Tuesday, May 7, 2013

I Hope You Fail![1] © 2013 by Wayne Dan Lewis, Sr.


A Message to the Graduating Class of 2013

-4th in a Series

 

If you are aficionados of Conservative Talk Radio, or politics in general, you know the first time that some version of this statement was made was by the very renowned, Conservative Talk Show Host, Rush Limbaugh.[2]  His actual words, as recorded are available on Youtube: “I hope Obama fails”. Or, “I hope he (Obama) fails”. [3]  These declarative, perhaps unforgettable, and dare I not even suggest, regrettable statements, were made after President Barack Hussein Obama became President of the United States, [4] making him the 1st African-American to hold that office since the birth of this country.

I chose this message, not to exalt Mr. Limbaugh, or to even promote him, but to make a point about the power of negativism.  I will take the liberty, as even Mr. Limbaugh can appreciate, to use his words, or some variation thereof, out of context, because I too, truly want you, as the Graduating Class of 2013, to fail.
 
Forget about all the reasons why something may not work. You only need to find one good reason why it will.

~ Dr. Robert Anthony[5]

While Rush Limbaugh may get the greater credit for having made this outrageous statement of “I hope he fails,”  I think that it mattered little that he said it, and more about whom he made reference.  Not only did Rush Limbaugh make this statement about a newly elected president of the United States, but he made it regarding a historical figure, who was a non-white male, or more specifically, the first man of color to hold the presidency of the United States of America.  Now, even if you are prejudice, don’t like Black or Brown people, or racist even, you have to admit, that even for America, electing someone, non-white, in a predominantly White-male dominated country, is historical.  Come on, let’s be fair, and let’s be straight. 

 

So, when the #1 conservative for Republicans, on one of his daily shows (January, 2009), speaks about how he wishes the President of the United States fails, this is no passing comment. As a matter of fact, the statement, or his perspective might be considered historical in itself.  But not really.  The comment, as I will context it here, was a shot over the bow, if you will, at everyone, or at anyone, who was still in awe of the moment of the election of the 1st Black President of the United States.  But not Rush, he was not going to “lay down” as he accused his Republican colleagues of giving then President-elect Obama a pass, irrespective of the historical aspect of his having been elected.  To his credit, as quiet as it may have been kept, Rush did say, “he is my president”, but he was not going to give President-Elect Obama a thumbs up.  Why? 

 

Rush Limbaugh - I Hope Obama Fails (The Original) Video- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4xY0G90rHc

 As Rush articulated, it was because of Mr. Obama’s liberal agenda and policies.  Which, for the most part, may have been true.  Rush did indicate that he would show President-elect Obama some leniency.  But, only if he (Obama) adopted Reagan-like policies, where he would cut spending, and keep government out of small businesses. 

As the graduating class of 2013, you will hear all kinds of congratulatory speeches and messages.  You will receive hugs, handshakes, presents, 1000’s of dollars in gifts (maybe, hopefully), a nuuuu car! (In my Price is Right announcer voice) .  Maybe even, you’ll get a brand new house!  As we know, strangers things have happened.  Whatever good can come as a result of your graduating, you will hear it, you will see it, and you feel it.  You will experience it more so as you go on from this day of graduation.

 
Despite how I may have seen Mr. Limbaugh’s perspective as historically offensive to the newly elected, President Obama, I may have misspoken.  As I think about the historical aspect of the fact that America elected its first Black President, I had to think about something else.  “I hope you fail” is in itself a historical landmark in American history.

America has been a country that has all but uttered, “I hope you fail!” to many of the great events that has shaped this nation. 

 
As I think about Rush’s broadcast in January of 2009, I had to think about how often has America actually discouraged events that did not go along with the status quo.  So, I thought I would go back through America’s history, just briefly, and see if “I hope you fail” didn’t just serve as something to discourage, but conversely, to motivate and uplift many of our adventurers, conquerors, and achievers who overcame adversarial conditions in order to make America what it is today.

 If you don’t believe me, then reflect back with me on our American History.   

