It’s graduation and commencement season. The words are often used interchangeably but there is an important difference between them. Graduation is the end of something – the completion of high school or college.

Commencement is a beginning, a new start. Graduating students attend a commencement ceremony; the official beginning of the next phase in their education or their life. With that in mind, here are some recent commencement speech quotes that also relate to our work lives:

“In baseball, the best batters fail two out of three times. You’ll fail, too, because failure is not an aberration. It’s the price of success. It is how you learn.” -Larry Baer, President and CEO of the San Francisco Giants at San Francisco State University

“Try never to be the smartest person in the room. And if you are, I suggest you invite smarter people or find a different room. In professional circles it’s called networking. In organizations it’s called team building. And in life it’s called family, friends, and community. We are all gifts to each other, and my own growth as a leader has shown me again and again that the most rewarding experiences come from my relationships.” -Michael Dell at the University of Texas

“Your remaining life is an hourglass. Once the sand grains begin to fall, you cannot return them. So, you need to make every grain count.” – The Baron Alexander von Humboldt, as portrayed by Stephen F. Cunha, Chair & Professor of Geography at Humboldt State University

Every new day is a commencement, of sorts. Make the most of the new opportunity!

Tuesday Tidbits are weekly messages I send to my leadership team. They are generally short & sweet, often focused on leadership or teamwork, always positive and, hopefully, motivational. I hope you also find some meaning in them.