Lou Holtz | 2015 Undergraduate Commencement Address | Franciscan University of Steubenville
Summary
TLDRThe speaker, humbled by receiving an honorary doctorate, shares life lessons emphasizing faith, personal responsibility, and the importance of doing what's right. He urges the audience to maintain a positive attitude, strive for excellence, and genuinely care for others. With humor and sincerity, he reflects on his own experiences, highlighting the significance of trust, commitment, and love in achieving a fulfilling life.
Takeaways
- 🙇 Gratitude and Humility: The speaker expresses deep gratitude and humility for receiving an honorary doctorate degree from a prestigious university, acknowledging his humble beginnings.
- 🏈 Inspirational Journey: The speaker's interest in the university was sparked by a friend who played basketball there, highlighting the power of personal connections in shaping one's path.
- 📚 Importance of Education: Despite not being a top student in high school, the speaker emphasizes the value of education and the role it plays in personal growth and success.
- 🙏 Faith and Spirituality: The speaker shares the significance of faith in his life, using personal anecdotes to illustrate how spirituality can provide strength and guidance.
- 🤝 The Power of Support: The speaker acknowledges the importance of having a support system, whether it's through family, friends, or community, in overcoming life's challenges.
- 💡 Life's Simple Pleasures: The speaker encourages the audience to find joy in simple things, using humor to convey the message that happiness can be found in everyday moments.
- 💪 Commitment to Excellence: The speaker stresses the importance of giving one's best in all endeavors, whether professional or personal, as a path to success and fulfillment.
- 👫 Caring for Others: The speaker shares the belief that showing genuine care and concern for others is a fundamental aspect of living a meaningful and impactful life.
- 🏆 Legacy and Significance: The speaker reflects on the concept of legacy, suggesting that true significance comes from helping others succeed and from the positive impact one leaves on others' lives.
- 🌟 Importance of Trust: The speaker concludes by emphasizing trust, commitment, and love as the core values that guide his life and relationships, advocating for their importance in building a strong foundation for personal and professional success.
Q & A
What is the speaker's sentiment towards receiving an honorary doctor's degree from the University?
-The speaker expresses deep humility and honor in receiving the degree, acknowledging the significance of the award from such an outstanding institution.
What personal anecdote does the speaker share about his early life and connection to the University?
-The speaker mentions being born in Fenby, West Virginia, and raised in East Liverpool, Ohio, and how a friend named Gino Cimoli, who played basketball for the University, sparked his initial interest in following the institution.
What does the speaker imply about his high school academic performance?
-The speaker humorously admits that he was in the lower third of his high school class, suggesting that without students like him, there wouldn't be an upper half of the class.
What is the speaker's advice on maintaining faith and why is it important?
-The speaker advises the audience not to lose their faith in God, emphasizing that faith provides a sense of security and purpose, and that it has personally helped him through challenging times.
How does the speaker feel about the term 'Catholics versus convicts' used to describe a game?
-The speaker expresses disapproval of the term, considering it unfair because not all players on his team were Catholic, and he believes it oversimplifies and potentially misrepresents the team's identity.
What are the speaker's five assumptions about the audience, and how do they relate to his speech?
-The speaker assumes the audience wants to be successful professionally, have a good personal life, feel needed, feel secure about their future, and go to heaven. These assumptions guide his advice on how to achieve these goals without sacrificing one's religious or personal life.
What are the four essential things the speaker believes everyone needs in life?
-According to the speaker, everyone needs something to do, someone to love, someone to believe in, and something to hope for, such as dreams, ambitions, and aspirations.
What is the speaker's view on the importance of growth and the mistake he regrets?
-The speaker believes that growth is critical, emphasizing that one is either growing or dying. His biggest regret is not continuing to grow and take risks after achieving success, suggesting that maintaining the status quo is a form of stagnation.
What are the three rules the speaker suggests for living a fulfilling life?
-The three rules are: 1) Do what's right and avoid what's wrong, 2) Do everything to the best of your ability, and 3) Show people you care by being genuinely helpful and supportive.
How does the speaker define success and significance in life?
-The speaker defines success as not only personal achievement but also as making a significant impact by helping others be successful. He emphasizes that significance endures beyond one's lifetime and is measured by the positive influence one has on others.
