Soulful Strides to Promotion & Tenure (May. 2024)
Commencement and a New Mental Venue
May is here, and with it comes the official end of the semester, commencement season, and ultimately an opportunity for all of us to simultaneously self-reflect and forward-plan. Talk about multi-tasking! Typically, when we hear the word commencement, our minds go directly to a ceremony with the names of loved ones or students (or both) being called as they walk across the stage.
Commencement — without its attachment to an educational activity — means the beginning of something, and the commencement speech is a message to the graduates about their new beginning. It provides an opportunity to reflect on the journey that has led attendees to this moment, including the challenges overcome and the growth experienced by the graduates. It also addresses the potential and possibilities that lie ahead for the graduates, encouraging them to think about their roles and responsibilities in shaping the future in their field and in everyday life. The speech is meant to help graduates mentally prepare for and embrace the start of a new chapter in their lives.
The same can be true for those in higher education or those whose work aligns with the academic calendar. The spring semester signals the end of the academic year and the need for a change of mental venue. But what does that actually mean?
The spring semester can be especially “taxing,” (yes, that’s a shameful plug to last month’s Soulful Stride) regardless of the academic or professional position. A change in mental venue allows for rest and recovery, professional renewal, and enhanced creativity. A change in mental venue (just as the commencement speech) allows for reflection on the challenges overcome, the growth experienced, and the acknowledgment and celebration of your accomplishments. This is a great venue. The acoustics are amazing; you can see the stage, you don’t need a ticket, and the best part is that you don’t have to worry about someone sitting in your seat. This venue is all yours!
Very few people are asked to give a commencement speech to a room full of graduates. But what about giving a commencement speech to yourself? What would you say? How would you inspire and motivate yourself? What words of wisdom would you offer yourself as encouragement for closing out this academic year and looking towards the next?
This summer, take the time to write a commencement speech to yourself and change your mental venue. Perhaps, it will remind you of that day when your name was called and you felt a gush of emotions - both reflective and hopeful. Hold on to these and take them into your new venue. See you in August!!
“Thinking needs care and commitment. It requires space to turn things around in your mind, to test your ideas, to play and discard and try again, to become stronger.”