Success

Last week I helped my brother Jeff for BYU’s graduation ceremonies. Jeff works for Herff Jones, a company that provides caps, gowns, tassels…anything a persons needs to look the part when graduating from college. It’s quite the undertaking to make sure every graduate is outfitted correctly.

We handed out hundreds of caps and gowns in all shapes and sizes. I measured many a head circumferences to make sure people got the correct size of cap. Man, some people have really big heads! It must be all that newly acquired knowledge stored up there.

 

Then there’s the tassels. Everyone must have the correct color, depending on which college, or what kind of degree they’ve earned. It’s very exciting, and a bit exhausting, so it was a good thing that BYU catering provided us with plenty of cookies to munch on….I liked the macaroons personally.

Every time I help Jeff do this graduation thing I find myself really wishing I could go back to college and earn another degree. Someday I’m going to, when the time is right. I’m a big fan of education. A women, about my age, came through who had just earned her degree in American Studies. I’m sure it’s a perfectly worthless degree as far as marketability is concerned, but I think it sounds fascinating. A little history, a bit of literature, some art, music, civics….all things American. What’s not to love?

As I handed each person their packages, I offered them a hearty congratulations. Earning a college degree is a big accomplishment and one that they should be proud of. Although, after finishing my latest read…..

…a fabulous book that I highly recommend, about what makes people successful, I hope all those graduates offered gratitude to the many people who went before who made it possible for them to be in the right place at the right time, with the right opportunities at their finger tips, because according to Malcolm Gladwell, no one achieves success by personal effort alone. Those in our society who we see as being successful have also been the most lucky and have been the beneficiaries of the best opportunities the world has to offer. This book really changed the way I view myself, and the world. You should read it. You’ll never look at success, yours or anyone else’s, the same way again.