Transcript
0:20 no competition Catherine that's important thank you for that introduction good morning an graduates and congratulations to all of you awesome awesome you have graduated from one of the most prestigious universities in the world you are congratulated that's right one of the most prestigious communication schools in the
0:51 world you are incredibly lucky and you are incredibly blessed blessed at this moment to be stepping out into this world with your degrees in PR communication and journalism right at the moment when it seems like the entire world is all about communication we are communicating like never before across borders and time zones on platforms devices computers tablets apps games you name it we're
1:23 communicating 247 wired and wirelessly talking texting friending tweeting to the other side of the room and the other side of the planet spitting out the old in order to consume the new every minute of every day you are reaching out Beyond yourself it feels like the entire universe is an extension of our own nervous system each of you communicate instantly automatically and effortlessly for you
1:56 communicating is like breathing and today you're raring to go raring to get out into the real world to get a job and transform the world of communications yet again it's a race to be first to be next to be new it's kind of exciting and it's also probably a little scary I get it it just seems like yesterday I was sitting where you are Georgetown University sitting next to my boyfriend who had champagne and some other illegal drugs under his I'm
2:29 sure nobody here is doing any of that in California he was all excited in fact everybody in my row was drinking but I sure that's not going on here either but I I I was scared I was anxious because I'd applied for a job in television news but I hadn't heard back and I remember everybody and I mean everybody was asking me do you have a job do you have a job what are you going to do after graduation you you don't
3:00 have a job oh my God what are you going to do I felt so bad about myself I was so nervous because I didn't have the answer like you I graduated in May and for months that question kept coming back to me what are you going to do oh my God it's the summer you still don't have a job oh my God I was nervous until I got the job in October well back then I didn't realize
3:25 that that what are you going to do question dogs you all all your life your whole life when you get that assignment desk job everybody says to you when are you going on the air when you get on the air it's when you going to go to the network after you meet that special someone it's when are you going to get married when you get married when are you going to have a kid when are you
3:45 going to have the next kid you have two girls when are you going to have a boy when are you going to move what's wrong with you why don't you have a boy how don't you have four kids why don't you have five kids how much you making when I I remember when I wrote my first book and I was at the book signing people came up to me said when's the next coming out yeah right in the middle of the
4:03 Women's Conference somebody incredible be speaking and someone come up to me say who's next year who's coming next year I was like they're speaking out but next year who's coming who's coming even today at my age people come up to me all the time what are you doing what are you doing what's your job you're going back to TV you're going to do another Women's Conference what are you doing it's as if what we're doing right
4:25 now at this precise moment doesn't even exist the only thing everybody seems to be focused is on the next thing what are we going to be doing next well I got caught up in that for a really long time a really long time so much so that I never could really enjoy what I was doing because I was always so obsessed about I was what I was going to be doing I tell you this right now
4:52 because I know everybody's asking you these exact same questions what are you going to do after graduation where will you be working how much are they going to pay you where will you be living where are you going oh my god there are so many questions and here you are ready to hit the fast forward button and go out and try to get all the answers to these questions I get it but today I have one small wish for you
5:24 before you go out and press that fast forward button I'm hoping I'm praying that you'll first have the courage to press the pause button that's right the pause button I hope if you learn anything from me today if you remember anything that I say today I hope you'll remember about the power of the pause pausing today and throughout your entire life allows you to take a breath it allows you to take a beat it
5:57 allows you to be in in the moment as everybody else is running around out there like a lunatic I dare you to try to do the opposite I'm asking you to do this because I believe that you have an incredible opportunity in front of you at this moment you graduates of the anenberg school I'm asking you to learn how to pause because I really believe that the state of our communication is out of control and you I believe you
6:27 have the opportunity to change it I believe you have the power each and every one of you to change the way we as a nation speak to one another the way we write the way we use our words I truly believe that you can change our national discourse for the better you have the chance to change the way we talk to one another what we read in newspapers and on the web and magazines you can help us
6:56 change the channel I'm hoping each and every one of you dare to bring change to our community by changing the way we communicate change it from criticism and fault finding to understanding and compassion change it from naysaying and name calling to acceptance and appreciation change it from dissembling and dishonesty to openness and explanation change it from screaming to
7:27 speaking show us the way anber graduates show us and take us out to what I have been calling the open field go beyond what is to what Can Only Be Imagined I know you can do this because a communications degree means nothing today unless you take it Beyond where we are today into the unknown and in order to do that you're going to have to learn how to listen and how to pause you know I know a little bit about the
7:57 Communication business I've done it through television news my books websites magazines speeches blogs conferences and if you thought I was going to come here today and explain to you how I did that the answer is really very simple I worked my ass off you two will have to do the same thing you'll probably have to move a lot and you will get lucky but you will need to pause along the way and take a break from
8:26 communicating outwardly so you can learn to communicate inwardly with yourself pause and take the time out to find out what is important to you find out what you love what's real and true to you so that that that's that thing there that's important to you can Infuse and inform your work and make it your own pause before you report something that you don't know is absolutely true
8:59 and that you haven't corroborated with not just one but two reliable sources make sure they are reliable sources pause before you put a rumor out there as fact just because you saw it on the web just because you saw it on a television show just because you read it in the newspaper it doesn't mean it's true it's up to you to decide if you want to pass on garbage or whether you want to check the facts
