Michelle Obama | WHO ARE YOU GONNA BE? | Your Motivation

Summary

This inspiring speech emphasizes the importance of personal character traits over achievements and credentials. It highlights resilience and conscientiousness as key to success, illustrated by West Point cadets' examples. The speaker encourages graduates to embrace diversity, engage with different perspectives, and develop skills applicable to any situation. The speech concludes with advice on the value of hard work, reliability, and serving others, qualities that define a person's true worth.

Takeaways

• 🎓 **Personal Identity Over Profession**: The speaker emphasizes defining who you are rather than focusing solely on what job you will have.
• 🚀 **Resilience is Key**: Resilience and conscientiousness are highlighted as critical skills for success, often more so than traditional metrics like test scores or IQ.
• 🏆 **Success Beyond Achievements**: Success is defined by how one responds to challenges and setbacks, not just by achievements or accolades.
• 💪 **Grit Determines Completion**: Cadets with high grit and determination are more likely to complete challenging tasks, such as basic training at West Point.
• 🌱 **Personal Growth Through Struggle**: The speaker encourages developing skills by overcoming weaknesses and working hard, which can be applied to any situation.
• 🤝 **Embrace Diversity**: The importance of seeking out and engaging with diverse experiences and viewpoints is stressed.
• 👂 **Listen Beyond Your Echo Chamber**: Engaging with people of different political affiliations can lead to new understandings and personal growth.
• 🌐 **Leverage Global Connectivity**: Technology allows for unprecedented connection with the world, which can be used to break down old divisions.
• 👥 **Value of Character in Hiring**: The speaker shares that character traits like hard work, reliability, and open-mindedness are more valued than test scores or elite education in hiring decisions.
• 🌟 **Inherent Qualities for Impact**: The qualities that move society forward are already embodied by the graduates, learned from their upbringing and developed further at Eastern Kentucky University.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the speech?

The main focus of the speech is to inspire individuals to reflect on their character and resilience, rather than just their achievements or goals, emphasizing the importance of personal qualities such as grit and determination.

Why does the speaker emphasize the question 'who are you going to be'?

The speaker emphasizes 'who are you going to be' to highlight the importance of personal character development over specific achievements, as it defines how individuals respond to life's challenges and setbacks.

What role do skills like resilience and conscientiousness play according to the speaker?

According to the speaker, skills like resilience and conscientiousness are as important to success as test scores or IQ, influencing one's ability to overcome obstacles and achieve goals.

What example does the speaker give to illustrate the importance of character traits like grit?

The speaker cites the example of West Point cadets, where those who scored high on traits like grit and determination were more likely to complete basic training than those who ranked high in other areas.

Why does the speaker encourage graduates to embrace diversity?

The speaker encourages embracing diversity to broaden perspectives, foster understanding, and learn from different experiences and viewpoints.

What advice does the speaker give regarding engaging with people with different political views?

The speaker advises engaging with people of different political views, such as having a conversation between a Democrat and a Republican, to find common ground or gain new insights.

How does the speaker suggest using the freedom of an open mind?

The speaker suggests using the freedom of an open mind to reject old divisions and embrace different points of view, potentially leading to new opportunities and perspectives.

What does the speaker imply about the importance of character in hiring decisions?

The speaker implies that character traits such as hard work, reliability, and openness to other viewpoints are more important in hiring decisions than test scores or the prestige of the educational institution attended.

What qualities does the speaker value on a team?

The speaker values qualities like hard work, reliability, openness to other viewpoints, and a willingness to serve others on a team.

How does the speaker describe the qualities that move businesses, schools, and the country forward?

The speaker describes these qualities as the ones that embody the values learned from parents and communities, and the skills developed through hard work and education.

What is the speaker's hope for the graduates after they have faced various ups and downs?

The speaker hopes that the graduates will not only question their ability to succeed but also consider how and where they will make a positive impact in the world.