Maria Shriver’s Commencement Speech | Words Of Inspiration

Maria Shriver – a lot of people know her as the wife (now ex) of the legendary body builder, actor, politician – Arnold Schwarzenegger; OR a relative of famous Kennedy family. But, she is much more than that. She is an American journalist and she wrote six best selling books as well! She have received a Peabody Award as well. She produced – The Alzheimer’s Project as an executive producer and earned a remarkable praise and awards for the same. There is much more about her know her.

She was the Commencement speaker at the USC Annenberg School of Communication (year 2012). The ceremony took place on May, 11 2012. Later the school made her commencement speech public, on YouTube. Here is the same, and our personal summary of what one can understand from the same.

• This is the best time you are approaching the world. Communication is at its best. There are many ways of communication are available as handy and affordable options. And you can communicate 24 X 7.
• There is nothing wrong is not knowing the answer.
• It becomes thus necessary to remember the power of pause.
• Pausing lets you take a breath and allows you to live in the moment.
• You have the power to change the way we communicate in better ways.
• Communicating with yourself is even more necessary than communicating with the outer world. And, pausing for a while gives you that opportunity.
• Pause before reporting something which you are not sure that it is absolute truth.
• Pause before some key moments, which leads you to make a decision, so you can stop yourself from taking a wrong decision.
• It is not the mountain which is hard to conquer, conquering ourselves is tougher.
• With power, there comes the responsibility.
• Make sure to know your toughness and softness. You can and should make room for both.
• Find your gentleness and manlyness. And yes make room for both.
• Pause to take time to thank all those who made your journey (of life) possible (and smoother).
• Pause and take time to express your love and gratitude to those who loved you so far.
• Have courage to go beyond others’ expectations for you.
• (Be inspired from the others but,)Live and write your own story.
• Fight for good, fight for fairness, fight on.

We hope that her words of inspiration and wisdom will be helpful to at least some of the readers to take wise decisions and reaching out to the sky.

Of course, it is our personal understanding of what she said. Do let us know your thoughts and views via comments below. We would love to hear the same.