Looking on the Bright Side
2022 Commencement Speech by Eli Barnett
Good evening. Thank you all for coming tonight. This is an exciting time in our lives. We’ve worked for many years to be here, and this is it. The end. We have made it to the finish line, but now we’re starting another race. One that will take courage and positive thinking. One that might not include the same old friends and classmates. One that may be harder.
Whether our future holds college, trade school, the military, or going straight to work, we will be facing new challenges with new people, and it will be difficult. It may even feel impossible, but we’ve made it this far, so we can do it again.
Each and every one of us has a goal in mind to pursue. Through thick and thin.
We’re going to remember what we’ve learned here – in class, in band, in choir, in clubs, and in sports. We’re going to keep our goal in mind, and we’re going to prosper.
Everything may not go perfectly, and if you do get off the path just consider it a detour. Head back in the right direction. As long as we choose to believe that we are still in the race, then we haven’t lost. That is looking on the bright side.
We must look inside ourselves to cultivate a fighting spirit that will carry us wherever we want to go, so long long as we believe we can. Optimism is powerful. Our limits are wherever we put them, so I say we get rid of them. The Class of 2022 is full of hardworking, intelligent young people that can and will go far.
Together or separate we’ll keep that fighting spirit of optimism alive and well in everything we do. So each day remember – pursue that goal, never believe you’re beaten, and keep pushing forward.