A few weeks ago Donovan Livingston eloquently and soulfully broke the internet with his Harvard Graduate School of Education Student speech, entitled “Lift Off.” As a declarative moment for himself and his fellow graduates, this speech reached millions of people all over the world, including myself.
Harvard Graduate School of Education is a viable post-graduate institution for myself, therefore, it was beyond inspiring to hear Livingston’s words and the messages behind his engaging flow. After you watch or rewatch his speech, take these poignant points from “Lift Off” with you in your daily life:
- Don’t let doubter’s determine YOUR destiny. Donovan mentioned his encounter with his High School teacher; nevertheless, he let her threats fuel his tenacity and, now, look at where he’s speaking!
- It is alright if you are “the strange fruit that grew too ripe for the poplar tree.” In your diverse attributes, you are who you are & that is what matters.
- “Light up the world with your illuminous alore”
- “If you take time to connect the dots, you can plot the true shape of [your] genius” Passion, patience, & perseverance are integral in pulling potential to fulfill purpose.
- “None of us were meant to be common, we were born to be comets” Don’t let the world fool you into believing that conforming to what is common is what will catapult you into the stars; you were born with a unique gift that will catapult you into success.
- “A crater is evidence that something amazing happened”: Crash into the world & shake up the world with your embedded gifts, skills, and capabilities.
- “Lift your voices until you’ve patched every hole in a child’s broken sky. Wake up every child so they know of their celestial potential.” Generations are watching, awaken their potential!
- Let Your Light Shine: Use whatever success you’ve attained as a means of pushing someone towards fulfilling their purpose for a greater good!
- Know Your Impact: With potential comes, influence (whether small or large), use it to “inspire galaxies of greatness.”
- “Lift off,” The trajectory of your potential is upward.
