We are products of our environment

Brian Lara

It is with great humility that I accept this degree from such a prestigious institution. I am truly lost for words to describe the sentiments I feel today. Today is a momentous day in lives of the entire Lara family and I’m proud to be here at this ceremony with my siblings, close friends and of course, my daughter, Sydney. Words have also defeated me in my desire to express the immense gratitude that I wish to extend to The University of the West Indies, as well as to those who have inspired and believed in me along the way. In short, this honour will be treated with the respect and grace it deserves. I truly wish I could have shared this with my parents Bunty and Pearl.

Today is a landmark in life; not just for me, but also for the members of the graduating class of 2011, whom I wish to acknowledge and to pay special tribute. Look around you, this room is filled with a beautiful blend of people who come from diverse walks of life, who may share different experiences, and who may hold different beliefs. But what unites us here tonight is our common drive to make a positive contribution to the world – whether it is through sport, academics or even at a professional level. We ultimately want to know that whatever we undertake to do in our life today attains a benchmark worthy of merit for those who are to follow tomorrow.

The fundamental question therefore arises: how are we to make this positive contribution together?

While I am only just a handful of years older than most of you here, there are a few life lessons which I have picked up along the way and which I hold close to my heart. I consider these lessons to be life’s survival tool kit, and I would be obliged to share these with you today:

Lesson number 1: Set high standards for yourself and do not at any point underestimate what you are capable of achieving. It is only through identifying a goal that you can begin to take careful and pragmatic steps to get there.

Lesson number 2: Be disciplined and work hard. There is no short cut to achievement. One must make an honest and conscious effort to consistently give of one’s best. If this approach becomes a habit, you will undoubtedly succeed. One of my mentors in life, my beloved father, always shared an old but golden adage with me while growing up: there is no substitute for hard work. He lived his life that way, worked as a labourer in his formative years at an agriculture station to later retire as the manager of that same station. Every time I slipped up he was there to ensure I put in the hard work.

Lesson number 3: Always have confidence in yourself. No one has ever attained success without falling down. I can certainly attest to this. There are going to be times where you will encounter difficulties and yes, stumble along the way. It is important to have faith in your abilities and to persist despite any mitigating circumstance. I remember the day I broke the test batting record the second time and the events preceding that innings. No one here can tell me what took place before that innings. I can give you facts – we had already played three Test matches and had lost all three. I batted six times. Well, can anyone tell me the number of runs I had? I guess not. One hundred runs in six innings, averaging just over 16. Barbados was the venue for the third Test and I remembered being hit all about my body in scoring 33 and 30 in both innings, but it was the longest I had spent at the crease in the series. I was growing in confidence and never doubted my ability. I knew something special was around the cor
ner. I always look back and smile. The record books would show that I scored 500 runs in that series but it but it would leave out the little fact that 400 of those came in one match.

Lesson number 4: Be competitive but never compromise your morals. I encourage you to compete against yourself in a healthy manner. There will be those who may try to appease you with the idea that you can take shortcuts in life. But you must remain steadfast in your ways and ensure that you are always scrupulous so as to avoid embarking upon an unhealthy path. The end never justifies the means. The valour of success will be more meaningful if you have conducted yourself with unwavering dignity and integrity.

Lesson number 5: Maintain a positive attitude and surround yourself with those who share similar goals and values. We are inevitably products of our environment, and when we immerse ourselves around those who work hard and play fairly, such a valuable ethic shall be imbibed in us.

Finally, the last and perhaps the most important lesson: Always remain humble. When you do reach your goal, and I have no doubt that this will occur, don’t ever let success change the person you truly are. …

Congratulations, graduands. You have inspired me in ways that I cannot describe, and I am eternally grateful to each of you tonight.