What is the speaker's final advice on achieving happiness?
-The speaker humorously lists short-term happiness strategies, such as eating a steak or playing golf, before concluding that the key to lifelong happiness is putting one's faith in Jesus Christ.
Outlines
🎓 Honoring a Doctorate and Life's Journey
The speaker begins by expressing gratitude for receiving an honorary doctorate degree from a distinguished university. He reflects on his humble beginnings in West Virginia and Ohio, and his early connection to the university through a friend. He humorously acknowledges his lower academic ranking in high school and uses this to encourage the audience, emphasizing the importance of personal belief and experience over hearsay. He also stresses the significance of faith, using personal anecdotes to illustrate the role of prayer in his life, and shares a light-hearted story about a man's desperate prayer for a parking spot, highlighting the human tendency to rely on oneself rather than divine intervention.
🏈 Life Lessons from Sports and Beyond
The speaker transitions into life lessons drawn from his experiences, focusing on the importance of doing what's right, avoiding wrong, and maintaining a positive attitude. He emphasizes the significance of personal responsibility and the impact of choices on one's life. The speaker also discusses the concept of growth, using the metaphor of a tree or grass to illustrate that life is about constant improvement, not merely maintenance. He shares a personal anecdote about a waiter's rude comment and how he learned not to let others' negativity affect his attitude, advocating for the importance of self-confidence and resilience.
💖 The Power of Love and Commitment
In this paragraph, the speaker delves into the importance of love, support, and commitment in personal relationships, using his wife's battle with cancer as a poignant example of resilience and the power of a loving support system. He highlights the value of trust in relationships and the importance of genuine care for others. The speaker also shares a humorous story about the difference between a wife and a dog's loyalty, showcasing his lighter side while driving home the point about the depth of his relationship with his wife. He concludes this section by emphasizing the long-lasting impact of helping others succeed and the legacy it leaves behind.
🚀 Embracing Excellence and Life's Simple Rules
The speaker concludes his address by outlining three simple rules for life: doing what's right, doing everything to the best of one's ability, and showing people you care. He reflects on the importance of these principles in achieving personal and professional success, and in leaving a meaningful legacy. He shares a personal story about his family, highlighting the importance of trust and commitment in his life. The speaker ends with a humorous take on different ways to achieve happiness, ultimately advocating for faith in Jesus Christ as the path to lifelong happiness, and extends his blessings to the audience.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Doctor's Degree
💡Faith
💡Success
💡Personal Responsibility
💡Trust
💡Commitment to Excellence
💡Caring
💡Humor
💡Growth
💡Hope
💡Jesus Christ
Highlights
Humbled and honored to receive a doctor's degree from an outstanding University.
Born in Fenby, West Virginia, and raised in East Liverpool, Ohio, with a deep connection to St. Bille.
Started following the University due to a friend who played basketball.
Humbled by the degree, acknowledging not being in the top of his high school class.
Admitting to the audience that he will not preach or lecture, but share personal beliefs and experiences.
Believes that 10% of the audience won't remember 10% of what is said 10 minutes after the speech.
Shares the importance of faith in God and not losing it, even when faced with challenges.
Tells a humorous story about praying for a parking spot and the lesson of self-reliance.
Expresses a strong faith in God and questions how people live without it.
Reflects on a game titled 'Catholics versus Convicts' and the unfairness of such labels.
Shares a story about a Catholic priest and the importance of not taking life too seriously.
Outlines five assumptions about the audience's desires for success, personal life, feeling needed, security, and heaven.
Presents a simple plan for achieving all five desires without sacrificing one's religious or personal life.
Emphasizes the importance of keeping life simple and not overcomplicating it.
States that everyone needs something to do, someone to love, someone to believe in, and something to hope for.
Shares a personal regret about not continuing to grow and the importance of ambition.
Introduces three simple rules for life: do what's right, do everything to the best of your ability, and show people you care.
Advocates for a positive attitude and not letting others control your mood or attitude.
Shares a personal story about a waiter's rude comment and how not to let it affect one's evening.
Emphasizes the importance of trust, commitment, and love as the foundation for relationships and life.
