May 15, 2020 • 8 mins
In this episode of Commencement: Speeches for the Class of 2020, pop singer/songwriter Kesha encourages young people to re-examine their lives in the midst of these uncertain times, and to take a deep breath, step back, and ask "what should this new normal look like."
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Commencement Speeches for the Class of is a production of
I Heart Radio. Class of Parents, faculty, rising graduates, Welcome
to commencement. You made it. This year is a little different,
(00:23):
a difficult time to graduate because the traditional graduation day
has been put on hold. So we're bringing it to
you wherever you are because this is still your day,
your moment. And now put your hands together, it's time
to be inspired. This year's commencement speaker the one and
only Kesham Congratulations, you did it. You graduated something I
(00:56):
never did. You should be so proud of yourself. This
is a time for celebration of an amazing personal achievement.
Reflect on the work you've done, and celebrate moving into
your new phase. Except we're faced with one small problem.
Our current pandemic has pushed pause on all of our
daily lives. First off, I just want to say I'm sorry.
(01:20):
You are allowed to be upset, piste, off, annoyed, all
the feelings. You worked so hard for many years to
get to this point, and because of something out of
all of our hands, your graduation celebration is being postponed.
I wouldn't think of it as being taken away from you,
(01:42):
but I'm so sorry that you can't all be together
in a gym or hall or football stadium with your
tassels and your robes and your classmates. I really am.
It's a special moment and it was taken away from you,
so there's no point in trying to pretend otherwise. It sucks.
It's horrible, and I'm so sorry. But also the more
I think about it, the less simple it seems. Being
(02:02):
in quarantine has definitely been a test for me personally.
I haven't been alone for more than about one day
since TikTok came out. This whole situation has made my
anxiety spike. On occasion, I feel restless, sometimes creative, sometimes lost.
Some moments I can't motivate myself to do much, and
then the next moment I feel guilty I'm not doing enough.
(02:24):
Sometimes it reminds me of being grounded in school, but
I always found a way to sneak out. What's different
this time is I have to actually be responsible and
act like an adult and put what's best for everyone
above my personal wants. So I'm not sneaking out, and
that's very uncomfortable. We are stuck. We are collectively stuck.
(02:48):
We are grounded. Life is on pause. It's a bummer.
There are moments I'm just angry at the virus. I'm
piste off that the pandemic is hurting and scaring people,
keeping me away from my friends, my family, my fans,
keeping you from your time to celebrate with your friends
and your family. But then I check myself. Many times
(03:10):
a day, I get hit with a wave of gratitude.
I've never felt more in awe and humbled by people,
especially those on the front lines of the situation. The
doctors and nurses and other first responders on the front
lines of this amaze me. They're saving the lives of others,
not sleeping, risking their own health, and I'm awe struck
at watching how people are just helping each other. Small
(03:32):
businesses are pivoting to make health supplies. College students are
creating apps to track the virus. And I get overwhelmed
seeing the beauty and the selflessness and ingenuity and humanity
that has become so visible right now in the face
of this. We really are all in this together. It's
somehow has restored a sense of hope and faith in
humanity For me. I see the horizon in Los Angeles
(03:55):
where I live, the smog is noticeably less visible than before,
and I wonder if this tragedy could have a silver
lining that we can take forward with us. I know
in my life I love to plan. I like to
plan for every situation and anything that can get thrown
at me, and then I like having a backup plan.
(04:17):
And I especially don't like it if I have made
a plan and a backup plan and these plans just
don't work out. And that is what we are all
faced with right now. But I know from personal experience,
when life throws you something that comes completely out of
left field, you have no idea what to do with it.
(04:37):
You don't know how to handle it, you don't know
how to cope with it. You have to just use it.
You have to accept it, and then you have to
flip it in your mind and realize that it's out
of your hands. So what is the best way to
go forward? Staying stuck in the past or anger and
(04:58):
never does anything positive for anyone on Trust me, I
have my moments where I am that way, but I
really think that my time is much better served taking
what life throws at me, trying to get creative and
trying to just forge ahead. That said, you're all just
starting your lives. I'm sure you all have plans and
dreams that are just starting, and it's not easy to
(05:19):
have an outside force put the breaks on your hopes
and dreams. I know a little something about this. I've
had my hopes and my dreams taken from me, and
there was a moment when I fell into a real depression.
