It’s been nearly two years since I graduated college, and while I actually enjoyed the ceremony, sitting next to my best friends as we laughed and smiled one last time on our school’s campus together, I definitely was not a fan of my college’s commencement speaker. He was bland, self-indulgent, and went on forever. He said absolutely nothing interesting or beneficial to us as students. I literally wish I could have had anyone else speak at my graduation.
So when I saw this video of Charlie Day of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia speaking at his Alma mater, Merrimack College, I was insanely jealous of every single student in attendance. Day gave an amazing, funny, and actually inspiring speech about the determination and hard work it takes to do well in this world. I just had to post it again.
Day said about how when he was first asked to speak at Merrimack’s graduation that he immediately said yes, but then that the fear set in. “I’m not a public speaker,” he told the crowd. “I have the voice of a ten year old who smokes.”
However, staying true to the message that Day conveyed throughout his entire address, he continued, saying that he wouldn’t let his nerves get the better of him. He said that he wasn’t going to be as smart as Steve Jobs or as funny as Conan O’Brien or Stephen Colbert were when they gave commencement addresses, but that, like every other challenge in his life, it didn’t matter.
Whether it’s speaking at a commencement ceremony or risking your career on making a TV series with your friends instead of joining a TV pilot (which is exactly what Day did when he chose It’s Always Sunny over a role in the Fox sitcom Life On a Stick, which only lasted one 13 episode season), the main point he stressed to the Merrimack graduates was to not let any doubt or hesitation prevent them from doing what they want to do and being the people they are meant to be. “You cannot let a fear of failure, a fear of judgment, or a fear of comparison stop you from doing what makes you great,” Day stressed to the class of 2014.
Well, from watching this video, Day can add giving speeches to the list of things he’s great at. Watch the video above, and enjoy the hilarious and heartfelt speech for yourself.
Photo via YouTube
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