 For example ( in no set order):

  • Wasn’t it Great Britain that said to the 13 Colonies: “I hope you fail,” thus the American Revolutionary War from 1773-1783? [6]
  • Wasn’t it the South that said to the North regarding Slavery in America, “I hope you fail”, thus the Civil War from  1863-1865? [7]
  •  Somewhere I read about the 19th Amendment to the Constitution, passed in 1919, ratified in 1920, otherwise, America said to its women citizens, “I hope you fail!”  in getting your right to vote[8]
  • For too long, America has said to its women citizens, “I hope you fail!” when it came to being paid equally with her male counterparts.  Thus, President Obama passed an executive order for the Lilly Ledbetter Act. [9]
  • Wasn’t it America that said to it’s victims of Hurricane Sandy, “I hope you fail” turning down its citizens whose homes had been destroyed by surges that destroyed their homes, and livelihoods for needed emergency care and recovery dollars in 2012? [10]
  • Wasn’t it the State of Louisiana that said “I hope you fail” to State Supreme Court Justice Bernette Joshua Johnson, who although she had met the requirements to be its next Chief Justice,  was told “no”, you can’t be Chief Justice of the LA State Supreme Court. Today, as a Black woman, she is Chief Justice of the LA State Supreme Court ?[11]
  • “I hope you fail”- America spoke loudly to its citizens of color, in keeping the doors close to its educational facilities up until the mid-20th century, but eventually acquiesced in the case of Brown vs. the Board of Education;[12]
  • America still says “no” to its women citizens: you cannot make decisions over your body, and therefore: “I hope you fail” by its all-or-none approach to abortion regardless of a mother’s health or that her life maybe in danger.[13]
  • America is equivocating in her position on gun control, by not demanding background checks[14] in the wake of the Sandy Hook massacre of 26 innocent citizens (children and teachers)[15], the shooting of Congresswoman Gabby Gifford and her constituents[16], and the various other incidents of gun violence. America is effectively saying “I hope you fail!” in your efforts to prevent further tragedies of gun violence, under the guise of the 2nd Amendment; [17]
  • “I hope you fail!” is what America seemed to have said to its handicapped citizens, that’s why we have the Americans with Disabilities Act[18], where structures once built to prohibit the safe and easy access of those who had limited mobility, are now required to  make physical accommodations. [19]
  • “I hope you fail!” is what a Southern Governor presented to the world when he proclaimed “Segregation now, segregation forever”, in hopes of keeping Blacks from integrating into America’s Schools;[20]
  • “I hope you fail!” is what America seems to say to those who are Gay, or Lesbian, that you cannot marry your respective partners, but their fight goes on, progress however slight, has been made; [21]
  • America seemed to have said: “I hope you fail!” to President Obama for his first term as president, in which a Republican-dominated Congress’ main objective was to make President Obama a one term president; [22]
  • “ I hope you fail!” was the fight that President Barack Obama faced in his attempt to pass the Affordable Healthcare Act, or what has been affectionately called Obama Care; [23]
  • And finally, to the Graduating Class of 2013, “I hope that each and every one of you fail!” [24] 

 

America has shown that while it will eventually open it doors for its citizens to vote, or that it is willing to make it easier to have access to her structures for those who are handicapped, America is not so willing to put background checks on its purchases of guns.  While America has made reconciliation on its judges and political leaders of color, she still has not made a way to allow a woman to choose what to do with her body.  But, let us not forget, this is the country of success, and prosperity.  This is a country that once enslaved people of color, which is now under the leadership of a man of color.  This is the country that promotes the dream that anything that you want to be, you can achieve it.  But first, even as an American, your road to success will not be without hills and valleys,  it will also be filled with mountains and cliffs.

 

Your road to success will not be without rivers and streams, nor will it be without avalanches and broken dams.  You can achieve the American dream, but it will not be because all of America will roll over and play dead, while you walk your little happy feet into a rose garden of success.  All America is not rolling out the proverbial red carpet just because you have a dream.  There are those who stationed themselves as gatekeepers, ready to bar the door shut, ready to chain the gates closed, or to draw up the bridge to keep you from being successful.  But don’t be fooled by their positions. 

 

While all the signs will be there that they want you to fail, fall short, or cease to achieve your dreams, know that they know, that their efforts are futile.  They don’t know you. Those who would stand between you and your dreams, don’t understand that you are no different from those who fight for gun control, where tragedies like what happened in Sandy Hook ceases to occur.  They don’t know you. That you are no different from those who have fought for the right to vote without unfair poll taxes.  They don’t know you. 