You feel like you have nothing to look forward to.
But I'm here to say that those feelings, if you
ever have them, will pass as long as you never
give up on yourself. I've been in very dark places before,
(05:43):
and luckily I've been able to come out of it
with help from friends, family, and professionals. Reach out to
friends and family right now if you can. You never
know who needs to pick me up, and you never
know who just needs to talk. I personally, I'll so
love looking to nature. It helps me understand we have
something greater than us and our daily problems, even though
(06:06):
our problems seem suffocating and they really can be. I
always try to remember to be grateful for something can
be very simple, but it brings me back to the present,
and presently I'm here talking to you in the middle
of a pandemic, and I just want you to know
(06:28):
that this too shall pass. Things may never get back
to the old way of normal, but this what we're
experiencing right now, it will pass. What's true and lasting
is that the world is good. People are good, Love
is magic, and it's from our darkest moments where we
gain the most strength. As they say, whatever doesn't kill
(06:51):
you makes you stronger, and as we all go through
something hard together right now, it also brings us closer
as a global community. I've tried not to hold onto
resentment or regrets, or what ifs, or any sort of hatred,
because those negative thoughts are poison. I've had to learn
to let go of those bad feelings and just move forward.
(07:12):
The only way to truly evolve is to let my
past be my past and move forward with an open heart.
I have to remind myself of this every single day.
Because something from the outside has changed your plan, it
doesn't mean that the change will be bad. Be proud
of what you have accomplished and celebrate. We can't sit
(07:33):
back and wait till things quote get back to normal.
We need young people like you to create a new normal.
This is an opportunity for us to all take a
deep breath, step back and ask, what should this new
normal look like. This is our opportunity to change life,
real big change this disruption. Maybe just we didn't know
(07:56):
we needed to shake off the rest of old ideas
and blaze ahead with a new plan. You don't need
to follow the rules. There are no rules. Follow your
heart create the new rules. Stay well, stay strong, and remember,
at the end of the storm comes a rainbow, even
if you can't see it yet. I love you, guys.
(08:27):
You can find the collection of incredible commencement addresses from
all your favorite speakers at the Commencement Podcast on I
Heart Radio or wherever you listen to podcasts.
Commencement Speeches for the Class of is a production of
I Heart Radio. Class of Parents, faculty, rising graduates, Welcome
to commencement. You made it. This year is a little different,
(00:23):
a difficult time to graduate because the traditional graduation day
has been put on hold. So we're bringing it to
you wherever you are because this is still your day,
your moment. And now put your hands together, it's time
to be inspired. This year's commencement speaker the one and
only Kesham Congratulations, you did it. You graduated something I
(00:56):
never did. You should be so proud of yourself. This
is a time for celebration of an amazing personal achievement.
Reflect on the work you've done, and celebrate moving into
your new phase. Except we're faced with one small problem.
Our current pandemic has pushed pause on all of our
daily lives. First off, I just want to say I'm sorry.
(01:20):
You are allowed to be upset, piste, off, annoyed, all
the feelings. You worked so hard for many years to
get to this point, and because of something out of
all of our hands, your graduation celebration is being postponed.
I wouldn't think of it as being taken away from you,
(01:42):
but I'm so sorry that you can't all be together
in a gym or hall or football stadium with your
tassels and your robes and your classmates. I really am.
It's a special moment and it was taken away from you,
so there's no point in trying to pretend otherwise. It sucks.
It's horrible, and I'm so sorry. But also the more
I think about it, the less simple it seems. Being
(02:02):
in quarantine has definitely been a test for me personally.
I haven't been alone for more than about one day
since TikTok came out. This whole situation has made my
anxiety spike. On occasion, I feel restless, sometimes creative, sometimes lost.
Some moments I can't motivate myself to do much, and
then the next moment I feel guilty I'm not doing enough.
(02:24):
Sometimes it reminds me of being grounded in school, but
I always found a way to sneak out. What's different
this time is I have to actually be responsible and
act like an adult and put what's best for everyone
above my personal wants. So I'm not sneaking out, and
that's very uncomfortable. We are stuck. We are collectively stuck.
(02:48):
We are grounded. Life is on pause. It's a bummer.
