The Superpower of Words

A graduation speech

Class of 2014, families, and friends:

Congratulations on a fantastic four years filled with hard work, memories, and achievements. From various teams and individuals going to State, to many fantastic performances and games throughout the years; our senior class has truly excelled in so many different ways. However, while our accomplishments are certainly worthy of celebration, I’m here to talk to you about something else that has had a huge influence on the class of 2014. And no, I am not going to talk about Disney’s new animated film Frozen. Even though it was awesome. Today, I’d like to speak with you all about the power of words.

In order to truly live life after high school and beyond to the best of our abilities, we must remember the impact that the things we say have on other people, in addition to our actions. Throughout my high school career, I have met some wonderful people who have changed my life with their words. And I’m sure that every single one of you can at least name one, if not several people whose words have changed you. Some of them may even be here today. I’d like to thank all of the parents, grandparents and other family members who have supported our class with their words through thick and thin. Along with them, I’d like to take the opportunity to thank the teachers and administration who encourage us to do our best in all that we do.

Whether or not we realize it, I believe that we collect the things they say in our minds and pull them out when things get tough, sort of like your favorite pair of slipper socks on a chilly night. However, I’d like to challenge you to not only thrive on your own word collection, but rather, take some time to add to someone else’s. I think that sometimes we don’t even know how the things we say can cause a ripple effect that may change a person’s life. Going back here for a second, I need to confess something. Remember when I said I wasn’t going to be talking about Frozen? That was a false statement because I am. For those of you who don’t know the premise of this movie, it’s about two sisters, Princesses Anna and Elsa. The two of them are very alike, except Elsa has the power to freeze things, which is a problem since she can’t control this power when she becomes upset. So, big spoiler alert here, but at the end of the movie, she accidentally freezes her sister Anna, who is nearly doomed to stay that way forever since her heart was frozen as well as her body. As she’s about to lose all hope, Elsa whispers to her sister “I love you.”

Those words brought her back.

This is also the point in the movie where you look at the person next to you, and they turn away because they’re crying. But the point here is, Elsa wasn’t able to cure her sister by her actions alone. She had to say what she felt, speak what was on her mind, and this is what healed her sister in the end. Even though, yes, it’s a movie, aren’t there times when we encounter people who seem to be frozen in place? People who need someone to remind them of how wonderful they are? The movie says that “Only an act of true love can thaw a frozen heart.” Given there are all different kinds of love in this world, I think we all have the potential to commit both big and small acts of true love with our words.

This is what will shape our future, Class of 2014.

So when you go forth in this world, I challenge you to live your life with both words and actions that emulate kindness. I challenge you to take your collection of words, and use them to better this world. If we, as a Class, make this our mission in the world today, there is no limit to the good that we can do. Congratulations to the class of 2014, and best wishes to all of you.