehy Student Center is becoming the Sheehy-Farmer Student Center … with four floors … a bridge to the library … and a place where the entire campus can come together.

So next time you have a problem … think outside the box. Look at things in a different way.

Ask yourself … and those around you … the tough questions. You will find the answers. You will experience a breakthrough.

My third idea of learning how to live is about leadership. Leadership is not about your title … or the size of your office.

Leadership is taking people to places they would not normally go themselves. Leadership is about how you act everyday.

Your behavior affects others. Your actions cast a shadow that everyone around you can see. That is what I call the shadow of the leader.

Let me give you an example. Javier de Cuba wanted to see more international and minority students come to King's College.

He is from Aruba … and he has worked with admissions … and with faculty and staff members.

He gives of himself. He calls prospective international and minority students. He takes them on tours of the campus when they visit.

He acts as a genuine ambassador of King's College. And his efforts are making King's a better - and more diverse - place for all of us.

That is terrific!

Let us recognize him.

(Lead applause)

That is leadership. That is the power of one person.

As a college graduate, you are already a leader on a global scale. Only one out of every 100 people in the world has a college degree.

You have the power to be a wonderful role model … and to cast a brilliant shadow that the whole world can see.

The next lesson for living is work life balance … and that is a big buzzword in corporate America today.

Think of it this way: If you are employed for the next 30 years, There are about 10,000 work days in your career … and about 4,000 days for vacation and weekends.

How are you going to spend them?

As you continue to learn how to live, you will need to balance your work life and your home life.

You have already started the balancing act. Look at the thing you are wearing on your head today.

Maybe we wear these mortarboards at graduation to teach us our first lesson in work life balance.

My last idea for learning how to live is to have fun!

I hope you have learned a little about having fun in college.

That is an important skill. Hold on to it.

Some of you are starting jobs … others are going on to grad school. Whatever you do, make sure you enjoy it.

Remember - success is how you define it. If it looks good to the world and does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all.

As Lily Tomlin said, "Even if you win the rat race, you are still a rat."

I believe that you cannot accomplish anything unless you are having fun.

So play.
Live.
Have fun.

Those are five ideas from my life in learning how to live.

Have a purpose,
Think outside the box,
Recognize the shadow of your leadership, /
Have a good work life balance,
And have fun.

Graduations are a time to reflect.

Think about the people who gave so you could be here. The people in your life who provided you with time, love, and money.

The people who supported you at King's … your friends, your teachers, the staff.

The spirit of caring at King's fills this arena.

You are deeply loved.

The honorary degree I am receiving today is a gift from this college … and it is a gift from the people in my life who have supported me.

As I mentioned a few minutes ago, I grew up just 75 miles from here in Phillipsburg, New Jersey. However, the distance from there to here is greater than miles can count.

I measure the distance in growth, and pain, and lessons learned.

You see, when I was in school, I was the kid my parents wondered about.

I had trouble reading. School was hard for me.

It was not until I was 19 years old that I found out why. You see … I am dyslexic.

I have had to struggle my whole life to learn.

Throughout this struggle … I have been supported by my family and two childhood friends - Billy and Shirley - who are here today.

People like these … who give of themselves … are special.

I can never repay these people for what they have given me … just as you can never truly repay the family, friends, and teachers who have supported you.

That is the power of God's love in our lives.

Every day, it is up to each of us to share the power of that example with others.

Give of yourself and you will truly grow.

Today is not an ending. It is a beginning.

I understand the theme of your freshman orientation was "coming out of your shell." Your years at King's have taught you how to do that.

Your shells are now discarded.

You are ready to fly.

Go for it!

Thank you.