speech transcript
So what is grace?
To answer the question, I did what all students do and asked ChatGPT.
Today, it has audiences for generations. If you’ve never heard of ChatGPT, it’s a very smart computer program that can learn all the information available on the internet and answer any question.
So when I asked ChatGPT, “What is grace?”, it said, “Grace is a difficult quality to define, but we know it when we see it.
Hmm, how does that help? I didn’t really understand.
So I took ChatGPT’s advice and asked them to show me examples of grace that I could see.
Acquired 10 influencers and social media celebrities. They were beauty and lifestyle influencers, fashionistas, branding and professional marketing experts who were essentially like the Kardashians and Jenners. They have millions of followers and gave us great makeup and fashion tips. And if you’re wondering why I look so fashionable in a hat and gown today, give the fashionista credit.
I expected more from ChatGPT, so I asked for Dad’s joke about grace.
“Of course I threw it gracefully,” he added.
I laughed and said to ChatGPT,
ChatGPT seems to have been hurt by my insensitivity. Sorry for the joke earlier. “Not up to your standards,” it said.
“Here’s another one,” he offered. “Why did the chicken gracefully cross the road? To get to the other side without fuss.”
So we knew ChatGPT had its limitations. ChatGPT was really good.
I typed in well-crafted prompts and had a beautiful speech in 30 seconds. It took me hours to write this and I couldn’t imagine a computer writing it.
Yes, it was clichéd and predictable, but it had all the elements, the quotes, the compelling story, the inspirational language, and the sophistication.
Sweeten it up a little. From ChatGPT, I finally learned that grace is a kind, forgiving, and caring nature.
Kind, tolerant, caring.
So as you embark on life in the real world, I want you to practice kindness, forgiveness, and compassion.
ChatGPT has brought me many transformative leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Nelson Mandela, Princess Diana and even Mr. Rogers. They are all examples of the power of grace. But you don’t have to look at celebrities. Give your grandparents, parents, family and friends a look at the rafters. You will surely find living examples of the grace of ordinary people who are kind, generous, and considerate. Follow in their footsteps, in your everyday hero’s footsteps.
Also, use your secret superpower of communication. As a graduate of our university, you have learned how to communicate. Please make good use of it.
ChatGPT gave me my first great nugget. As part of the script, I provided an encouraging verse from the Bible, “Let your conversations be salted and full of grace.”
Grace your conversation. Listen carefully and choose your words wisely. Use your words to lift people up instead of putting them down. Not as an instrument of war, but as an instrument of peace. To be in harmony and not to sow the seeds of discord.
In a world that is deeply polarized, dysfunctional, and divided, your graceful conversations are healing.
Also, don’t forget to season the conversation with salt. It’s not a license to use salty words. Quite the opposite. In this context, salt is used as a preservative and seasoning. The preserving power of salt is a pointer to the lasting impact of words. And the seasoning power of salt is a guide to adding spice to your language. Look for conversations with lasting impact by choosing bold, creative, and thoughtful words.
Maya Angelou said, “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did, but they will never forget how you made them feel.” Practice forgiveness, forgiveness, and compassion to create positive emotions in others.
Finally, here are some lessons learned.
The first is to make ChatGPT your best friend. We have to learn to live with AI. Chatbots and robots are here to do your job and are very smart.
Second, fashionistas don’t have the final say on elegance. Instead, look to your everyday heroes. My daily hero is my mother who is nearing the end of her life. As a school teacher in the hot, humid and bustling city of Chennai in South India, she cared for the children of a poor fisherman’s family.
She made many sacrifices for our family and acted gracefully. Our audience’s mother or her grandmother can easily sympathize with her.Early Mother’s Day to our audience’s mother and her grandmother.
And my mother loved words. She inspired me to write, used rhymes and metaphors to dream, and encouraged me to care for those who were overlooked. She showed me how to season my words with salt.
This is my last graduation ceremony as dean. I miss my community of students and faculty.
thank you for helping me.
I leave you with this encouragement as you start chasing your dreams.