There are moments I'm just angry at the virus. I'm
piste off that the pandemic is hurting and scaring people,
keeping me away from my friends, my family, my fans,
keeping you from your time to celebrate with your friends
and your family. But then I check myself. Many times
(03:10):
a day, I get hit with a wave of gratitude.
I've never felt more in awe and humbled by people,
especially those on the front lines of the situation. The
doctors and nurses and other first responders on the front
lines of this amaze me. They're saving the lives of others,
not sleeping, risking their own health, and I'm awe struck
at watching how people are just helping each other. Small
(03:32):
businesses are pivoting to make health supplies. College students are
creating apps to track the virus. And I get overwhelmed
seeing the beauty and the selflessness and ingenuity and humanity
that has become so visible right now in the face
of this. We really are all in this together. It's
somehow has restored a sense of hope and faith in
humanity For me. I see the horizon in Los Angeles
(03:55):
where I live, the smog is noticeably less visible than before,
and I wonder if this tragedy could have a silver
lining that we can take forward with us. I know
in my life I love to plan. I like to
plan for every situation and anything that can get thrown
at me, and then I like having a backup plan.
(04:17):
And I especially don't like it if I have made
a plan and a backup plan and these plans just
don't work out. And that is what we are all
faced with right now. But I know from personal experience,
when life throws you something that comes completely out of
left field, you have no idea what to do with it.
(04:37):
You don't know how to handle it, you don't know
how to cope with it. You have to just use it.
You have to accept it, and then you have to
flip it in your mind and realize that it's out
of your hands. So what is the best way to
go forward? Staying stuck in the past or anger and
(04:58):
never does anything positive for anyone on Trust me, I
have my moments where I am that way, but I
really think that my time is much better served taking
what life throws at me, trying to get creative and
trying to just forge ahead. That said, you're all just
starting your lives. I'm sure you all have plans and
dreams that are just starting, and it's not easy to
(05:19):
have an outside force put the breaks on your hopes
and dreams. I know a little something about this. I've
had my hopes and my dreams taken from me, and
there was a moment when I fell into a real depression.
You feel like you have nothing to look forward to.
But I'm here to say that those feelings, if you
ever have them, will pass as long as you never
give up on yourself. I've been in very dark places before,
(05:43):
and luckily I've been able to come out of it
with help from friends, family, and professionals. Reach out to
friends and family right now if you can. You never
know who needs to pick me up, and you never
know who just needs to talk. I personally, I'll so
love looking to nature. It helps me understand we have
something greater than us and our daily problems, even though
(06:06):
our problems seem suffocating and they really can be. I
always try to remember to be grateful for something can
be very simple, but it brings me back to the present,
and presently I'm here talking to you in the middle
of a pandemic, and I just want you to know
(06:28):
that this too shall pass. Things may never get back
to the old way of normal, but this what we're
experiencing right now, it will pass. What's true and lasting
is that the world is good. People are good, Love
is magic, and it's from our darkest moments where we
gain the most strength. As they say, whatever doesn't kill
(06:51):
you makes you stronger, and as we all go through
something hard together right now, it also brings us closer
as a global community. I've tried not to hold onto
resentment or regrets, or what ifs, or any sort of hatred,
because those negative thoughts are poison. I've had to learn
to let go of those bad feelings and just move forward.
(07:12):
The only way to truly evolve is to let my
past be my past and move forward with an open heart.
I have to remind myself of this every single day.
Because something from the outside has changed your plan, it
doesn't mean that the change will be bad. Be proud
of what you have accomplished and celebrate. We can't sit
(07:33):
back and wait till things quote get back to normal.
We need young people like you to create a new normal.
This is an opportunity for us to all take a
deep breath, step back and ask, what should this new
normal look like. This is our opportunity to change life,
real big change this disruption. Maybe just we didn't know
(07:56):
we needed to shake off the rest of old ideas
and blaze ahead with a new plan. You don't need
to follow the rules. There are no rules. Follow your
heart create the new rules. Stay well, stay strong, and remember,
at the end of the storm comes a rainbow, even
if you can't see it yet. I love you, guys.
(08:27):
You can find the collection of incredible commencement addresses from
all your favorite speakers at the Commencement Podcast on I
Heart Radio or wherever you listen to podcasts.
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