 

That you are no different from a man who, like many before him, fought the good fight, to be the next president of the United States.  The only difference was, that he managed to achieve a goal none before him had ever accomplished, even as he faced the same level of discouragement, the same level of obstacles, the same disdain for what he represented.  He faced “I hope you fail!” well before his election  as many before him, and like those who had gone on before him, he stood up, straightened his back, looked those in the eye who would oppose his American dream to be the President of the United States, and basically said:  

I’ll take that. But I’ll raise you better because, I am no quitter. I will succeed.  Today, he is President Barack Hussein Obama, the 44th President of the United States.

 

It is inevitable some defeat will enter even the most victorious life.  The human spirit is never finished when it is defeated…it is finished when it surrenders.

 Ben Stein[25]

 

As I conclude, Mr. Limbaugh does what no one else has done in America.  He is virtually an American Icon, having accomplished building an empire all of his own, because he is committed to his Conservative Values.  But we can’t afford to adopt his attitude towards those who work hard to achieve their American dreams.  If Conservative values are that you work hard for what you want, then Mr. Obama had achieved the American dream, from a Conservative standpoint.  Perhaps Mr. Obama achieved the wrong American Dream, with his liberal leanings.  However we may view this blip in American History between a radio commentator and the leader of the free world, the point remains,  “I hope you fail” will be an integral part of American life.  No matter what level of success any of us may achieve, someone is waiting on the sidelines, not wishing us the best that life has to offer, but instead hoping that we fall on our faces.

 

To you, the graduating class of 2013, I send this message, loud and clear:  “I hope you fail!”  But whether you hear it from me, or from your friends, colleagues, or from your adversaries, your answer should always be:  “I’ve come too far to fail.”  “I’ve come too far to quit.”   Be reminded, you the graduating class of 2013, that the America that you grew up in, never would have survived if those who pursued their dreams, surrendered to failure, or taunts such as “I hope you fail”. 

 

I wanted to be the first to tell you this less than encouraging phrase only because I think it has a reverse effect on those of you who hear it.  “I hope you fail” is the equivalent of a dare.  “I dare you to succeed”.  “I dare you to win.”  Or, “I dare you to be the very best that you can be.”  Do you see the similarity?  “I hope you fail”/ “I dare you to win”?  I don’t know if Mr. Limbaugh will ever admit to it, but I think that he was encouraging Mr. Obama.  I know that’s how I would have taken it.  And, that’s how I hope you will take my message to you today.  “I hope you fail!”  I hope that you will leave here today, inspired, uplifted, and empowered more than ever to take your piece of paper, and not just SIT ON IT![26]  I hope that you will reflect on that part of American History that has survived the instances that I have shared here, as well as the many other things that shape our American lives, good, bad, or indifferent.  I hope that you will go out and dare to make a difference, and not be discouraged by someone, or anyone, who believes that their best days, as well as yours, are behind us.  That’s the defeatist attitude that graduates of this class cannot, and must not adopt.  So leave here today, having accepted a dare in the form of “I hope you fail”, and prepare to achieve great things not only for you, but your families and for your communities.  Leave here today and never look back.  Never give up, and never quit on your dreams to be the very best that you can be.

 

Congratulations to you, the Graduating class of 2013.

 


[4] Barack Obama, Voted President of the United States- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama_election_victory_speech,_2008
[12] Brown vs the Board of Education- http://www.nationalcenter.org/brown.html
[19] AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT OF 1990, AS AMENDED- http://www.ada.gov/pubs/ada.htm
[20] Segregation now, Segregation forever-George Wallace, AL Governor- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Wallace%27s_1963_Inaugural_Address
 
[21] Gay and Lesbian Marriage- http://www.glad.org/
[24] Graduating Class of 2013: “I Hope You Fail” © 2013 by Wayne Dan Lewis, Sr.- http://thecovetedcommandment.blogspot.com/
[25] Ben Stein quote on failure- http://thinkexist.com/quotations/defeat/
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Friday, May 3, 2013

THE VOICE [i] AND TURNING THOSE CHAIRS © 2013 by Wayne Dan Lewis, Sr.



