Season of Graduation: A Time for Wise Advice.
The commencement speaker season is in full swing, which means there will be plenty of moving speeches. One speech in particular, though, has won over a lot of people’s hearts. The valedictorian of Woodmont High School in Piedmont, South Carolina, Lydia Owens, bravely incorporated her faith into her speech, making it truly memorable.
Accepting Faith and Overcoming Difficulties.
Like many speeches, Lydia’s began by describing a personal struggle and how she overcame it to get to where she is now. Her sincere message to her classmates, however, was what made her speech stand out.
Lydia urged her peers to reconsider how much they value themselves, saying, “You are so much more than your accomplishments.”. What happens when you falter, when the money and the fame seem to disappear, if your identity is based solely on your success?
How Lydia’s faith was sparked.
Lydia credited her remarkable mother, who served as her beacon of light, for her steadfast faith. Lydia reflected on the impact of her mother, saying, “She was the model of a Godly woman and taught me how to love others with intention. “.
A Change in Perspective.
Lydia tragically lost her mother, which had a significant impact on how she saw success. She came to the conclusion that the years she had spent only measuring herself by her academic accomplishments had no lasting value. Her view of success changed drastically, giving her a deeper appreciation of what really matters.
A Novel View of Success.
Even though Lydia’s valedictorian speech was anything but typical, it had a profound impact on the audience, including myself. It provided a fresh perspective on the idea of success and highlighted the tremendous pressure we put on ourselves to succeed.
More than ever, I am reminded that our value is also based on the love and kindness we show to others, not just what we accomplish. True success, as Lydia’s words serve as a potent reminder, lies in how we treat one another and how we live our lives with meaning and faith.
So here’s to Lydia Owens and the heartfelt commencement speech she gave that inspired countless people. May her words serve as a source of inspiration and a compass for us as we set out on our own quests for a purposeful existence.