Ends with a humorous take on what brings happiness for different durations and the ultimate happiness found in faith.
Transcripts
thank
you I am indeed humbled and honored to
be awarded a doctor's degree from such
an outstanding University I say that
from the bottom of my heart I was born
in fenby West Virginia raised in East
Liverpool Ohio so I was very familiar
with St bille
1950 A friend of mine from follow his me
named Gino kroi played basketball and
that's when I first started following
this fine University I'm humbled by
receiving this degree obviously you
didn't check my high school rank before
you decided to do
it I'd in the lower third of my high
school class if it was not for people
like me there could have been no upper
half the class so I now if you happen to
be in that audience you showed up to
listen l Hold You made a mistake I want
to talk to the young and women men and
women here I'm not going to preach you
I'm not going to lecture to you I'm
going to talk about things I believe and
the experiences I shared I'm not going
to talk about something I read about or
heard about these are things I believe
and understand this I've been 21 you've
never been 78
so
no 10% of
you I say 10% of you won't remember 10%
of what it said 10 minutes after he said
it but for the next 17 minutes I just
want to share things with you you know
how fortunate you are to be at a great
Catholic University to be able to share
your faith in God don't ever lose that
there'll be a tendency to get away from
it we all have a tendency to think we
can do things on our own if you want to
make God laugh you tell them what your
plans are I want to tell you I can't
begin to tell you how many times I
prayed when Michigan had the ball in our
four yd
line oh God you STP of going changed my
life it's like the the guy that was
going to an important meeting and he
couldn't find a parking place he kept C
and finding Panic he looked up at Heaven
he said God if you find me a parking
place I'll go to church every day every
Sunday the rest of my life I will not
drink any alcohol the rest of my life
and just then miraculously a parking
spot opened up they looked up at him and
said forget a God I found one on my
own we have that you know I have a
strong faith in God and I don't know how
people live without it I remember we
played Miami of Florida that was a great
game where it was titled the Catholics
versus the
convicts I really didn't like it I
thought that was totally unfair because
not all our team was
Catholic but we have this big lunch and
3,000 people I go in and the father gets
up and he says
before I give invocation coach Holz I
want you to know I'm a Catholic priest
I'm the team chaplain of Miami football
team we came up here to beat you and I
want you to know God doesn't care who
wins this game when it turn came my turn
to talk I get up and said I agree with
you father God doesn't care who wins a
game but I want to promise you his
mother does
so now
see life doesn't have to be
complicated we complicate life I'm going
to make five assumptions about the
people in this audience I'm going to
assume you want to be successful
professionally I'm going to assume you
want to have a good personal life I'm
going to
assume that you want to feel
needed and I'm going to assume you want
to feel secure about your future the
fifth assumption I'm going to make is
you want to go to heaven now I'm going
to give you a simple plan how to do all
five because see you don't have to
sacrifice your religious life your
personal life in order to advance
professionally they all work together
and don't complicate it I try to keep
life simple do you realize there are
only seven killers of the rainbow only
seven look what Michelangelo did with
those seven colors there's only seven
musical notes look what beIN did did
with those seven notes there's only 10
numbers look what Bernie Midol did with
those 10
numbers the point I make is it doesn't
have to be complicated see you need four
things in your life if you don't have
any of these four things in your life
you're going to have a tremendous void
see everybody needs something to
do number two everybody needs someone to
love number three everybody needs
someone to believe it in my case is
Jesus Christ Our Lord and Savior but the
fourth thing you need your life is you
need something to hope
for what do you want to do having hopes
and dreams and ambition see I think that
is absolutely critical don't make the
mistake I made I've done a lot of dumb
things but let me tell you the one thing
I regret we went to the University of
noran we took a program on the bottom we
took it to the very top and for N9 great
years we went to a January 1 bow the
sugar the cotton the orange or the Festa
nobody's done it before nobody's done it
since we put it on top and we maintained
it that's the thing I regret the most
said there's a ro life and said you're
either growing or you're dying the tree
is either growing or is dying so is
grass so is a marriage so is a business
so is a person doesn't have a thing to
do with age my birthday candles cost
more than a
cake but has everything to do I trying
to get better matter I trying to prove
we got on top you say you know this
