I have spent weeks trying to think of what I would like to share with you on this special morning... what words of wisdom could I impart, what snippets of knowledge have I gained in these last five years of being able to share. And after careful thought and consideration, I have come to the conclusion that I have absolutely nothing to say. I've asked several people, "So if you were listening to a speech and you wanted to enjoy it... what would you want to hear?" And these different people all had the same answer: “Don't be boring.” So, it was really helpful. I refuse to start with some sort of typical introduction, "My fellow graduates...", and I'd be damned if I started with a quote, like, "As Shakespeare once said...". Basically, I made myself I realize that I'm going to get my degree in Physics, and I can't compose a simple graduation speech. Someone needs to explain to me how I can complete five years of college and walk out of here unable to give a simple speech. I'm a little saddened. The problem is, I'm not sure the lessons I've learned are the kinds of things people talk about in a talk like this. Most graduation speeches I've heard seem to be along the lines of: "You are the future! You are the promise of tomorrow! Dream and you will succeed!" And that's really cool; those are nice things to hear. But I can honestly say that I have never reached a difficult moment in my life and then thought, "I didn't know what to do, but then I remembered something my graduation advisor once said, and everything fell into place." !" So I'm not here to give advice, I'm not here to impart words of wisdom and I'm not here to inspire you to succeed. I would just like to wish you all the best and... middle of paper... ied to. Waking up five minutes before the alarm goes off. Miss the flight. Spilling your drink. Breaking a plate. Arguments about stupid things. Sunburn. Saying hello… you may never be a CEO. You may never win an Oscar. You may never sing at the Met. You may never get married and have a family. But this is your story. That's all. One shot. Feel everything. I haven't a clue what's going to happen and I think it's fantastic. I've spent five years trying to figure out what I should do when this ceremony is over, and I still don't have an answer. And that's fine. In fact, it's perfect. If we knew the outcome of life, what would be the point of facing it? It's a story, and it's yours, and whatever happens, make sure you feel your life. One shot. My fellow graduates, as Shakespeare once said, “Preparation is everything."