9:30 pause before you hit pause before you hit that send button and forward a picture that could ruin somebody's life or write something nasty on somebody's wall because you think it's funny believe me it isn't pause before you make judgments about people's personal and professional decisions pause before you join in and disparage someone's sexuality or their
10:02 intellectual ability pause before forwarding the untrue and inflamatory tidbits that have made it so difficult for wbe public servants to serve and for their families to exist in the public Arena as you heard as you heard this somebody this morning quoted Edmund Hillary and I'll do it again because I think it's such a powerful quote he said it is not the mountain that we end up having to
10:32 conquer it is ourselves so sometimes you will have to pause along the way and you'll come to realize that you need to hold yourself back from acting out on your first impulse or your ego remember this always as I said in the beginning you have a degree from a very prestigious University communication has so much power more power today than ever before to do good look at con 2012 look
11:02 at what happened in Egypt and Libya in almost an instant communicators toppled dictators and governments that were in place for decades that is power and with power comes responsibility so remember to to pause and reflect before you sign on with someone or some organization whose work you do not admire and you don't respect and that you cannot stand up for who you work for is as important as what you do
11:35 and if you don't have a job yet and someone asks you what are you doing where's your job pause and be aware of this fundamental truth it's okay not to know what you're going to do it's okay not to know the answer you don't have to be like I was at your age and beat yourself up for not knowing it's okay to go with the truth and tell people you know what it's a tough job market out
12:00 there and I'm not sure what I'm going to do I'm pausing I'm open and I'm looking at all my options that's what I'm saying these days and so far so good and and while you're looking for that perfect job know this there are so many incredible nonprofits out there doing important Prof found in life altering work they can use your brains your
12:33 intellect to help them Define their message and communicate what they're trying to do in the world you know I didn't invent this kind of stop and pause thing Jesus fasted 40 days and nights Henry David thorough went to Walden Pond and Marl Lindberg one of my heroes went to the Sea Buddha Gandhi Mother Teresa the greatest and wisest that have ever walked this planet have often stopped and withdrawn from the journey the outward journey to spend
13:04 time within themselves the wisdom they garnered there and that they turned and shared with the world has impacted us all for the better so don't worry I'm not asking you for 40 days and 40 nights I'm only asking you to stop every so often turn off your mobile device put down Angry Birds and Words With Friends Patrick and you know when I asked my own kids to
13:35 do that at the dinner table you'd think I was asking for the moome I am in the middle of a game and I am playing I'm about to get beaten I'm like turn it off but I ask you to do this because it will allow you to take a moment it will allow you to stop to look up to look around and to check in with yourself and spend a moment I hope when you do that you
13:59 will feel your strength and your vulnerability I hope it will allow you to acknowledge your goodness and not to be afraid of it I hope it will give you an opportunity to look at your darkness and I hope you will work to understand it so you will have the power to choose which one of those you want to put out into this world women I hope you will look at your toughness and your softness you can and should make room for both in
14:31 this world this world needs both of those qualities men I hope you find your gentleness and I hope you wrap it into your manliness you too can make room for both the greatest men do today I pray that you'll be able to pause and spend time and give thanks to all who made this journey for you possible I hope you will Express gratitude to everyone who helped get you here I hope you will be
15:02 grateful for all the love you have in your life and all the love that you have ever had in your life and while you're pausing I hope you will do something refreshingly different like talk to your mother your father or someone you care deeply about not text them but actually talk to them with your mouth
15:32 and dare I suggest that you actually pause and write an actual thank you note with a pen and a paper believe it or not there are many people still like me who never hire anybody who didn't write them an actual thank you note for an interview as for me the truth is is that today I stand here as a deeply grateful
16:02 woman grateful for the life that I have lived and the life that has brought me here grateful for all the experiences that I have had that have made me the communicator that I am today I am pausing to be in awe of this moment that I am standing at my first child's graduation from college
16:35 I don't know where she C probably mortified wherever you are Catherine I'm in awe of you where are you oh I am an awe of the woman you are your grace your courage Your strength I really am an awe of you and I'm so proud of you and I'm an awe of all of you what you have done for this moment to get here I hope each and every one of you I hope you're in all of yourselves and I
17:07 know I speak for everybody in your village your parents and all those who love you we are all in awe of you at this moment this world this big cold wide world out there this world needs you you brave men and women who have graduated from this incredible school I know you can change the course for the
17:37 better sometimes you will need to change course in your life and I pray that you have the courage to do that so today as you head out into the open field of life I pray that you keep your mind open and more important I hope you keep your heart open don't be afraid of being afraid courageous people are often very afraid in fact that's why they need courage in the first place I hope you will have the courage to go beyond your
18:09 fears I hope you will have the courage to go beyond other people's judgments I hope you will have the courage to go beyond Coulda would a Shoulda I hope you will have the courage to go beyond other people's rules and expectations I pray that you will live and write your own story and then be brave enough to communicate it authentically to others people will be inspired by it people will learn from it and people will have the courage to
18:39 change their own lives because of the example that each of you can set so be communicate be devoted I would really say to communicating fairness and communicate the truth in everything you do do not get caught up along the way in what you're doing and where you're going that you lose sight of your core values who you are and what is important in your life and finally wherever you go in life however fast you're going remember
19:12 this whenever you are in doubt pause take a moment look at all of your options check your intention have a conversation with your heart and then always take the high road so fight to make a difference in this world fight for good fight for fairness fight on good luck
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