Life hacks from Taylor Swift’s NYU commencement speech 2022

Many of you have probably heard already that Taylor Swift gave an in-person graduation speech at New York University (NYU), which coincided with her receiving an honorary doctorate degree from there (she’s a Doctor of Fine Arts!). She addressed the 2022 graduating class, which of course had graduates from 2020 and 2021 classes stating that that’s “casually cruel,” that they were excluded from attending this as their graduation was set for later on during the day. Jokes aside, she did share a few life advice that could be helpful for us empaths.

Here is my interpretation of key points from Taylor’s inspirational speech:

1. Don’t carry it all at once.

Know what to hold on and let go. This she meant by not stressing over every little detail and don’t carry the world’s weight on your shoulders. You can choose what to keep and what to let go. Be discerning. We’re all trying to figure out our next steps in life, including Taylor Swift.

2. Expect the cringe.

 Cringey moments are inevitable, from your fashion then and now. Learn to live with them.

3. Protect your private life fiercely.

 You have the power to choose who gets to hear all the juicy details of your precious life. Don’t trust everyone. Don’t share everything. Again, be discerning.

4. Mistakes don’t equal failure. 

 Some of the best things came out of making mistakes. It’s okay to make them. Learn from them. For example, Taylor said that it’s human to feel embarrassed about a mistake. Again, learn to live with them, learn from them and move on.

5. We’re all writers.

 From writing social media posts and songs to journaling, Taylor said we are “literary chameleons.” I found this to be so encouraging. Write on.

6. Don’t hide your enthusiasm for things.

Don’t let others’ opinions dim your light. Be eager. Be goofy/silly. Be authentic. Be unapologetically you. There’s no shame in trying. Put the effort in. You can want things.

7. Your life is up to you now.

It’s both exciting and scary at the same time. Take the time to be aware of your needs and values and begin to honor them.

8. Breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out.

 Yep, she’s a “doctor and knows about breathing.” We can all take this advice to mindfully breathe to life’s ups and downs and everything else in between.

Of course, you can view the entire graduation speech here (you can start watching at 2 hr 50 min. mark) It was so wholesome, relevant and honest in my humble opinion. Keep calm and carry on, dear ones.

Thanks for being here and have a beautiful day!