TO THE GRAUDATING CLASS OF 2013 (3rd in a Series)

 

Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2013. As a father, a husband, a business man, and as a graduate myself, I can feel the excitement that each of you are experiencing, in anticipation of receiving your respective awards.  As proud as you should be of your efforts to get here, I want you to take this time to realize that the hard work really begins-now. 

 

http://www.nbc.com/the-voice/

 

For as hard as each of you as graduates have worked to get to this point in your life, I now challenge you to think like the many contestants of the now infamous program: The Voice.[ii]  Hosted by Carson Daly,[1]  it is an ingenuous program, in my opinion, that challenges the very talented among us, to step up, to put their best foot (or their voices in this case) forward, and sing to no less than an audience of four outstandingly talented and well accomplished artists (Adam Levine[2], Shakira[3], Blake Shelton[4] and Usher[5]), whose backs are turned to the selected performers. Thus, it is called the blind auditions.

 

If you are familiar with The Voice’s overall objective, you know that the contestants are supposed to perform well enough to get at least one celebrity to be so inspired, that by pushing a big red button on their counsel, any given celebrity’s chair automatically turns around to face the respective performer, who must continue to perform to completion.  And, let’s not forget, even that act by any given celebrity is a contest in itself.  Because the first celebrity to turn around, has an opportunity to build a competitive team of performers, who in the end, makes one of those celebrities a winner in their own right as a wining coach of his team.  When that chair turns completely

around, it becomes for the contestant(s) the benefit with the 1st of several ultimate positions going forward, if selected to be on any one of the teams headed up by each celebrity.  

 

http://www.stltoday.com/entertainment/music/kevin-johnson/1706d41f-0920-5aaa-b146-3fa0343fc999.html

 

If we have watched The Voice, we have seen where not only one celebrity has turned around, but in several cases, 2, 3 or all 4 have turned their chairs around, simply by pressing that red button which automatically forces their chairs to face the performer, in this blind audition approach.  It is so exciting, not only watching the performers put their all on the line, but to see all of the celebrities turn their chairs around when they hear that one performer that they just got to not only see, but have their team, because the each celebrity wants to win as well.

 

To me, this show is a great play on life in general, and today, as you each sit here, in anticipation of receiving your degrees, my question to you is:  what are you going to do to get the world to turn it chairs around for you?  That will be the ultimate challenge, but you won’t have to go on The Voice to accept this challenge (unless that is your dream).  Starting right now, you will be presenting yourself to the world.  You will be presenting the very best of what you have learned, and who you are as an achiever.  And as such, you will be trying to get the world to turn its chairs around for you, as well.  Correct me, if I am wrong.   

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Voice_(U.S.)

 

There are so many dynamic components to The Voice that I believe you will be able to incorporate, if you decide to accept this challenge.   I have narrowed them down to five basic components.  If we can, just briefly, let’s put these components in a context necessary to hopefully help you to get the world to turn its chairs around for you.  Here they are in, no definitive order:

A.  Confidence (Do you have it?)

B.  Preparation (Are you ready?)

C.  Desire (How badly do you want it?)

D.  Performance (Giving it your best), and

E.  Resilience (Will you get back up when you fall or fail?)

 

 

Let us talk about Confidence:

The late Zig Ziglar, one of the world’s most motivating speakers once said, “You are the only person on earth who can use your ability.”[iii]

 

I can only imagine what it is like to be able to sing like the many talents that I have observed on The Voice.  I used to think that I could sing, but now, I realize that I was just carrying a tune.  Their talents are truly magnificent, and they deserve to be on the stage presenting to the world what they are capable of doing.  By the same token, you too must exude the kind of confidence these contestants present.  As newly minted graduates, you too must be confident in your education, in your skill sets and, with the knowledge that you have gained, knowing that you are ready to make a difference in each and everyone of your pursuits-day one.

 

http://www.nbcthevoice.com/

 

 

Let us talk about: Preparation:

“Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity.”
Lucius Annaeus Seneca  [iv]


One of the things that The Voice does in preparing its audience is that it gives us a snapshot of the contestants’ lives and how they come to be in the program.  What we often see are seemingly ordinary people, who come from what appears to be a plain and ordinary existence.  The contestants seem to be like you and I, in many ways.  But what may distinguish those contestants from many of us, here today, is that the contestants have been proactively seeking avenues, such as The Voice, that would provide a tremendous opportunity for them to showcase what they are capable of showcasing, to the world.