pretty good let's maintain it let's not
take any risk we finished second of the
country at Notre Dame everybody called
me an idiot guy finish his last in
medical school they call him doctor that
doesn't seem
fair when I left Notre Dame I never
thought I'd coach again where'd you go
from Notre Dame according to my mother
you go directly to Heaven you sit by the
pope you you don't coach anymore and
then I went to live in a town where the
average age was
deceased and what I found out I one
tired to coach you have to have
something to hope for something to
dream and even though you've done great
things so far what's going to happen now
I want to give you a simple plan so nebe
you to follow those five assumptions
this not something I talk about it's
something I believe and it works and I
wish I had learned it when I was 21
there's only three rules you have to
follow you know we have all kind of laws
federal laws County laws state laws
corporate laws bylaws and inlaws and
outlaws only need three laws law number
one do what right do what's right and
avoid what's wrong if you have any doubt
get out the Bible I do not think it's
right to find a teammate's wallet before
he lost it see that's called stealing
son I found it but he hadn't lost it yet
at all I understand just do what's right
there's never a right time to do the
wrong thing and there's never a wrong
time to do the right thing just do
what's right I think it's right Beyond
it's right Beyond time I think it's
wrong to practice sexism racism spousal
abuse I think it's wrong to be bitter
we've all had injustices done by Society
by a spouse by a professor do respect
professors I refer to my own but you
know what don't go through life where
you're being bitter where you passed
away your spouse has to hire six ball
Bears cuz you don't have friends just do
the right thing I think it's also right
to have an excellent positive attitude
see L and gentlemen enjoy life have fun
you're going to have problems you're
going to have difficulties that's part
of life because you graduate doesn't
mean you aren't going to have problems
and don't tell people about your
problems do you know that 90% of the
people don't
care and the other 10% are glad you got
them so you better off keeping yourself
you're going to have problems but have
fun with what you're doing people say
did you have fun doing ESPN not really I
was up there in Bristol Connecticut
which was 15 minutes from hardford by
telephone and I'm on there with a guy
named Mark May now I love Mark May
beautiful guy but we have a difference
of opinion he was a player as a coach he
made suggestions I made decisions he
showered after work I showered before
work he said signed a paycheck on the
back I signed it on the front you know
it just difference op but you know what
when they turned the red light on I was
going to have fun if you have fun doing
something people have fun being around
every day I walked out on the football
field first thing I said boy what a
great day to work and I meant it cuz if
you have fun being there people have fun
being around doesn't mean I don't do
dumb things and sometimes I wasn't real
honest one time Mark B said something
about my golf game I said I want you to
know I'm the best golfer at late night
well late Nona we have about 15 Pros gr
McDow Henry Stinson Deon poter just I go
back everybody on me you lied on TV I
said let me tell you something 300
members know I lied 300 million people
think I'm a hell of a golfer so I like
that
percentage but just do what's
right and don't let people tear you down
don't let people many years ago we I
take my family down to Orlando Florida
we have four children or all girls but
two and I'm real proud of that fact
and we're getting ready to play orl
we're getting ready to play Florida in
the Sugar Bowl so we go to Orlando where
we had a home and we go out to dinner
the waiter came up and he recognized me
he said you're new Hol head coach at ner
Dame AR you and I said yes sir and I got
out my pen thinking he wanted an
autograph he said let me ask you a
question he said what's the difference
between Notre Dave Cheerios I said I
don't have a clue he said Cheerios
belong in a bow Notre Dave
doesn't now these are absolutely truth
it made me mad and got me in a bad mood
and my wife said you're going to let
somebody you never met before you never
go to see again doesn't care a thing
about you're going to let them rule in
the evening cuz something stupidly said
and she's right don't let other people
control your attitude that's you I felt
so good a little bit later I called a
waiter back over and I said Son let me
ask you a question what's the difference
between L hols and golf pro he said I
don't have a clue I said a golf pro
gives tips which he found out when the
meal was
over about
[Applause]
it just do what's right rule number
two do everything to the best of your
ability with time
allotted you know ladies and gentlemen
not all of us be all americ not
everybody be first team everybody can be
the best you're capable being
and I want to tell you if you want to
fail you have the right to fail that's
what's great about this country you do
not have the right to cause other people
to fail because you don't do everything
