“You Don’t Have to Be James Bond”

Graduation time and that means commencement speeches designed to inspire graduates as they leave the known safety of school and set out on the larger, unknown world stage.  Celebrities, world leaders, artists, and corporate executives are among the speakers invited to start them off. Their speeches vary, but–not incidentally–almost all use a metaphor to enhance their messages. See what I mean in the brief excerpts below and notice three things:
The different sources of their metaphors from light to profound
How appropriate their choices are both for who they are and for their audiences
How each on its own merits resonates easily with an audience
Pierce Brosnan, Actor, James Bond movies. Dickinson College. Metaphor of choice: James Bond(!)
“… I have the greatest confidence that you can tackle these global challenges with equal effectiveness.”
“However, as someone who has saved the world a few times, or at least played someone who has, I’d like to offer