 

While it is safe to say that many of you are prepared as a result your education, you will never know how prepared you are to make a difference in the world until you step out of the shadows of hope, and faith, and step out today on the world’s stage.  Yes, you know what you are capable of doing, but until you confront the challenges of the world that is before you, all of the preparation that you have acquired up to this moment in your life, matter for nothing.

 

Desire

What about Desire? When we talk about desire, I would like to quote Mario Andretti, one the world’s greatest racecar drivers, who is quoted to have once said:

Desire is the key to motivation, but its determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek   [v]

 

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-207_162-57582056/the-voice-knockout-rounds-begin/

 

Having watched The Voice, I believe that you will agree that desire is very much in the eyes of the contestants, as well as in their hearts, and in their will.  The contestants’ main goal, at that point, is to have their greatest desire to be validated by one of, if not all of the celebrities in this blind audition.  But don’t be fooled by their presence on The Voice. The Voice is just one avenue, among many others, that these contestants are availing themselves.  It is as much an honor for the program’s producers, sponsors, and celebrities that these contestants have chosen The Voice’s arena as it is for the contestants to be there.  The Voice is in essence, desire meeting desire.  It is dreams come true meeting dreams come true.  And although every contestant may not be chosen to participate in the overall program, the contestants are showing their true spirit by exercising a desire to be recognized as talented professionals.  And if nothing else for their efforts, the mission is all but accomplished by just the contestants showing up to perform.

 

Performance

Speaking of performance, when it comes time to demonstrating what it is that makes you stand out to the world, my graduates, you need to be ready.

Author and motivational speaker Ralph Martson once said this about performance:

“Don't lower your expectations to meet your performance. Raise your level of performance to meet your expectations. Expect the best of yourself, and then do what is necessary to make it a reality.” [vi]

 

If you have ever observed the performers on The Voice, you have to sincerely appreciate the fact that they set aside any and all inhibitions.  You have to appreciate the fact that at that moment, the sum of their efforts is focused on getting any one of, if not all four celebrity judges to press that big red button in front of their counsel, thus, turning their individual chairs around to see the performers, performing, at their very best.

 

As observers, we have to be acutely aware of the dynamics of the performances as well as that of the celebrities who are in their seats of judgment.   The equal part of this dynamics is that both the performers and the celebrities are both in the mode of anticipation.  While it maybe hard to tell, I think that in a lot of cases, the celebrities may actually be at a higher level of desire than the performers.   

 

If during any one of the performances, we can observe in a matter of just a few notes of the performer’s singing, a judge can be immediately inspired by the very best of a performer’s presentation, and quickly push that big red button in order to be the very first, and surely not the only celebrity, to capture the talent that their ears have heard, and their mogul minds have calculated.  In other instances, it maybe all the way through a performer’s song before even one celebrity presses their button to turn their chair around.

 

The dynamics can be further explored as we watch the celebrities, as they watch each other.  The dynamics of this extraordinarily ingenious program, is watching the celebrities weigh their options, not with a particular performer, but against their celebrity judges, who are, in actuality, their competition.  It is truly awesome to watch and analyze.  But the real dynamic exists when one of the contestants are not picked, by either celebrity.  That’s when we come to our final component:  resilience.

 

 

http://www.nj.com/entertainment/tv/index.ssf/2013/05/the_voice_2013_a_moving_tribut.html

 

Resilience

I found the following quote on the website below that I thought best depicted what I believe many of the performers who weren’t ultimately selected by the celebrities for The Voice.  It reads as follows:

Resilience is rooted in a tenacity of spirit—a determination to embrace all that makes life worth living even in the face of overwhelming odds. When we have a clear sense of identity and purpose, we are more resilient, because we can hold fast to our vision of a better future.[vii]

 

Resilience, believe it or not, was what I observed in those performers who were not selected.   I know it had to have been difficult for the celebrity judges (Adam Levine[viii], Blake Shelton[ix], Shakira[x] and Usher[xi]) not to select some of the performers, even though many of them sounded great.  But there was something that each performer needed hear (thus the blind auditions).  There was something that each celebrity needed to be transmitted from those performers in that moment, within those 3 minutes, that said to the celebrities: “I have a chance to win with you” or “I know I can win with you”.   But that did not happen on many occasions.  In those instances in which a performer is not selected, the celebrities, at the end of the performer’s act, would all turn around, not having selected the singer, but was ready to give constructive advice to surely a disappointed performer.  But this is where resilience showed its beautiful head.

