Christian+E’s+Final+AmEx+Speech+2017

Christian Erickson The Moment In my 17 years of life, I have focused too much on the future. The future where I’ve imagined life becomes somehow full of meaning, and years of mind-numbing preparation finally pay off. I have felt programmed to believe that we should always be striving for the next destination, set aside our own desires and yearnings in the name of imminent wealth, power and prestige. Why seize the moment, when one could instead be constantly preparing for the future, while ignoring the desires of their heart. There’s always tomorrow, happiness is an illusion, sleep is overrated. If life is truly the journey; than why have so many of us become obsessed with the destination? We are in the prime of our adolescence, a season meant for hard work, but also fun. This should be a time of joy, laughter, discovery and adventure. Have we forgotten what it is that truly makes us human? If I have learned one truth in my youth it is that material wealth can and often does provide a fleeting sense of happiness, but it will never amount to joy and fulfillment. It won’t matter how many zeroes are in my bank account when I lay in my death bed. The type of car sitting in my garage will be meaningless when I have passed from this earth. We are defined by certain moments in life, bits of time where our character is truly tested, and our selflessness will leave more of an imprint than our perceived accomplishments. We are not guaranteed tomorrow, all we can hope to have an impact on is today. Preparation is of course a necessity for any type of future success, but I believe it would be beneficial if we can learn to make work/life balance a priority. I want to grow old in an America where children grow up hearing that there are many paths to achieving success and happiness; and that not all of them require an Ivy League degree. I admire so many of you in this room for the work ethic you demonstrate daily in regards to your education. I would never dissuade any of you from your desire to earn high grades, I would only hope to encourage each of us to enjoy life, the moment, family and friends and not grow up regretting years spent at a desk, not engaging in life outside of the classroom. As cliché as it sounds, we are only young once. I often forget that life has no do-over button, and soon this season of life will be behind us. Love, passion, adventure, even heartbreak are the experiences I hope to look back on and remember during this time period in my life. Knowing my life was well lived, rich and meaningful and that even my mistakes were not seen as regrets, but rather opportunities for growth. It seems that the most burning regrets people often feel when they’re near the end of their lives have more to do with lost opportunities, and loss of time spent with loved ones, seldom that they regretted not working harder. Defining happiness for me is shifting, from chasing success at all costs to a growing desire to learn how to help others, share experiences with others and to seek fulfillment through a life with meaning and purpose. I want to leave this life knowing I truly made a difference in people’s lives, even if it’s only a few. I want to leave a family legacy of living a life with compassion and purpose. I would like to be remembered more for kindheartedness than financial success. I want to be remembered as a generous man, not a consumer, a man of integrity, not one who sacrifices it all in search of the dollar. I would hope when I die, that I have made an impact in the world and ion my family, rather than my death resulting in the sad image of my offspring as self absorbed adults fighting over my estate and possessions. Maybe it isn’t where we’ve climbed to in the end that defines us, but rather the journey itself.