The Strength of Weakness

My fellow graduates, peers, and friends. What will we do when we step off of this stage? What will we find in this time of seemingly forever uncertainty? Our questions surround us like inescapable mud Our path persists down a road none have experienced And none have begun And yet, we stand here today, Ready. Ready to face a world that can only be determined by our future. A world that can only be determined by us. Us: My life Your life Our lives When our hearts felt nothing but joy in a classroom, When we Followed in line, Read our books, Took our spelling tests, People asked us a question: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” And we answered every other day, week, and year. Actor Doctor Teacher Dancer Veterinarian Musician Writer Lawyer Our dream, our hope, our path But is it the right one? This question lingers in the air, taunting our every move. How do we know? How do you know the path you choose is right? How do I know the path I choose will never hurt, harm, or change my view of life? I don’t And that is what scares me Fear is unpleasant With the emotion that is present. Fear is painful With the judgment that is shameful. Many of us hide this fear This fear of pity This fear of weakness This fear of pure emotion that makes you feel as though you can no longer be in motion towards your own notions. This fear is imprisoning our potential. And so, we must embrace it: the pity, the weakness, the heartache, the regret, the sorrow, the grief, the unspoken insecurities rooted deeply within our very being. And yes, Our hands might shake, and our hearts might pound, and our minds might scream for us to stop but, One thing we must remember, Is that "The cave [we] fear to enter, holds the treasure [we] seek." If we choose to enter, We must speak of our feelings, faults, and troubles, and discover confidence within our own endeavors. That is how we find our treasure. For Confidence is never found without Fear. And Strength is never found without Weakness.