(Pay attention Graduates)

What I learned about several of those performers, was that some of them had been on The Voice before.  Some of the performers, having been denied an opportunity to be on the The Voice, even in their hour of disappointment, were now committed, more than ever, to continue on, having now been baptized by fire, so to speak. 

 

For those who have now been on one of the largest stages ever, where else could they possibly fail?  The opportunity to be on national TV, while not achieving the desired results, having something under their belts, and now, they are going to go on to the next level, just as though they had won The Voice. Because in actuality, they had.  They had been a performer on The Voice and that was a winning moment, many other performers had not yet achieved.  Now, what does The Voice have to do with you as graduates?

 

What Are You Going to Do To Get the World to Turn Its Chairs Around for You?

           

 Four of the five components that I have shared here today, as it relates to the contestants of The Voice, I believe are very important to you as new graduates.  These aren’t the only components, or dynamics that go into making this show a success.  The audience participation, the relationships of the celebrities, producers and sponsors, are also important.  But for now, I just want to focus on these specific components.  The components we discussed were: Confidence (do you have it?); Preparation (Are you truly ready?); Desire (How badly do you want it?), and Performance (Giving it your best!).  But, I think the one component that I want to make sure that we all embrace is, Resilience (Will you get back up if you fall or fail?).

 

Resilience, is perhaps the greatest component for each of you to be able to exercise today as you prepare to receive your degrees.  God knows you are going to need a lot of it.  As you leave here today, I am hoping that all of you will get your chance to put your version of The Voice in play. I hope that you will get a chance to turn the chair around in your pursuits.  With the other 4 components notwithstanding,  I hope that regardless of what you go through going forward, that you will exercise the ability to get up, if you fall or fail; that you will exercise the ability to come back if doors are closed in your face. The question is, what are you willing to do to get someone to turn their chair around for you? 

 

I know that you are going to succeed at a lot of things, because each and everyone of you are going to exercise resilience. You are not going to quit or give up just because someone says “no”.  You are going to be relentless until you get someone to open their doors to your fantastic ideas, or to get someone to open their minds to what you bring to the table in order for you to be a success. 

 

So as you leave here today, with sum efforts in your hands, prepare to challenge the world to turn its chairs around for you.  No matter what you pursue in life.  You can get the world to turn its chairs around. So I challenge you to be prepared. 

Be prepared to turn chairs in medicine;

Be prepared to turn chairs in education;

Be prepared to turn chairs Criminal Justice and Law;

Be prepared to turn chairs in Engineering;

Be prepared to turn chairs in your community;

Be prepared to turn chairs in Arts and Sciences;

Be prepared to turn chairs in Transportation, Aeronautics, Geology, Cancer, if not in mankind itself.  Be prepared to turn those chairs around and make the world a better place.  

 

I believe that you have the confidence, the desire, the ability to perform, and for sure, the preparation.  But more than anything, I know that you have what it takes to get up every time you are knocked down, or if you fail, because you are determined to turn every chair regardless of whose doors you have to knock on, or whose back you have to sing to, you will turn those chairs around!

 

In Conclusion -Used by Nelson Mandela in his 1994 inaugural speech

 

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that frightens us most. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, and famous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that people won't feel insecure around you. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It's not just in some of us; it's in all of us. And when we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” [xii]

 

Congratulations to all of you, the Graduating Class of 2013, and Best wishes.

 



 
[i] The Voice- http://www.nbc.com/the-voice/
[iii] Zig Ziglar on Confidence - http://thinkexist.com/quotations/confidence/  
[iv] Lucious Seneca on preparation; http://www.egs.edu/library/lucius-annaeus-seneca/biography/  
[vi] Ralph Martson quote on Performance http://www.searchquotes.com/quotes/author/Ralph_Marston/

 
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