Renown, Canadian-American comedian Jim Carrey, 52, delivered a striking commencement speech this past Saturday, May 24. Carrey spoke for Maharishi University of Management in Iowa’s graduates. Commencement speeches rarely provide the wisdom, intrigue, and personal honesty that Carrey exhibited.
In the past, Carrey attended the transcendental meditation retreats which were provided by the university, as it was founded by Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, a transcendental mediation pioneer. During the graduation he received the honorary degree of Doctor of Fine Arts Honoris Caus. The award acknowledged Carrey’s significant accomplishments in the realms of comedic acting, artistry, philanthropy, and writing.
In his moving speech, Carrey explains how seeing his father’s strifes as an accountant is what compelled him to pursue comedy. When he was 12 years old, his father, Percy Carrey, lost his job as an accountant. Following this misfortune, the family then struggled to stay afloat. Carrey stated that they, “had to do whatever we could to survive”.
Carrey revealed that he found his inspiration to pursue comedy at the age of 28. During this revelation, he realized the important power of comedy as it has the capacity to relieve the population of their stresses and concerns. Carrey also encouraged the audience to follow their passions.“I learned many great lessons from my father”, Carrey stated, “not the least of which was that you could fail at what you don’t love, so you might as well take a chance on doing what you love.”
His speech was described by the university, “He started with some locally related jokes, which drew approving applause and a lot of laughter. He inspired the students to think big and not give in to fear, but to choose love. Many said it was the best commencement talk ever.”
Ultimately, Carrey expressed that the secret to success is, “letting the universe know what you want and working toward it.”
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