best your ability when you join a spouse
you bring a child in the world you join
a business you join a team you have
obligation responsibilities and you owe
it to other people to do the maximum you
can and each and everything you do it's
not
complicated Ladi and gentlemen I want
you to know this I born with a silver
spoon in my mouth I know I was born in
Falls me West
Virginia and I went by where I was born
last night about
10:30 I was born in a Cellar at home
delivered by Dr
mcra we had one bedroom for my sister
myself and my
parents we had a half bath and a kitchen
7 and a half years we lived in that
place there was no welfare there was no
food stamps there was no safety that but
I always had plenty to eat cuz every
time I asked for seconds my dad would
say no you had
plenty but the reason I was born with a
silver spoon my dad had only gone to the
third grade that's all the education he
had but why was I born with it Sil spoon
in my mouth cuz I taught by my
parents that life's a matter of makeing
choices wherever you are good or bad
because of choices you make don't blame
anybody else but if you get an education
you're willing to work and overcome
problems and difficulties in this great
country you can amount to
something that's how I that's why I B a
silver spoon I was in this country and I
was taught personal responsibility for
choices you make and when we talk about
a commitment to Excellence that's a
choice you make the last rule to show
people you care and you walk in the room
draud hey here I am look at me I thought
no your attitude there you are how can I
help you say my wife God bless her my
wife is a stage four cancer survivor her
weight went from 129 to 889 they gave
her 10% chance to live I'm happy to
report my wife's doing well now I don't
even pray for her anymore I pray to her
I mean she's just
say but we're opposites night and day
she said Opposites Attract and then
attack but she's
also she left me she we're opposite she
doesn't have a sense of humor but she
left me a note a couple months ago said
Lou I can't please everybody in the
world so I'm going to stop trying I'm
going to focus on pleasing one person a
day and today's not your day and
tomorrow doesn't look real promising
either but she is my best friend we've
been married 54 years I
yeah
yeah he I got
I on a golf course I said yeah married
my best friend the guy said your wife's
not your best friend I said yes she he
said your dog is I said no you're wrong
he said you're wrong he said try this
then lock your wife and your dog in the
trunk of the car come back in two hours
and see which one's happy to see you
so but my wife never does interviews she
done one interview in her life cuz I
asked her what did you learn from having
cancer she said I learned how much my
family loved me now we we didn't love
her anymore we showed it why does
somebody have to go through something
like that before we realize how
important we are Ladi and gentlemen I
received this honorary doctor's degree
not because what I did because what
other people did that's the same thing
whenever you receive recognition pass
the
credit it was not complicated but just
genuinely caring about people cuz
everybody you're going to meet the rest
of your life needs a smile needs a kind
word needs an encouragement cuz see when
you do the right thing people are always
going to be able to trust you my wife
and I have been married because we can
trust each other i' never lose the trust
but the only way you people ever going
to trust you if you do the right thing
that's all God wants us to do do the
right thing the second thing is do
everything but your ability because then
people will know you're committed to
Excellence you want to be special
not to say hey here I am but help other
people and caring about people see a lot
of you are going to be successful you're
going to go make a lot of money and when
you die it ends but hopefully everybody
in this graduating class is going to be
significant the significant is when you
help other people be successful and that
lasts many a life time after that I
congratulate you again people say would
you like to be 21 again I wish I knew
those three rules when I was 21 I've
used them for the last 40 years there's
a statue I'll be at not today I guess
they need a place for the pigeons to
land but if you go look at it just don't
look to look at three words on the
pedestal trust commitment love CU those
are the three rules I had for my
children my team my greatest
accomplishment is not coaching not TV
not speaking the greatest
accomplishments my family and I'm very
proud of it you can't take your money to
heaven but I tell you something you can
sure take your children to heaven with
you I leave you with this very last
thought very
last want be happy for an hour eat a
steak want to be happy for a day play
golf want to be happy for a week go on a
cruise now to me going on a cruise like
being in jail except you have a chance
to drown but that's
want be happy for a month play golf want
be happy for a month buy a new car want
be happy for a year win the
lottery want to be happy for a lifetime
put your faith in Jesus Christ thank you
very much God bless
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